Lexi's Old and New Challenge

[Lexi]

I only made 9/12 last year but here I go again. I'm still trying to read those books I always meant to and missed in school as a science major with some branching out. (6/12)

Old School: (3/3)
1. Much Ado About Nothing - 4/18/18-****
2. Robinson Crusoe - 11/18/18-***
3. Candide - 1/11/18 - **

New School: (1/3)
1. A Room with a View - 8/1/18 - ****
2. The Sea-Hawk
3. The Grapes of Wrath

Others: (1/5)
1. Sense and Sensibility
2. Ivanhoe - DNF
3. Leaves of Grass
4. The Brothers Karamazov
5. The Power and the Glory - 10/31/18-****
6. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Alternate: (2/2)
1. The Cherry Orchard and The Seagull (S- 2/17/18 - *** and CO- 3/11/18 - ****)
2. The Trial - 9/12/18-**

[Terris]

Nice list, Xelly! Don't feel bad -- I only did 10/14 last year. But I figure that's 10 more classics than I had read before, and I'm just rolling over those 4 into my 2018 list, and we're all good!! ;)
I've read several of your books, and, like you, I'm going to try to get to Much Ado About Nothing, Ivanhoe, and The Power and the Glory this year. I'll be watching to see what you think of those!
Good luck and enjoy reading!

[Liz]

Hi Xelly, I like your list too. A Room with a View is one of my favourite books and The Power and the Glory is on my list. If you like Robinson Crusoe, I can recommend Friday, or, The Other Island by the French author Michel Tournier. I think he wrote it in the 1960s, but it is an interesting take on the original. Good luck!

[Melanti]

You got more finished than I did this year! I only got the 7 short ones finished, and not a single long one!

Nice to see so many people having Graham Greene on the list. The Power an the Glory is on my TBR too, so now I have hopes it might be a group read sometime.

[Sara, New School Classics]

I think nine beats none and without the challenge you might have done none!

I have The Power and the Glory on my challenge as well, so I'm with Melanti in hoping for a group read on that one. If it doesn't make the cut, we could always buddy up.

[Veronique]

I echo all the previous comments :0)
A Room with a View is lovely (and do watch the Merchant Ivory adaptation afterwards - beautiful!)

[Lexi]

Read Candide, thankfully it is really short because I have no idea why people like it. Going to start Ivanhoe next, which is much longer.

[Melanti]

Lexi wrote: "Read Candide, thankfully it is really short because I have no idea why people like it. Going to start Ivanhoe next, which is much longer."

Candide is ... difficult. Not that it's a hard read, but I think it makes a lot of allusions and philosophical points that went way over my head on a casual read. I really wish I'd studied it in school, cause I think I would have gotten a lot more out of it that way.

[Sara, New School Classics]

Yes, Candide is a mental challenge. Hope you enjoy Ivanhoe. I found it a bit of fun.

[Francisca]

I learned recently that Candide is my little brother's favorite book, which he rereads every year... I can't decide whether this is a healthy habit... I had to read it (twice!) in school, and can attest to the fact that it reads better when you're forced to discuss the minutiae in class. I liked it when I read it the first time (in high school), liked it less the second time around (college), and talking about it with my brother have come to the conclusion that I should never reread it... :P

Good luck with Ivanhoe!

[Lexi]

After trying to read Ivanhoe for most of this year, I have given up. It got to the point I was avoiding reading in order to avoid reading it.

Instead, I just finished The Power and the Glory and I really enjoyed it. That is a book that makes you really think. I hope to get at least four more done this year but will not make all 12.

[Sara, New School Classics]

Glad you liked Power and the Glory. I didn't mind Ivanhoe, but it wouldn't make my favorites list either.

[Lexi]

I have six read so far (1 DNF replaced with alternate) and think that two more are possible this year: Sense and Sensibility and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

[Petra]

You're doing great, Lexi.
I've only completed 4 as well. I'm hoping to beat that next year.