Anxious to see which of these books will be chosen by the Classics Club lucky spin this next Monday, May 12!
The Stranger had been number 20 on my list, so I have replaced it. I debated switching the numbering, but decided to leave it all as is...
Those books about which I am relatively neutral:
1. The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
Nobel-prize winning author...
2. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Have yet to read one of his novels.
3. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Just keep seeing references to this one all over the place and am definitely curious!
4. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
Loved An American Tragedy when I read it at the age of 15.
5. The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter
Fascinated by the concept.
Okay, the ones I rather dread, but for whatever reason wish to read:
6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
I feel as if I really should read this if I haven't yet...
7. The Making of Americans by Gertrude Stein
I want to read something written by her, but really have no idea what to expect.
8. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
I'm sure this is going to gross me out, but I think we all need to read it...
9. Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
So many references that I feel I need to have at least read it.
10. 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.
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
42 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. Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
I like his writing; so intense and emotional...heartfelt!
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.
Let the spinner spin and the number be announced!
Anxious to see which one is next for me! :)
What classic have you read lately? Or a long time ago?
Do you have a favorite? Or one you absolutely despise?
While I'm glad to have read The Stranger, I cannot say it is one of my favorite books. I would recommend reading it for at least an introduction to absurdist philosophy, however! I always feel as if I gain something from virtually every book I read...
