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

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

Results, top five moving on to Poll


5 votes - 186. The Eyes by Edith Wharton
5 votes - 231. A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka
4 votes - 40, The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne
4 votes - 1. Youth, a Narrative by Joseph Conrad
3 votes - 330. The Big Trip Up Yonder by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
-------------
2 votes - 170. The Real Thing: By Henry James - Illustrated
1 vote - 262. Teddy by J.D. Salinger
1 vote - 211. Trifles by Susan Glaspell
0 votes - 53. Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg
0 votes - 305. Glittering City by Cyprian Ekwensi

Jeri wrote: "I nominate The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham 1919, 187 pgs"

I second

I have read 2 of the 4 and thanks to you, I am seriously interested in the other two.

Welcome, Dragon Girl and Siddharth.

Lynn wrote: "I would like to add another story to the list. I have looked and don't think it's on the list yet: The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens (1866)."

Added to position #41

MyChienneLit, Welcome!

Hello and welcome. Chloe.

Welcome, Lady

Sara, everything you do for the group is well thought out and logical. I wasn't paying attention. Freezing the buddy read makes sense, focus needs to be on our main group discussions. Given the amount of time it took me to read this years ago, I would like to suggest that this be reinstated in buddy reads for the fourth quarter. I have read many books over 1000 pages and unlike say, The Count of Monte Cristo, which for me read very fast, Les Miserables does not. For me it was more cerebral, intense and thought provoking.

My post is an attempt to highlight the book to the group as being a worthwhile read. This should be a bucket list book for all serious readers, especially those who read classics. If this is on your TBR, this is a perfect time to move it to the top of your list. This book is 162 years old and has been rated by 800,000 goodread readers and is rated 4.20. If I was told I had to spend a year in isolation and could only take one book to read, this would be it!

This year the group has been focusing a lot of attention on this book. I thought it was a yearlong buddy read, but I don't see it anymore. I guess I was mistaken. Now, it is our third quarter long read. If you haven't read this book, try and find the time to read it. Don't worry about how long it takes. Don't worry about the group discussion. It has been many years since I read this, and I remember it taking me 6 months to finish. It is one of the best I have ever read, and I hope to reread it someday,

76 of 99 · 77%
You did better than 99% of users on this list
Your rank: #1,427 of 237,892 users on this list
You beat the avg. score of 24

Some I still plan on reading. I don't see ever reading all 99. As with all lists I wonder how some make it and other don't.

The Immortal by Jorge Luis Borges is our July 2024 Short Story/Novella Read.

This discussion will open on July 1

Beware Short Story Discussions will have Spoilers

These are the 10 titles randomly selected from our Master Short Story List Please vote for the one that interests you the most. You can cast your vote by using the list number or the titles name. The top 5 will move forward to the poll on the 15th. A maximum of 5 titles will move to the poll.

Example: I vote for #__ -or- I vote for Story Title

August 2024
186. The Eyes by Edith Wharton
231. A Hunger Artist by Franz Kafka
262. Teddy by J.D. Salinger
40, The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne
53. Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg
170. The Real Thing: By Henry James - Illustrated
330. The Big Trip Up Yonder by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
305. Glittering City by Cyprian Ekwensi
1. Youth, a Narrative by Joseph Conrad
211. Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Veromika and Oscar, welcome!

I'm glad you are enjoying the buffet. Good luck on the second half of the year.

It sounds like I'm in luck. Dr. Thorne is my next series read. The question is when. I'm glad you are enjoying your reading.

Congrats. If I counted right, you have finished 7 challenges, that's great!!

I used to fear Dickens. Other than "A Christmas Carol" I never read any of his works. That changed about ten or twelve years ago. Since then, I have read 10 or 11 and have not regretted any of them. Some are defiantly better than others. I agree this one is not one of his easier reads.

An amazing accomplishment. Congratulations!!

Welcome, Nimarsin.