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message 1: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments Anyone interested in doing a monthly classic read? Many classics are available for free here on the internet. We could vote on which one to read each month and choose a date to read and discuss. Let me know...


message 2: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments Such as?


message 3: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments books like
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Little Women (Little Women, #1) by Louisa May Alcott
Kidnapped (Scholastic Classics) by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Swiss Family Robinson  by Johann David Wyss
Around the World in Eighty Days  by Jules Verne
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Just to name a few...


message 4: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments Hmmmm... let me check. I want to see if any of those are available via library audiobook, but they aren't on OD audio and OneClick audio is under renovations. I'll check again tomorrow. If I don't remember, please feel free to nudge me.


message 5: by Lina (new)

Lina What a great idea Pamela! A lot fo these would even be freebies through Project Gutenberg as ebooks. I can't guarantee that I'd read every classic that comes up, but I'm definitely interested in reading more of them!


Susan (susayq ~) (susayq) | 257 comments Around the World in Eighty Days  by Jules Verne is one of my favorites!

I'd love to do that! I can't promise I would always finish it...I was reading Anna Karenina with my RL BFF and had to walk away LOL Maybe I could go back now and finish, but *shivers*


message 7: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments Great, we'll come up with a short list and vote and go from there. Yes, Project Gutenberg has a lot of great classics. There are some downloadable here on GR too.


message 8: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments There are?!


Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos) | 21 comments What type of books would count as classics? Is there a year they have to fit under?


message 10: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (last edited Dec 08, 2011 11:59AM) (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments My public library is back up and here is what they have from your list, Pamela, that I would be interested in listening to on audiotape (and in this order):

Around the World in Eighty Days  by Jules Verne
The Swiss Family Robinson  by Johann David Wyss Kidnapped (Scholastic Classics) by Robert Louis Stevenson
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

One not listed... but it is a "behemoth" (at greater than 1,200 pages):

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas


message 11: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments ❥☪LIZZ NEILL☪❥ wrote: "What type of books would count as classics? Is there a year they have to fit under?"

I'll let Pamela answer that one, since it is her thread. ☺


Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos) | 21 comments Lisa Kay wrote: "❥☪LIZZ NEILL☪❥ wrote: "What type of books would count as classics? Is there a year they have to fit under?"

I'll let Pamela answer that one, since it is her thread. ☺"


Ok


message 13: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments I got some definitions from different websites...

A classic usually expresses some artistic quality--an expression of life, truth, and beauty.
A classic stands the test of time. The work is usually considered to be a representation of the period in which it was written; and the work merits lasting recognition. In other words, if the book was published in the recent past, the work is not a classic.
A classic has a certain universal appeal. Great works of literature touch us to our very core beings--partly because they integrate themes that are understood by readers from a wide range of backgrounds and levels of experience. Themes of love, hate, death, life, and faith touch upon some of our most basic emotional responses.
A classic makes connections. You can study a classic and discover influences from other writers and other great works of literature. Of course, this is partly related to the universal appeal of a classic. But, the classic also is informed by the history of ideas and literature--whether unconsciously or specifically worked into the plot of the text.

*****************************************************

A classic book is a book that is very well known and passed down through generations. An example of this is Robert Louis Stevenson' s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, published in 1886. Most people know about this book, even if they have not read it. Eveyone is familiar with the phrase "Jekyll and Hyde personality." There are also movies based on this book, and the character Mr. Hyde appears in other movies.A classic book will be read and appreciated for years to come. The book is also used in modern culture. An example of this is Charles Dickens' book, A Christmas Carol. There are multiple plays and movies about this book. Many people know about Scrooge and his catch phrase, "Bah Humbug." A classic book is of very good quality and written very well. The book is symbolic and represents something in our culture.

**************************************************
book that was written fifty years ago and many people enjoyed it.
stands the test of time
relates to every generation
can be enjoyed by people of all ages


Basically, a book that has stood the test of time and is still read today.


Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos) | 21 comments Pamela(AllHoney) wrote: "I got some definitions from different websites...

A classic usually expresses some artistic quality--an expression of life, truth, and beauty.
A classic stands the test of time. The work is usu..."


Thanks


message 15: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments I know that there are listopia that list some and ppl will have a classics bookshelf so should be too hard to find a few.

Think I'll start a vote on the ones Lisa Kay mentioned and go from there.


message 16: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments I'm having problems sending an invite for the poll to vote... so here is the link to vote. Thanks..

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/57...


message 17: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments I received my invite, Pamela. I voted! ☺


message 18: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments lol... it was the only invite i did sucessfully


message 19: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments Do you mean just mine?


message 20: by Lina (new)

Lina I got the invite three times Pamela.


message 21: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments I think she was doing it when GoodReads was stuttering. I know I got a "bad Gateway" a few times and so just logged off until I got the invite.


message 22: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (last edited Dec 08, 2011 02:00PM) (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments yes, i got the bad gateway and decided they must not have gone through. sorry


message 23: by Susan (susayq ~) (new)

Susan (susayq ~) (susayq) | 257 comments I voted!


message 24: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments I was thinking that mid January would be good to start the read. However, depending on the book maybe we should start earlier in the month for those who can't read it in about 2 weeks. Or do you want to give everyone the option of reading it at their leisure during the month and come back at the end of the month and do the q&as?


message 25: by Susan (susayq ~) (new)

Susan (susayq ~) (susayq) | 257 comments I like the idea of reading it at your leisure and doing the q&a at the end of the month.


message 26: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments I think I do too, Susan.


message 27: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments Oh, yes! I like the idea of approaching it a bit differently. ☺


message 28: by Lina (new)

Lina Great idea!


message 29: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments Eek! Downloading the The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas from the library! This may take awhile -- at over 1,200 pages!!!! Oh, well. We have all year, right? LOL!


message 30: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments lol... maybe we should make this a 3 month read....


message 31: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (last edited Jan 01, 2012 05:24PM) (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments A GoodReads friend of mine, Sandy, will be joining us on this behemoth! Yay!


message 32: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments Cool! ☺


message 33: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments 43 hours and 17 minutes, and the narrator is reading at a good clip (not like some others). Lots of characters in this one!

Helpful sites:

Shelfari's Character List for TCoMC
Wiki's synopsis of TCoMC
Wiki Org Chart of Characters - this last one is worth looking at, just for the "Whoa!" factor alone.


message 34: by Gaijinmama (last edited Jan 02, 2012 02:43AM) (new)

Gaijinmama | 7 comments Cool. I'll join you as well! I've been meaning to tackle The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas for years, and another group I'm in is discussing it this month, too. If that's not a sign, I don't know what is!
By the way, hi there. This is my first post in this group. Several of you are my friends already and I'm looking forward to getting to know the rest of you.


message 35: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments hehe, I went to cliff notes and got the rundown. But I'll be a good girl and actually read it.


message 36: by Zumbagirl (new)

Zumbagirl | 9 comments I don't think I'll be able to read this book, but I would like to do a buddy read on a classic with y'all - maybe the next one


message 37: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments that's fine, Zumbagirl. I just hope the ppl who voted for it make an attempt ☺


message 38: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments I didn't vote for it. I nominated it for the year, but not for this month. It may take me a year to listen to it, LOL! I was sure Around the World in Eighty Days  by Jules Verne was going to win; I'd already worked it into my challenges and had to change them.

But, I'm up for it!


message 39: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments I voted for The Swiss Family Robinson  by Johann David Wyss but I was okay with just about any of them. The length is intimidating to me though.


message 40: by SandyC (new)

SandyC (sandyc88) Hello and Happy New Year! I'm happy to be joining you for The Count of Monte Cristo. :-) Thanks for letting me in, Lisa Kay!


message 41: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments Sandy, you made it!


message 42: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments Goodness, I better get off my tushie and download the audiobook to my iPod/Touch. I only checked it out of the library for 7 days.


message 43: by SandyC (new)

SandyC (sandyc88) Yes ma'am!
Seems I'm reading several chunky books this month... Wish I didn't have to work for a living.


message 44: by SandyC (new)

SandyC (sandyc88) I got this as a free Nook book long ago. Free is always good!


message 45: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments Okay, I'm doing it. Transferring always slows down my computer. This may take a while.

@ Pamela, did you find the cliff notes on-line somewhere good?


message 46: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)


message 47: by Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell (new)

Lisa Kay (lisakayalicemaria) | 21897 comments LMAO! That is too, too funny, Pamela! ☺


message 48: by Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother (new)

Pamela(AllHoney) (pamelap) | 14528 comments


message 49: by Cheryl (new)

Cheryl (cawils_99) I am happy to be reading this classic. I don't know if I will be able to finish it in a month but I'm willing to try!


message 50: by Gaijinmama (new)

Gaijinmama | 7 comments Just sayin'...I have two kids and two jobs and I highly doubt I'll finish it this month, either. The Bookish group just finished it and they allowed 3 months.


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