lewelma Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Which of these is more readable and interesting? Do either of them complement this list of books I will suggest to my ds next year? Three Muskateers, Dumas Twenty Years After, Dumas Man in the Iron Mask, Dumas Rob Roy, Scott Mutiny on the Bounty, Nordhoff Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas The Scarlett Pimpernel, Orczy Tale of Two Cities, Dickens Coral Island, Ballantyne Thanks, Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 I haven't read The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but I would recommend Les Miserables and think it would fit in with your book list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Which of these is more readable and interesting? Do either of them complement this list of books I will suggest to my ds next year? Three Muskateers, Dumas Twenty Years After, Dumas Man in the Iron Mask, Dumas Rob Roy, Scott Mutiny on the Bounty, Nordhoff Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas The Scarlett Pimpernel, Orczy Tale of Two Cities, Dickens Coral Island, Ballantyne Thanks, Ruth in NZ OOPS, I just realized that I was commenting on the list you have already picked. I'd pick Hunchback, given how much other reading you have planned. Les Miserables is wonderful reading, but there is just so much of it. [Leaving my comments on the other books, in case it's at all helpful.] My favorites on the list would be Three Muskateers, Count of Monte Cristo and Scarlett Pimpernell. Count of Monte Criso can be intimidating because of size. I have fond recollections of Tale of Two Cities, but from so long ago that I can't say if it would be a good read or not. Same with Hunchback (though I do remember the ending, which was nothing like the Disney movie). Twenty Years After is a sequel to Three Muskateers, as is The Man in the Iron Mask. There is definitely an presumption that the reader is familiar with the characters involved (Athos, Porthos, Aramis & D'Artagnan). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingiguana Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 We didn't make it through the Scarlet Pimpernel. We did get through Three Musketeers, but it was definitely not a favorite. They both seemed a little dull -- no great writing and no great themes to discuss. Maybe we missed something. I know you've already picked those books out, but I couldn't keep my mouth shut about my own dislikes. I've read Hunchback, but not Les Miserables. I found Hunchback to be interesting. Yes, it's dark, but there are things to discuss. It's shorter. That might be an advantage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 I would pick Les Miserables over Hunchback, but Hunchback fits better with what you are already reading. Les Mis is more gritty and real whereas Hunchback has that fantastic element that almost all of your choices have. I would also consider adding Men Against the Sea to your list, it's the second book in the Bounty trilogy. Bly is the hero and unlike the the third book is well worth reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 (edited) I couldn't get through any of the books you listed, but some of the movie adaptations were quite good. I've seen The Three Musketeers, The Man in the Iron Mask, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and A Tale of Two Cities. Far and away, my favorite of the movies was The Scarlet Pimpernel--the one with Jane Seymour and Anthony Andrews. Andrews is the perfect Percival Blakeney! Leslie Howard, who played that part in the 1935 version (and who played Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind) a few years later...) eh, not so much. ;) The Man in the Iron Mask is my second-favorite, and the version I liked best was made-for-television (1977) with Richard Chamberlain as Louis/Philippe. I swooned over Richard Chamberlain when I was a teenager. :D Edited June 16, 2012 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 Which of these is more readable and interesting? Do either of them complement this list of books I will suggest to my ds next year? Three Muskateers, Dumas Twenty Years After, Dumas Man in the Iron Mask, Dumas Rob Roy, Scott Mutiny on the Bounty, Nordhoff Count of Monte Cristo, Dumas The Scarlett Pimpernel, Orczy Tale of Two Cities, Dickens Coral Island, Ballantyne Thanks, Ruth in NZ Is this for your rising 7th grader? If so, I would say that either work will be challenging. I much prefer Les Miserables. However, I personally read that book as a 13-year-old, and wish that I had read it just a couple years later, with a little more maturity under my belt to understand some of the larger life themes better. It's a wonderfully rich book, with many layers, and much of it flew right over my head as a 13yo. If I had to choose between that or Notre Dame, I would go with Les Miserables. It would be a loooooong road for a younger teen, and he would need some hand holding through it. I would also suggest that your reading list is a little Dumas-intensive. Personally I would go with just one or two, and only read the ongoing Musketeeers' books if your child was sufficiently interested to do so. (The later books in the series are entertaining, but not as good.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted June 15, 2012 Share Posted June 15, 2012 I loved The Scarlet Pimpernel, but I had seen the movie first. I find Dumas a little dull, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 Oh goodness, You guys are GREAT. I really really appreciate all your thoughts. I don't post on the High School board very often, and I completely underestimated your combined knowledge.:blush: I am going to start a new thread with my whole book list for everyone to comment on. Please come look. Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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