Group Reads Suggestion Thread- Classics

[[deleted user]]

This thread will be an ongoing nomination thread for our bi-monthly classics read. Please suggest any books you think would be good to read with the group. We will pick 5/6 books to go into the poll and the winning group will be our monthly fiction read.

Please be assured that even if your choice does not go into the poll immediately we will consider all member suggestions and try to include as many of them as possible

[Karin]

This might not be popular since these classics are tragically unknown and under-read, I'm sure, but I'd like to read one of the books cited by Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey after reading Evelina by the same author which is an excellent satire on social issues but this one was not one Austen listed. There are two, so I'll choose the first of them in the order they were written, Cecilia

[Petra]

Karin, Cecilia is on my TBR list. I would try hard to join in a group read for this classic.

I would like to suggest Njal's Saga.

[Leslie]

Cecilia is on my TBR as well!

Just to remind everyone, we are considering all books first published over 50 years ago as classics (which for 2018 means books first published before 1968). I personally have a difficult time thinking about books published post-WW2 as classics even though I know that there are many great books from what I consider contemporary times! So I thought this is a good time to remind myself and everyone else of where we draw the line.

[Petra]

LOL! I remember 1968. It's hard to think of a book from that time as a classic but I guess it is. LOL!

[Karin]

Petra wrote: "LOL! I remember 1968. It's hard to think of a book from that time as a classic but I guess it is. LOL!"

1968 isn't yet a classic in my mind, even if it technically counts :)

[Leslie]

Petra wrote: "LOL! I remember 1968. It's hard to think of a book from that time as a classic but I guess it is. LOL!"

That's my trouble!

[Marina]

This is difficult. There are so many classics I'd like to read. I had a hard time choosing, but I think I will suggest Rob Roy by Walter Scott.

[Greg]

Marina wrote: "This is difficult. There are so many classics I'd like to read. I had a hard time choosing, but I think I will suggest Rob Roy by Walter Scott."

For this thread, feel free to suggest more than one Marina!

Recommendations are ongoing, and you can suggest as many as you want!

[Marina]

Oh, that's good to know, thanks Greg! So I will also suggest Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family, since I was having a hard time choosing between the two.

[Greg]

Marina wrote: "Oh, that's good to know, thanks Greg! So I will also suggest Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family, since I was having a hard time choosing between the two."

That one has been on my to-read list for quite a while! Great choices Marina!

[Jen from Quebec :0)]

Charles Dickens always comes to mind near Xmas season, so I will nominate a book I SHOULD have read by now: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens . Thanks. --Jen from Quebec :0)

[Karin]

Petra wrote: "Karin, Cecilia is on my TBR list. I would try hard to join in a group read for this classic.

I would like to suggest Njal's Saga."

Njall's Saga is on my tbr, even if I haven't added it on GR. Of course, I also want to read Snorri Sturluson's sagas someday as I know for sure he's one of my ancestors. Of course, there is a chance the author of this one is also one of my ancestors.

[Pam]

I nominate An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. It might be fun to also watch the movie A Place in the Sun and compare the two. Like many classics, I've seen the movie but not read the book!

[Colleen]

Hi Jennifer - I'm reading Great Expectations now and would love a discussion on it. The second half is definitely picking up and making me more intrigued in the story. Did you know Dickens rewrote the ending? My book includes both - can't wait to see.

[Shirley]

I would like to read Villette.

[[deleted user]]

The poll is up for the next group classics read

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

As quite a few lesser known classics were put forward I haven't included Great Expectations this time. I will definitely try put it in the next poll

[Greg]

Pam wrote: "I nominate An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. It might be fun to also watch the movie A Place in the Sun and compare the two. Like many classics, I've seen the mov..."

A great movie Pam!

[Rebecca]

I haven't been too active in this group for a bit, however I just ordered An American Tragedyfrom my library. Hopefully it will be in with the new year and I can get reading!

[Greg]

Rebecca wrote: "I haven't been too active in this group for a bit, however I just ordered An American Tragedyfrom my library. Hopefully it will be in with the new year and I can get reading!"

Wonderful Rebecca! It's a long book, but I plan to join that read too!

[Rebecca]

I can't wait my copy just arrived at the library I'm going to pick it up on my way to work!

[Greg]

Rebecca wrote: "I can't wait my copy just arrived at the library I'm going to pick it up on my way to work!"

Mine is supposed to arrive next week :)

[Rebecca]

I picked up my copy last night! I have the first week in January off from work so I am hoping to get plenty of reading done!

[Pam]

Here are two more classics I plan to read this year that might be good for a group read.
The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas This is Dumas' last historical novel and not as well know.

Penguin Island by Anatole France. It looks like a good one for a political discussion.

[Leslie]

It is getting close to the time for our next poll for group classic. While we are willing to include some of runner-ups from past polls, now would be a good time for new suggestions!

I will suggest a few from my TBR:
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset (or perhaps just the first book in the trilogy, The Wreath)
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen

[Leslie]

I will be creating the poll tomorrow -- I am thinking that for this round I will focus on books originally written in a non-English language. Any thoughts about that?

[[deleted user]]

I think that is a great idea, Leslie!

[Pink]

Works for me, thanks Leslie :)

[Leslie]

The poll for the March-April 2018 Group Classic is now open:

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

The poll will remain open until Feb. 19th. Please only vote for a book that you would be willing to read and/or discuss.

[Leslie]

The poll is still open for a few more days -- right now, it is close between Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family and The Black Tulip (only a 2 vote difference).

Don't forget that this suggestion thread is always open so if you think of a good classic for the group to read, mention it here at any time!

[Leslie]

The winner of the poll was Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family. The discussion thread is

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Leslie]

I have a few ideas for poll 'themes' such as Victorian era classics, 'modern' (upto 1968 as discussed earlier in this thread), female authors, prize-winning classics and/or classics by genre (such as romance/love or science fiction, etc.).

Chip in with preferences and other suggestions!

[Marina]

Leslie wrote: "I have a few ideas for poll 'themes' such as Victorian era classics, 'modern' (upto 1968 as discussed earlier in this thread), female authors, prize-winning classics and/or classics by genre (such ..."

I love all of your ideas!

[David]

1968 or before, eh? Then J.D.Salinger’s “Catcher In The Rye” should be legit. So would “From Here To Eternity.” And “the Thin Read Line” by James Jones. So would Norman Mailer’s “The Naked And The Dead”. I read all four as a youngster, but I need an excuse to reread them 50 years later so I’m going to nominate all four. (We cannot think of these books as classics until we recognize that we, or at least some of us, are becoming classics.)

Also, have we read “Dubliners” or “Portrait Of An Artist As a Young Man” by James Joyce? I would like to nominate both if not already read by this group.

[Lalitha]

I just picked up "Stoner". It was first published in 1965.

[Leslie]

Great suggestions David and Lalitha!

[Alannah]

Great suggestions David, I would love to try some James Joyce, I can double check but I think I have only seen Ulysses.

[Alannah]

I will be looking after the classic group reads from now, I would love to take Leslie's idea of doing themes, and I have some ideas floating around, but I think for May/June we would do no theme just to get me into the swing of things.

[Alannah]

I will be setting up the poll tomorrow, there seems to be some great ideas here so far. If anyone has some last minute suggestions, feel free to post them.

[Lalitha]

I also have Silas Marner and David Copperfield in my TBR list. Will these be books that others might be interested in reading?

[Leslie]

Lalitha wrote: "I also have Silas Marner and David Copperfield in my TBR list. Will these be books that others might be interested in reading?"

I love David Copperfield so am almost always willing to reread it ;)

[Alannah]

Lalitha wrote: "I also have Silas Marner and David Copperfield in my TBR list. Will these be books that others might be interested in reading?"

They both sound like great choices, I'm just setting up the poll so I will add them in.

[Alannah]

Here is the link to the poll:

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

[Lalitha]

All good books :)

[Alannah]

I know it took me a while to decide.

[Lalitha]

When does the poll close?

[Alannah]

Lalitha wrote: "When does the poll close?"

The 25th and then I will set up the thread for whichever book wins. I will send out another message with the link when the time comes.

[Lalitha]

thank you. I look forward to it!

[Alannah]

The winner of the poll is Silas Marner by George Eliot.

Here is the link to the discussion thread, please feel free to take part in it https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Alannah]

I know that we have only entered June, but I would like to start thinking of themes for future classic group reads. I was thinking of something along the lines of

Female authors:
Male authors:
British and Irish authors;
American authors:
Authors from the rest of the world:
And for the September-October read this year, I thought it would be fun to put forward your favourite classic from your school or university days.