The Readers discussion
Classically Challenged...
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I agree with Elizabeth's choice of Great Expectations for Dickens (Bleak House might be his best book, but Great Expectations is excellent and most importantly SHORTER than Bleak House) and Pride and Prejudice from Austen.For Wharton, I would choose The Age of Innocence.
I have never read any Hardy or or Elliott, so maybe I will read along with you on those.
I have read The Warden by Trollope, but this was many years ago. I have been considering re-reading it and continuing on to read the complete Barsetshire novels in the near future.
Great idea! And thrilled to see Wharton on there (unless you're going to strike her for not being British), as she's one of my favorites. I'd also recommend The Age of Innocence, but you can't go wrong with The House of Mirth or A Month in the Country. If you want short but powerful, I love Ethan Frome. Good luck choosing, and I hope it pays off in joy as well as accomplishment.
Ethan frome! I have read Wharton. I used to teach this book.
Hello everyone :) Excellent suggestions so far! Keep them coming folks!I have just been browsing through all the replies on Savidge Reads, and a few that I've received on my blog. The responses have been great so far... a nice variety coming through!
Even though we'll be choosing the most popular titles you suggest, I can see that I will probably end up reading quite a few more titles from these authors after this challenge finishes :)
(should me more accessible than Tess...)
I haven't read this particular Dickens, but it sounds cool, it looks great and it is short! :-)
Ooh, definitely Persuasion by Austen. And a trusted reader told me that A Tale of Two Cities is worth a read if you have the patience for Dickens, which I don't. Good luck to you all!
Perhaps not a great starting off point, but one i'm personally starting off with in Novemeber is The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton by Edith Wharton.
I second Jamie''s recommendation of Persuasion!
Simon, I'm thrilled you have chosen 'Middlemarch'! It is one of my favourite books. I agree with James, that 'Barchester Towers' by Trollope would be a good choice -it is not too long and it is quite amusing.I am re-reading Jane Austen's 'Mansfield Park' right now, but 'Pride and Prejudice' is probably a must as a first Austen book.
'Age of Innocence' by Wharton as Ruthiella recommended would be my choice also.
I can't recommend any particular Hardy though - I never enjoy him! Maybe 'Mayor of Casterbridge'?
This is TOO exciting!!! I love the classics!!
Simon, I love all of the authors that you have chosen, although I would say that for all of your discussion about never having read Dickens, he is the least literary of the group.
Middlemarch is one of my all-time favorite books. I am so happy that you will be reading it. I wish you joy!
For Austen it has to be Pride and Prejudice, Thomas Hardy should be Tess of the D'Urbervilles.George Elliot is one of my favourite authors and I love Silas Marner which also has the advantage of being quite short.
My favourite, and first, Dickens is Bleak House but The Pickwick Papers might be a lighter option.
Wharton is still on my TBR list.
Some good suggestions so far.
Austen - P&P is probably the best place to start, particularly if you are looking for a typical Austen novel, although Northanger Abbey would probably be a better way in for Mr Savidge.
Dickens - Someone suggested A Tale of Two Cities. It is a wonderful historical novel, but not really typical Dickens. Personally, I would suggest that David Copperfield is a better way in than Great Expectations. Copperfield has many typical Dickens traits, not least comic characters like Micawber and villians like Uriah Heep. It is also semi-autobiographical and hence offers some insight into Dickens the man.
Hardy is at his most typical when depicting rural life, hence something like Tess or Far from the Madding Crowd would be quite representative. I've not read Two on a Tower (Louise's suggestion), but I did enjoy a radio adaptation of that one more than any of his I have actually read, so perhaps it is a good idea.
For Trollope, I'm going to break the habit of a lifetime and join those recommending the second in a series, namely the brilliant Barchester Towers.
Wharton I have not read. Which is either evidence of my literary unworthiness, or else a useful demonstration that one cannot be expected to have read every classic author.
I wish you both a successful initiation into the nineteenth century classics.
Austen - P&P is probably the best place to start, particularly if you are looking for a typical Austen novel, although Northanger Abbey would probably be a better way in for Mr Savidge.
Dickens - Someone suggested A Tale of Two Cities. It is a wonderful historical novel, but not really typical Dickens. Personally, I would suggest that David Copperfield is a better way in than Great Expectations. Copperfield has many typical Dickens traits, not least comic characters like Micawber and villians like Uriah Heep. It is also semi-autobiographical and hence offers some insight into Dickens the man.
Hardy is at his most typical when depicting rural life, hence something like Tess or Far from the Madding Crowd would be quite representative. I've not read Two on a Tower (Louise's suggestion), but I did enjoy a radio adaptation of that one more than any of his I have actually read, so perhaps it is a good idea.
For Trollope, I'm going to break the habit of a lifetime and join those recommending the second in a series, namely the brilliant Barchester Towers.
Wharton I have not read. Which is either evidence of my literary unworthiness, or else a useful demonstration that one cannot be expected to have read every classic author.
I wish you both a successful initiation into the nineteenth century classics.
I'm excited about the classics read-along. I keep wondering which of the books would Simon like the best rather than which books wd be just generically 'best'. . . is that wrong??For Austen, I love her and I read all the novels as a teenager, but I have to say I'm a little tired of P&P. I'm adaptationed out, I guess. What about Emma? She's kind of a complex character, good and bad, Simon might find her interesting. I also remember reading Lady Susan, which was a book comprised of letters. I enjoyed that.
For Hardy, I really enjoyed Far from the Madding Crowd, and Tess of the D'Urbervilles, but maybe Simon would like Jude the Obscure. My husband read it and said it was pretty dark book about class. I just like how it created an outrage when it was published and called Jude the Obscene. . . plus I want to read it.
Haven't read any Trollope or know much about him, so am up for whatever is picked.
I heard some book podcast about Edith Wharton and they said that The Age of Innocence was the best book. Like many Americans, I read Ethan Frome in school and really liked it even if it did ruin sledding for me.
Am another huge Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life fan. . . Simon will like Dorothea and will really dislike Casaubon and his crazy book he tries to write.
Great suggestions. Will definitely try to read along. Re the Hardy route, Jude The Obscure is devastating. Tess is devastating. The Mayor of Casterbridge is...need I go on? I love the misery of reading Hardy...as well as his characterisation and glorious descriptions of the countryside. I look forward to some Wharton which I've never read.
Thank you all immensely for your superb suggestions on here, at Savidge Reads and at AJ Reads! It truly has been lovely to read all of your thoughts - what you have read and loved, what you have read and disliked, and even those that you never got around to reading in the first place (we're glad we're not the only ones!)We have collated the results and we will be posting these on both of our blogs on Tuesday afternoon GMT, so make sure you visit our blogs to see which titles came out on top (along with the titles that didn't quite make it!) Both Simon and I are hugely excited about this and raring to go!
We hope that many of you will follow along on our Classically Challenged reading journey too.
Again, huge thanks for all of your input!
AJ :)
I plan on following along! I plan on reading a lot of classics in 2013 so this will just add to my experience!
Essie wrote: "Great suggestions. Will definitely try to read along. Re the Hardy route, Jude The Obscure is devastating. Tess is devastating. The Mayor of Casterbridge is...need I go on? I love the misery of rea..."Wharton can be pretty devastating as well, but so good! The Dickens and the Trollope will help balance out the devestation :)
Just to let you know that all of your fantastic responses have been collated and you can see the results at AJ Reads and at Savidge Reads.We also have some fantastic news that Oxford University Press have taken an interest in our project and they are letting us have 3 books each to give away for every title that we are reading.
So check out today's blog posts at AJReads & Savidge Reads for full details on how you can enter our Classically Challenged book give-away.
You can double your chances of winning a book by voting on each blog too!
Look forward to seeing your responses, and so glad to hear that many of you will be reading along with us.
AJ :)
I've sadly been out of touch and am just now reading this thread. I am SO excited about a classics reading list! I usually tackle a big classic I've always wanted to read in the winter, so you've done it for me this year! I've read Jan-March, but I haven't read any Trollope and have always wanted to! This is a great start! Is this just a read-along or will a discussion follow on GR? I wasn't clear on that.
Thank you for starting this! A list of this nature is endless if you want to do this again next winter! ;-)
Chris
i'm so excited about finally tackling some of these classics! thank you simon and aj for putting this together.
I love this idea! Although I read a lot of Dickens in high school (I remember enjoying Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities very much), my bookish friends are appalled that I have never read a single Jane Austen novel. I have Emma sitting on my shelf, waiting patiently, but I will read whichever one you pick.And one of my book groups just chose Middlemarch for our November book, so I will be reading that one very soon (I better get started - it is a hefty one!)
Great idea!
Sue Jackson
Book By Book
i would love to see the threads here. if any of us would like to join the discussion, we can add comments and read along with you guys.
Hi, did you set up another thread to discuss each of the classically challenged books? I've just finished Persuasion & want to see what other people thought! Loved Simon & AJ's reviews, & being able to discuss it would be cool too.
The Readers
Books mentioned in this topic
Persuasion (other topics)Jude the Obscure (other topics)
Tess of the D’Urbervilles (other topics)
Far From the Madding Crowd (other topics)
Lady Susan (other topics)
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charles dickens -
thomas hardy -
i haven't read novels by the other authors. so perhaps i'll join in and read along with you.