Maarit's 12+2 Classics Challenge 2015

[Maarit]

Here's my challenge for 2015. Some of these books have been in my to-read shelf for too long and some of them have been intimidating me for a long time, but I want to conquer them in 2015. Most of them I will read in Finnish, but some in English, too. Will probably change the editions later to match the ones I will read, but not sure yet.

Old School classics
1) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (finished 16/01/2015)
2) Sota ja rauha 1-4 (War and Peace) by Leo Tolstoy. Book 1 read 10/03/2015, Book 2 read 18/05/2015, Book 3 read 13/07/2015, book 4 read 02/08/2015. Everything finished 02/08/2015
3) The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells (finished 02/07/2015)

New School classics
4)Tuulen viemää (Gone With the Wind) by Margaret Mitchell
5) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey (finished 11/04/2015)
6) Salainen puutarha (The Secret Garden) by Frances Hogson Burnett (finished 25/04/2015)

Own choices (wild cards)
7) Rakkautta koleran aikaan (Love in the Time of Cholera) by Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez finished 03/08/2015)
8) Maailman ympäri 80 päivässä (Around the World in 80 Days) by Jules Verne (finished 13/07/2015)
9) Häräntappoase (Finnish classic) by Anna-Leena Härkönen (finished 13/06/2015)
10) Pelkoa ja inhoa Las Vegasissa (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) by Hunter S. Thompson (finished 03/09/2015)
11) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (finished 26/03/2015)
12) Havukka-ahon ajattelija (Finnish classic) by Veikko Huovinen (finished 22/01/2015)

Alternates
-Vihan hedelmät (Grapes of Wrath) by John Steinbeck
- Viha, ystävyys, rakkaus (Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage) by Alice Munro (finished 28/11/2015)

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Good luck with your challenge. I have read 3, 4, & 5 and plan on reading 7 and 10 (English versions). Good luck.

[Renato]

I absolutely loved War and Peace! And, from your list, I really want to read 1, 4 and 7!

[Pink]

War and Peace is on my list too! I also want to read Invisible Man next year. Good luck with your choices :)

[Maarit]

I'm not sure what has gone in me since I want to read two huge chunksters next year. Finnish translation of Gone With the Wind is almost 900 pages long (and the font on the book I looked at the library is not that large, if it was, then it would go over 1000 pages).

War and Peace's translation (I'm using 1975 version, since it's one most easily avaiable) is split into four parts and their combined lenght is a whopping 1865 pages (thanks to Wikipedia for this information). So a lot reading for me next year, as The Name of the Wind is also a bit longish book with it's almost 700 pages. I must be crazy, come to think of it.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Maarit wrote: "I'm not sure what has gone in me since I want to read two huge chunksters next year. Finnish translation of Gone With the Wind is almost 900 pages long (and the font on the book I looked at the lib..."

Interesting how that works, gone with the Wind is over 1000 pages English, while War and Peace is just under 1400. I guess it takes less words to translate English into Finnish and more when translating Russian.

[Tytti]

Bob wrote: " I guess it takes less words to translate English into Finnish and more when translating Russian."

I don't know about Russian, but most books in English are shorter than in Finnish. The difference is often about 100-200 pages when the books are 500-1000 pages long. Though Finnish uses much fewer words, they tend to be much longer, too.

(The classic example: "I wonder if I should run around aimlessly?" = "Juoksentelisinkohan?")

[Christine]

Gone with the Wind is one of my all-time favorites. Great list - happy reading!

[Maarit]

Made some changes to my list to make it match better with classics bingo :). I removed The Name of the Wind and Ancillary Justice and also changed both of my alternatives to different ones. Hopefully I don't need to change any books again, though I will change the editions to match the ones I'm able to get my hands on (except War and Peace, since it's going to be in four parts). Is it okay to edit these after the 31st of December as I'm not changing the book itself, only it's edition?

[Tytti]

I tend to put just the English (first) link even if I am reading another edition (unless there is some reason to do otherwise), if there is one of course. It's then easier to read the description.

I can't remember have I read Häräntappoase ("Bull-killing weapon" :D ) or finished it more accurately... I think it was one of those books that made me realise that I really don't like youth or "YA" novels, even though I was a teenager myself.

[Maarit]

I've never even touched Häräntappoase before, but since I happened to find a copy of it in my local library's bookshelf where people can bring the books they no longer need and I took it there and brought it home. Maybe it's time to give it a try atleast. Those shelves are not for bookcrossing books, though, and you can't leave any bookcrossing books in Oulu's libraries. I heard it's because people have complained about them, but I don't know if this rule is still alive or not (atleast I haven't seen any bookcrossing books in there).

I have the wrong edition of Havukka-ahon ajattelija linked, as I should ad the edition I own myself to the Goodreads database, but I've been too lazy to do it just yet :P. And I will also read P&P in English and will probably change it to the edition I find in the library. It's just easier for me to track my reading if I change the editions, that's why.

[Tytti]

Oh, really, that's interesting. We have all the books in the same cart, most of them are without labels. Many of my books are from there, I read (or sometimes not), label them and then might "return" them. I have made some great finds there, old classics and such. (Hmm.. I wonder if I heard about one that was causing some problems... So there might be a reason for that.) Well there seem to be a few books freed in libraries even this year, but there are not that many in the whole town. So it's not wonder if you haven't seen them.

I remember seeing the tv series once, at least I think I have. So I knew the story, can't remember much about it. But yeah, it's one sort of a classic.

[Maarit]

I got lucky today and found War and Peace Finnish edition parts 3 and 4 left in the library's "take and bring" shelf (the same one I mentioned in message 11). Now I just need to find parts 1 and 2 somewhere. I also picked up the Finnish edition of Jane Austen's Persuasion there, but I'm not going to add it to this challenge.

I'm also going to have a busy January in arranging things, since my boyfriend got a job from 150 kilometers away and we now have to move in there in January and organize other stuff so I'm not sure if I have any time to read then. But if I do, I will start my challenge with either Pride and Prejudice (it's a library book, so I'm not sure if I have the time for it, as I may have to take it back because of us moving to other place) or Havukka-ahon ajattelija (which I own).

[Maarit]

I made a slight change to my list and switched out The Garlic Ballads by Mo Yan to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. With this change, my list is now ready to go, as I'm now happy with it.

[Tytti]

I've been thinking about reading the Hitchhiker's Guide ever since my friend recommended it me years ago. I tried reading it then but it wasn't quite my book.

[April]

The Hitchhiker's Guide is a better radio series than it is a book, although the book is quite amusing.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

The only thing I can say about Hitchhiker's Guide is I should have been younger, at least 30 years younger when I read it, I may have enjoyed it more.

[Tytti]

That is probably true for me, too. I have a very dry sense of humour anyway.

[Desertorum]

Bob: I read Hitchhiker when I was a teenager and I didn´t like it then either ;)

I also tried to match my this challenge and bingo but so that I don´t have same books here and there…trying to read even more classics next year (and there is always the possibility to use the books in both challenges if I don´t make it otherwise!)

[Gergana]

I read the Hitchhiker's guide last year and didn't enjoy it at all. Maybe I'll give it a try next year.

[Maarit]

Well, I hope Hitchhiker's Guide is not one of those books that look good but are boring or not interesting inside. We'll see that, when I start reading it, but first I need to find it somewhere in our chaotic bookshelves at home. Maybe it pops up when we pack things up for our move to a new place, where we seriously need to organize our books a lot better than they are now organized.

[Tytti]

Maarit wrote: "where we seriously need to organize our books a lot better than they are now organized."

It's a good thing you are both professionals. :-)

[Melanti]

Marrit, Hitchhiker's Guide really is funny with a typical British style of humor. But like most humorous books, whether you like it or not really depends on whether your sense of humor matches Adams'.

I loved it in High School and for many years the series was my go-to series whenever I wasn't feeling well and wanted to read something while I was sick.

But my sense of humor has changed enough that I'm not sure if I'd like it if I read it for the first time today.

If nothing else, reading it will clue you in on a lot of nerdy jokes (like 42).

[Amanda]

Good luck with your choices. I'm also reading Pride and Prejudice for different challenge. I read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest a long time ago but I remember that I really liked it.

[Sarah]

I actually read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest a couple of months ago and I completely loved it.

[Maarit]

I'm currently half-way through my first challenge book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and I must say I like it better than Emma, though I still can't say for sure if I completely like it or not, as there are few bits and pieces that annoy me a bit in this book.

I'm also planning on starting my second challenge book Havukka-ahon ajattelija (Finnish classic) later this week. The longer ones (probably War and Peace first) will be started later, after we've moved and settled in to our new home (we shall move in next week).

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

Good luck with your move.

How I hate moving (does anyone actually enjoy it I wonder?)! :O

[Maarit]

Yeah, it's quite annoying thing to do, since we have lots of packing to do (way too many books, which become annoyance once moving around). And that's because I do most of it alone myself, as my boyfriend is already in our new appartment because of his work and comes here for weekends as long as we have this place. Also, since it's only not even a year since our last move (we moved here last year in March), it's even more annoying. Hopefully we don't need to move again in a long while.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I am also reading Pride and Prejudice and I just crossed the half way point last night. So far the story is very good, but I too must confess some annoyance.

[Desertorum]

I liked Pride and Prejudice much more than Emma!
I started two long classics (by accident, I thought the other to be shorter); Crime and Punishment and David Copperfield and I like them ok but they are maybe little slow paced…so I´m already thinking about reading something in between ;)

[Maarit]

Desertorum: I've read both of them and found Crime & Punishment a slightly more interesting than David Copperfield, which I only finished because I needed it in my reading diploma in high school years back :P

[Alissa]

Maarit wrote: "I'm currently half-way through my first challenge book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and I must say I like it better than Emma, though I still can't say for sure if I completely like it or not..."

I'm going to be reading Pride & Prejudice next month for this group challenge. It'll be my first time reading it- looking forward to your review!

[Tytti]

I'll always remember David Copperfield and its beginning from Gone with the Wind. I believe Scarlett starts reading it at one point (in the movie at least) when the women are waiting for the men to return.

[Maarit]

I finished Pride and Prejudice today and I must say it was a better read than Emma was, but there still were some things that annoyd me a bit like the fact that I got confused about persons talked about a few times, though not that much than when reading Emma. I gave the book 3½ stars rounded down to 3 stars. My whole review is here, if someone is interested in reading it (it's in English and I tend to ramble over things a bit).

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Nice review. I finished P&P last week. Planning on writing a review this weekend. I was also annoyed at times but not enough to harm my enjoyment of it. This was my third book by Jane Austen and I gave it 4.5 stars but rounded down to 4.

[Maarit]

Bob, I'll wait for your review to see what you thought of the book :). I enjoyed the book, but the little things make me lower my rating, if they are annoying enough. In this case it was lowering the half rating down to three stars instead of rounding it up to four stars :).

[Maarit]

Well, I just found out that I may need to use one of my alternatives to fill in this challenge. I looked up Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas from my new home town's library system and not a single library out of seven possible ones (my own town + six other towns belonging to that particicular group) has it in it's shelves. Unless I remote loan it from another library somewhere else in Finland and pay something from it (I think five euros and up, because I see no prizes anywhere for regular libraries, only that university libraries want 10 euros for remote loans), I won't get it and I'm not sure if I want to pay many euros for one book loan (it's almost same to buy it myself, if I find it cheaply enough somewhere).

It's sad, because I've wanted to read it for a long time now, but just never had the time or mood for it until now.

[Tytti]

Yeah, Maarit, I think I've seen it cheap somewhere. Better check the second hand stores, though I think they cost about five Euros anyway. I checked the BookCrossing site, too, not that many books in circulation, I'm afraid. Otherwise someone might have sent it to you.

[Maarit]

Five euros or a bit more is not a problem, if I'm going to buy the book :) I'm just not comfortable enough to pay that amount or more for a book loan, which I have to return in time and can't keep it to myself. I hope I can find the book in second hand store somewhere and I have whole year to read/find it, so there's time.

[Tytti]

I think my problem is that there would be too many books costing that much (little) and it's not really smart to buy them all... I just saw many good (and thick) hardcovers, classics too, for 10 euros or less. I was able to resist, though.

[Desertorum]

I tend to buy almost all the books that I read. But I buy from second hand stores (like Fida). I bought from Porvoo second hand store 9 books (some hard covers) about 19euros, I think. And from Fida 11 books for 13euros. Of course it´s pretty much money but that amount of books takes time to read. And for my Kindle I find free or very cheap books. Of course this restricts by reading to the books I find but it´s like treasure hunt to try to find good books as cheap as possible ;)

[Maarit]

Finished my second challenge book last night and liked it a lot. It was the Finnish classic Havukka-ahon ajattelija by Veikko Huovinen. Now I'm going to take a small break from these challenge books, but I think I will start War and Peace next.

[Pink]

Well done on completing 2 books already, I think I might need a mini break before I tackle War and Peace as well (saving that one for later)

[Maarit]

I've started to read War and Peace book one out of four a few days ago, but I won't add it to my currently-reading shelf just yet. That's because all four parts are in a single record (which is probably not correct by GR standards) and it would just look odd in there, especially when adding progress in pages when the lenght of all four parts is combined and reaches over 1800+ pages (100+ pages read would look so tiny, lol).

[Maarit]

Since my last post I'm slowly but surely progressing on War and Peace. Currently I'm bit over a halfway in book one, in part two where they are in Austria fighting with Napoleon. I think I hopefully will finish the first book during this remaining month and move to book two, but well see what will happen.

In the mean time I also started to read One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey yesterday and it's beginning was interesting. Hopefully it will keep it that way when the story progresses more.

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

I listened to Cuckoos Nest on eAudio last year. I really liked it.

I've never seen the movie, but I was left with the impression that Jack Nicholson was truly well cast.

[Laurie]

I've been reading War and Peace since January 1 and am now 70% through. I don't update with pages read either, just percent since I am reading on my Kindle. It is good but I am ready to finish. I don't want to take this long to read one novel.

[Maarit]

I finished book 1 out of 4 of War and Peace today and desided to take a short break from it until starting book 2. Book one ended in an interesting way (view spoiler)[Bolkonsky is injured in Austerliz fight and left behind after Napoleon's doctor says he won't make it (hide spoiler)], so I hope book two picks up immediately after that.

[Maarit]

I've started to read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and also book two out of four of War and Peace, which didn't pick up immediately after the situation in which the book one ended. I'm also still reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, so everything is still in progress of being finished someday.

I've also decided to start reading in an university entrance exam(s) (once again, because I seem to have no luck in workfield with my current education), so it may cut down my pleasure reading time a bit and make my progress even more slower for the time being.

[Christine]

Maarit wrote: "I've started to read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams and also book two out of four of War and Peace, which didn't pick up immediately after the situation in wh..."

I've been meaning to read Hitchhiker for ages. I hope you enjoy it! I'm also planning to return to university this year - I am dreading the amount of recreational reading time I will have to give up!