Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Listing for Classics Club Spin #9

I've been waiting for another Classics Club Spin! (I actually drafted my listing a couple of months ago!) As of Monday, April 6th, I will know which of the books from the following list will be my next "classic" read! Whoo! Whoo! :)This review is to be posted by May 15. 

Here are other classics I've read and reviewed!

Wish me luck!


Okay, the ones I rather dread, but for whatever reason wish to read:
1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
     I feel as if I really should read this if I haven't yet...
2. The Making of Americans by Gertrude Stein
     I want to read something written by her, but really have no idea what to expect.
3. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
     I'm sure this is going to gross me out, but I think we all need to read it...
4. Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
     So many references that I feel I need to have at least read it.
5. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
     Loved The Grapes of Wrath, but have never been attracted to this one, though I feel I 
     should read it. It is referred to so often and by so many!! And is loved by many readers 
     whose opinion I value! 

Those books about which I am relatively neutral:
6. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
     Really feel the need to read one of her books!
7. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
     Have yet to read one of his novels.
8. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
     Just keep seeing references to this one all over the place and am definitely curious! 
     And I own a copy now!
9. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
    Loved An American Tragedy when I read it at the age of 15. 
10. The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
     Fascinated by the concept.

Those I cannot wait to read:
11. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
     Feel I should read it so I can understand the references made to it.
12. The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
     Loved the movie and would like to read the book, which is virtually always better, 
     in my opinion!
13. The Ways of White Folks by Langston Hughes
     Love Hughes, and want to read what he had to say...
14. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
     Love his short stories and this will be the first full-length novel of his for me to have 
     read. (The Last Tycoon doesn't count, since it was unfinished.)
15. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
     Yeah, I know. Unbelievable that some English/literature teacher in my past never 
     got to this one, but I am very curious.

Free Choice:
16. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
     Read this at age 15, loved it, and am anxious to see how I feel about it now, some 
     44 years later! :)
17. The Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter 
     First read when I was 13. I loved it then and am anxious to see how it resonates 
     for me now.
18. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
     I loved Go Tell It on the Mountain and want to read this one! I own it, too! :)
19. The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study by W.E.B. Du Bois
     Have always said I wanted to read something he'd written. I admire his 
     accomplishments with regard to the NAACP, etc.
20. Man's Search for Meaning by Victor E. Frankl
     So many have mentioned that this is a "must-read" book and there are so many    
      references to it.

What classic have you read and/or reviewed lately? Some are a bit difficult to slog through (example here!), but others are such a joy to read (another example here)!

14 comments:

  1. I love Victory Hugo and Edith Wharton! And I just finished East of Eden and enjoyed it. You have such a great list here, with great variety! Have fun with your Spin!

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    1. Good to know about Hugo. I assume I'd enjoy Wharton. Have seen so much positive response about East of Eden and love Steinbeck. I'm always going for variety...it is the spice of life, after all! ;)

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  2. Hi, Lynn! You have some very interesting choices. I don't like Maugham in general, but i agree that I loved the movie The Painted Veil. Have fun with the spin!

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    1. Maybe I'm just an interesting person!! ;) lol I have never read Maugham so would love it if that was my next Classics read! It would definitely be interesting to compare to the movie. We shall see! :)

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  3. I haven't read any Hemingway yet either, though I have A Farewell to Arms on my list.

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    1. Perhaps at least one of us will have that opportunity as of Monday! :) I can't imagine I won't enjoy his writing, but we shall see!

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  4. Happy to see my boys Hemingway and Fitzgerald present. I'm also unsure of Stein, but hopefully she proves worth reading. Enjoy the event!

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    1. Thanks! You, too! Yeah, guess I'm gettin' brave with Stein. Truly I have not the least idea what to expect with that one! :) Glad you stopped by!

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  5. I think we're the only people to have Victor Frankels book on our lists.

    I actually prefer East of Eden to Grapes of wrath, so don't be scared!

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    1. A really good friend told me I HAD to read Man's Search for Meaning...many many years ago. And I have yet to do so. Good to know about East of Eden. It will be interesting to see number appears! :)

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  6. That's a very interesting list, there are quite a few which I haven't heard of. I've only read The Age of Innocence and Rebecca, which is one of my favourite books.

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    1. And now that #2 was selected I'll be reading a 900+ page tome! lol Rebecca is a book I really really want to read. Glad to know you enjoyed it so.

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  7. Ooh, #2...good luck! I bet you'll feel super accomplished once you're done :) We definitely have some overlap on our lists! And The Painted Veil is so, so good. I hope you get to read it soon!

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    1. Let us hope I am able to finish by May 15. Further complication is that I do not have time to start reading it until after April 25! [Grimace...] :) But I do love a challange!

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