Ila's classic buffet 2023

[Ila]

It's never too early to start planning for reading challenges! I had some success with the Old and New Challenge and the New Authors challenge. I'd like to continue these further.

[Ila]

Old and New challenge:

Old classics:
1. The Way We Live Now dnf
2. The Conquest of Plassans 4 stars
3. A Harlot High and Low 3 stars

New classics:
1. The Swedish Cavalier 5 stars
2. They Were Found Wanting 3 stars
3. Jew Süss 3.5 stars

Wildcards:
1. Strange Fruit 3.5 stars
2. Circe 5 stars
3. The Gospel According to Jesus Christ 2 stars
4. Human Acts 2 stars
5. The World of Yesterday 5 stars
6. The Walnut Mansion 2 stars

Alternates:
1. If We Were Villains 4.5 stars
2. Flower of Iowa 4 stars

[Ila]

Authors new to me challenge:

1. Cao Xueqin: The Story of the Stone, or The Dream of the Red Chamber, Vol. 1: The Golden Days 5 stars
2. Han Kang: Human Acts 2 stars
3. Miljenko Jerkovic: The Walnut Mansion 2 stars
4. Leo Perutz: The Swedish Cavalier 5 stars
5. Laura Rahme: Calista 4 stars
6. Ferdinand von Schirach: Crime 3 stars

[Kathleen]

Excellent plans, Ila! I really enjoyed Wolf Hall and Strange Fruit--I hope you do too. Enjoy your challenge!

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I’ll also give a cheer for Strange Fruit, I found it to be exceptional. Wolf Hall, not so much.

[Ila]

Thanks, Kathleen!

Now I'm quite intrigued by Strange Fruit. The two of you have certainly interested me in it.

I'm adding another challenge here, thanks to Bob's clarification.

Fiction/Nonfiction challenge:

Ancient Greek mythology
Fiction: Circe 5 stars
Nonfiction: Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold 3.5 stars

Feminism
Fiction: The Female Man 2 stars
Nonfiction: Letters from a War Zone 4 stars

Fin de siecle Austria-Hungary
Fiction: They Were Found Wanting 3 stars
Nonfiction: The World of Yesterday 5 stars

Italian Renaissance
Fiction: The Agony and the Ecstasy dnf
Nonfiction: Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici 4 stars

Homosexuality
Fiction: Flower of Iowa 4 stars
Nonfiction: The Disappearing L: Erasure of Lesbian Spaces and Culture 3 stars

[Sara, Old School Classics]

You will not be sorry you read Strange Fruit. And, Wolf Hall is one of the few books Bob and I disagree on. I loved it! Happy reading.

[Ila]

I've changed Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall to Jerkovic's Walnut Mansion in the Authors new to me challenge.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I’m glad you added another challenge. I hope you are successful.

[Ila]

I'm adding an extra section to the Fiction/Nonfiction challenge, in case I complete the challenges early.

Ottoman Turkey
Fiction: The Wanderer 2 stars
Nonfiction: Private and Royal Life in the Ottoman Palace 3 stars

Ancient Rome
Fiction: The First Man in Rome
Nonfiction: Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic

Imperial Japan
Fiction: Shōgun
Nonfiction: The Nightless City: Or the History of the Yoshiwara Yukwaku

[Sue]

You have many books I haven't heard of and need to investigate, Illa. I keep trying to get to Shōgun, Strange Fruit and the15383847] Stephen Fry Mythology books. I loved Circe. I hope you enjoy it too.

Good luck with your challenges!

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Ila wrote: "I'm adding an extra section to the Fiction/Nonfiction challenge, in case I complete the challenges early.

Ottoman Turkey
Fiction: The Wanderer
Nonfiction: [book:Private and Royal L..."

I'm going to steal your Imperial Japan books.

[Ila]

Katy wrote: "Ila wrote: "I'm adding an extra section to the Fiction/Nonfiction challenge, in case I complete the challenges early.

Ottoman Turkey
Fiction: The Wanderer
Nonfiction: Private..."</i>
Steal away, Katy!

<i>Sue wrote: "You have many books I haven't heard of and need to investigate, Illa. I keep trying to get to [book:Shōgun, Strange Fruit and the15383847] Stephen Fry Mythology books. I lov..."

Thanks, Sue. I hope you'll get around to reading some of them.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Thank you, Ila.

[Ila]

And it's begun!
I started the year with Calista, a Victorian Gothic mystery featuring murder and appalling cruelty. Because why not? My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I was impressed with its faint allusions to Rebecca and pleased with the amount of research, well-drawn characters, period-appropriate language, and the genuinely spine-chilling tension that revolves in a surprising yet scientific manner.

While Calista stops short of greatness, it is still worthwhile. Looking forward to reading more of Rahme's work.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Rahme is an unknown for me, but this sounds like a good read. I will be on the lookout for a copy. You can never have to many mysteries.

[Ila]

Bob wrote: "Rahme is an unknown for me, but this sounds like a good read. I will be on the lookout for a copy. You can never have to many mysteries."

I agree, Bob. I can always do with a good mystery.

[Ila]

Just finished The Walnut Mansion and it was such a disappointment. It has some beautiful quotes and insights into human nature, I'll give it that.

But Jerkovic writes women shoddily, making them stupid one-dimensional characters. He is generally obsessed with breast and body hair, which is plain creepy and insulting.

Around the fourth chapter or so, the story meanders and quite frankly rambles. It doesn't help that there doesn't seem to be an ounce of brightness in this morbid world. While I understand that expecting happy stories from the Balkans is unreasonable, there's got to be some point to all that despair. Ivo Andric did fine with all that trauma and hopelessness.

[Ila]

Oh dear! My first dnf of the year comes with The Way We Live Now. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I have only read two by Trollope but have enjoyed both. This is not on my TBR and may never be, but I do plan to continue with the Chronicles of Barsetshire series. Better luck next read.

[Ila]

Bob wrote: "I have only read two by Trollope but have enjoyed both. This is not on my TBR and may never be, but I do plan to continue with the Chronicles of Barsetshire series. Better luck next read."

Thanks, Bob. I just don't think I'll be reading Trollope for a while. On to the next!

[Terris]

Ila wrote: "Oh dear! My first dnf of the year comes with The Way We Live Now. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Too bad, Ila. I have it on my TBR list but will think twice before diving in. You've read enough of this genre to know what you like. And when you're looking at plodding through almost 800 pages of something you aren't enjoying, you have to put things into perspective. And you did! On to the next great read!!! ;)

[Sara, Old School Classics]

Sorry Trollope bummed out on you, but maybe the next read will be wonderful and make up for it. I agree with Terris...800 pages is too much of an investment to keep reading anything you are not enjoying.

[Ila]

Thanks for the support guys.

Finished Circe and I am happy to say that it was just as wonderful as I had expected it to be. Definitely a 5-star read.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Now you are cooking, from a DNF to a 5 Star read, congrats!
I enjoyed your review.

[Shaina]

Ila wrote: "Oh dear! My first dnf of the year comes with The Way We Live Now. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

I'm happy to know I'm not the only one who DNFed this one. I love Trollope's Barchester Series and I think I will stick to that for now.

[Ila]

Bob wrote: "Now you are cooking, from a DNF to a 5 Star read, congrats!
I enjoyed your review."

Thanks, Bob! I was thrilled too.

[Ila]

Shaina wrote: "Ila wrote: "Oh dear! My first dnf of the year comes with The Way We Live Now. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

I'm happy to know I'm not the only one who ..."

Full solidarity, Shaina!

[Sara, Old School Classics]

So glad you got a 5-star read to follow the Trollope. I also thought Circe was very well done!

[Ila]

Finished Crime by Ferdinand von Schirach. Fascinating bunch of violent crime stories told through the eyes of the prosecutor.
Halfway done with the Authors New to Me challenge!

[Ila]

Finished Dworkin's Letters from a War Zone. Gut-wrenching and heavy-hitting. Essential reading for all women. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Ila]

Finished Han Kang's Human Acts. Majorly disappointing and flat. My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

Rollercoasters are meant to be fun. Your good book, bad book up and downs has got to be trying. Lets hope for a long fast run of good reading,

[Ila]

Bob wrote: "Rollercoasters are meant to be fun. Your good book, bad book up and downs has got to be trying. Lets hope for a long fast run of good reading,"

Thanks, Bob. It's frustrating but also exciting. I've read some really good ones so far. Fingers crossed!

[Ila]

Finished with The World of Yesterday, Definitely one of my favorites and I'm so glad it was Zweig.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I enjoyed your review. I will have to add Zweig to my authors list.

[Ila]

Bob wrote: "I enjoyed your review. I will have to add Zweig to my authors list."

Thanks, Bob! Zweig is fast shaping up to be one of my favorite authors now.

[Kathleen]

Ila wrote: "Finished with The World of Yesterday, Definitely one of my favorites and I'm so glad it was Zweig.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

So nice to find a favorite, Ila. I haven't read Zweig yet, but you are tempting me!

[Ila]

Kathleen wrote: "Ila wrote: "Finished with The World of Yesterday, Definitely one of my favorites and I'm so glad it was Zweig.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

So nice ..."

Thanks, Kathleen. Glad to tempt you!

[Sara, Old School Classics]

I've only read Chess Story, Ila, so this will be a need to get to soon addition to my TBR.

[Wobbley]

I've never read anything by this author, but I'm feeling inspired now to add Chess Story to my list, as a start!

[Ila]

Sara wrote: "I've only read Chess Story, Ila, so this will be a need to get to soon addition to my TBR."

I do hope you read more of him, Sara. It's sad that he is so underrated.

[Ila]

Wobbley wrote: "I've never read anything by this author, but I'm feeling inspired now to add Chess Story to my list, as a start!"

Chess Story would be a good place to start with Zweig, Wobbley.

[Cynda]

Ila, I have read only two selections of Zweig. I am adding Chess Story to my list of possibilities for a 24-hour readathon in April.

[Ila]

Cynda wrote: "Ila, I have read only two selections of Zweig. I am adding Chess Story to my list of possibilities for a 24-hour readathon in April."

I hope you end up liking Chess Story, Cynda! A 24-hour reading marathon sounds interesting.

[Ila]

Finished If We Were Villains. A beautiful, dark academia-style, well-crafted novel with a superbly frustrating yet good unreliable narrator. I still think of Oliver and James with anger and love and affection. Yep, one of those books you can't get out of your head. Glad to have read this.

[Lynn, New School Classics]

Nice progress Ila. I like how much planning you have put into your Fiction/Nonfiction Challenge. I have not tried to do that one yet. Maybe later in the year if my other challenges go well.

[Ila]

Lynn wrote: "Nice progress Ila. I like how much planning you have put into your Fiction/Nonfiction Challenge. I have not tried to do that one yet. Maybe later in the year if my other challenges go well."

Thanks, Lynn. I'm sorry, I only just saw your message.

[Ila]

And we are back with the yo-yo. Once again, after the beautiful If We Were Villains, I am disappointed with The Gospel According to Jesus Christ. Sigh, Saramago and I just don't get along. I'm too much of a stickler for grammar and punctuation rules and books with a readable, multiple-paragraph layout.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Well atleast I now know that the next read will be great.

[Wobbley]

I'm so impressed by how much progress you are making in your Old and New Challenge! I'm only 2 books into mine...