Bob’s Comments (group member since Jun 22, 2011)

Bob’s comments from the Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) group.

The lightbulb in my head just switched on, and I realize it is October, which means that sometime next month, I will be reworking the Buffet for 2026. What I am hoping for is feedback from participants about the current menu and ideas for new entrées. I want to be clear, I make no promises or commitments about next year's menu, and I don't want people to be upset if I don't include a change or idea someone wanted. I will be absent for most of the month, so please don't take any lack of response personally. I will appreciate any info provided.

Thanks!

Mela wrote: "I loved it! A captivating and unforgettable story with flesh-and-blood characters."

I have been hooked on this book for 48 years. Your comment captivating and unforgettable, sums it up great. So glad you enjoyed it

Just a quick note on Ben Hur. It is one of those books I avoided reading for years because I had already seen the movie. I read this about seven years ago and found it to be excellent. I failed to review it but rated it four stars. I regret not giving it five stars. I do not think anyone will be disappointed with giving this a try.

Claire welcome to the group and good luck with your challenge.

The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov is our November 2025 Short Story/Novella Read.

This discussion will open on November 1

Beware Short Story Discussions will have Spoilers

I read this 13 years ago. According to my review I thought highly of it. From memory and my review, I can see this one rubbing folks the wrong way. What is that word some use for disagreeable subject matter....um, triggered, that's it. If you are inclined to being triggered by politically incorrect content. If you haven't been triggered in a while, this book should fix that. Enjoy it, I sure did.

Yes, Spoilers can and will be found in this thread. I agree that they must be compared and contrasted to learn, if possible, why one achieved greatness and the other fell terribly short. Since this is just getting started I will edit message #1. Thanks.

A reminder-
This is one of our Fourth Quarter Moderator Runs Amok reads. It is paired with To Kill a Mockingbird. Please do not discuss Mockingbird in this thread. Please use the Amok thread to discuss comparisons and contrast between the two books. Please use this thread to discuss Angels only.
Thank you.

This is one of our Fourth Quarter Moderator Runs Amok reads. It is paired with A Cry of Angels. Please do not discuss Angels in this thread. Please use the Amok thread to discuss comparisons and contrast between the two books. Please use this thread to discuss Mockingbird only.
Thank you.

Welcome, Karma!!

Celine wrote: "Hello, i am Celine i'm a Southern trans woman who got into classic lit at 17 after getting into philosophy at 15/16. i am currently not very well read by the standards of you guys but compared to t..."

Welcome

Welcome John.

Marulina, I 'm happy you have joined us, welcome.

Xaph wrote: "I would guess that part of the reason for one's popularity over the other is in the titles. I'm sorry but, A Cry of Angels -- I don't know -- maybe if I think about it a while it can become kind of..."

I agree that a book's popularity is affected by multiple variables. The book's title is certainly one of those factors. How important it is, or if it proves to be a big enough negative for a reader to decide not to read a book, to me is uncertain. In non-fiction, the title usually tells what the book is about, so there is not much guesswork for the reader. Fiction titles don't always disclose what's going to be inside. Neither of these titles divulges anything about the book's content. It seems to be about marketing, a means of attracting a potential reader's attention, in hopes they will look closer and read the synopsis.

Sorry Lori, your thread has been completely hijacked.

To me, this is one of the most daunting and demanding challenges someone can choose. I admire anyone who attempts it, let alone finishes it. When I started my "every year since I was born" challenge in 2013, it took me six years to achieve an uninterrupted chronology. I declared the challenge complete but have been adding additional years since then. I still find the 100-year challenge intriguing. I might set one up and see what happens in a few years. I think it won't be easy to gather unread, interesting books from 1857-1900, since I have already read a lot. Some years, as many as 4-6 books.

Alvina, welcome to the group.

Annette wrote: "I'm excited about this thread as I've not read A Cry of Angels and the star rating is so high. AND, Wobbley, I've also not read A Covenant with Death & I live in New Mexico so I'll squeeze that in...."

I am pleased that you are going to read Angels. I'm sure you will enjoy it a lot. I look forward to hearing what you think about the book and any thoughts you have about why it sank like the Titanic.

Wobbley wrote: "This is a really neat idea, Bob. I've often wondered about this too, and admit that in your shoes I would have done the same thing (though in my case I would have selected [book:A Covenant With Dea..."

I went with what I am familiar with, and it doesn't hurt that A Cry of Angels is my favorite book. I hadn't heard of A Covenant with Death before your post. Thank you for that, it looks like a book I would appreciate, another for the TBR.

Lori, good luck on your challenge. Back in 2013 I started putting together a list of books for every year since I was born. It is still a work in progress. I have completed all the years except for this year 2025. I thought about the challenge 100 years before I was born but will let that one slide.

In thinking about it I did discover that between 1850-2024 I have read at least one book, novella, or story for every year, except for 1870 and 1883. I will have to fix that. It is interesting to think that, except for two, I have read a book for every year going back 175 consecutive years.

Again, good luck and enjoy your challenge.

Terris, the only read I had for 1875 is The Hand

A Cry of Angels is one of our 4th Quarter 2025 Moderator Runs Amok reads. This is a spoiler thread.