☯Emily ’s Comments (group member since Jul 27, 2011)

☯Emily ’s comments from the Classics for Beginners group.

Welcome, Olivia. We have a poll open for our February read. You are welcome to vote. We will be discussing A Town Like Alice in January.

Welcome, Kaia. You can read the books selected each month in any language, if they are available. We have readers who read the books in French and German. Our group tries to expose classic literature to readers who are not familiar with it.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
The Plague by Albert Camus
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
The Professor's House by Willa Cather
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Ella has asked me to set up a Buddy Read for Little Men. She will be reading this book in January and hopes other people will join her in discussing the book.

Nicolle, please read my PM. Thanks.

It is not an easy book to read. Some parts will be easier than others, but overall it will take time to read and absorb.

Ella wrote: "Id love to do any open month, but i am un-capable of making stuff like that on my device and server."

No problem, Ella. We currently have moderators.

Ella wrote: "Favour! Read Old Yeller with me for the January book!"

We have this nominated for February. Do you want to wait and see if it wins? Then you can read it as part of the larger group.

One thing du Maurier did do right was the description of all the places. These towns and villages still exist today, as well as the moor and its mountains.

This is Roughtor: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=r...

This is Altarnun where the wicked vicar lived: http://www.cornwalls.co.uk/photos/alt...

I am amazed at the distances that Mary walked. If you look on a map, you will see that Launceston and Altarnun and North Hill are not close to one another. I am also amazed that Joss allowed Mary to spend so much time wandering the moors.

I suspected the albino would be one of the evil people in the book. I think it does a disservice to those who are albinos. The killing of albinos occurs today in Africa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecu....

This problem was in the news earlier this year: http://news.yahoo.com/abducted-tanzan...

This type of novel plays right into the fears of this type of prejudice.

Thought questions: Did Mary do exactly what her aunt did by marrying for love? Will her life be any different from her aunt's? What makes the reader think the results will be any different for Mary? Was it a realistic ending?

Welcome, Ella. The vast majority of the books nominated are suitable for teenagers. You will get a chance to vote each month and hopefully the winner will be a book you can read! In fact, we are currently reading Jamaica Inn which many of us first read as young teens.

Aren't there a lot of woman attracted by "bad" guys? I've asked a few why they are attracted by and loyal to these creeps. It seems to come down to a belief that their love, devotion and nurturing will CHANGE the guy into a sweet, loving companion.

Did you know there is a real Jamaica Inn? Daphne du Maurier stayed there and got the idea for the book when she got lost on the moor in the fog. http://www.jamaicainn.co.uk/ and http://www.jamaicainn.co.uk/daphne-du...

I liked Mary. Like many people, she has strengths and weaknesses. She is family oriented and wants to protect her aunt. She might not seem to have enough will to stand up to Joss, but she gets the courage to stand up for her aunt, whom she believes is being abused. There are women who are in abusive situations and "take it" until their children are threatened. That is how I view Mary.

This is a link to pictures of the Bodmin moor: http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=b...

I am reading The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katharine Green. This American author created a detective several years before Sherlock Holmes made his appearance. She was one of Agatha Christie's favorite authors and had a great influence on Christie's literary style.

Classics for Beginners is happy to announce two new moderators. Please give a warm welcome to Nina and RitaSkeeter!

I read it last year, so I hope add some comments later!

Danielle The Book Huntress (Self-Proclaimed Book Ninja) wrote: "If you like doing the Tri-Monthly reads, you're welcome to do April to June. I don't mean to step on your toes. I can sign up for another monthly read instead. Let me know."

Oh, I don't have a problem with you doing it! You can put me down for March also.

I'll do the remaining tri-monthly reads, as well as March. That will get us through April.