Kendall Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 The reading has gone a little slower that I had hoped and I'm trying to figure out what to cut out. We are doing Early Modern lit this year and have read Pilgrims Progress longer retelling of Don Quixote Christianity for Modern Pagans (Pascal's Pensees) A Tale of Two Cities Much Ado about Nothing My 9th grade son hopes to finish Paradise Lost this week and I also wanted to do these this year Frankenstein Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Pride and Prejudice Jane Eyre I had also wondered about The Last of the Mohicans, which I have not read or maybe another Shakespeare play. Now that I type this up I think I need to decide whether to do Jane Eyre or The Last of the Mohicans. Which would you choose and why? My son has a friend who said The Last of the Mohicans was boring and gory, but he also said A Tale of Two Cities was boring and my son really like it so I wanted other opinions. Thanks, Kendall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Jane Eyre, because it is a much higher quality of writing. Last of the Mohicans is a bit unfocused, imo, and the writing itself doesn't hold a candle to Jane Eyre. With Jane Eyre, once you are done, make sure you watch the PBS production starring Timothy Dalton. It is by far the most accurate, and Timothy Dalton plays the part of Rochester to a T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 Thank you for the information about the quality of writing; that is important to me. Thanks for the tip about the movie. I read Jane Eyre when I had my older ones read it, but I didn't know about the PBS production. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My vote is for Jane Eyre. I just reread The Last of the Mohicans last fall, because I only had a dim recollection that it was long winded and had a depressing atmosphere (I had read it many years ago when I was sick and thought that might have clouded my judgement), but I still did not like it and had trouble sticking with it to the end. My DD who is a very strong reader could not get into it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 Thank you regentrude, for adding your thoughts. Jane Eyre it is. I shall move on to the next planning item! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candid Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 The reading has gone a little slower that I had hoped and I'm trying to figure out what to cut out. We are doing Early Modern lit this year and have read Pilgrims Progress longer retelling of Don Quixote Christianity for Modern Pagans (Pascal's Pensees) A Tale of Two Cities Much Ado about Nothing My 9th grade son hopes to finish Paradise Lost this week and I also wanted to do these this year Frankenstein Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Pride and Prejudice Jane Eyre I had also wondered about The Last of the Mohicans, which I have not read or maybe another Shakespeare play. Now that I type this up I think I need to decide whether to do Jane Eyre or The Last of the Mohicans. Which would you choose and why? My son has a friend who said The Last of the Mohicans was boring and gory, but he also said A Tale of Two Cities was boring and my son really like it so I wanted other opinions. Thanks, Kendall Not the answer you want, but I would rank Mohicans over either Frankenstein or Jekyll and Hyde. Cooper is an important American author. I might, gasp, put it in over Jane Eyre, but that is a closer call. You have a son, Mohicans is definitely a man's novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin in DFW Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My son and I have been trying to read Mohicans for several weeks now...we finally gave it up...It is very long-winded and tedious. Although my son liked the overall "idea" of the story, actually reading it was something else. We read almost half the book before finally putting it away. I actually stopped reading earlier than he did. He did not like leaving it unfinished, but finally admitted that he was not enjoying it. I had trouble putting some things together and had to ask ds to clarify. He was clearly getting more out of it than I was. We have moved on. Just our experience...ymmv... Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhschool Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I vote for Mohicans. There are many cool guys in that book. Jane Eyre? Meh. "Reader, I married him." I didn't really enjoy the book. (That said, I have seen all the Jane Eyre adaptations--I did like the last one a lot, Starring Mia Wasikowska Michael Fassbender and really disliked William Hurt in that oldish one.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kendall Posted March 25, 2013 Author Share Posted March 25, 2013 You know, now that I think back, my older sons weren't crazy about Jane Eyre. One of them said about half way in, do I really have to finish this, I know what's going to happen([she will marry him). The other didn't like it. So maybe Shakespeare, or let this son see what he thinks about Jane Eyre. Or maybe there is something else... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caroljenn Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I loved Dracula. Read it a couple of weeks ago and couldn't put it down. I'm letting dd read it now as a vocab study. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 On Jane Eyre--This is a book that builds. It takes roughly the first third (maybe even more) to lay a foundation for the rest of the book. Therefore the reader's excitement and investment in the story builds. There are many who felt it was boring to start, but find the ending to be a real page-turner. Last of the Mohicans, however, starts long-winded, stays long-winded, and the ending drifts. It's just unfocused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 If time is your problem, I would vote Jane Eyre./ I think it is much easier, and a faster read than Mohicans. I am currently reading Last of the Mohicans, and I can say it is slow going. I am enjoying it, but have to admit that I read it in smaller chunks. I usually finish books in a day or so, but I can't seem to read this book for long periods. For that reason, I removed it from ds's reading list this year. I think I will save it for high school. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 My son and I have been trying to read Mohicans for several weeks now...we finally gave it up...It is very long-winded and tedious. Although my son liked the overall "idea" of the story, actually reading it was something else. We read almost half the book before finally putting it away. I actually stopped reading earlier than he did. He did not like leaving it unfinished, but finally admitted that he was not enjoying it. I had trouble putting some things together and had to ask ds to clarify. He was clearly getting more out of it than I was. We have moved on. Just our experience...ymmv... Robin I wonder if I read an abridged version of The Last of the Mohicans? I remember reading this when younger and it being a favorite? I ALSO loved Tale of Two Cities -- read in high school and I know I would never have finished it if I hadn't read it as part of a class. its one of the books that make me wish I could find a "Great Books" reading club around here. To encourage me to really get into books I would not pick up otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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