The completed list - Girlsmiley
Talk Must read classics
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1Girlsmiley
1. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Being an all-time favourite story, I was slightly disappointed when I realised I didn't share the same opinion of this book. Although I did enjoy its 'power of nature' message, as well as the feel good ending, I can't say I overly enjoyed reading this one. I found it a little slow and repetitive, the spoilt and rude nature of two of the main characters a little hard to take and a lot of the dialogue between the characters was written in Yorkshire, which was also a little annoying. Still, I enjoyed the setting of the book and I guess if the characters invoked some kind of feeling in me, then the author has done something right.
Being an all-time favourite story, I was slightly disappointed when I realised I didn't share the same opinion of this book. Although I did enjoy its 'power of nature' message, as well as the feel good ending, I can't say I overly enjoyed reading this one. I found it a little slow and repetitive, the spoilt and rude nature of two of the main characters a little hard to take and a lot of the dialogue between the characters was written in Yorkshire, which was also a little annoying. Still, I enjoyed the setting of the book and I guess if the characters invoked some kind of feeling in me, then the author has done something right.
2Girlsmiley
2. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
An exciting start and an exciting finish, but lost me a little in the middle. Still, an enjoyable read.
An exciting start and an exciting finish, but lost me a little in the middle. Still, an enjoyable read.
3Girlsmiley
3. Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Once you get past the long and boring introduction (which I failed to see the point of really), this book is a good read. The descriptions throughout the text were impressive - the author makes the scenes and the characters really come alive and a certain amount of suspense is kept going throughout the story, which always keeps me reading until the end.
I enjoyed this one.
Once you get past the long and boring introduction (which I failed to see the point of really), this book is a good read. The descriptions throughout the text were impressive - the author makes the scenes and the characters really come alive and a certain amount of suspense is kept going throughout the story, which always keeps me reading until the end.
I enjoyed this one.
5Girlsmiley
Really? Well, compared to the other two I read, this one was quite good I thought. Apart from the beginning, it kept me interested.
6Girlsmiley
4. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
I had a little trouble getting into this one at first as it read a bit like an instruction manual i.e. how to treat horses properly, but once the story got going and more adventures unfolded it became more interesting.
A light read probably best read as a child, but it does present a valuable lesson on treating animals with kindness.
I had a little trouble getting into this one at first as it read a bit like an instruction manual i.e. how to treat horses properly, but once the story got going and more adventures unfolded it became more interesting.
A light read probably best read as a child, but it does present a valuable lesson on treating animals with kindness.
9Girlsmiley
6. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
I kept waiting for something to happen in the book, but it never really did. A whole story about a cynical guy who rambles on and on and on about nothing. I failed to see the point of this one.
I kept waiting for something to happen in the book, but it never really did. A whole story about a cynical guy who rambles on and on and on about nothing. I failed to see the point of this one.
11Girlsmiley
Yes, I can't quite understand why it's a classic PolymathicMonkey. It nearly put me to sleep.
12Girlsmiley
7. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.
What a great story! Of course, it was totally far-fetched and convenient how the main character overcame each obstacle, but it kept me in suspense and with an unexpected twist at the end, I found this an enjoyable read. My only criticism, some of the events were not explained in detail very well and I sometimes felt that adding a bit more descriptive writing would've made the story a little better, but for its time, I think this is a great piece of work.
What a great story! Of course, it was totally far-fetched and convenient how the main character overcame each obstacle, but it kept me in suspense and with an unexpected twist at the end, I found this an enjoyable read. My only criticism, some of the events were not explained in detail very well and I sometimes felt that adding a bit more descriptive writing would've made the story a little better, but for its time, I think this is a great piece of work.
13CurrerBell
3> The "long and boring introduction" is actually a satire of patronage politics. Hawthorne was a lifelong Democratic Party hack and about the only jobs he ever had (other than his writing) were political patronage jobs. In the introduction to The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne was making fun of patronage jobs (and of himself included). This introduction caused Hawthorne a bit of embarrassment with some of his neighbors and acquaintances when they recognized themselves among the targets of Hawthorne's fun.
Incidentally, Hawthorne's best lifelong friend was his college classmate Franklin Pierce. In 1852, Hawthorne wrote Pierce's campaign biography; and, when Pierce was elected president, Hawthorne was rewarded with the U.S. consulship in Liverpool, which was probably the best or at least one of the very best patronage jobs available in the entire federal government.
Incidentally, Hawthorne's best lifelong friend was his college classmate Franklin Pierce. In 1852, Hawthorne wrote Pierce's campaign biography; and, when Pierce was elected president, Hawthorne was rewarded with the U.S. consulship in Liverpool, which was probably the best or at least one of the very best patronage jobs available in the entire federal government.
14.Monkey.
>12 Girlsmiley: Ah that one I should be reading sometime next year :) I've just finished Five Weeks in a Balloon yesterday, heh.
15Girlsmiley
Sounds like you've done some in-depth study of Hawthorne CurrerBell. Thanks for the insight.
16Girlsmiley
8. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
There were parts of this book that got me hooked; I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next and I couldn't put the book down. Then there were other parts of this book where it felt like a chore to keep reading and I kept zoning out from boredom. I also found some of the dialogues a little difficult to understand at times i.e the character Jim, which meant for slow reading.
A good insight into the poor treatment of and racist attitudes towards black people. Although I understand this was written during a time of white supremacy, I still found it difficult to get past the use of the term 'nigger' throughout the book.
There were parts of this book that got me hooked; I wanted to keep reading to see what would happen next and I couldn't put the book down. Then there were other parts of this book where it felt like a chore to keep reading and I kept zoning out from boredom. I also found some of the dialogues a little difficult to understand at times i.e the character Jim, which meant for slow reading.
A good insight into the poor treatment of and racist attitudes towards black people. Although I understand this was written during a time of white supremacy, I still found it difficult to get past the use of the term 'nigger' throughout the book.
17Girlsmiley
9. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
I'd say the stand out of this book was the colourful characters. A well-written adventure story with scenes that come alive. It certainly kept me intrigued.
I'd say the stand out of this book was the colourful characters. A well-written adventure story with scenes that come alive. It certainly kept me intrigued.
18Girlsmiley
10. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle.
This is the first Sherlock Holmes mystery that I have read. I did find the ending a little abrupt and I also found some of the writing style a little odd i.e. telling parts of the story via Watson's diary entries and letters to Holmes didn't quite work for me. Still, I found the storyline really enjoyable (I like a good mystery) and it has enticed me to read another.
This is the first Sherlock Holmes mystery that I have read. I did find the ending a little abrupt and I also found some of the writing style a little odd i.e. telling parts of the story via Watson's diary entries and letters to Holmes didn't quite work for me. Still, I found the storyline really enjoyable (I like a good mystery) and it has enticed me to read another.
19Girlsmiley
11. Dracula by Bram Stoker
Well, I think the book may have been a little more enjoyable than the movie, but it still moved way too slowly for me. Not to mention the disappointing ending (it all seemed to be over before it had begun). I think the author could've dragged out the finale with Dracula a bit more and it would've been much more exciting. I'd say there were only a couple of parts in the book that made me want to actually keep reading, but apart from that I found it a bit dull. I really couldn't get past the way the story was presented either i.e. through a series of diary entries. There were times I found this annoying i.e. sometimes whole conversations would be written verbatim, but I couldn't help but think who could remember word-for-word what someone said during a conversation, enough to then go and write it down in their diary. I know it's fiction, but I just found this distracting.
Well, I think the book may have been a little more enjoyable than the movie, but it still moved way too slowly for me. Not to mention the disappointing ending (it all seemed to be over before it had begun). I think the author could've dragged out the finale with Dracula a bit more and it would've been much more exciting. I'd say there were only a couple of parts in the book that made me want to actually keep reading, but apart from that I found it a bit dull. I really couldn't get past the way the story was presented either i.e. through a series of diary entries. There were times I found this annoying i.e. sometimes whole conversations would be written verbatim, but I couldn't help but think who could remember word-for-word what someone said during a conversation, enough to then go and write it down in their diary. I know it's fiction, but I just found this distracting.
20Girlsmiley
12. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I read someone else's review that said "It is 345 pages of nothing". I agree!
I read someone else's review that said "It is 345 pages of nothing". I agree!
21Girlsmiley
13. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This one took me a while to get through. I think it actually would've been a good story and I would've found it more interesting if it wasn't padded out so much with long and boring descriptions. I skimmed over some parts of the book as it got a little monotonous. Still, a happy ending at least.
This one took me a while to get through. I think it actually would've been a good story and I would've found it more interesting if it wasn't padded out so much with long and boring descriptions. I skimmed over some parts of the book as it got a little monotonous. Still, a happy ending at least.
22Girlsmiley
14. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Well, I struggled to get through this one. Honestly, it just bored me to tears and I couldn't wait to get to the end. It started off well and had me hooked for the first few chapters, but as soon as the main character got to the island, it just went down hill. I kept waiting for the inclusion of a little action or suspense in the story, but quite simply, it just reads like an instruction manual. I felt like I was reading the same details over and over again, described in the most uninteresting way - "First I did this, then I did this, and I did it like this"....blah, blah, blah. I don't know how this can be called an adventure story. Seriously...what was the point to this one. Glad it's over now and I can move on.
Well, I struggled to get through this one. Honestly, it just bored me to tears and I couldn't wait to get to the end. It started off well and had me hooked for the first few chapters, but as soon as the main character got to the island, it just went down hill. I kept waiting for the inclusion of a little action or suspense in the story, but quite simply, it just reads like an instruction manual. I felt like I was reading the same details over and over again, described in the most uninteresting way - "First I did this, then I did this, and I did it like this"....blah, blah, blah. I don't know how this can be called an adventure story. Seriously...what was the point to this one. Glad it's over now and I can move on.
23Sandydog1
Congrats!
Robinson Crusoe makes something like The Pilgrim's Progress feel like freakin' Star Wars...
Robinson Crusoe makes something like The Pilgrim's Progress feel like freakin' Star Wars...
24Girlsmiley
15. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
A light-hearted and enjoyable read. I think what made this book so enjoyable was the characters - I couldn't help but like and admire the March family for their positive attitudes and moral righteousness. I felt the story had some great messages in it; such as, enjoyment from the small things in life, money doesn't make you happy and the importance of family and friends, etc. I actually liked this one, so much so that I now want to read the sequel - Good Wives - to see what happens to the March girls.
A light-hearted and enjoyable read. I think what made this book so enjoyable was the characters - I couldn't help but like and admire the March family for their positive attitudes and moral righteousness. I felt the story had some great messages in it; such as, enjoyment from the small things in life, money doesn't make you happy and the importance of family and friends, etc. I actually liked this one, so much so that I now want to read the sequel - Good Wives - to see what happens to the March girls.
25Girlsmiley
16. Moby Dick by Melville Herman
Frankly, this one was just plain painful to read; in fact, I nearly abandoned it on several occasions and in the end I found myself skimming over some of the sections. The story starts off rather interesting, but then as it gets going, the author seems to go off on a tangent, boring the reader with long and tedious descriptions of whales and whaling. It’s almost like reading two books in one – a fictional adventure story on the one hand with parts of a non-fiction encyclopaedia on whales thrown in. The plot develops way too slowly for me and unfortunately it failed to keep my attention. I think if you took out all the boring facts about whales and whaling, you really wouldn’t be left with much of a tale. A brilliant idea for a story, but I just feel the author didn’t quite pull it off.
Frankly, this one was just plain painful to read; in fact, I nearly abandoned it on several occasions and in the end I found myself skimming over some of the sections. The story starts off rather interesting, but then as it gets going, the author seems to go off on a tangent, boring the reader with long and tedious descriptions of whales and whaling. It’s almost like reading two books in one – a fictional adventure story on the one hand with parts of a non-fiction encyclopaedia on whales thrown in. The plot develops way too slowly for me and unfortunately it failed to keep my attention. I think if you took out all the boring facts about whales and whaling, you really wouldn’t be left with much of a tale. A brilliant idea for a story, but I just feel the author didn’t quite pull it off.
26Girlsmiley
17. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
A little left-of-centre, but still quite enjoyable. Although it was really a bit of a nonsense story, Carroll's imagination is impressive. The only disappointing thing was the abrupt ending.
A little left-of-centre, but still quite enjoyable. Although it was really a bit of a nonsense story, Carroll's imagination is impressive. The only disappointing thing was the abrupt ending.
28Girlsmiley
At least it was an easy (light) read. After reading most of the books on my list, I can't say I'm much of a fan of the classics. I've found most of them quite difficult to read and I constantly find myself 'wandering off' whilst reading them (most fail to keep my attention). Maybe I just didn't choose well. Nevermind, I'm persisting. 8 to go!
29.Monkey.
It really sounds like anything that's a little more literary, you're objecting to. If all you care to read is light, more frivolous stories, then no, most classics are not going to be for you.
30Cecrow
>28 Girlsmiley:, at least you can't say you didn't give them a fair sampling. You've tried a wide range of titles on a wide range of subjects; heck, you even created an LT group to keep you motivated and attract bystanders while you ... umm ... torture yourself? lol
By the time I was 25, I thought I'd read every classic I'd ever want to bother with. I wrote off the entire idea of "classics", in fact, as books that had had their time and now were kept thriving only by snobby people who wouldn't let go, repeating the same tired statements their forefathers had about how wonderful such-and-such a title was.
Then I read The Rhetoric of Fiction, which ... it's hard to explain .. somehow turned me around on the whole thing. Part of it was shaking myself free of depending upon a book's ending to validate its worth, as I started to appreciate the craft of the journey to get there. Part of it was getting a better handle on the historical context for some of these novels: why they are the best representatives for their time, etc. (helps that I'm a history buff.) I developed a better ear for a good turn of phrase, a nice metaphor, great characterization, symbolism, unity of theme, etc. In other words, I started to understand the art of writing a little better, which made me a more appreciative reader. These authors and their books took the time to 'do it right', rather than just aiming at stardom and attention in their time; very few were bestsellers when first published (although some like Dickens managed that too.) They were exploring the art of their craft first and foremost. I guess that makes them more demanding reads, in that it takes more homework to understand what you're supposed to appreciate. But once you have the right lense to look through, you start to see the rainbow effect and how prosaic most other stuff is by comparison.
Like any kind of book, blanket statements cannot be made. Some classics are just plain boring, just plain work, and even when you've derived what the point of it was, that doesn't change the fact that you still had to choke it down and didn't enjoy it. Like any kind of book, we're bound to bicker - sorry, express differences of opinion - over which titles those are versus which ones are fabulous. I'd humbly suggest if you're choking on 90% of them, you'd be wasting your time to keep doing that to yourself. Maybe you could investigate works of literary criticism to see if you'll feel inspired to look at them differently. You can also visit websites like Sparknotes.com for guides that help unravel why specific books attained their classic status, although that can read like a bunch of snobby talk if you don't have the lense effect already in place.
By the time I was 25, I thought I'd read every classic I'd ever want to bother with. I wrote off the entire idea of "classics", in fact, as books that had had their time and now were kept thriving only by snobby people who wouldn't let go, repeating the same tired statements their forefathers had about how wonderful such-and-such a title was.
Then I read The Rhetoric of Fiction, which ... it's hard to explain .. somehow turned me around on the whole thing. Part of it was shaking myself free of depending upon a book's ending to validate its worth, as I started to appreciate the craft of the journey to get there. Part of it was getting a better handle on the historical context for some of these novels: why they are the best representatives for their time, etc. (helps that I'm a history buff.) I developed a better ear for a good turn of phrase, a nice metaphor, great characterization, symbolism, unity of theme, etc. In other words, I started to understand the art of writing a little better, which made me a more appreciative reader. These authors and their books took the time to 'do it right', rather than just aiming at stardom and attention in their time; very few were bestsellers when first published (although some like Dickens managed that too.) They were exploring the art of their craft first and foremost. I guess that makes them more demanding reads, in that it takes more homework to understand what you're supposed to appreciate. But once you have the right lense to look through, you start to see the rainbow effect and how prosaic most other stuff is by comparison.
Like any kind of book, blanket statements cannot be made. Some classics are just plain boring, just plain work, and even when you've derived what the point of it was, that doesn't change the fact that you still had to choke it down and didn't enjoy it. Like any kind of book, we're bound to bicker - sorry, express differences of opinion - over which titles those are versus which ones are fabulous. I'd humbly suggest if you're choking on 90% of them, you'd be wasting your time to keep doing that to yourself. Maybe you could investigate works of literary criticism to see if you'll feel inspired to look at them differently. You can also visit websites like Sparknotes.com for guides that help unravel why specific books attained their classic status, although that can read like a bunch of snobby talk if you don't have the lense effect already in place.
31Girlsmiley
No PolymathicMonkey, I wouldn't say I was looking for "light, more frivolous stories", just something that engages me. It's quite possible I went into the journey with the wrong expectations. I first became interested in reading the classics as I imagined that books that had survived such a long time must have something 'special' about them i.e. they are just good stories. It's not to say I don't enjoy any classics i.e. I liked The Scarlett Letter, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Around the World in 80 days and Little Women, but some of the ones I thought I'd love (as others had raved about them) I just found plain boring and I guess that's where the disappointment came from.
32Girlsmiley
"...I started to appreciate the craft of the journey to get there.....Part of it was getting a better handle on the historical context for some of these novels..."
Yes, I understand your point completely Cecrow as I've experienced this with films i.e. after I've watched a documentary on the making of a film or one that gives the background information, it changes my whole perspective of the film and my attitude towards it; for example, if it was a film I had no previous interest in seeing, suddenly I want to watch it or, alternatively, it just gives me a better understanding or heightened emotional response. It is obvious to me now that these are the kinds of books that are best appreciated with some knowledge of the context (I am accustomed to reading the modern novel unfortunately). So thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Even though I haven't liked a lot of the books I've read I am, however, looking forward to reading The Divine Comedy as I think with this one I do have an advantage - I studied Italian at university and as part of my studies I delved into Dante's Inferno, so I have some contextual knowledge. I also read Boccaccio's Decameron at uni and found that quite amusing. So it seems not all classics are bad :-)
Yes, I understand your point completely Cecrow as I've experienced this with films i.e. after I've watched a documentary on the making of a film or one that gives the background information, it changes my whole perspective of the film and my attitude towards it; for example, if it was a film I had no previous interest in seeing, suddenly I want to watch it or, alternatively, it just gives me a better understanding or heightened emotional response. It is obvious to me now that these are the kinds of books that are best appreciated with some knowledge of the context (I am accustomed to reading the modern novel unfortunately). So thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Even though I haven't liked a lot of the books I've read I am, however, looking forward to reading The Divine Comedy as I think with this one I do have an advantage - I studied Italian at university and as part of my studies I delved into Dante's Inferno, so I have some contextual knowledge. I also read Boccaccio's Decameron at uni and found that quite amusing. So it seems not all classics are bad :-)
33Cecrow
Right after I read Wayne C. Booth's The Rhetoric of Fiction, I read Emma by Jane Austen and Madame Bovary by Flaubert, and really liked both of them. Booth devoted a whole chapter to "Emma" so I had a big advantage there, but what really helped in both cases was reading the detailed introductions that came with both books. I used to dismiss these as "university professors leaving a note for other university professors" but there's really a lot to them.
I also used to get really irritated that introductions gave away plot details, or even how the novel ends, but - I'm not so bothered anymore, where the classics are concerned. Sometimes knowing the ending lends better focus to studying the journey. It can make a first read more like a re-read, so that you can see how the ending is being prepared for and appreciate those details more. I already know how The Old Curiosity Shop is going to end, for example, but I still feel like it's earning five stars so far, it's not bothering me at all. Had the same experience last winter with A Farewell to Arms (if you don't want to know how that one ends, don't watch the movie "Silver Linings Playbook" ... )
I also used to get really irritated that introductions gave away plot details, or even how the novel ends, but - I'm not so bothered anymore, where the classics are concerned. Sometimes knowing the ending lends better focus to studying the journey. It can make a first read more like a re-read, so that you can see how the ending is being prepared for and appreciate those details more. I already know how The Old Curiosity Shop is going to end, for example, but I still feel like it's earning five stars so far, it's not bothering me at all. Had the same experience last winter with A Farewell to Arms (if you don't want to know how that one ends, don't watch the movie "Silver Linings Playbook" ... )
34Girlsmiley
18. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
A pleasant surprise. I always had the idea that the entire story would revolve around the relationship between the Hunchback of Notre Dame and a beautiful girl; a kind of 'Phantom of the Opera' tale, but instead with a happy ending. So, it was a nice surprise to be offered so much more. Some fantastically created, comical characters in this book who I think rather make the story.
A pleasant surprise. I always had the idea that the entire story would revolve around the relationship between the Hunchback of Notre Dame and a beautiful girl; a kind of 'Phantom of the Opera' tale, but instead with a happy ending. So, it was a nice surprise to be offered so much more. Some fantastically created, comical characters in this book who I think rather make the story.
35Cecrow
It's been a while for me but I remember discovering that yeah, Disney had their work cut out for them adapting that one, lol
36Girlsmiley
19. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
I'm feeling a little alone with this one as most of the reviews I've read have raved about Crime and Punishment, but I have to be honest and say I just didn't enjoy it. Although a good insight into the human conscience, it had quite a morbid theme and I just really couldn't take to the Protagonist in this story. In fact, I didn't really find any of the characters likeable or interesting. At times I also found it a little hard to follow the story with all the name variations (i.e. Raskolnikov’s sister is known as Dunya, Dunechka and Avdotya) and similarities (i.e. three unrelated characters all with the same surname) of the characters.
I'm feeling a little alone with this one as most of the reviews I've read have raved about Crime and Punishment, but I have to be honest and say I just didn't enjoy it. Although a good insight into the human conscience, it had quite a morbid theme and I just really couldn't take to the Protagonist in this story. In fact, I didn't really find any of the characters likeable or interesting. At times I also found it a little hard to follow the story with all the name variations (i.e. Raskolnikov’s sister is known as Dunya, Dunechka and Avdotya) and similarities (i.e. three unrelated characters all with the same surname) of the characters.
37Girlsmiley
20. War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
Taking into account when this was written, I think the author was way ahead of his time with this story. Although rather tame for our era, I imagine this would've caused quite a scare in its day. A great read.
Taking into account when this was written, I think the author was way ahead of his time with this story. Although rather tame for our era, I imagine this would've caused quite a scare in its day. A great read.
38Cecrow
>37 Girlsmiley:, I think you've touched on a key part of appreciating any classic - keeping in mind when it was written and the impact it had at the time, its influence on what followed.
39Girlsmiley
I'm slowly learning :-) Changing one's perspective can certainly change the way a person enjoys a classic book I think.
