Debbie’s Comments (group member since May 18, 2011)

Debbie’s comments from the Should have read classics group.

Hi, everyone. I'm a little late getting started because I just finished North and South yesterday. I read A Christmas Carol last December. I have the Complete Dickens on my Kindle, but I will probably read my hardback edition from Candlewick Press. It has beautiful illustrations every few pages and is printed on heavy paper - such a joy to read.

My fave movie is the one with George C. Scott, but I also like the Muppet version. The part about throwing the orphans out in the cold really gets to me. Well, it's about time to watch that again. HA!

I have read Ruth and Mary Barton and enjoyed them both. I really prefer her books to Jane Austen's. I suppose that's literary blasphemy, but her characters seem so much more real to me.

I take a little more of a religious view of the story. Victor was devastated by the death of his mother, so he decided to play God and figure out a way to keep death at bay. Even though Victor had good intentions, the results were disastrous. The lesson I get is that we can't be God.

I do agree that he also didn't think things through and wonder about what would happen in the future.

I read all the books when I was in the fifth grade and absolutely loved them. I bought my daughter a boxed set when she was in the third grade, and she never would read them. I don't know why.

When I homeschooled my two grandsons, we read and listened to the audio of Little House on The Prairie and Farmer Boy. We really enjoyed them. There was so much information in the first book about homesteading that I had forgotten about. It was also interesting to see how different life was for the two children. It was a lesson in both history and literature.

They are definitely classics that I think all children should read, especially the two I mentioned above.

Thanks, Keri, that's very interesting. I just happened to finish chapter 28 today about Mr. Hale, Margaret, and Higgins praying together. Mr. Hale was called a dissenter.

I think this is the first time mention has been made of them praying, and nothing has been said about them attending church services, so I do think he has left the church. He has not left God.

JeniLynn wrote: "I really like Mrs. Thornton. I feel like her character represents reason. She might be a bit too attached to her son, but considering what they went through together, it would make sense for her to..."

I like Mrs. Thornton, too. She is very strong, but she knows when to yield. She is prepared to accept Margaret as a daughter-in-law even though she doesn't really like her. She is willing to do what makes her son happy. It would be very hard to move over and let another woman become mistress of the house. I'm sure her heart was broken when he told her how the proposal went.

I am having trouble cheering for Margaret the further into the book I get. I realize she's supposed to be the heroine but I think she goes way past reason in some instances. She moves to a new place (she's even called a foreigner) and proceeds to tell everyone their business before she even knows what's going on. Maybe she will learn some restraint as the story goes on.

It seems that way too much responsibility is put on Margaret. She is only nineteen years old, and her father made her tell her mother about the move. Then when her mother got sick, she kept it from her father. I am wondering how they would survive with her keeping the family going. Things would be a lot better if Mr. and Mrs. Hale would be open and honest with each other about what's going on.

I am enjoying reading the book for the first time. I saw the 3-part movie and it is really good.

Does anyone know exactly what it was about the church that caused Mr. Hale to leave it?

I usually watch the movies if they are available. The books are not always better. Fried Green Tomatoes was a wonderful movie, and I was terribly disappointed by the book. Water For Elephants and Cold Mountain were very close to the books in quality. Pillars of the Earth was OK but changed some key elements for no apparent reason. I still enjoyed watching it though.

I agree A Time To Kill was pretty good, both movie and novel. I also enjoyed A Painted House and Christmas With The Kranks by John Grisham. I read both books and saw both movies. I usually just watch his movies because I don't enjoy reading the lawyer books very much.

Didn't anyone enjoy the Pride & Prejudice movie with Keira Knightley? My favorite part was when Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett were dancing and all the other people disappeared leaving them alone to dance. I thought that was magnificent.

Vicky wrote: "I always read the book first if it's something I wish to read, mostly because I like to create my own image of the characters. I will often go see the movie but will always keep in mind that it is..."

Who is the author of Silk? I have looked on Amazon and there are two novels by that title. Thanks.

I've read it twice already and loved it for the ethical lesson. I look forward to reading everyone's comments.

I am finished reading now, and this is still my favorite novel. Growing up and accepting responsibility can be so hard, and we can't protect our children from it.

I just finished reading it too, and I like Scout's comment "Folks are just folks." Also, when she stood on Boo Radley's porch and could see the neighborhood from his perspective....she was so mature for her age.

Wow, that's a great idea!

I am reading this book for the first time, but I have seen the movie.

I am getting a new perspective on Atticus. I don't agree with the way he handled the problem with Mrs. DuBose. He told Jem after the fact the lesson he was trying to teach him. That situation could have gone so wrong. A person coming off hard drugs is unpredictable. It is not a place for children. I also don't agree that if a person is old and sick, they have the right to be verbally abusive, especially to children. Maybe it's just that the attitudes of the time period were different than today.

Another thing bothered me - the fact that Atticus was "gifted" with the ability to shoot well. He never even told his children about it. He could have taught them that shooting doesn't make a man a man and still let them know he could do it well.

I'm glad we are reading The Yearling at the same time. Both books are set in the south. The books show two different perspectives on uneducated, country people. They are the "bad" guys in To Kill A Mockingbird, and in The Yearling the reader can see how resourceful and independent they are because of their "practical" country education. I suppose it's the difference in the authors' experiences.

Last night we listened to #3 CD and it was about the snowman and the fire. It went from funny to shockingly sad. What a book!

I couldn't believe the teacher told Scout to stop reading. You'd think she'd be delighted that one student already knew how to read.

I'm about half way through the book now. I'm amazed at the details especially about the plants and trees, food, etc. This is great writing.

I have only finished through chapter 54, and the time is over for reading. I will just have to finish this one on my own I guess. I thought the first part was so exciting and interesting, but now it seems there is way too much dialogue for the point that is being made. I have read all of Jane Austen's books so you'd think I'd be used to that. (HA just kidding)