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2016 Classic Bingo Challenge
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Madle’s 2016 Classic Bingo Challenge
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Mod
I was thinking in what order I could read my challenge books and decided a very nice strategy is to find out in what month their authors have birthdays and then read those books around that time in honor of them. Certainly I allow myself as much flexibility in doing it as I possibly need. So here's my authors' birthday-list (books that are underlined I don't use in the Bingo 2016, but in other challenges that year):JANUARY: Tolkien; Woolf; de Beauvoir; Murakami; Tammsaare
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf (1929) – 112 pages
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937) – 370 pages
The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir (1949) – 487 pages
Ma armastasin sakslast by A.H. Tammsaare (1935) – 232 pages
Norwegian Wood by Murakami, Haruki (1987) – 373 pages
FEBRUARY:
MARCH: Kerouac
On the Road by Kerouac, Jack (1955) – 348 pages
APRIL: Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (1596) – 204 pages
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (1597) – 283 pages
Macbeth by William Shakespeare (1606) – 249 pages
MAY: du Maurier
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier (1951) – 318 pages
JUNE: Sagan; Remarque
Heaven Has No Favorites by Erich Maria Remarque (1961) – 320 pages
Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan (1954) – 113 pages
JULY: Shaw
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (1912) – 96 pages
AUGUST: Allende; Byatt; Shelley; Kivirähk; Monk Kidd
Possession by A.S. Byatt (1990) – 632 pages
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818) – 154 pages
Rehepapp ehk November by Andrus Kivirähk (2000) – 199 pages
Of Love and Shadows by Isabel Allende (1984) – 304 pages
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (2001) – 285 pages
SEPTEMBER:
OCTOBER: Rice; de Laclos; le Guin; Calvino
Invisible Cities by Calvino, Italo (1972) – 128 pages
Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Laclos, Pierre Choderlos de (1782) – 448 pages
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (1979) – 342 pages
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968) – 158 pages
NOVEMBER: Mitchell; Vonnegut; Burnett; Camus
The Stranger by Albert Camus (1942) – 123 pages
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911) – 250 pages
Slaughterhouse-Five by Vonnegut, Kurt (1969) – 215 pages
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (1936) – 924 pages
DECEMBER:
Mod
Hey! Thanks a lot for your support. First book that I finished was "A Room of One's Own" by Virginia Woolf (I read it in Estonian). I should say that this essay is recommended to everyone who take part in Women’s Century Challenge and like classic authors such as Austen, the Brontë sisters etc.
Yesterday I started the "Hobbit" that I have tried to read once when I was about twelve years old (back then I fell asleep every time when I started reading it so didn't probably even reach the 20th page). After I saw the films (yes, I know they weren't quite all right), it gave me some sort of impulse to read the book. Surprisingly I no longer found anything in it that makes me drowsy (at least in the first chapter) and am even enjoying it so far! Tolkien has nice humour.
Today I also read about 30 pages of "Norwegian Wood" and have decided not to continue reading it. I'm highly disappointed. That's how the story begun (in my opinion; NB! might contain some spoilers): a very sentimental protagonist recalls his teenage years when he was in love with a girl and they produced some very cheesy dialogues that is painful to read. The next chapter was not much better. I have seen better writing by Murakami. I liked his "After Dark" (everything happens in very short time frame) and kind of liked "South of the Border, West of the Sun" (there also was an idolized childhood "girlfriend" like in Norwegian Wood).
Mod
Great planning, looks like you're off to a cracking start too!
I hadn't updated my BINGO challenge for quite some time, but I'm clad I did it now before the end of the year. There are some books I changed in my challenge plan, but most stayed the same. Only 2 books are missing from completing the challenge — Poetry Collection and book published in the 1700's. Could I still do it? I'm not a very quick reader so I wouldn't take books longer than 100 pages. Could someone please suggest me a quick-read 18th century book?
I'd suggest Candide at 94 pages or even The Rape of the Lock which also fits the poetry square and is under 20 pages.
Thank you, Pink, for your suggestion! Next time I need 18th century book I might try Voltaire. This time I found "The Sorrows of Young Werther" that matched my melancholic mood that day. New Year's Eve makes me sad somehow. Also glad about my poetry choice. Edna Millay has this wonderful poem called "Travel" (The railroad track is miles away...) in this collection - my all-time favourites!
Challenge done! My other favourites in bingo challenge were "GWTW", "Godfather", "Hobbit", "Waiting for Godot"- great classics!!!
I'm glad you found something that worked for you. Congrats on finishing your challenge :)
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B1: Written by Nobel Laureate:
Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (1912)
B2: Sci-fi or Fantasy Classic:
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937)
B3: Classic of Africa:
The Stranger by Albert Camus (1942)
B4: Children's Classic:
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911)
B5: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize:
Possession by A.S. Byatt (1990)
I1: Published/Written Before 1600’s:
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare (1596)
I2: New-to-You Author:
Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett (2015)
I3: Classic Play:
Othello by Shakespeare
I4: Banned Book:
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
I5: Published in the 1700's:
Die Leiden des jungen Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
N1: Classic of the Americas:
On the Road by Jack Kerouac (1955)
N2: Short Story Collection: Kiss Kiss - Roald Dahl
N3: FREE SPACE
N4: Poetry Collection:
Second April by Edna St. Vincent Millay
N5: Classic of Europe:
Waiting for Godot: A Tragicomedy in Two Acts by Samuel Beckett
G1: Published in the 1600's:
Macbeth by William Shakespeare (1606)
G2: Book from Le Monde’s 100 Books of the Century:
Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan
G3: Classic Non-fiction:
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf (1929)
G4: Classic from School:
Ma armastasin sakslast by A.H. Tammsaare (1935)
G5: Published in the 1800's:
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)
O1: Literary Prize of Your Country/Region:
Rehepapp ehk November by Andrus Kivirähk (2000)
O2: Gothic Classic:
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (1979)
O3: Classic of Asia or Oceania:
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (1923)
O4: Mystery or Crime Classic:
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
O5: Prize-Winning Female Author:
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell