"Words and Peace"
is a blog I've been following for a couple of years and I have always
found some interesting new (or olde) books there, especially French ones.
On her page, I found the posts by "The Classics Club"
asking us to create a post, this time before next Sunday 19th March 2023, and
list our choice of any twenty books that remain "to be read" on our
Classics Club list. They'll then post a number from 1
through 20 and we have time until Sunday 30th of April 2023 to read it.
In the meantime, I read only one book from my old list (Classics Spin #32), mainly because I have finished reading my original list (except for one) and am trying to read more books from my TBR pile. The books are all in
chronological order.
1. Aristophanes "Lysistrata and Other Plays" (Lysistrata) - 411BC
2. Voltaire "Candide, ou l'Optimisme" (Candide, or Optimism) - 1759
3. Dickens, Charles "Nicholas Nickleby. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby" - 1838/39
4. Brontë, Charlotte "The Professor" - 1857
5. Turgenjew, Iwan Sergejewitsch "Fathers and Sons" (Отцы и дети/Otzy i deti) - 1862
6. Mann, Heinrich "Der Untertan" (Man of Straw, The Patrioteer, or The Loyal Subject) - 1914
7. Conrad, Joseph "Victory: An Island Tale" - 1915
8. Hamilton, Cicely "William - an Englishman" - 1920
9. Hesse, Hermann "Wir nehmen die Welt nur zu ernst" [We just take the world too seriously] - 1928
10. Faulkner, William "The Sound and the Fury" - 1929
11. Hemingway, Ernest "A Farewell to Arms" - 1929
12. Meigs, Cornelia "Invincible Louisa" - 1933
13. Orwell, George "Down and Out in Paris and London: A Gritty Memoir on Life & Poverty in Two Cities" - 1933
14. Canetti, Elias "Die Blendung" (Auto-da-Fé) - 1935
15. Orwell, George "The Road to Wigan Pier" - 1937
16. Némirovsky, Irène "Les biens de ce monde" (All Our Wordly Goods) - 1941
17. Mahfouz, Naguib "Midaq Alley" (Zuqaq El Midaq/زقاق المدق) - 1947
18. Lagerkvist, Pär "Barabbas" (Barabbas) - 1950
19. Kazantzakis, Nikos "The Last Temptation of Christ" (Ο τελευταίος πειρασμός/O telefteos pirasmos) - 1951
20. Yates, Richard "Revolutionary Road" - 1961
This time, it's #18, so my novel is:
Lagerkvist, Pär "Barabbas" (Barabbas) - 1950
If you want to take up the challenge, here is the post: The Classics Spin #33
And here is a list of all the books I read with the Classics Spin.
I used to read a lot of classics but somehow now, I just don't seem to want to read them.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Nicolas Nickleby, although I find the scenes where Nicolas is with the theater tropes kind of dull but probably because I hate all those theater stuff.
I read the Bronte's The Professor and I have to admit, I just didn't like the book or the Professor. But having read it, I can sort of appreciate Bronte's Jane Eyre more because I can see how she had improved since it was written before Jane Eyre. I always wonder how an author's earlier work and why it is sometimes better or worse when compare to their more recent work.
Have a lovely day.
Interesting thoughts, Lissa. I love Charles Dickens and also Charlotte Brontë, so hopefully will at least like these books, we'll see.
DeleteYes, you are right, sometimes earlier work disappoints after having read later pieces.
And I have always loved classics, there are so many of them that I doubt I will ever finisht them all.
The Professor was only published after Charlotte's death. I guess they did not have so much to publish then. It was her first book and it did not get published when she tried to sell it. That might tell something of it. I kind of liked it, you can at least see the wonderful prose of Charlotte in it. Luckily, she did improve her storytelling.
DeleteThanks for that, Lisbeth. I know how much you like the Brontës, so that means a lot. I am still looking forward to this one.
DeleteI have numbers 3, 4, 15 and 16. I've read number 13.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kitten. Obviously, I have not read any of them but will tackle one soon ... next week. Did you enjoy Down and Out in Paris and London?
DeleteIt was an interesting read. I should be scheduling 'Wigan Pier' soon. My review of Down & Out is here:
Deletehttps://cyberkittenspot.blogspot.com/2017/12/just-finished-reading-down-and-out-in.html
Thanks for that, Kitten. I'll have a look.
DeleteThe only classic on this list that I've read is Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms...and I have to say I am not a fan of that book. But maybe it's because I had to read it when I was in high school. Hope you spin a good one! :D
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lark. I have read a book about Hemingway last year and am really looking forward to this one. And, of course, we have a different perception when still in school. We'll see how I like it.
DeleteI read "Nicholas Nickleby" with my oldest daughter, but we only thought it so-so. I read "Farewell to Arms" a long time ago and liked it. I also read "Der Untertan," but did not care much for the style/language. I have visited Faulkners grave, but have not read the listed book by him. I have read others, though. I read "The Clouds" in Latin (not in Greek) and it was very funny.
ReplyDeleteI know it's not his most famous book, Eva, but I love Dickens and, eventually, want to read all of his works. Hemingway, I have not read much but I am looking forward to this because I read a book about him last year and that made me want to read more by him.
DeleteI haven't read anything by Heinrich Mann but love his brother, Thomas, so we'll see how he works out.
Is "The Clouds" by Faulkner? I don't seem to be able to find it.
Thanks for your comments.
I thought that Thomas Mann is a much better writer than Heinrich! No, "The Clouds" is in the collection of plays by Aristophanes. We had a very innovative Latin teacher and read it in her class in Latin.
DeleteHe probably was, Eva. I am still looking forward to reading at least one of Heinrich's book.
DeleteAnd somehow I thought you were still talking about the same author. LOL I knew about Aristophanes but didn't make the jump.
Yes, it would be good to see how different they were as writers. No, no, I guess I must have very jumpy thoughts. Must be because I have five children so close in age: They always talk all at once and you need to switch gears constantly and fast.
DeleteHaha, Eva, I only have two children but I totally know the feeling.
Delete:).
DeleteOh cool list! I so loved 10 and 17, good luck.
ReplyDeletehttps://wordsandpeace.com/tag/classics-club/
I am looking forward to both of them, Emma. Thanks. I'll see what you have on your list.
DeleteI have several books I want to read on your list including Nicholas Nickleby and The Sound and the Fury and Farewell to Arms. I've read and loved Revolutionary Road and Candide.
ReplyDeleteHere's my list: https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2023/03/lets-spin-wheel-to-see-what-to-read.html
Interesting that you have a few books in common. Though not that surprising, we seem to like similar books. Thanks for your link, I'll hop over.
DeleteGreat and interesting list. I loved Candide and Barabbas is very good. I read The Professor, Farewell to Arms and Revolutionary Road. The last one I liked very much. I love Conrad, but can't read Faulkner. Good luck with your spin. I am thinking of changing my list for some variety. Not many books get read from it, I am afraid.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisbeth. You suggested Barrabas to me, and it sounds very interesting.
DeleteAnd good to see that you know and loved so many books from my list. Looking forward to seeing what we will get.
Well, as a huge Dickens fan, Nicolas Nickleby leaps out to me. But I also adored Revolutionary Road - a truly brilliant book that has stayed in my mind ever since I read it. Whichever one you get, I hope it turns out to be a winner!
ReplyDeleteThanks, FictionFan. I am also a huge Dickens fan but haven't read all of his books. Yet. I hope to get there at one point.
DeleteA fun-looking list! I've read a bunch off your list. I liked Nicholas Nickleby, even if it isn't Dickens' best. (But then I just like Dickens.) I remember liking Barabbas a lot, but it's been a long time since I read it. And Fathers and Sons is great. But I'm curious about that Hesse--I've never even heard of that one.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Reese, I also love Dickens and want to read all of his books, eventually. Same as you, I never heard of the Hesse book, it's not one of his most famous ones, not even in Germany.
DeleteSo you got Lagerkvist. I'm curious and going to check this author. Enjoy! I got John Dickson Carr, that will be my very first book by him!
ReplyDeleteYes, Lagerkvist. A friend recommended this book last year. I am in the middle of reading two other books about Israel/Palestine but totally different. So, we will see.
DeleteI never read anything by John Dickson Carr, so I'm looking forward to your review.