I am woefully, woefully behind on my Classics Club reading challenge, having only read one item so far (and I still haven't reviewed it.) So, in an attempt to get going, I'm participating in the Classics Spin.In short, I pick out 20 books from my list, and on Monday, May 12, a number will be chosen by those at the Classics Club. I'll have to read whichever book that is on my list by July 7!
I will admit that I picked what felt like 'easy' reads given that nearly half my June is going to be eaten up by a massive work conference. I always read very little in June no matter what, and I don't want to hobble myself with a brick-of-a-read (like Moby Dick) that I'll never finish. But I did list reads I'm dreading as well as ones I'm very keen on, and I will read which ever one gets picked!
- Jane Austen, Emma [No. 1 was rolled, so I'll be reading this one!]
- William Blake, Songs of Innocence and of Experience
- Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh
- James M. Cain, The Postman Always Rings Twice
- E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady
- Graham Greene, The End of the Affair
- Dashiell Hammett, The Thin Man
- Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises
- Christopher Isherwood, Goodbye to Berlin
- Henry James, Turn of the Screw
- Molly Keane, Good Behaviour
- D.H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterly's Lover
- W. Somerset Maugham, Moon and Sixpence
- Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer
- Flannery O’Connor, Wise Blood
- Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
- William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part 1
- Julia Strachey, Cheerful Weather for the Wedding
- Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan
That's an impressive list! Emma would be at the top of mine :) and The Provincial Lady is great fun. The Thin Man is one of my favorite movies - I shouldn't have been surprised that the book is different, but still good. I'll look forward to seeing what you end up with.
ReplyDeleteWe're enormous Hammett fans in my house; love the films, but love the book for being kind of creepy and dark! I'm dreading the Hemingway and oddly enough, the Rilke -- can't wait to see what I do get!
DeleteI've read The Turn of the Screw, which I didn't like at all (but it's super short!) and Wuthering Heights, which I want to re-read very much, and Lady Chatterley's Lover, which is definitely an interesting book. I hope whichever you end up with will be enjoyable! :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Wuthering Heights since I first read it (and adored it) at 15. Really curious for an adult re-read, and I'm hoping it's the one! Have always been intrigued by Lady Chatterley's Lover -- I hope it is as racy as everyone says. The Turn of the Screw is in the top ten of my wife's favorite reads, so I'm going to have to give it a try someday!
DeleteWuthering Heights is a great novel.
ReplyDeleteI only read it once, at 15, and uh-dored it -- can't wait to see how I feel now (I suspect I'll still love it).
DeleteSo many good books! I read many of them in HS/college, and sadly I can't remember for the life of me if they were good or not (looking at you, Maugham).
ReplyDeleteI recently read The Thin Man and Goodbye to Berlin. With the former, I was expecting something akin to the movies (so NOT like the movies, but still entertaining). And what can I say about the latter? Isherwood is a genius when it comes to observation and comment on human nature and character. It was very good.
Yes, I've got more than one HS reread on my list for that reason. Many of my list include my wife's favs (like the Maugham) so here's hoping I like them! I'm v excited for the Isherwood.
DeleteThis list is awesome; I love the variety!
ReplyDeleteI've got Goodbye to Berlin on my classics club list too, I'm looking forward to reading it. Hope you enjoy whatever is picked :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck - I hope the spin picks a great book for you! I love Wuthering Heights so I would be hoping for that one, or maybe Emma which I also enjoyed. I haven't read any of the others on your list but I really want to read The Moon and Sixpence after reading my first Maugham book, The Painted Veil, last year.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading Emma even though I didn't always agree with some of her actions.
ReplyDeleteWuthering Heights is one of my all time favorites so fingers crossed you get to read that one and enjoy it as well. Good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteMy vote is for William Blake, Songs of Innocence and of Experience! But Lady Chatterly's Lover is fantastic...as is Wuthering Heights
ReplyDeleteOoo nice list! Emma is one of my favorite books ever. Also a fan of Songs of Innocence and Experience. I've watched some movie adaptations of The Turn of the Screw and they were pretty darn spooky.
ReplyDelete1 or 12 would be the number I would be hoping to get! Fun idea!
ReplyDeleteAh, another list that includes some poetry. Just wonderful! I have Henry IV Part 1 on my list too. I'd be happy to get a Shakespeare. I can see why you may dread some of the books: Maugham, Lawrence and James. What a trio! But it's good to get the dreaded books in a spin because hopefully that way, they'll get read!
ReplyDeleteHave a great spin!
I had to fill my list with short reads for this spin as well. Sometimes life interfers with my reading life.
ReplyDeleteTurn of the Screw is on my list as well.
If no. 10 spins up we will both be reading Isherwood's Berlin novels.
ReplyDeleteIt has been sitting on my shelf for years, but I know very little about it.
I will hopefully post my list in a day or so.
Good luck :-)
Nice list. I haven't heard of a couple of these. I'll be interested to see what you say about them.
ReplyDeleteEmma is a favorite of mine. Diary of a Provincial Lady is quite funny, a kind of precursor to Bridget Jones' Diary, despite the narrator's different life situations.
ReplyDeleteDiary of a provincial Lady is very good.
ReplyDeleteI'm rooting for 8 or 10. Can't go wrong with The Thin Man, gives you an excuse to watch the movie as well. And Flannery O'Connor was brilliant.
ReplyDelete