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

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

The seven top votes moving forward to poll


5 votes - 57. The Bridge of San Luis Rey
5 votes - 386. Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron
5 votes - 27. Pedro Páramo
4 votes - 11. Afterward by Edith Wharton
2 votes - 388. The Verger by W. Somerset Maugham
2 votes - 337. Hell Screen by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
2 votes- 208. The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol

1 vote - 354. The Love Poems of John Donne
1 vote - 215. The Furnished Room by O. Henry
0 votes - 379. Rock Crystal by Adalbert Stifter
0 votes - 198. Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls
0 votes - 192. The Abbess of Crewe by Muriel Spark
0 votes - 253. The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok by Anonymous
0 votes - 240. The Flying Stars by G.K. Chesterton

Teri-K wrote: "August:
#1 Richard II by William Shakespeare 8/31"

Shakespeare, the most difficult, enjoyed reading I have ever done. Some are much better than others, but I have not regretted any, yet.

Fantastic, I can’t imagine finishing all thirteen. I set my sights on eight and have finished seven. Not a prayer for the remaining five, except trying for a respectful showing.

Glad you are back in the hunt, lots of time left.

I enjoyed your review of The Summer Book. It sounds a little like one I read this summer, The Old Man and the Boy. Grandparents and grandkids, a great combo. I'll have to add this one to my list.

Congratulations on finishing these two challenges. Your category choices for #11 are great, I may borrow one or two for next year.

I remember thinking that Anna Karenina was going to be difficult. It turned out easier and faster than I thought, and was worth every minute spent reading, a great book. Good luck.

Congratulations on finishing your short story challenge. Short stories are a favorite for me, can’t get enough of them.

Outstanding, many of your books are new to me, Thanks!

Welcome Jennifer

The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh is our October 2023 Short Story/Novella Read.

This discussion will open on October 1

Beware Short Story Discussions will have Spoilers

These are the 14 titles randomly selected titles 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 7 will move forward to the poll on the 15th. Feel free to change your vote, as there maybe be ties. A maximum of 7 titles will move to the poll. If there is a tie for 7th place only 6 titles will go to the poll.

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

388. The Verger by W. Somerset Maugham
337. Hell Screen by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
208.The Night Before Christmas by Nikolai Gogol
379. Rock Crystal by Adalbert Stifter
198. Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls
192. The Abbess of Crewe by Muriel Spark
11. Afterward by Edith Wharton
27. Pedro Páramo
354. The Love Poems of John Donne
386. Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness by William Styron
253. The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok by Anonymous
240. The Flying Stars by G.K. Chesterton
57. The Bridge of San Luis Rey
215. The Furnished Room by O. Henry

GONZA wrote: "Hallo I am Cristina, I am an Italian living in Berlin, psychologist and reader."

Welcome!!

Welcome, Maria.

Welcome Aya! Join the discussions whenever you want. Dickens is a favorite of mine. With luck I am planning to read Little Dorit before the year end.

Congrats Lynn, I didn’t hold out much hope for this one this year. Now, it seems I have a good chance of finishing. It will take several more months.

The winner for our October read is The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh

Only five are moving forward to the poll.
31 members voted.

4 Votes - 242. Boys and Girls by Alice Munro
4 Votes - 127. 2BR02B by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
4 Votes - 260. And of Clay Are We Created by Isabel Allende
4 Votes - 347. The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
3 Votes - 361. Kitchen title story by Banana Yoshimoto
--------------
2 Votes - 371. A Warning to the Curious by M.R. James
2 Votes - 151. Drifting by Joris-Karl Huysmans
2 Votes - 217. After Twenty Years by O. Henry
2 Votes - 174. Stirrings Still by Samuel Beckett
1 Vote - 409. Quality by John Galsworthy
1 Vote - 367. Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain
1 Vote - 203. The Queen Who Flew : A Fairy Tale by Ford Madox Ford
1 Vote - 76. Le Colonel Chabert by Honoré de Balzac
0 Votes - 138. Master and Man by Leo Tolstoy

Sara Congratulations, two more checked off the list. Second and worse was one of the first I finished. It’s interesting to see how many really good books fall short of our list. I am also glad we added buddy reads to the group challenge, much better. Keep turning pages, happy reading.

It looks like you are about ready to push back from the table. Nice work.