May Challenge: Classics

[Ashley]

I'm going to try for 5. :)

Completed: 5/5

1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray ⭐️⭐️
3. Romeo and Juliet ⭐️
4. Of Mice and Men ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5. The Diary of a Young Girl ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Scott]

Added Natalie and Ashley

[Mary Pat]

Count me in for two, please!


The Bell Jar

Invisible Man

[Karin]

I will try for 3
3/3

Max Havelaar By Multatuli - 09/05/15
The Picture of Dorian Gray By Oscar Wilde - 26/05/2015
Oliver Twist By Charles Dickens 31/05/2015

[Winter, Group Reads]

Would Thaïs by Antole France be considered a classic?

[Winter, Group Reads]

Emma wrote: "update - read 1/5.
1. things fall apart , chinua Achebe."

Did you like it?

[Scott]

I finished Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Current total
1/4

Added Karin and Mary Pat

Yes Winter Thaïs I think would be considered a classic at least in my opinion. It's been adapted into an Opera and three movies. In my opinion multiple adaptations are very good sign that a novel should be considered a classic. Just one adaption maybe not especially if the novel and movie are very recent. I probably wouldn't consider Gone Girl a classic now since both the book and movie are only a couple of years old. Maybe in in the future it will be considered a classic.

[Winter, Group Reads]

I agree Scott. For me my personal rule is it has to be at least 50 years old (just what I think). I read Thaïs as a part of my very long 1001 books challenge, but it was not known to me before, so I don't really know if it is a classic ^^

[Jodi]

I haven't been that successful in Monthly Challenges this year but I already have two set for the group read and buddy read. I think I will try for 3. Thanks.

[Emma]

winter,I really enjoyed things fall apart and read in same day. found it interesting.

[Winter, Group Reads]

Emma wrote: "winter,I really enjoyed things fall apart and read in same day. found it interesting."

I liked it too :)

[Scott]

Jodi added you

Winter I don't put any specific amount of time. I think some books can become classics faster than others depending on other factors like the subject matter of the book, cultural significance and popularity trends. Some books maybe totally unknown then grown to the point where they become classics so it might take a while. Other books maybe very popular at first and people still read years later perhaps because of cultural importance or universal themes. Something like this may become a classic in only 5-10 years. Other books maybe very popular at first but then drop off and become forgotten. These probably would never be classics unless rediscovered in the future. Of course this is just my personal thoughts.

[Winter, Group Reads]

I agree with that too :) It's just that I copied a challenge I found and she had it set to 50 years, and I liked it, so I use it ^^

[Scott]

Challenges are fun.

I think an example of a book that became a classic very quickly is the Diary of Anne Frank. ( The Diary of a Young Girl). The works of Jane Austen although popular in her lifetime and continued to be so didn't really become universally accepted classics until much later maybe even the 20th century.

[Winter, Group Reads]

True ^^ I think I just need boundaries and that's why I like the definition ^^

[Winter, Group Reads]

Challenges are amazing! I have made them for myself my whole life, I was thrilled to see I could have my own corner to fill with anything! I think I have 25 challenges hehe.

[Kim]

I will try to read 2 classics this month.

I just finished The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
1 classic down, 1 to go. 5/17/15

Today I finished The Lord of the Flies
2 classics completed. 5/24/15

[Tatiana]

I'll try for 4!

[Scott]

Update Kimberly, Stephanie and Tatiana

[Terah]

I'll go for one ... The Picture of Dorian Grey

[Mary Pat]

UPDATE:


Goal: 2 - Progress: 1 complete; 1 to go

The Bell Jar

[Natalie]

May Classics Challenge 2015
Completed 1/3
The Pearl

[Anna]

I will shoot for four.

[Winter, Group Reads]

updated message 16

[Scott]

Updated to here.

There are 2 Anna in the challenge not sure how to differentiate them.

[Winter, Group Reads]

A bit unsure if The Time Machine is regarded as a novella or a novel, someone who knows?

[Scott]

It's roughly 32000 words which puts it as a novella. The world science fiction society defines novellas as 17500 to 40000 words. Since it's often published as a standalone book feel free to use it for this challenge if you want.

[Scott]

The description of the challenge says books so I think novellas published as a single book can be used. I also think non fiction classics could be used as well

[Winter, Group Reads]

Okay. Will think about it, might choose another, we will see :)

[Winter, Group Reads]

Where can you find how many words something is?

[Winter, Group Reads]

Hm seems like people isn't agreed on that book, I think I will count it. 1001 books before you die count it as a novel, and other as a novella :P

[Scott]

Sometimes you can find it on the Internet. So e-book readers like Marvin have a feature to calculate the length. For kindle books you can divide the number of units by 22 as an estimate. You can also estimate paper book by counting the words on a page then multiplying by the number of pages.

[Winter, Group Reads]

Thanks :)

[Lynn]

Scott wrote: "Sometimes you can find it on the Internet. So e-book readers like Marvin have a feature to calculate the length. For kindle books you can divide the number of units by 22 as an estimate. You can al..."

Scott, thanks for mentioning the Marvin eReader. I have an old Kindle that doesn't read other formats, but I'm not a fan of Overdrive for ePub books. Marvin looks interesting.

[Scott]

The best feature of Marvin is you can format books individually. Other readers like Kindle and iBooks allow you to change formatting on a global basis so i end up switching back and forth everytime I switch books.

[Winter, Group Reads]

Never heard of Marvin, it's an app?

[Scott]

iOS app, not sure if they have a android. I read 99% on my iPad

[Scott]

Split Marvin and the kindle apps.

[Lynn]

Finished my first book for the challenge tonight. I'm 1/5.

✔The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien -- 05/05/15

[Winter, Group Reads]

updated message 16

[Ariel]

Update: 1|7; Message 11.

[Scott]

updated Lynn, Winter and Ariel

[[deleted user]]

I think I'll try for one. For my literature class we are reading Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and I would like to have some motivation to read it. Even though I doubt I'll need motivation because, common, it's Charles Dickens what could go wrong?

[Maria]

Please update 1/5

Summer by Edith Wharton

[Winter, Group Reads]

Maria wrote: "Please update 1/5

Summer by Edith Wharton"

Was it good?

[Maria]

Winter wrote: "Maria wrote: "Please update 1/5

Summer by Edith Wharton"

Was it good?"

I did enjoy it. I tend to really like "classics". Though I did prefer The Age of Innocence to this, which is another one of her books. It was still a good read.

[Winter, Group Reads]

Maria wrote: "Winter wrote: "Maria wrote: "Please update 1/5

Summer by Edith Wharton"

Was it good?"

I did enjoy it. I tend to really like "classics". Though I did prefer The Age of Innocence to this, which is..."

Thanks :) Will be reading both in the 1001 list challenge I think. At least I think they are both on the list :)

[Maria]

Winter wrote: "Maria wrote: "Winter wrote: "Maria wrote: "Please update 1/5

Summer by Edith Wharton"

Was it good?"

I did enjoy it. I tend to really like "classics". Though I did prefer The Age of Innocence to ..."

Hope you enjoy them. I also saw a movie on The Age of Innocence that you might like as well.

[Winter, Group Reads]

Maria wrote: "Winter wrote: "Maria wrote: "Winter wrote: "Maria wrote: "Please update 1/5

Summer by Edith Wharton"

Was it good?"

I did enjoy it. I tend to really like "classics". Though I did prefer The Age o..."

Will remember that :) I try to read them first though, like it best that way, book first, then movie ^^

[Scott]

Updated Alex and Maria