Next Book Suggestions - After The Age of Innocence

Here's the promised 'Next Book' thread.

I'm voting for some weightier tomes this time, so my suggestions are:

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Vanity Fair by William Thackeray

I promised myself I'd only suggest 3 but the last one just slipped in there!

I'm ok with Bleak House - I NEED the support to get through it!

What about Madame Bovary the presumptive winner last time until the last minute crush from The Age of Innocence.

I, personally, would like to see Nikolai Gogol's Dead Souls.

Hi folks

I'll second Bleak House...been meaning to read some more Dickens.
I also suggest
Howard's End by EM Forster
Moby Dick by Herman Melville

I just read and studied Bleak House in March, so if you pick this one, I'll jump in for the conversation. As for reading, I'm up for any EM Forster.

Well, there was a move last time to read something other than Russian, American, or British classics of written between 1850 and 1920. If anyone is interested, I'll scout out the suggestions from the previous thread.

That would be great, Cariola. Thanks.

Although I've already read Les Miserables, it's a wonderful read (Signet Classics edition is a wonderful translation -- I'm French and it looks excellent against the French version) and so I definitely think it should be tackled by this group.

However, to put in my own suggestion:
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

I'm actually reading it right now (at about 400 pages out of the 1000) but it's so wonderful and a very easy read if people would like to tackle it. Plus I could actually discuss the book with the group which would be nice.

Other than that, it'd be nice to read something from Fyodor Dostoevsky: Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, or maybe The Idiot?

If I may put my two cents in, and since I think Italian literature is almost always (sadly) overlooked, I would suggest The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni, or As a Man Grows Older or Confessions of Zeno by Italo Svevo, or The Late Mattia Pascal by Luigi Pirandello.

Ooo ... I promised not a sausage more, but I hadn't thought of Don Quixote and that would definitely be another good one!

Thanks, aluvalibri, I'd love to read an Italian book and know your recommendations would be the best!

WOW! Thank you for the vote of confidence!!
:-))

Okay, I'm also cool with The Idiot, and I'll also say The Count of Monte Cristo, just to add more to the mix (like we need it). I read Les Miserables a long time ago, but I wouldn't mind joining in the discussions on that one.

Bleak House gets my vote

I second
Magic mountain
Howards end
Don Quixote (been meaning to read that for years, haven't even tried the first page, I need the support of you all for that one)
Dead souls sounds very interesting too.
I'd like to add
Soul mountain by Xingjian Gao the first chinese author ever to win the Nobel Prize, and
A suitable boy I think the thickest book I own.

Many of those are good--I would join in the read for any of those I haven't read.

How about Independent People by Halldor Laxness? I've read his Iceland's Bell but think I would need support to tackle this one.

An interesting book came up in another thread that I think would be fun to read as a group: The Sotweed Factor by John Barth. It's not a classic of the sort we talk about reading in this group, but it is most definitely literature, and it will be a classic one day.

I like Don Quixote, Spanish, The Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargas Llosa, Peruvian, or Bleak House.

#16 - I'd read Independent People too. I was planning on reading it for the Reading Globally Iceland thread that's coming up.

So far I favor Independent People or Madame Bovary or one of the Italian books. I'd like to stay away from England and Russia and the US. for this round.

Is Independent People easily accessible to everyone? If so, that does sound like an idea - I've never read anything from Iceland, besides Bjork's lyrics....I need to get out more.

>21 PensiveCat: Amazon and Amazon.uk both have it in paperback. I don't know about other places.

Here is the list of books I suggested last time--as mentioned above, not British, American, or Russian and most of them not written between 1850 and 1920. I've added a few comments; they are pretty vague as I son't want to give away the plots (and several I haven't read).

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. This is one of those "great books" that I'm told everyone should read, and it's likely to be the winner of the Best of the Booker Prize. Two children born on the eve of India's independence are switched in the hospital--one the son of poor Hindus, the other the son of wealthy Muslims.

The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. African-American classic that really gets to the heart of what it must have felt like to be a non-person in mid-20th century America.

The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass. An amazing German allegorical novel, set in Nazi Germany. The main character is a boy who refuses to grow but whose voice can shatter glass. (You will never think the same about eels again!)

An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser. Classic tale of class, ambition, and murder.

The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. This preceded all of Amy Tan's books and is probably one of the first to tackle the new Chinese-American generation learning about its cultural past.

The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz--or one of the three books in it, The Palace Walk, The Palace of Desire, or Sugar Street. Egyptian classics all. Traces three generations of an Egyptian family through the political turmoil of the years between the two world wars.

The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Novel based on the experiment in communal living led by Emerson and the Alcotts.

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko. Native American classic. Young man, half white and half Native American, returns from imprisonment in a Japanese POW camp to seek his identity in a now unfamiliar country.

The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami. Canadian best seller about the life of an Indian man and his family

The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Another African-American classic, one with a feminist bent.

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. Another fascinating African-American classic, this one a study of the effects of racism on one family written by one of the country's grreatest living writers.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Great American classic.

My Antonia by Willa Cather. Classic novel about immigrants on the plains--kind of Little House for adults.

My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin. Australian girl hungers for life and love in the bleak outback. Considered scandalous when first published but now a classic.

P.S. A few of these ARE American--but not about rich white society people like Age of Innocence.

And someone else suggested Stendahl's The Red and the Black.

I would like to add The Tin Drum and An American Tragedy to my earlier post.

Do we have any volunteers to keep a tally this time?

If I knew how I would be happy to do it.

Basically just go through the messages for the next week or so and tally the suggestions -- then post a list of anything with multiple "votes" -- and then we try to narrow it down before we do the polling.

So . . . are we "voting" here already or still taking suggestions?

Of the posted books, I would be happy with:

Midnight's Children
The Tin Drum--it has been years since I read it.
The Cairo Trilogy (or one part of)

Madame Bovary, Les Miserables and Don Quixote are at the top of my interests list, but Independent People or one of the Italian books would be interesting as well (I think aluvalibri is right about Italian literature being overlooked; I admittedly know very little of Italian literature)

Still taking suggestions -- I just wanted to set up a bit of a system before it all gets out of hand -- you know, the cat herding thing!

I'd also be interested in reading Midnight's Children. I found a nice edition at a reasonable price last week, thinking I'd throw it on the TBR foothills, but I couldn't stop myself from reading Rushdie's introduction, and now I've packed it in my bag for my upcoming camping trip . . . I can't resist it.

I'd be keen to read
The invisible man and
The tin drum
of Cariola's suggestions.

Magic Mountain or Don Quixote because I already own them and all the others would just be adding books to my tbr pile ;-)
Especially because I haven't even managed to finish War and Peace or Middlemarch yet. And I really want to take part this time as the semester is over and I actually have time to read whatever I want.

I hope to have a group read on one of the following novels:

1. Don Quixote
2. Midnight's children
3. first part of The Cairo Trilogy
4. Hunger by Knut Hamsun
5. The tin drum

Okay. I will post the tally results July 7th, unless there are objections.

Sounds good to me!

Wow, there are so many good suggestions here! I feel bad seconding so many, but here it goes anyway. I'd love to read:

Vanity Fair
The Invisible Man
Bleak House
Ceremony
The Color Purple
Don Quixote

But loads of these sound really interesting!

I "vote" for Midnight's Children or The Woman Warrior. Both books I've heard a lot about but could probably use some support to actually read.

How about Death Comes for the Archbishop? Always wanted to read it, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

I have had Don Quixote beside my bed for six months ... I hope, hope , hope we decide to tackle this great Spanish novel. Madame Bovary would be my second choice.

Another Italian author I wish to read is Italo Calvino; I'm not sure what is considered his best book?

41 If on a Winter's Night a Traveler is the one I hear touted as his best.

Thanks ... teelgee, I'll check my library for If on a Winter's Night a Traveler.

Well so far the leaders are ...
Don Quixote -- 9
Bleak House -- 6
Madame Bovary -- 4

So many great books being suggested, thanks to all the literature majors and librarians on libraryThing helping us poor technology people discover this other world!!

#41, #42

If on a Winter's Night a Traveler is a rather curious and interesting novel. I'm not sure if you can call it a classic (yet). I read it a year ago, and I remember the READER to be the main character.

I'll vote for Don Quixote, (cf. #35).
I read about half of it a few years ago, and I really loved that part. The novel is rather voluminous (about 1000 pages), so I think it will be much easier to finish it if we take it as a group read.
Me myself need some support.

I don't really think If on a Winter's Night a Traveler is Calvino's best book. I tend to prefer the trilogy formed by The baron in the Trees, The Cloven Viscount, and The Nonexistent Knight.
I am presently reading The Castle of Crossed Destinies, which is quite enjoyable, but I would not define it great literature.
Since we are talking about Italian literature, and as we are dealing with more contemporary writers, I feel I must add to the list House of Liars by Elsa Morante, a masterpiece in my opinion.
As much as I love Italo Calvino (and I do quite a lot), I would rather add her to the list.

rosemaria, I believe there are also four votes above for Midnight's Children (29, 32, 35, 39). Not trying to criticize--it's just that the three above don't interest me much, and I'd like to see something else have a chance, if others are interested, too.

Cariola, no criticized taken. Midnight's Children is another on my TBR list, and I would be very happy if it is chosen too.

Well, since we are still in the chatting stage, I'm going to suggest a few:

The Tale of Genji - a nice short one :)
The Magic Mountain or Buddenbrooks
David Copperfield or Pickwick Papers
The Histories - something a bit different
Vanity Fair
The Brothers Karamazov or The Idiot
First Circle or Cancer Ward

Madame Bovary or Count of Monte Cristo

Seeing I still haven't finished Middlemarch let alone STARTED Age of Innoncence I'll probably be sitting this one out - however I am in the middle of Don Quixote and Vanity Fair and have wanted to read Midnight's Children for a few years now so those are my 3 suggestions for this round. (I'm also in the middle of The Tale of Genji but I really think that would be a bit much to suggest.)

Yeah Damiella!! Someone else who has not finished Middlemarch. I am about half way through the audio version of Age of Innocence though so that's something I guess. I really like Middlemarch but, I felt I needed something easier to alternate with, and since they were always easier to read I seemed to finish them and then start another "easier to read," then finish that and so on.

I am with #49 kticesk8s for the next book,
Madame Bovary or Count of Monte Cristo

I'm also for Buddenbrooks, by the way.

I wouldn't mind Bleak House, Madame Bovary, Vanity Fair or The Count of Monte Cristo. I have them all sitting on my shelf just waiting for a reason to be read.

Okay, folks. I agreed to do the tallying and here it is. At teelgee's direction I have included only those titles receiving 2 or more mentions. Please let me know if there is an error:

Don Quixote - 11
Bleak House - 8
Madame Bovary - 7
Midnight's Children - 5
The Tin Drum - 5
Magic Mountain - 4
Vanity Fair - 4
The Count of Monte Cristo - 4
Independent People - 4
Les Miserables - 3
The Invisible Man - 3
The Cairo Trilogy - 3
Dead Souls - 2
Howard's End - 2
The Brothers Karamazov - 2
The Betrothed - 2
As A Man Grows Older - 2
Confessions of Zeno - 2
The Late Mattia Pascal - 2
An American Tragedy - 2
Woman Warrior - 2
The Color Purple - 2

I do not know how to set up the voting or I would be happy to do so......Help?
My thought is that in order to shorten up the list for voting, that we only vote on titles which have3 or more mentions.

I'll suggest that the members vote once more on one (and ONLY ONE) of the titles with 3 (or perhaps 4) or more mentions.

I'm with kjellika..........Vote for one and only one of the following titles, each of which received 4 or more mentions. I will post the final voting results on Friday, July 11 in the early morning. It is, in my opinion, a wonderful selection!

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass
The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Independent People by Haldor Laxness

I vote for Don Quixote.

My vote goes to Don Quixote

I vote for Midnight's Children.

(Do y'all really know what you're in for with Don Quixote?)

I'll vote for Independent People.

I'll vote for Bleak House

Don Quixote.

(I know what I'm in with Don Quixote 'cause I'm already half through it -- it's actually quite an easy read which is why I suggested it in the first place.)

Someone in the past has managed the selection from a web poll management site. I don't know the site or how, but whoever did it before (Teelgee?) it worked out real well. I propose that we use that mechanism again.

Cariola, I've read Don Quixote. You don't see me stumping for it!

I would prefer to read Midnight's Children simply because I have never read any Rushdie and have wanted to for some time.

Put me down for Midnight's Children.

One and one only? Torture. I'm going with Midnight's Children

I believe it was Irisheyez who set up the polling place. We should probably hang on and wait for her or teelgee to respond--much easier and more accurate that posting individual votes here.

Buddenbrooks had also got a couple, but that is of no consequence, especially since Cervantes had initially soared ahead.

I've also read the latter and I'd probably sit it out. But I would love to read what others have to say about Don Quixote.

It's supposed to be one of the funniest novels written, but I was not in on the early 17th century jokes and references. Is there an academic in the house?

#71 Yes--but one that doesn't care to revisit Cervantes at the moment. If this is the chosen book, however, I'll be glad to take a look at available editions and make a recommendation for one that should have good footnotes on the dated humor.

I will continue tallying votes until we hear from Irisheyez or teelgee to the contrary. I had intended to set up the cool polling site, but have no idea how to do so. In the meantime, The voting is pretty straightforward to keep track of.

I vote to read Midnight's Children I have never read any Rushdie and also have wanted to for some time (like geneg). I do have Don Quixote on my night stand but I'm in the mood for something more modern. After Middlemarch and Age of Innocence, I read Jane Eyre a wonderful fun novel, another great book I put off too long.

The POLL is here.

Be sure to vote in the POLL!

Nice cat herding everyone. So now, with the poll that christiguc set up (thanks, c)-- everyone who voted up above should go register their vote on the poll, correct?

How do people feel about narrowing it down after this initial vote? It's a lot of choices. We usually do a poll (I say usually, what have we done this, twice??) with three or four choices.

There are five books that scored 5 or above on the first tally (#54). I think we should go with those. But now it's getting complicated since some people voted here and some have voted for the other books currently on the poll.

I'm going to lobby for either the French or Spanish suggestions -- so far in this group, we've had the following:

1. War & Peace (Russian)
2. Middlemarch (English)
3. Age of Innocence (American)

I'd really love to see another region represented!

>81 Katie_H: Then be sure to vote for your favorite in the poll (message 78)

Take it away, christiguc!

#81 I'm with you on moving to another country. Midnight's Children, The Tin Drum, and Independent People also take us to other regions--and other eras.

Will the poll be closed on Friday, July 11?

#79
I think the poll shouldn't be narrowed down.
More people might be voting if there is a rather long list of books to choose from.

I've voted for Don Quixote, but I will surely participate in the group read this time whatever book is chosen.
I'm in the mood for reading Midnight's Children and/or Bleak House as well.

I have no problems with the poll at the length it is but am equally amenable to a second narrowed down poll if other people prefer it. They all look like good reads. One or two would be a re-read for me but I'm happy with that too. I kind of like the 'surprise' element of the choice!

This polling is so cool! Thanks for all the effort you put into this. May the best, uh, I mean, may a good, uh may a book win!

If we end up reading the Count of Monte Cristo I'm going to need my parents to send me their French copy.

oh no - how have I missed this thread - dashes off madly to vote!

Things move so fast here - haven't even got around to stealing a copy of The Age of Innocence from my mother-in-law to start it!!! Go Bleak House!

Does it make any sense to have a "poll-off" between Bleak House and The Count of Monte Cristo since they are out ahead as well as neck-in-neck? Or would that be one too many polls?

We should wait until the poll closes before deciding to do any type of additional polling. Last time, Madame Bovary seemed to be the clear winner before The Age of Innocence had a sudden surge and ended up winning. Anything is still possible at this point, and there could be a clear winner by the time this poll closes.

Just a reminder that the poll closes Friday morning (6:15am LT time).

Perhaps if there is no "clear winner" at the close of the poll, the top three can have a run-off? Clear winner could be defined as atleast a three point lead? (Or two point lead?)

How a clear winner is defined should probably be decided before the poll closes. What do other people think?

I think a 5 point lead makes a clear winner for that many choices. I'd be in favor of a run off between the top 3 without a clear winner.

I will not read The Count of Monte Cristo for the simple reason that I have read it at least four times already. Yes, it is one of my favourite books!

I'm up for polling the top three after this one closes. Just run the poll for a week maybe? (I can finish The Age of Innocence in the meantime!)

#94 I agree - but we ought to decide before the poll closes (oh, the excitement!)

I agree with 94 and 97...........Top 3 have a run-off if the current poll does not have a winner by at least 5 votes.........Yep

News Flash: From the Man Booker Prize web page

Readers across the world agree that Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children is the Best of the Booker

10 July 2008

Salman Rushdie was today (10 July) named winner of the Best of the Booker award for Midnight's Children.

Midnight's Children won the Booker Prize in 1981. It was then chosen as the Booker of Bookers in 1993 - the only other time a celebratory prize has been awarded.

The Best of the Booker shortlist was selected by a panel of judges - the biographer, novelist and critic Victoria Glendinning (Chair), writer and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup, and John Mullan, Professor of English at University College, London. The decision then went to a public poll.

When voting closed at midday on 8 July over 7800 people had voted (online and SMS) for the six shortlisted titles, with 36% voting for Midnight's Children. Votes flooded in from across the world with 37% of online votes coming from the UK, followed by 27% from North America.

Victoria Glendinning comments, 'The readers have spoken - in their thousands. And we do believe that they have made the right choice.'

Salman Rushdie, on tour in America with his latest novel The Enchantress of Florence, was unable to attend the event and instead sent his thanks via a pre-recorded message. His sons, Zafar and Milan, were in attendance at the award ceremony at the Southbank Centre to receive the custom-made trophy.

Salman Rushdie comments, 'Marvellous news! I'm absolutely delighted and would like to thank all those readers around the world who voted for Midnight's Children.'

So I'm for having a run-off of the top five books in hopes that my choice will have a second chance after this announcement. I've wanted to read it for several years and would really love to do it as a group read.

If it's top three books, your book appears to have a good chance--it is in third right now.

Cariola, Midnight's Children is just BRILL! (Very complex literary term!) I'd be happy to re-read it soon so even if it doesn't make it this time .... keep your fingers crossed!

102> I just ordered my copy. I feel so deprived never having read the book.

I agree in polling the top three titles if the current poll doesn't have a clear winner (5 votes (#94 teelgee: do you mean 5%?) or more).

I've got copies of Midnight's Children (in Norwegian), Bleak House (in English) and The Count of Monte Cristo (in Norwegian) and I haven't read any of them yet. I imagine it'll be a great read whatever book is chosen.

I voted for Don Quixote, but it won't win this time, I think. That's okay with me. There are so many other great books on the list.

Exciting ;->

I guess it would be 5% unless someone wants to do the math! to figure out the vote #s.

Well, 98 members have voted ... if 2 more vote then it will be real easy to do the math. Even I could volunteer for that job!

I changed my vote .... Is that OK? I can only find the abridged addition of The Count of Monte Cristo on my island, and the Hawaii Library System also only has the abridged version too. And ... I understand that the two full English translations are very different, the earlier and most common English translation has some censorship. If this book is chosen some of you literature experts are going to have to do some research!
I have both Midnight's Children & Bleak House ready to read!

I think we should decide by percentage points--atleast 5 percentage points ahead or there is a run-off. (Although, in this instance, it may be basically the same if there are about 100 votes).

Edited to remind people that polling closes at 6:15 am Eastern time tomorrow, a little more than 8 hours from now.

>106 rosemeria: rosemeria, of course it's ok to change your vote!

#99 Cariola

Thanks for your announcement.

I'll change my vote from Don Quixote to Midnight's Children, as it is my number 2 choice (cf. #35).

Looks like a run-off between Bleak House, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Midnight's Children.

Will someone more technologically astute set up the poll?

more technologically astute -- what a nice way to say "geeky!" ;o) I think I can figure it out.

Wow, 3 great choices IMHO. I'm looking forward to this.

The runoff poll is now up - until July 15th at 8 am. EDT

Here's the link - go vote now!

ET correct time zone.

Hooray! :)

I'm sure that christiguc will be back to set up the new poll.

I beat her to it! (hope you don't mind, christiguc)

teelgee, thanks for being so technologically astute!

Beautiful! Thank you, teelgee!

Those look like three excellent books, whichever way the vote goes. I've already read the Dickens and the Dumas, so I know those are good. (But I hope to read something new--so here's hoping for the Rushdie!!)

This should be loads of fun to watch. I have already read the Dumas and Rushdie, so I am also hoping for something new, namely Bleak House. They are all great choices!

Wonderful and oh what a choice - the Best of the Booker, Bleak House - there is a wonderful BBC adaptation of it - and the Count. In a strange way I ought to vote for the latter - my late father had a beautiful copy and I have never read it.....

Then I was hoping for Rushdie ...

No campaigning within 50 feet of the polling place! ;o)

oookay! I will delete................(feeling moderately ashamed of my unabashed campaigning.........but only moderately:)

Have any of you ever played the table game called, "Apples to Apples"? In that game you are allowed to lobby for the response of your choice......I'm just fitting in a little whining while we chew our fingernails and wait for the final tally!

Yes, I love Apples to Apples, very fun game!

(You knew I was joking, right?)

Didn't want to take a chance.

Actually, I think a campaign would be fun -- more fun than what we've endured in the US for the last two years.

So, everyone -- tell me WHY I should vote for your book!

You should vote for Midnight's Children because:

1) It was just named the Booker of the Bookers (see #99 above).
2) It isn't yet another novel set in mid-19th to early 20th century Europe or America.
3) It isn't another book about society and manners.
4) We should all know more about India's history, since it is becoming a challenger in the economic market.
5) Because klarusu says it is BRILL.
6) Because 99% of us probably watched the dramatization of Bleak House within the last two years. (As far as I know, there is no dramatization of Midnight's Children, but there are several movie versions of The Count of Monte Cristo, which a lot of us have probably seen.)
7) Because of the powerful recommendations of these reviewers:

“Extraordinary . . . one of the most important novels to come out of the English-speaking world in this generation.”
–The New York Review of Books

“The literary map of India is about to be redrawn. . . . Midnight’s Children sounds like a continent finding its voice.”
–The New York Times

“In Salman Rushdie, India has produced a glittering novelist– one with startling imaginative and intellectual resources, a master of perpetual storytelling.”
–The New Yorker

“A marvelous epic . . . Rushdie’s prose snaps into playback and flash-forward . . . stopping on images, vistas, and characters of unforgettable presence. Their range is as rich as India herself.”
–Newsweek

“Burgeons with life, with exuberance and fantasy . . . Rushdie is a writer of courage, impressive strength, and sheer stylistic brilliance.”
–The Washington Post Book World

“Pure story–an ebullient, wildly clowning, satirical, descriptively witty charge of energy.”
–Chicago Sun-Times

#126

I think either Obama or McCain would like to have you on their campaign staff.

It's so close and so exciting *sitting on edge of seat* .....

I think you should vote for Bleak House because I have read the other two and sat out the last group read for the same reason. Completely selfish and un-intellectual! I guess I would appeal to the emotional voters.

129> I have sat out the last TWO group reads for the same reason, and that is why I want to read Midnight's Children.

Current standings:

Well, at least it's exciting!

Cariola,

Okay, you even get the sympathy voters! I will try to be more gracious as defeat begins to look likely. I do love this whole voting process, though. It is really fun!

I'm not going to campaign for my choice because in the end everyone can make their own choice to read or not read anyway!

But I will say that Midnight's Children was published only 13 years ago. It may well be the seminal novel of the century and Rushdie's literary prowess wil continue to grow to legendary proportions. He and his work are certainly recognized and highly honored in our time and rightly so. Still, a work of classic literature, IMHO, is one that has endured and been appreciated by generations of readers throughout a broad spectrum of time and has proven immune to the vagaries of style, fashion, and popularity. I'm not contending that the greatness of Mr. Rushdie's work will not endure or that his writing should not be read and appreciated by any and all of us - simply that because of its age it has not yet shown its mettle to stand with the other selections as literary classics.

Just my thoughts - I will look forward to reading whatever the group decides.

Thanks orangeena -- I don't know that we ever agreed that we'd read only classics here. We have so far, but I don't think that's necessarily the intent.

Bravo, orangeena!

Oh how exciting! My life is settled down enough to come back to LibraryThing and there is a frisson of excitement with this poll.
There is a lecture series coming on Bleak House, so I will be reading it in conjunction with that, but the other two are wonderful choices as well. I have read Midnight"s Children long ago and it is worth another read. But somehow The Count of Monte Cristo slipped past me and so I voted for it.
Thanks for setting this up!

#134, 135 Eh, that's exactly why I thought we needed something a little different. I teach literature, so I've already read and studied most of the conventional classics (Middlemarch way more than once). As I saw it, the group is titled: Literature--Group Reads, not "Classics Reading Group." But maybe I should just forego the group if all of the choices have to be written 100 years ago.

It's interesting to speculate what will be considered the "classics" from our era in 100 years. As a literature professor, I can tell you that, at least in universities today, the field has opened up to include a lot more diversity. Most current lists of "classics" are pretty heavily weighted towards English, American, Russian, and a handful of European novels.

#138 Cariola ... I'm plumping for the 'Literature' edge not just classics. There's some great lit out there and I'm going to be putting up a stern case for The Master and Margarita in the next book up. Stick around!

#138 Well, that's another one I've been meaning to get around to (but it might get trumped by The Moonstone or something similar).

Based on the past nominated and selected titles there seemed a definite partiality and interest from group voters in the classics as opposed to more contemporary literature. Therefore my reasoning......

I do note the group description and title doesn't cast that in stone, though, and there are definitely good reasons to read Mr. Rushdie or any other contemporary writer of stature. I can't agree that his works are "instant classics" (as they so love to say in the bookselling business) as I believe that designation must be earned by time and steadfast appeal. But, if there is an overriding sense that we want to embrace all literature possibilities which may indeed be classics of the future or to particularly read from new and varied ethnic backgrounds, then Midnight's Children is an excellent candidate in the first respect. As for the other, he is Indian, of course, but educated at Cambridge and lives in Britian and the U.S. A bit like Kazuo Ishiguro or Jhumpa Lahiri, both of whose works will likely be known as classics in the future, IMHO.

OK - rambling on here. All points taken. And BTW - drop everything for The Moonstone - Collins is amazing.

the master and margarita is one I really want to read too! and I wouldn't mind re-reading the moonstone... looking forward to the next round already!

I've been away from LT for 2-3 days, and now I've read all the interesting messages that appeared here in the meantime.
I had decided to vote for Midnight's Children and after reading #126 I became even more sure about where my vote was to be put.

Cariola, a great campaign!!
And if Midnight's Children doesn't win this time, I HAVE TO read it rather soon, I think.

PS. I look forward to read one of the other two titles with the group as well.
I imagine the three books to be great novels, and I haven't read any of them yet.

Everyone should vote for my choice BECAUSE I SAID SO!!!

#144
Haha!! :->
Not very democratic.............??

Here's our status as of 6:15 am PDT:

Interesting how nobody in Europe voted for Dumas so far... Or maybe the red pins are just hidden.

#147
If you zoom in on the map you will see there is no red pins in Europe. Most of them are green (Rushdie).

I see from the poll that it seems to be a very close race between The Count of Monte Cristo and Midnight's Children.

Remember Madame Bovary and The Age of Innocence?

EXCITING !! /:-O

And Bleak House !!

I MAY guess the Europeans (including me) want to read a more modern novel now....

What do other Europeans think about this supposition?

#148 I remember well. As I sit staring at my unread copy of Madame Bovary bought the day the polling was to end, with it in the lead that morning.

Does anyone else feel like we're playing Risk and talking about old war stories???

#150 That is exactly the reason I haven't made any effort to get any one of these books. I'm not even going to guess which will win, and don't even mind if "my" book loses!

What happened!! Six hours ago there were 80 votes and now there are 168 votes and we have only 124 members in our group?? Last minute surprises is right, check the voting machine.

168 votes, readers are invading -- who brought up war stories -- no story here, its real!

Am I seeing the results correctly on my computer?
Midnight's Children is falling way behind..... I already bought the book; I jumped the gun.

I'm curious how the number of votes has doubled since this morning -- 168 votes??? We don't even have that many people in the group. And the pins sure don't add up to 168. Methinks there's a flaw in the system.

People wouldn't dare cheat and vote again from different computers, would they?? Perhaps this group is bigger than its membership? I participate in some groups that I didn't join but that I am "watching".

I just did a test on it and voted a second time -- it recorded it as a number but did NOT add a pin or change the stats. So it seems some one/s tried to vote multiple times - but were foiled. I think.

#156 Not if they voted from more than one computer or asked friends to vote for a particular book on their computers.

Hey, some of those multiple attempts might have been me--before I saw the link below the Cast your vote button to check on the numbers. I was NOT trying to vote more than once but just to check the score. Those votes were not recorded.

Maybe we should have read Madame Bovary last round and the last minute advance of Age of Innocence was the work of the saboteur and we didn't notice....
This round we could choose the book in last place and teach those saboteurs that crime doesn't pay! Just an idea!

#158 Or we could start a splinter group for those who want to read Midnight's Children.

(It does seem strange to me the way ALL those votes are coming in in the last hours . . . reminds me of Ohio in 2004.)

I tested the voting -- being a computer programmer...
It allowed me to vote again but did not place another pin on the map. So, there is a problem with the voting machine. We will need to count the pins on the map at the closing bell. The voting stats are incorrect ... do not go by the percentages. I will write the polling site and get to the bottom of this (at least before November!).

rosemeria - did that stats change? I know the pins weren't placed but I didn't think the numbers changed. The stats seem to have changed A LOT since this morning though. Yes, Ohio, Florida....Diebold probably runs the site.

voting machine update -- Depending on how your browser security is setup under "cookies" and "private data" you can be able to vote twice or more from the same computer. What we will need to do next time is have a link to vote and have another link made to check the status of the vote -- one that goes directly to the results page -- this should solve the problem. But to be absolutely sure of the data you would have to count the pins. Only one pin per LT member account. Thank goodness for the pin (paper ballot) backup system.
Who is going to make the official count and who will supervise the count?

would anyone really be so diabolical as to try to skew the vote? has our choice for the next read really become as big and controversial as a presidential race? i am awed and amazed at the power and importance of our little group.

# 162 -- yes, teelgee the stats changed when I voted again.

rosemeria - that sounds like so much work. perhaps it would just be better to find another online polling site.

#157 - Yeah I had the same issue, checking the stats myopically meant voting multiple times! My name is Catherine and I'm a multiple voter...either a recount is in order or that little line that says not for me should be bigger!

Well now I feel like we ought to toss this poll away. It's definitely not accurate. Well, maybe the pins are. Any bean/pin counters in the group volunteer?

I tried, but the eyes aren't having it...need to save them from strain if I'm gonna read whatever turns out to be next.

Counting the pins does not mean someone did not vote twice. I know, because there is a pin for me at home and one from me at work (unless someone else from Shippensburg, PA voted for the same book).

You know, I could easily go onto another site that I frequent and ask my friends there to come on over and vote for my book of choice . . . they do it all the time for polls and votes they participate in . . . (e.g., "please go to www.xxx and vote for #17 Woofy as cutest dog"--he's the one in the black leather jacket with a cigar in his mouth.").

Just sayin'. Those stats look AWFULLY fishy to me.

If we're assuming that the additional votes were innocent mistakes, then I would think that the people making the mistakes would be representative. So the vote wouldn't change dramatically.

Edited to add: I don't think anyone would cheat on this, and I think we should assume they haven't.

That's kind of like the Supreme Court's take on hanging chads . . .

I was one who strongly supported a book other than the current two frontrunners, and I really don't care which one is chosen. I already made my decision about what I am going to do as far as the group read goes and what I'm going to be reading. So hopefully everyone will enjoy their book.

I've been lurking on this group for a while and am looking forward to participating some time. I voted and my balloon doesn't appear.

How do people get balloons on Melbourne and Sydney. I've changed my profile to include my country of origin, Australia so maybe next poll it will appear.

For the record, I'm keen on all the books but voted Midnight's Children.

merry10 - it shows up as wherever your ISP is (it uses a "cookie" - if you don't have cookies enabled, it probably won't show up). I'm in Portland, but I show up as Seattle for some reason; guess my ISP lives there.

perhaps we should open up another thread...one in which you go in and post one line saying the book you want. Just the name of the book and that's it...no discussions or anything like that. Then someone can go in and tally up the votes and we can get an accurate count that way.

teelgee - your ISP doesn't like portland and so moved to seattle. mine doesn't show up in my town either...but at least it still likes my state. ;-)

#176 I like this idea - only our votes won't be quite as confidential as they are now (which is "not really"). I'm pretty sure I only voted once, well, twice, but in two polls. I am willing to read any of these books, and if the poll is done again, I will vote for the same book as I did this time - just to keep everything fair. I'm willing to count flags if that is the way the group wants to resolve the issue.

It's hard to believe that someone here would intentionally try to skew the results of this poll - what would be the point? We still get to read a good book however it turns out.

If you carefully count the pins right now it shows:

Bleak House - 16 pins -- 31%
The Count of Monte Cristo - 14 pins -- 27%
Midnight's Children - 22 -- 42%

I have not read any of these books and would like to read all three, sooo I promise I did my best in counting the pins.

Oh good grief -can this matter so much that someone would resort to skewing the votes?? I am getting a good laugh to think of characters creeping around from computer to computer recording multiple votes or perhaps bribing their friends with goodies for extra votes. This is serious business - we need to call in Kathrine Harris to certify these votes!

I only voted once (as far as I know - I did check in a couple of times to see how things were going but that shouldn't count as a multiple) but I don't know if there are any balloons or flags for me - excuse my ignorance but how would I tell?

orangeena: Look on the map - it lists the city you're in (or close to, sometimes not so close!) and tells what book you voted for. (To get to the results and map, click on the message underneath Cast Your Vote - it says something like "not for me, view results.")

It is a hoot. I guess it's really important to some people. Or someone is messing with us! Or the program is just wonky.

If someone outside this group voted here, wouldn't it be more fair to join 'Group Reads - Literature'?
Curious! :(

Are we going to start from scratch, or shall we use the current result?
We might go back on this topic and check what books were suggested, and then do another 'manual' voting (then we'll see who the voters are (profile name)). It won't be as fascinating as the poll, but....

Why don't we see our profile names when clicking on the pins? We aren't that anonymous, are we?

?????????????????????

Good morning friends - here in the UK I got up this morning to find all this!

Promise I only voted once. #176 Irisheyz77 - I agree, for my part, I am happy to have a re vote on a thread. My vote was never private even though it showed up in the wrong part of England! I know what I would like to read with this group but will not lose any sleep over it.

I don't see the problem with two books being read simultaneously - there are enough members interested to justify this. It's not as if anyone would lose out in this scenario (there would be nothing to stop anyone reading both books).

Perhaps the split could be Group Reads - Literature (Classic) and Group Reads - Literature (Modern). That way both The Count of Monte Cristo and Midnight's Children can be enjoyed by those who would like a group read. (For the fans of Bleak House perhaps that can be pre-chosen as the next book in the Classics group). Personally I think there should be a modern group read as well - literature didn't end circa 1939 and there is currently no group catering for this segment of LT.

Golly-gosh! I went to sleep and all was calm and look what happened overnight! So, for the record, I'm happy to stand with the pin count this time rather than run another poll (I voted for Bleak House so there's no ulterior motive!).

As for jargoneer's comment about the split, I really like that idea. I also think Literature should encompass modern and classic (and I'd probably end up doing both the group reads anyhow!). I know there was comment before when we discussed multiple reads about not blending into other groups that just read loads of things together, but IMHO a two way split for Classic and Modern makes sense (especially as there seems to be a strength of opinion for both!). There are quite a few people who sit out each read so maybe having the two types would get someone reading something most times.

I don't think that we should do away with the vote each time though, I love the debate and I've really enjoyed hearing people stick up for their choices! Let's just find a more accurate way of recording votes (after all, this is a learning curve anyway!)

This is my favourite group because I love the fact that I'm reading great literature and I love the debates and the fact that people are pleasant and not snippy (having recently encountered snippy people elsewhere .... a very demoralising experience!). You guys are great!

I'm a member of the group, but haven't taken part yet, because I had read all of the books chosen and didn't feel like reading them again. It's the same with the three books now in question, but I voted for Midnight's Children anyway, because of Cariola's spirited campaigning and because it is truly a valuable book. Hope that's alright.

We could just post a large sign -"Mission Accomplished" - declare victory and move on with results as they are. ;-)

Perhaps in future (with a voting system to everyone's liking) we might say the 2nd place finisher gets an automatic nomination the next time around.

orangeena -- LOL!!!!

fyi 181 and all- the polling website isn't connected with LibraryThing, so it doesn't "read" your profile information, it only reads your ISP.

This really shouldn't be so complicated! I haven't looked at the final results yet;I propose we tally the pins and go with those results. Except for them not always showing up in the right city, it seems accurate.

And I have no objection to having two books going on in the group simultaneously.

rosemeria - are you willing to do the final count of pins? The voting closed this morning.

Anyone strongly object to this?

Nope! Sounds good to me.

Sounds good here too.

Just got back online after a bad windstorm knocked out provider equipment for three days. Wow! Gotta love the drama in choosing a book to read!

Sounds good, teelgee.

Next time I think we should just draw one out of a hat.

#187

What means fyi ("for your information"?, a wild guess!!)?

I agree with you in tallying the pins and use the result for the next group read.

Two books going seems a good idea to me.

Counting pins: Zoom in, otherwise some pins might get hidden??

Yes, 'for your information,' sorry if it was cryptic!

Yes, zooming will show all of them, makes it more difficult to cruise the map, but you can't see them all if it's zoomed way out.

#191

But what should be in that hat?

LOL! Oh I don't know -- the Library of Congress? Who has a REALLY big hat???

On a very pragmatic level - I am off on holiday next week and so will need to 'know' before I go so we had better get on and decide :))

#184 - thanks - we have a great group here and not at all 'snippy'. This is the first time I have met this term - what does it mean exactly?

Yes I can do the final vote count.

I'll have it up in a few minutes.

Sorry just woke up!

I like the idea of two groups too. I am less read than most of you and need the extra encouragement to catch up. I would definitely participate in both groups.

Snippy in this context means sharp or curt, especially in a supercilious or haughty way; impertinent.

Official results:

56 pins counted

Bleak House - 17 pins -- 30%
The Count of Monte Cristo - 14 pins -- 25%
Midnight's Children - 25 -- 45%

Midnight's Children by Rushdie the WINNER!
Bleak House by Dickens the Runner-up.

Count done to the best of my ability at zooming and panning!

Regarding the hat. #191 & #194
I can write a program that would take a list of books and at the push of a button the program would select a book randomly from the list.

I can even program it to come out of a hat. But what would the hat look like, what kind of hat to use?

I say we vote for the hat.... :)

I hope for some positve news tomrrow.....!!

Stupid poll !! ;-(

It should be something distinguished, like a top hat!

*wanders off to put Midnight's Children on reserve at the library*

Love the hat idea........I like the idea of straw hat with ribbons on it.....good to wear while reading!

I loved Midnight's Children. Enjoy!

Can we do a Hogwart's hat? what was that called...that decided which house each student would be in...

I think it was the "Sorting Hat".

We could always go for the "Mary Poppins" carpetbag with a bottomless inner pocket!

Last week I purchased Salman Rushdie's 25th Anniversary edition of Midnight's Children published in 2006. He wrote a new introduction to the book. So.. for those who don't have the book yet or have a older version, I found a copy of the new intro on the web.

***The birth pangs of Midnight’s Children***
Twenty-five years after the publication of his breakthrough novel, Salman Rushdie has written a new introduction in which he looks backs on how it was created and the reaction that it provoked in people from his father to Mrs Gandhi...

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article6...

Confused !! ;--O

Anybody who knows what book's the next group read?
Will it be Midnight's Children (#199) or will there be two books going on simultaneously (in different topics)?

Just wondering.

#198 geneg, couldn't have put it better myself!

kjellika, also confused. Obviously Midnight's Children but are we going for Bleak House as well? Both are wobbling excitedly on my bookshelf squealing 'Pick Me! Pick Me!' ......

I'm going to go and set up two threads to see who's in on both books .... maybe that's a way to decided whether to do Bleak House. If there are only two of us interested then it's probably not worth it this time!