So, I'm wrapping up my year of reading. I know, it's bizarre that I go from September to September, but I do. It makes the numbering really confusing as most people are falsely impressed with my #50s come March or so, thinking I've devoured that many books since January.
The last three years, I have had the challenge "seventy-five books" dancing around in my head all year, encouraging me to read and read some more. I've enjoyed this challenge, and love the many great stories that have touched and entertained me, as well as the memorable characters I've met from making this concerted effort to read and catalog my experiences.
However, a lofty number hasn't been the best motivator for me to read difficult books. Or books that I think might be difficult. In short, it hasn't encouraged me to read as many classics, both fiction and non-fiction, that I'd like to. I've wanted to read Les Miserables and The Count of Monte Cristo, some Shakespeare and LDS classics like Mormon Doctrine and Jesus the Christ for awhile. But, when I know I need to average around six books a month, these worthy giants get pushed aside for another time.
While I don't want to restrict myself to a "classics only" challenge, I am making their reading my main focus for this next September to September. Because I'm a number girl, I'm thinking twenty classics might push me just fine. Throw in a few book club selections and what are bound to be other just-can't-wait novels that find their way to my nightstand, and I'm sure I'll have plenty to read this next year.
Here's where you come in.
I can't read everything I want to in one year, so I'd like to know what you consider the very best of the classics. The "I loved this" or "This is important to read" books that your superior education has exposed you to. Tell me a book you love and why and I'll weigh your recommendation, hem and haw about what I want to read, and then make a plan. I've already bought The Count of Monte Cristo and checked I Capture The Castle from the library, so that's two. I even think I'm going to consider The Prince of Tides as a classic. Is it?
I'm excited for this year. I know I'll miss being that girl who has already read that book you want to know is any good, but I am considering this a bit of post-grad education. For free! Or, for a lot less than a lit class at college would cost.
Let the suggestions roll!
Monday, August 31, 2009
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25 comments:
Go Dog Go! There was never a more profound book written.
I agree. I'd read it (again) but I have it memorized. Sam went through a phase:)
Ben is still in a phase. He likes the dog party, the big dog party, at the end.
I wish I could say a good classic. But I'm terrible at reading them! I loved Count of Monte Cristo. I'm more for modern classics. Have you read Beloved? I love that one.
My husband would tout that the Last of the Mohicans would be a must read. While I have added this to my list to read, because we live in the area where Cooper lived and my husband really wants me to read it! I will tout Jane Eyre...I loved this book as it was the first book I remember reading that I couldn't put down. I would also have to say it was the book that taught me to love reading.
Your goal to read 75 books so awesome! Good luck Lucy!
How serindipitous that you would post this. I just went through a list of the classics with Eli. He is required to read a minimum of two per semester for his English class.
I have a feeling that most of the ones I have read, you have too. I must say that Jesus the Christ is a personal favorite. I highly recommend it. I first read it in 1993 after I returned home from Israel. I was recently reading it and realized it was written almost 100 years ago. The story behind why Talmadge wrote it is interesting too.
Some of my other favorites are The Good Earth, East of Eden, Cry, The Beloved Country, Heart of Darkness and Jane Eyre.
I have also recently had a yearning to read the classics mostly because of their timeless qualities. I will be interested to see what you pick.
If I had to pick just one, it would probably be To Kill a Mockingbird. One of my all-time favorites -- but I imagine you've already read it.
A few others that come to mind that are important to read (although some of them I didn't like reading, rough going): Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Scarlet Letter, Man's Search for Meaning, Night, Crime and Punishment, Lord of the Flies, 1984. Every one of them has something important to say, something we need to learn.
It's hard to recommend books for a girl like you. I have this idea that you've already read everything, because I get so many book ideas from your reviews!
I second Beloved for a canon-busting new literary classic. And have you read much Louise Erdrich? I love her writing. "Tracks" is a good one to start with of hers, but more recently I have also been crazy about "The Master Butcher's Singing Club" and "The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse."
Some "big" reads that have challenged me and been worthwhile: The autobiography of Nelson Mandela is amazing. I think I mentioned "The Hummingbird's Daughter" in a facebook post that you responded to. That's a good one.
Some classics I've liked that you may not have already read: Adam Bede, My Antonia, O Pioneers, Barnaby Rudge, The Invisible Man.
I can't wait to read the comments on this one for some ideas for myself.
I agree with Andrea, Jesus the Christ is a most wonderful reading experience. I can't wait for you to have it.
I have read Beloved. It has stayed with me for years and motivated me to read other Toni Morrison works. But, I think Beloved is her best.
Keep them coming! I really have a lot of holes to fill. I find many times, while reading, that certain books, like Dickens, are happening in the background, or are referenced frequently. It's this foundation that I really need to work on.
What a great goal for yourself...that might have to be a goal for me as well for 2010. Read more classics. I can't wait to read your reviews as I thoroughly enjoyed your take on A Tale of Two Cities.
Here are some suggestions...now keep in mind that all these aren't necessarily my FAVORITES but should be included in a list of classics.
Brave New World- Huxley
Any Ray Bradbury (LOVE HIM!!)
The Awakening-Chopin
The Great Gatsby-Fitzgerald (Love it!!)
A Farewell to Arms-Hemingway...any Hemingway really.
Any Edgar Allen Poe (Creepy but good...good for reading in October)
Frankenstein-Mary Shelley
The Jungle-Upton Sinclair
Wuthering Heights-Bronte (I LOVE IT...but nobody else seems too. Why?)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland-Carroll
Any C.S. Lewis (Love him!)
The Outsiders-Hinton (perfection!! I just had Reilly read it and boy did we cry together over this book.)
I could go on and on. And...OF COURSE...Prince of Tides is a classic. I read it in my high school lit class...doesn't that make it official. I really am curious to have you read some Conroy. I just lent this book to my friend who said she didn't "get it". What?!? You know I love your take on things even if we don't always agree.
If you decide on your list of classics before you begin reading them post it. I would love to read along with you.
I'm glad someone else suggested The Awakening...it was on my list of going-to-suggest!
My absolutely favorite classic novel is Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Thomas Hardy had this way of writing that feels both very contemporary to our times and also very HIS time, all at once. Tess, like all of his work, isn't a cheery read, and might make you fume a little about the injustices the world bestows on women, but holy cow, it is GOOD.
Brave New World is a novel I think almost everyone should read because it forces you to think: what really makes a person happy? Again, not a happy book, but a thoughtful one.
Gotta include something from Steinbeck
One of my favorite "classics" that I just read a few years ago - Gone With The Wind!! Oh so wonderful!
And, I'm not sure if biographies are considered classics -- but John Adams by McCullough is a must.
Melissa Mc
What a great goal. I'll look forward to reading your reviews. As far as reccommendations... I hated Cathcer in the Rye by Holden Caulfield although it was one of those we had to read in high school. I didn't read Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye, but I think I might want to even though the subject matter is not pretty and probably not really uplifting. I can't remember the book I read instead of Morrison's. The name will come to me, but it was a disaster. i read a few pages and then got a hold of the cliff notes. I'm drawing a blank of good ones, but I'll think about it.
I enjoyed your blog and reading the comments. I want to know how you find the time to read so much? And how do you do it guilt free? I read the book suggestions, saw a few that I thought worthy. The hard part is, I hate to share my favorite books because someone else might not love them as much as I do. I'll have to think about what I might suggest.....are we alike or different in our tastes? Final: I read the Count of Monte Cristo during the E. coli ordeal....bad link.
Molly - it depends on the season. It's harder for me to read during the summer, but I read a a lot during the dark months in the evening because I prefer it over TV. I don't know if I'll get to read as much as my children get older and stay up later and have things during the evenings, but it's worked well so far.
I know what you mean about protecting your favorite books, especially from me as I can be critical. No worries. I'm excited about these ideas. Like, I've never read Alice in Wonderland! I don't even know what it's really about, except that she changes sizes. Definitely needs to be read because it is so referenced in the world. I'd also love to read Gone With the Wind. I've heard from fans that the reading process is such a memorable event.
Bummer about Monte Cristo. Here's hoping to a healthy stomach when I begin its 1200 pages:)
Oh! You've never read Gone With the Wind? Then yes, you must read it, especially if you're a fan of the movie. Because as usual, the book was better. ;-)
Sorry about my earlier comment, as funny as I thought it was...to me it really is the most classic children's book, and my all-time favorite of that genre (shows how many I've read!).
When I was at BYU I took a Roman/Greek literature class. I was amazed at how enjoyable that course was to me. We read several of the "classics" from that era like Homer's Oddysey, the Oedipus stories, etc. I would recommend finding a couple of those, they are surprisingly refreshing, dramatic and humorous when compared to a lot of today's literature. I gave most of the books from that class to my mom and I'm sure she'd loan them to you if you ever wanted to read them.
Here are some of the best I've read in the past 4 years:
River of Doubt by Collen Murphy, The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough, The Power of One by Bruce Courtenay, The Adventure of English by Melvynn Bragg.
One more that's off the beaten path
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
by Simon Winchester
I'm with Amy, I loved Tess of D'Urbervilles, and most anything by Hardy. The Count of Monte Cristo is also very good. Another one I really enjoyed was Anna Karenina. You ahve motivated me to read more and read a broader range of books. I get most of my choices from blogs, etc and love trying other's suggestions. Good Luck!
Valerie
I had another thought. It sort of goes along w/ C.J.'s suggestion.
Antigone is my absolute favorite classical drama. It is SO GOOD. Seamus Heaney (an Irish poet) has a new modern retelling of it that is excellent. It's called Burial at Thebes.
And, yeah: The Odessy, the Iliad, the Aenid. All good reads if you can find a good translation. I am still kicking myself for selling back my book I bought for my Classical Mythology class way back in like...1993 I think. It was excellent.
I like reading the comments on your blog. I am excited to see what books you choose. John loved the book that VJ mentioned, "The Power of One" I just saw the movie and it is my fav. :) (When you say, 'I just saw the movie' after a post like this, I think it negates anything else you might have to say....so....take it for what it's worth. Mere Christianity CS Lewis is a keeper, In LDS Lit, there are some classics.JtheC by Talmage is the best (Talmage has my same birthday in case you were wondering) Believing Christ, The Peacegiver, Pure in Heart, Spiritual Roots of Human Relations. Let's see, what else? Atlas Shrugged of course. How about some weird new age ones? Mutant Message Down Under, Celestine Prophecy (I can loan em to ya). OK, I will stop since I am not listing any classics... Is Harry Potter a classic?
I have to admit I think I will be sad not being able to read your reviews first, but maybe that will just mean I will read more classics this year too. :)
Sorry for the multiple comments! Just had to add one more, since it did change something about me...not really my life, exactly, but my reading tastes. Fahrenheit 451 is THE novel that made me fall in love with dystopian lit. If you like books at all you MUST read it. SO good. Scary good. Good good. Must read. In fact, I am wanting to re-read it now!
Dune, Unaccustomed Earth, The Magnificent Ambersons, anything by Steinbeck...I will be looking forward to your reviews!!
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