Country Girl Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Okay, I feel a little embarrassed even asking this here but...... I need recommendations for your favorite classic books to read. I know this is extremely subjective and personal but I need suggestions of where to begin. I love reading, it is probably my favorite pastime. However, I have read very few classics and "quality" literature. Unfortunately, growing up, I attended a school that never encouraged such things. In fact, during my entire highschool career, I was only required to read 3 whole books, everything else was just excerpts. I remember choosing a "classic" for one of those requirements and my teacher being somewhat shocked. So, as I am hoping to provide my children with a better education than I received, I also would like to educate myself. So please give me your recommendations as to your favorite classics and "must reads". Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Pride and Prejudice Had to beat everyone else to post this!!! Also - The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. To Kill a Mockingbird. Jane Eyre. The Old Man and the Sea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Have you read Susan's book The Well Educated Mind? It gives a lot of information about how to read classics as well as suggestions as to what to read. There are plenty of great books lists out there. Here's one of them: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/boost-your-skills/23628.html Of these? For a novice reader? I would start with: Animal Farm To Kill a Mockingbird Pride and Prejudice Things Fall Apart Robinson Crusoe Their Eyes Were Watching God MacBeth Walden Slaughterhouse Five The Color Purple Leaves of Grass and the collected tales of Edgar Allen Poe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E_Edgerton Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 This is a BIG question! I would read everything by Dickens, Austen, a handful of stuff by Shakespeare, Faulkner, Wharton, Twain, Whitman, Steinbeck (especially Cannery Row, but the classics are Of Mice and Men and Grapes of Wrath) Vanity Fair by Thackeray, everything by CS Lewis, the Grimm Fairy Tales, Lord of the Flies, The Scarlett Letter, Ivanhoe, I would also throw in some Kerouac, The Confederacy of the Dunces by John Kennedy Toole ( a classic to me) and maybe get some Norton anthologies. They are college texts that are really just collections of great works. Also read some stuff by the founding fathers. Sorry this is so disorganized, but it is just what I came up with off the top of my head. Good luck and happy reading.:) The list could go on and on and on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Jane Austen. Bronte sisters. Dickens. Shakespeare. Lord of the Rings. Narnia Chronicles. Anne of Green Gables. Chaucer. CS Lewis. Homer. For littles- Beatrix Potter, Winnie the Pooh, Wind in the Willows, Dr. Suess, Curious George. Billy and Blaze books. Margeurite Henry's books about horses. James Herriot's animal stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphabetika Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 A few thoughts, completely based on my preferences: David Copperfield - Dickens Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury 1984 - Orwell Sense and Sensibility - Austen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 This is a BIG question! I would read everything by Dickens, Austen, a handful of stuff by Shakespeare, Faulkner, Wharton, Twain, Whitman, Steinbeck (especially Cannery Row, but the classics are Of Mice and Men and Grapes of Wrath) Vanity Fair by Thackeray, everything by CS Lewis, the Grimm Fairy Tales, Lord of the Flies, The Scarlett Letter, Ivanhoe, I would also throw in some Kerouac, The Confederacy of the Dunces by John Kennedy Toole ( a classic to me) and maybe get some Norton anthologies. They are college texts that are really just collections of great works. Also read some stuff by the founding fathers. Sorry this is so disorganized, but it is just what I came up with off the top of my head. Good luck and happy reading.:) The list could go on and on and on... I'm going to have to disagree. I would never suggest anyone start with Steinbeck, Thackeray, Kerouac, Faulkner or Wharton for someone just getting into the classics, it could be discouraging. I would *absolutely* suggest these for someone who started on the classics a while ago and is ready for something more challenging. But...that's just me, everyone sees these things differently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2legomaniacs Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I would not recommend starting with something crazy hard to read. That would be very off-putting to start with. Here are some that I enjoyed from High school required readings. Jane Eyre Wuthering Heights Crime and Punishment Little Women (and other of her books) Emma To Kill a Mockingbird Scarlet Letter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginger Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I just finished reading Pride and Prejudice this week. I don't know...I had a hard time getting into it.(maybe it is just my uneducated mind). It wasn't until maybe the last 10 chapters where I got to the point where I wanted to keep reading extra chapters. It kind of reminded me of a soap opera--where you can watch for months/years and two characters are STILL trying to get together. And also like a soap opera, it didn't seem like anyone had a job. Life was one big social affair. Overall, it was a good book, and I'm glad I read it, if for no other reason than to say I've read it ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MgoBlue Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 If you read the classics...just starting out...how about reading the cliff notes or spark notes to go with it? It's what we did in high school. Edit; read the well educated mind by susan wise bauer. That'll give you some inspiration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusPair Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 The Great Gatsby, Huck Finn, Ethan Frome, Daisy Miller, The Sound and the Fury, The Awakening, House of Mirth, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Sula or Beloved by Toni Morrisson Persuasion by Austen Great Expectations by Dickens Madame Bovary by Flaubert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I have to pipe up for "The Count of Monte Cristo". Great book! Some other ideas: Robinson Crusoe 1984 Fahrenheit 451 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Heart of Darkness Enjoy your reading! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristavws Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 One of the libraries in our area is hosting "Read the Classics - The Books I Always Meant to Read!" lectures and discussions. The following are the classics they have listed as part of this series: Greece and Rome The Iliad, Homer The Odyssey, Homer The Aeneid, Virgil The Metamorphoses, Ovid Middle Ages Beowulf History of the Kings of Britain Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Canterbury Tales, Chaucer 1600s & 1700s Novels Don Quixote, Cervantes Robinson Crusoe, Defoe Gulliver's Travels, Swift Candide, Voltaire 1800s Novels Frankenstein, Shelley Moby Dick, Melville Madame Bovary, Flaubert Great Expectations, Dickens Russian Literature Collected Tales, Gogol Master and Margarita, Bulgakov The Little Tragedies, Pushkin Russian Poetry of the Silver Age Philosophy Plato's Republic Hume Kant Descartes HTH! Krista Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom to Aly Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I love Jane Austen, I feel Dickens is essential, and a good bit of Shakespeare, the Bronte's, Mark Twain (especially his short stories--well, his novels too), Oscar Wilde, Animal Farm, etc. But, take heart, many a wonderful teacher and mom has survived without the classics, or has read them along the way. There are so many "classics" that I think are greatly over rated (Moby Dick being #1, Voltaire close behind), and I was a lit major, and have 2 BA's, 2 MA's, and part of my phD, and a very classical education, and there are so many pieces of modern lit that I am sure will one day be considered classical literature (Their Eyes Were Watching God is one, and Alice Walker feels Zora Neale Hurston, the author of that book, "fed her" The Color Purple, which is sort of a modern version of it). Flannery O'Conner is amazing! And so much more. Don't be embarrassed by what you haven't read. Be proud that you want to read more now :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFP Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Who are your favorites now, Country Girl? It's easier to give a recommendation if I know who and what you've already enjoyed. My personal favorite classics: Howards End. Hamlet. Middlemarch. The Brothers Karamazov. To the Lighthouse and Mrs. Dalloway. As I Lay Dying. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Sons and Lovers. Persuasion and Emma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I'm actually just starting this year with going through the lists in the Well Trained Mind. I did buy WEM, but like you I love to read but not a lot of classics or challenging lit in my repertoire. I'm starting with the Jr. High/middle school-aged suggested reading lists, as I think they're more where I'm at, mentally. Sad to say, but I'd rather read a book and enjoy it then have it completely over my head, at this point. The other advantage to this, in my case, is that by the time my kids get to jr. high and high school, I'll have read the books that I'm going to assign them, instead of trying to screen them then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Oscar Wilde :iagree: Yes, he is wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Any and all Jane Austen books. Easy to read and have lovely happy endings. :) I love classics. I've read a lot and now I'm starting to actually start my own collection and not just loan from the library. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" is a must. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I just finished reading Pride and Prejudice this week. I don't know...I had a hard time getting into it.(maybe it is just my uneducated mind). It wasn't until maybe the last 10 chapters where I got to the point where I wanted to keep reading extra chapters. It kind of reminded me of a soap opera--where you can watch for months/years and two characters are STILL trying to get together. And also like a soap opera, it didn't seem like anyone had a job. Life was one big social affair. Overall, it was a good book, and I'm glad I read it, if for no other reason than to say I've read it ;-) :iagree: I did read Sense & Sensibility and enjoyed it more. I also recommend "Huckleberry Finn" and "Robinson Crusoe" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I must say, no wait - confess, that I didn't enjoy Pride and Prejudice very much. But about two years later I was required to read some of Jane Austen's other novels and I prefer them! If you don't like one work by one author, take a break and try some of their other offerings. I'm sure this is particularly true for folks like Dickens and Shakespeare. The previous lists have been awfully complete so I won't try to add more books, just the advice above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Run away from Moby Dick. :glare: I agree with the suggestion to look at The Well-Educated Mind and go from there. I have to confess to not going through the three stages of reading properly, but at least I'm reading the books! There's no shame in properly utilizing Cliff's Notes once you're an adult. I've looked at them for several books to clarify things. Once I emerge from Moby Dick, I'm going back to the really early classics and starting The Iliad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi @ Mt Hope Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 To start with? To Kill a Mockingbird, The Giver then Fahrenheit 451 (definitely *before* 1984, IMHO), David Copperfield, and The Count of Monte Cristo (long, but action packed and worth it...my favorite book ever!) I agree that it would be helpful to know what sort of books you enjoy now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherE Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I came out of lurking and registered just to answer this! I hadn't touched a classic since school due to the experience of being force-fed literature I wasn't ready to understand- and I've finally realized all of the great works I'm missing. What made it easier (and much more rewarding) reading was to find a contemporary book to fill in necessary background and detail, or a contemporary book that would make an interesting compare/contrast. Example: For background on Grapes of Wrath, I first read The Worst Hard Time. I don't think I would have come near to understanding the Joad's struggles without the knowledge from Hard Time. It put everything into perspective. Another example: I read Fast Food Nation and then compared it to the conditions in The Jungle. It was interesting to see what had/hadn't changed in the production of food. And I also give myself permission to say a book just isn't working for me. I slogged through 500 pages of Crime and Punishment before I set it down permanently. It just wasn't speaking to me, and I know there are plenty of books out there that will inspire. Just a couple of tricks that have worked for me- good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laylamcb Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 :iagree: I did read Sense & Sensibility and enjoyed it more. See? Isn't that funny? P&P is my favorite novel EVER, and I love all of Austen's other novels, too--except S&S. So apparently she wrote a book for each and every one of us. :001_smile: I *personally* totally agree with Mrs. Mungo not to kick off with Faulkner et al, and I would add to that list Hemingway. But that might just be me. Definitely down with Austen and the Brontes. I'd read Tom Sawyer before getting into Huck Finn. Just IMHO. Another vote for E.M. Forster novels (love them all). I'm not a huge Dickens fan, but Great Expectations is a lot easier and faster moving than many of his works. I love Hardy; don't miss Jude the Obscure and The Mayor of Casterbridge. Anthony Trollope's novels are great (The Small House at Allington is my fave) if you really like to cuddle up to some well-developed characters with maybe not so much of the twist-of-fate stuff that goes on in Hardy. Here's a grab-bag of novels, plays, and short stories: To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, The Grapes of Wrath, The Scarlet Letter, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, The Importance of Being Earnest, Desire Under the Elms, The Crucible, Death of a Salesman, Streetcar Named Desire, The Birthmark, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle, The Lottery, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, The Ransom of Red Chief, The Gift of the Magi, The Necklace, The Catbird Seat, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, Rappaccini's Daughter.... That should get you started, anyway! And I personally feel very, very strongly that Conan Doyle and Wodehouse are modern classics! :001_smile: Every Holmes story and novel is awesome; don't miss Holmes! And the Jeeves and Wooster stories and novels are just about the funniest stuff ever written. You can treat yourself to Wodehouse in between chapters of Kerouac.... :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Readsalot Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I didn't think I would like the book, but I am really enjoying it. If you select rad a little about the author before you read the book. My son is also reading it and we are having some great discussion about the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenC Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 I've been reading those classics that I think I will want my dd's to read in the future. So far this year I have read and enjoyed: To Kill a Mockingbird - I loved it Watership Down - really liked this too Animal Farm - enjoyed Lord of the Rings trilogy - Great! Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden - I loved both of these Of Mice and Men and the Red Pony - I didn't care for these nearly as much. The Giver - enjoyed Next on my list are The Prince and the Pauper and 1984. I would just pick one that you think you would enjoy and get started. I never dreamed that I would like Steinbeck as much as I do. Have fun, Karen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted August 17, 2008 Author Share Posted August 17, 2008 Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have all given me some great ideas. To those who have asked what type of books I like in general... one of my all time favorite books is The Count of Monte Cristo. I absolutely loved this book. My favorite type of books are usually mysteries, suspense, conspiracy type books. I have read a few of the ones mentioned (Jane Eyre, Of Mice and Men, and a few more) but most of them are new to me and give me a great idea of books to look at to get started. It is also reassuring to see that it is okay not to like a classic. I have started A Tale of Two Cities two different times and can not get into it. I feel like I now have permission to give up on it and move onto something else. Thanks to you all and I'd still love to hear any other suggestions you may have for me. Oh, I also wanted to thank you who mentioned The Well Educated Mind. I haven't read it but it sounds like it would be a good starting place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 I am reading my kids' books for next year and getting to read lots of great books! I am reading Joan of Ark by Mark Twain at the moment, as well as Sophie's World, and the Sword and the Stone. Another place to look for classics and good books is the Ambleside highschool list, HEO (which is on the Ambleside site). They use a lot of Classics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Sula or Beloved by Toni Morrisson I just read Beloved. Oh. My. Goodness. That book shook me to the core. It is excellent, but it will break your heart. And yet, I highly recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraGB Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Boy, I had the same situation in high school. What, actually finish a book?! Why? ... :glare: I've since reconditioned myself. :D I would suggest finding an author whose writing you thoroughly enjoy, and then reading everything they have to offer. Consider reading up on the biography and history of the author - I find this knowledge makes thier books more interesting for me. Two of my all time favs are John Steinbeck and Charles Dickens. Grapes of Wrath - its just too good to put down. Go from that to Of Mice and Men, The Cannery, and all the others. I've not read a Steinbeck I didn't love. And, my favorite author of all time - Dickens. David Copperfield is my absolute favorite, but anything Dickens I find inspring and always something to get lost in. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom to Aly Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Some books are classics, not for the whole book, but for the story and certain passages--you said you don't like A Tale of Two Cities--although it is too long (Dickens was paid by the word), it is so famous (and rightfully so) for the beginning passages, and the end--"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, etc.", and the end, which I can't remember well enough now, but something like, "It is a far, far better thing that I do now, than I have ever done...". So beautiful! And the story itself is outstanding! Although I often have wondered how many people have read the whole text, because many people I've spoken with seem to know the "movie content" more than the whole story (kwim?). If you liked The Count of Monte Cristo, the author also wrote The Three Musketeers, 20 Years After, Le Vicomte de Bragelonne--I don't know what this is in English, although I know that one part of it is The Man in the Iron Mask. These are all quite good, and in a similar style of the Count of Monte Cristo, although I didn't like them as much. He's written several others, but the only other ones I've read were in French, La Tulipe Noire (The Black Tulip), and Queen Margot, which was so violent, I really couldn't stand it. I adore Jane Austen, although the style is nothing like this. If you really like mysteries, I cannot highly enough recommend Sherlock Holmes. I started reading them for a book club I was running a while ago, and I was shocked--by the height of the vocabulary, the language, the substance, by the depth of character, how wonderful the personification was, by everything. I had always thought they would be little detective stories; I had no idea of how outstanding they really were. Edgar Allan Poe is another that I can't praise highly enough; his short stories and his poetry. I love Arthur Miller; although most of his works are not to cheery (although I think "Creation of the World and Other Such Nonsense" is rather funny), they are deep and moving; pieces you will not soon forget. I am also a huge fan of the short story, and some I forgot to mention earlier are Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who is modern, but is amazing in short stories and novels; I think I said Flannery O'Conner; Alice Walker's short stories are great; oh, so many! A great compilation to buy is a Norton's Anthology--they have them for short stories and for poetry. I had them for a few college classes, and they have such a ton of material! If you can find them in a used bookstore, they are well worth it! There are so many "classics" to choose from, there is no need to read anything you won't like; you can keep moving on until you find something else that really touches you, and there will be many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraL Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 I have to add A Little Princess, by the same author as Secret Garden and Little Lord Fauntleroy. (Francis Hodgsen Burnett--not sure about the spelling there.) A sixth grade teacher gave me the book, and it is still my favorite! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Virginia Dawn Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have all given me some great ideas. To those who have asked what type of books I like in general... one of my all time favorite books is The Count of Monte Cristo. I absolutely loved this book. My favorite type of books are usually mysteries, suspense, conspiracy type books. I have read a few of the ones mentioned (Jane Eyre, Of Mice and Men, and a few more) but most of them are new to me and give me a great idea of books to look at to get started. It is also reassuring to see that it is okay not to like a classic. I have started A Tale of Two Cities two different times and can not get into it. I feel like I now have permission to give up on it and move onto something else. Thanks to you all and I'd still love to hear any other suggestions you may have for me. Oh, I also wanted to thank you who mentioned The Well Educated Mind. I haven't read it but it sounds like it would be a good starting place. You sound like you enjoy some of the same kinds of books I do, you might like The Scarlett Pimpernel, Lost Horizon, Anna and the King of Siam, Kim. What about books by Daphne DuMaurier: Jamaica Inn, Rebecca, Rule Brittania (OK maybe not "classic" yet), Then There are Frankenstien's Monster, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Dracula. I absolutely adore Twain, especially The Prince and the Pauper, Puddin' Head Wilson, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 I LOVE To Kill a Mockingbird. That would be a great one to start with. I agree that Steinbeck is a tough read but Grapes of Wrath is a wonderful book and much easier to get through than some of his others. Others I find myself reading over and over (most of which I fell in love with in high school English): 1984 Animal Farm The Catcher in the Rye Brave New World The Heart is a Lonely Hunter A Separate Peace I also recently read The Bell Jar and already want to read it again. And finally, I highly recommend The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien but it is long and wordy in many places. Maybe save his stuff for later, but make sure you get to it at some point. It's not to be missed. =) Maybe read The Hobbit first. Have fun!! You've received tons of great recommendations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 I've really enjoyed most of the classics I've read. But I just. can't. read. Dickens. No idea why, just can't get into them and life is too short to try again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saw Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 that as well as being a question of which classics to read, it's a question of how to get started reading them. It might be inspirational to watch the movie or a Masterpiece Theater version of a "classic" book first. I don't care for EM Forster that much, but I did enjoy the films of his books and that led me to appreciate the books more than I might otherwise have done. Another approach might be to listen to an audiobook before, during or after reading a "classic." (I'm a bit sceptical of the definition of "classic" -- I think there are many wonderful books and authors out there who are/have been neglected, which are equally deserving of the title classic as P&P or Austen.) You can also try out LibraryThing -- you can use this find recommendations based on books you have read and like. As long as you know one book you like, you can use it to link into a chain of other books you'll like. Amazon also offers recommendations like this. There's a couple of other sites out there that offer a similar function, but I can't remember which. I would also highly recommend looking at http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/ They republish books from 20th century authors, many of them women. These are not classics in the sense that everyone will know the names of the authors or books, but they are in the sense that the selection is excellent and the books wonderful. Maybe it's just that I have a degree in early 20th century British literature (so that my rec with a grain of salt) but I have loved every single book I've read that they have published. Plus, their catalog is fun reading (sort of like The Common Reader used to be). I particularly appreciate the books written from/for the perspective of women who have been home with kids and start to wonder what their lives are really all about. I find that I keep returning to some of these books in my mind and enjoying them long after I've finished reading them. To make this post even longer, I'll give you my favorites. I have a general rule that I don't read books unless the author is female, British and dead, but I make exceptions. For contemporary work I like Ian McEwan (grim though), Pat Barker (grim but great), Roddy Doyle (cannot say enough good about his work), Alexander McCall Smith (light and fun and good). For older work I like Austen (love love love), George Eliot and any of the Brontes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumping In Puddles Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 The Color Purple is extremely easy to read and interesting... it might be a good start. I can.not. get into Ivanhoe. I fall asleep every time I try to give it a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 And, my favorite author of all time - Dickens. David Copperfield is my absolute favorite, but anything Dickens I find inspring and always something to get lost in. I also love Dickens. My fave is "Our Mutual Friend." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I've really enjoyed most of the classics I've read. But I just. can't. read. Dickens. No idea why, just can't get into them and life is too short to try again. Yep. Some things are much more enjoyable on screen, and Dickens is one such example. I also found I enjoyed Jane Austen's novels a lot more after seeing them on video. I guess I didn't have enough familiarity with the time period to be able to imagine it properly. If you like dark and sinister, 'The Phantom of the Opera.' I also love 'Les Miserables,' but it's much better on the second reading. :) Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jugglin'5 Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Definitely down with Austen and the Brontes. I'd read Tom Sawyer before getting into Huck Finn. Just IMHO. Another vote for E.M. Forster novels (love them all). I'm not a huge Dickens fan, but Great Expectations is a lot easier and faster moving than many of his works. I love Hardy; don't miss Jude the Obscure and The Mayor of Casterbridge. Anthony Trollope's novels are great (The Small House at Allington is my fave) if you really like to cuddle up to some well-developed characters with maybe not so much of the twist-of-fate stuff that goes on in Hardy. That should get you started, anyway! And I personally feel very, very strongly that Conan Doyle and Wodehouse are modern classics! :001_smile: Every Holmes story and novel is awesome; don't miss Holmes! And the Jeeves and Wooster stories and novels are just about the funniest stuff ever written. You can treat yourself to Wodehouse in between chapters of Kerouac.... :001_huh: I love Trollope and I think he seems to be way underrated and underrecommended. Hardy - hated Tess, loved Mayor. Yes, read Wodehouses definitely, especially as palate cleansers after some of the less savory modern classics. Also, for fun modern classics, or at least I think they will be recognized as such one day, you can't beat Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin Napoleonic naval stories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I recently read "Dracula" and loved it. Maybe the familiar story would help to introduce you to a classic? I'm also a lifelong "Jane Eyre" fan who sorta fell in love with Mr. Rochester while reading this book. Dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tristangrace Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I haven't read all the posts yet, but if you're gettin' your toes wet, maybe read some short story collections--Edgar Allen Poe, Flannery O'Connor, Dorothy Parker, O. Henry, James Thurber, Sherwood Anderson. I like short stories! Good for my (currently) short attention span! Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I'm also a lifelong "Jane Eyre" fan who sorta fell in love with Mr. Rochester while reading this book. Dana, have you read "The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde??? You may like it, esp. being a fan of Mr. Rochester. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Dana, have you read "The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde??? You may like it, esp. being a fan of Mr. Rochester. :001_smile: I just bought it! It's in my reading queue, LOL. Thanks for the reminder, I'll move it up to the front. -Dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Consider throwing in some shorter works as well. For example, I find it's handy to have a volume of the Tales of Hoffmann available at all times (there's no one best collection... we have Dover and Oxford World Classics). Lighter comic relief is good too: Jeeves and Wooster are never so pleasurable as between "important" works of fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted August 18, 2008 Author Share Posted August 18, 2008 You all have give me some really great suggestions. I also love reading about which books are favorites, it is just so interesting to see who likes which books. There are definitely a few that seem to be making several lists so I will probably start with one of them. I am so excited to get started, now I just need to find time to get to the library. Thanks! Edited to add: As I got to thinking more about this thread I realized I also had to thank you all for the wonderful encouragement you have given me to get started reading more classics. It is great to have a group of people who are so willing to help in any way they can and build each other up rather than tearing down. You are all great, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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