Welcome to the Classics Challenge
April 1 - October 31, 2009
Classics: We love them, we hate them, now we are going to challenge ourselves to read more of them.**Choose Your Level (Keep reading for Bonus)
1. Classics Snack - Read FOUR classics
2. Classics Entree - Read FIVE classics
3. Classics Feast - Read SIX classics
**Rules/Guidelines
1. Cross-posting with other challenges is allowed (and encouraged!)
2. Audiobooks are fine
3. Re-reads are acceptable, BUT books must be finished after April 1st to count for the challenge
4. Lists don't have to be set in stone; you can change your selections at any time.
5. Have Fun!!
6. You do NOT need a blog to participate.
**Bonus!! (Optional)
Last year we compiled a list of books that we think might be considered classics one day. I've wiped out that old list so we can start fresh, but to get an idea of what others suggested last year, see HERE. To start off the list, I'm going to suggest Atonement by Ian McEwan.
Leave your suggestions in the comments below. If you want to participate in the bonus round, choose a book from the list and read that in addition to the classics you have picked (e.g., if you are doing the classics snack, you will read five books total and so on).
I realize this means you may have to wait to make your list or leave the bonus book as "tentative" if you choose to participate in the bonus round, but I'm hoping this is a modern twist on the old classics challenge.
What is a Classic?
Am I going to define what a classic is? Nope! There are lots of definitions offered on the Internet, but we all have different opinions so don't stress too much. But, people are always asking me where to start with classics. In the comments below, I'd love if you would give a recommendation for a classic you would suggest to beginners or apprehensive readers--maybe something lighter or something engaging. I'll compile a list. I'm going to suggest The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy.
Trish, you write a lot! Just tell me what I need to do!
1. Sign up below using Mr. Linky. Preferably link to your list for the challenge, but I'm not going to make you. :P If you don't have a blog, just enter your name.
2. Give a suggestion for a "future" classic in the comments below
3. Recommended a classic for "beginners" in the comments below
4. Let me know if you have any questions
5. Get reading those dang classics!!
Also - I'd love to know how you heard about the challenge.
133 comments:
Yay for this challenge! I've left you a link to my challenge post with my choices, my recommendation for a "future" classic will be Possession by AS Byatt, and I recommend either The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath or Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson as easy beginner classics. Thanks for hosting, Trish!
Thanks for hosting again this year Trish. I posted my list with some extras just in case. lol.
A classic for beginners that I'd recommend is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It's a good read and easy-it doesn't read like a classic to me.
Classics for beginners? How about a children's classic like "Wind In The Willows", or even "Winnie The Pooh." As to classics for the future I'm going Russian all the way: Tolstoy, Dosteyevsky, Chekhov, Turgenev...I have to officially compile my list, but I guess I got all excited and signed in before I posted it. I will tomorrow, for Sunday Salon. Thanks, Tricia, this will be GREAT!
This is just the kick in the pants I need to encourage me to read some classics! As for new classics, what about "Atlas Shrugged"? One of my more memorable reads. I also consider "A Prayer for Owen Meany" to be one of the best books I have ever read. I haven't posted my list yet because I'm still deciding, but I will get to it tomorrow or Monday.
You know you're evil right? Suggesting another wonderful challenge? What am I, a masochist? I keep signing up for these things! *Sigh* I guess I can't help it.
I think a good "new" classic would be A Thousand Splendid Suns, oh and another good one would be Memoirs of a Geisha.
Hi, I'm new. Hope it's okay that I joined. An easy classic? How about Little Women. I love that book.
One of my new years resolutions was to make this the 'year of classics'. I wanted to mainly divide my time between various 'classics' before I really dive into the more contemporary literature scene. I feel like it is important to have a good hold on the past before I can begin to appreciate great literature works to come! I will be doing the feast. Good luck everyone!
I'm in. I'm going to read Pride & Prejudice and Grapes of Wrath. I'm also going to read Wuthering Heights and Lord of the Flies. For the bonus round, I'm doing Atonement and Thousand Splendid Suns.
My suggestion this time is The Handmaid's Tale, because it REALLY needs to be on the list! I'll come back to sign up officially once I've picked my books :P
For a classic for beginners I'd recommend To Kill A Mockingbird or Little Women. As for a new classic I could see A Thousand Splendid Suns or The Blind Assassin in that category one day. Thanks for hosting again Trish!
I've been wanting to attempt one these challenges, so this is start :)
A future classic, i'd say, The Kite Runner or Angela's Ashes.
A classic for a beginner, The Good Earth.
I read about this challenge in your blog. I was googling to do some research about a book and came across you blog. Have been following your blog since.
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions so far! Good luck to everyone and thank you for signing up (some of you again--gluttons for punishment that you are!!). :)
Thanks Trish! I actually just updated my post to include my choices... Hope I'm up to the challenge! :-)
Thank you for hosting this challenge. I am signing up for the classics feast and the bonus but I am going to list them as I complete them instead of making a list. My suggestion for a future classic was already on last year's list...The Book Thief. I am suggesting Little Women for the classic beginner.
I'm awful at making suggestions, but for you, Trish, I'll try. How about One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey as a future classic, and The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells as a choice for reluctant classics readers?
Debi, I LOVE One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest!!! Great suggestion. You can never read that book too many times, in my opinion.
All signed up!
http://jacketsandcovers.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/classics-challenge-09/
Trish, I do have to say, I goofed and accidentally posted my review of The Translator above my list, so I don't if you can remove that or not. Sorry.
I would suggest Tess of the d'Urbervilles for anyone who's afraid of classics. I thought it was very modern for a classics.
Thank goodness we can overlap AND the fact that I chose "classics" as one of my 999 Challenge categories. Woot!
Sorry that my list comes at the end of my Sunday Salon post as it is much longer than my usual.
For a future classic, I suggest Empire Falls by Richard Russo. I know I haven't read it all the way through yet, but from what I have seen and heard, it seems to me that this is an appropriate choice.
For beginners? I suggest The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. This is a very short story, yet it contains so much. A great way to get someone started.
I see that Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is on your list from last year, but that's what I would suggest as a future classic. A classic for beginners could be The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas.
I'm in! But I shall leave my list open since I haven't decide what to read... hope you don't mind. :)
Oops, I forgot to add in that I'll be choosing Option 1. ;P
I'm signing up for the Classics Feast.
For a "new" classic, I'd suggest Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, I don't know if this one was on the list last year or not. I know my suggestion last year was Ender's Game. So at least I'm not repeating myself :)
For a classic I'd recommend to beginners, it's a hard decision. Interests will always vary. It depends if the person is looking for adventure, romance, or mystery.
I love Tom Sawyer because it is funny. It's not pretentious either. It is what it is, a book about a mischievous but lovable boy. I love Frankenstein because it's a novel about the meaning of life, the best and worst of humanity. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is just fun, and it's shorter than most classics. I highly recommend that one!
YAY! And thanks Trish!
I'll be doing the Classics Feast plus the bonus methinks, although I'll definitely be leaving the bonus open.
I can't believe I added my name to Mr. Linky. I'd sworn off all challenges, but this seemed to be calling my name. (See my Thursday post)
Three of my initial choices (Good Earth, Owen Meany and Yellow Wallpaper) have already been suggested, but I think Irving's Cider House Rules stands up against Owen Meany. I personally think that Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five should be read by everyone! And what about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn or The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter?
Thanks for letting me play too :-)
Hi!
I would love to do this challenge! I have made my list and posted at my place linking back to you. I found you while I was at Covergirl's place: http://coversgirl.blogspot.com/2009/02/classics-challenge-2009.html My suggestion of a classic is The Tales of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain or The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. Have a great day!
Sherrie
http://sherriesbooks.blogspot.com/2009/02/classics-challenge.html
Thanks everyone for your great suggestions--if I've missed anything (or miscategorized anything) please let me know. With some of this mid-century books, it's difficult to know how to categorize them!
Thanks so much for signing up and I look forward to seeing everyone's lists!
This is such a great idea -- I'm really looking forward to it!
My suggestion for a new classic would be Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson. A recommendation for one to start with would be Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.
*sighs happily* I'm joining! I can't resist. I have to choose my list and then I'll post and come back here, for now a suggestion for an easy classic would be A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle, and for future classic, Dune by Frank Herbert. Or is one already? thanks for letting us play!! Love your buttons too :-D
Wahoo!!
Future classic: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Classic for beginners: Dracula by Bram Stoker
Thanks for hosting the challenge Trish. I so need the motivation to pick up the classics.
Beginners - you have already have the "The Kite Runner" which is fantastic. Does "Gone with the wind" treated as a classic?
I am picking up pretty heavy ones so I will stick with the classics snack!
I'm in. :) My snack contribution is My Name is Asher Lev, by Chaim Potok. Hopefully, I can knock several classics off my list!
I'm in - I'll be reading whatever 6 classics I pick up first!
As for modern classics - The Bell JAr, A thousand Splendid Suns, ...
sorry I didn't realise I had to post it here in the comments:
suggested to-be-classic = the Book Thief
classic for beginners:
Jane Eyre
The Lord of the flies
Padfoot here as well signing up with Prongs. Both of our lists are on the blog. This is our year of classics so this challenge is perfect! Can't wait to see everyone's progress
Hi Trish,
I've been looking forward to this one for a while--thanks for hosting it again! I found out about the challenge through your blog, but I think I first discovered your blog via Bethany (B&b ex libris) a while back. Anyway, here are the book suggestions you asked for. "Future classic": Roberto Bolano's "The Savage Detectives." "Classics for beginners": "Lazarillo de Tormes" (anonymous, Spain) or "The Baron in the Trees" (Italo Calvino, Italy) are two good picks to join the others on the list.
I'm ready to join up! My suggestion for a beginner's classic would be Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. As for a current book that will be a classic? I'd vote for Donna Tartt's The Secret History.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions and for signing up. I've done my best to categorize the suggestions--if you disagree feel free to yell at me! :) Well, don't yell too loudly...
Have a great time with those classics!
Thanks for hosting again. The beginner classics have been pretty well covered so I'll have to think about that some more.
I think I'll nominate Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee for future classic. I read that end of last year and Anne of Green Gables for classic for beginners. My daughter is re-reading that again right now.
Yes, I'm trying again! :)
For a future classics suggestion: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
A classic for beginners: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
I am not sure about a future classic but I think The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham is a great one for beginners. It is a short, quick and enjoyable read.
This will be my first challenge; pretty exciting stuff!
For a "new" classic, I would turn to Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, or anything else by her because I think she's been overlooked in the shadow of a certain Ms. Austen.
For a starter classic...maybe a children's classic like Peter Pan or Alice in Wonderland?
Ooo! It's so tempting! Let me think about it some more.
I'm in! My list is here: http://lostinagoodstory.blogspot.com/2009/03/classics-challenge.html
Last year I recommened Cloud Atlas for the 'should be classic' category and this year I'm doing the same. It's a fantastic book with a message about the world today and where it's going.
For newcomers to the world of classics, I recommend Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, even though it's been recommended already. It's the first classic I ever loved.
Thanks for the challenge Trish, can't wait!
I will call you Trish, and Carrie from Books and Movies, evil evil people! I'm already doubting whether I complete my current challenges, but what the hey. I am truly ignorant when it comes to the classics and have vowed (after falling in love with Pride and Prejudice) to educate myself. I'm reading Gone With the Wind this month and I'm going to count it! I will do the four book plan.
Hmm...a suggestion for a future classic. I'm going with Saturday by Ian McEwan! I'm excited to be participating!
And I didn't leave a classics for "beginners" in my last comment! I'd say Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. It's good, but a kid's book so it's easy to read!
Future Classic: Middlesex by Jeffery Euginides
Good classic to recommend: Lady Chatterly's Lover by DH Lawrence.
Ok, so I signed up and I ALREADY MESSED UP! I didn't link to my list, I just linked to my blog. So, here is my list:
1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
2. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
3. My Antonia by Willa Cather
4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Also, I have to think long and hard about future Classics, but I would recommend either Pride and Prejudice for 1st timers, The Great Gatsby, or Lord of the Flies. Three of my faves...
P.S. This is my first time to your site! I like it! :)
I'd like to join please. I will decide on a list and post a link as soon as I can. Thank you.
I'm in! My list:
http://misakin.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/classics-challenge-2009/
Future classic: Haruki Murakami's books
Classic for beginners: Oliver Twist, Jane Austen's books
I think a great place to start with the classics is something like The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. It may not be the traditional classic, but it is a classic for its genre and has influenced quite a few people, readers and writers alike that came after. It makes a great starting point since most people don't think of it as a classic--so those who are intimidated by the very word "classic", this one may be easier to swallow.
As for a future classic . . . Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke.
This is too good to pass up! I'll
choose the classic snack option and hope to get in on the bonus round, too.
Future classic: The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
I found this challenge through Carrie K from Books and Movies. :)
I think a great beginner's Classic would be Anne of Green Gables! :)
And for a future classic, I am not sure if this counts? But I think any of the Harry Potters.
I was also going to suggest Anne of Green Gables for a beginners classic. It was my first classic when I was little.
For future classic I think A Thousand Splendid Suns. I will add my list shortly to Mister Linkey
Quick question about the rules. You mention re-reads, and say they count as long as you finish after April 1st. Does that apply to all the books on our list - can I start one now, as long as I don't finish it before April 1st? Or am I supposed to wait until April 1st to start reading at all?
I came your way via Wendy's blog post over at Musings of a Bookish Kitty!! This should be fun!
I'm in!
So, I've been thinking about what I consider a beginners classic for a while, and I came to the conclusion that William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a classic that is easy to read and if you get a copy with annotations, you won't have any problems understanding the older words.
And for the future classic, I think Julius Lester's The Autobiography of Gd would be great!
Thank you thank you everyone for the suggestions and for signing up!!
*Misaki - Do you have a specific Murakami book you'd like to suggest?
*Carrie K - Sorry for the delay--out of town. Yes, re-reads are acceptable. And you can start a book before April 1st as long as you *finish* after/on April 1st. SO, if it's going to take you another 3 weeks to read your book, continue on!! If not, might want to put it on hold. Let me know if you have any other questions!!
Thanks, Trish!
My post about the challenge with my reading options is up and linked to Mr. Linky. Thank you.
Hello! I am very, very new to challenges but I love to read! I hope it is okay I would like to participate. Thank you.
Hi, Trish! I almost finished your last challenge and I know I would have rocked it had it not been for final exams and seminar papers in December!! But I'm already excited about 2009. :) Can't wait to talk about the books.
Oho! Another challenge! I'm going to do the Classics Feast, with the option of a bonus.
One question: I know you'd like us to use the future classics list from this year, but as I was looking through last years I saw "Penelope" by Kaye, and I super-want to read it. It's not on this year's list, though. Would it be okay?
I forgot. I think that The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood is a future classic.
An easy classic would be The Old Man and the Sea. Not very long, easy to read, but thought-provoking all the same. :)
Penny - Thanks for joining and for the suggestions. I'll add Penelope to this year's list as well--so no worries. :)
I'm so excited about this challenge. For the hesitant classics reader I would suggest The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. For a "new" classic I would suggest Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.
For a beginner classic I would go with A Christmas Carol and for a new classic I would go with The Memory Keepers Daughter.
This is my first year officially doing this, and I'm so excited! Thank you for hosting the challenge. :)
Hi Trish... I would definitely add my vote for The Handmaid's Tale by Atwood for the new classics list.
For reluctant readers, I would suggest Dracula or Jane Eyre--both also on the appropriate list. Thanks for hosting!
Hi! For a beginner's classic how about The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle. For a future classic i'd say After Dark by Murakami.
awesome challenge. I didn't participate last year but i'm looking forward to joining in!
Thanks everyone for signing up and your great suggestions!! I look forward to seeing everyone's lists and what you decide to read. Have fun!
I wasn't going to do any challenges this year, but I have some classics in my tbr pile so....
I suggest Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamandan Ngoze Adichie as a future classic.
Ok--I signed up! Hopefully I won't be such a loser as last year, and I'll actually finish this time!
Classic for beginngers: Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, and an idea for a future classic: The Known World by Edward P. Jones
I have a few classics that keep getting pushed further down on my TBR pile, so I'm signing up for the snack in hopes that I'll actually read them.
As for my recommendations, for a future classic, I'd say Blindness by Jose Saramago.
For a classic for newbies, how about trying a classic mystery? My suggestion would be Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers.
Thanks for signing up guys!! And also for the great suggestions. I haven't heard of Strong Poison, but I'm intrigued!! :)
Hi Trish,
Thanks for popping over to Random Wonder. If you scroll to the very bottom, you'll see a link to Daily Lit. I've already read one and am working on three more! It's a fun & easy way to meet my classics hopes in the midst of being overrun by ARCS! I wrote about joining the challenge here: http://www.randomwonder.com/2009/02/hobby-job-or-bane-of-existence.html
Happy Reading!
I just started a reading blog to get myself reading more... I am going to join...and go for the snack (4 books)!
Thanks for doing this!
Susan
This sounds like so much fun! I'm mentally choosing my classics as I type and will link them on my blog as I finalize the list. I arrived here from Susan's new A Southern Daydreamer Reads blog.
I'll have to think about future classics but I would add to the already classics: The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas, A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, The Diary of Anne Frank and, of course, The Bible.
OK, off to finalize my menu for a feast!
Robin
Thanks for joining!! Robin, I've got your suggestions listed.
Happy reading!!
can you delete #76 (Susan)? I didn't link to my classics challenge post. I corrected it (#80 Susan)
Thanks
This is just what I need! Some organization for my campaign to read more classics! Thanks, and I'm looking forward to it :)
I just found this challenge via the blog A Striped Armchair. I posted about it here: http://scalingmounttbr.blogspot.com/2009/03/two-more-challenges.html
I'm not going to make a predetermined list because I'm terrible at sticking to lists!
For a newbie classic, I recommend The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. I read it a few years ago, and I think it took me two days.
For a future classic: Peony in Love by Lisa See is the best book I've read in the last few years.
My Classic list is posted at my site along with other books. IN my spring reading challenge.
http://myheartbelongs2books.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-sping-challenge.html
ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com
*Gentle Reader, Felicia, Abi - Thanks for signing up for the challenge! I look forward to your thoughts on the classics you pick. Happy reading!
Wouldn't you know I just finished reading 4 of the classics listed on the left, but I am always game for more.
I am signing up for the Feast and I would suggest Jane Eyre for a begginers classic and I would suggest Revolutionary Road as a future classic.
How exciting and definitely challenging! I would like to sign up for the Feast. I found this through one of the lovely bloggers but sorry, not sure which one..
Beginners classic - The death of Ivan Ilyich - Tolstoy. Very short and easy to read
Future classic - The Kite Runner and The Poisonwood Bible
Thank you for hosting..
Ooh, this sounds like so much fun! This is giving me the perfect incentive to read those classics I've always said I was going to get to.
A future classic that I recommend would be Lois Lowry's "The Giver." Though it's considered mostly Young Adult fiction, I think it's a great read for adults and will eventually become one of those classics later down the line.
As far as a classic read for beginniners, I recommend "Pride and Prejudice." I know a lot of people recommend this book, but it really turned me on to reading other classics when I was in my teens.
A good way to get back to some Classics reading! Thanks for hosting this challenge!
Because I needed to do more challenges :). Another good challenge to have fun with. I heard about this challenge because one of the people on my blog feeds had it.
Good luck everyone.
So, after all this talk, I finally did it! I signed up to participate in this wonderful challenge! Thank you so much Trish for hosting it!
Trish! I've been meaning to sign up for this challenge but never got around to it...is it too late?
I already have my April reading underway (The Lost World), but let me know if I'm still able to include myself in your awesome challenge :)
Well, I'm going to have a go at 6, and since I've already read heaps of 19th century British & Russian classics, I'm going to choose all Australian classics from my TBR. My tentative list is Voss (1957) and The Twyburn Affair* (1979) by Patrick White (Australia's only Nobel prize for Literature winner); The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead(1940); Robbery Under Arms by Rolf Boldrewood (1888); Power Without Glory (1950); and My Crowded Solitude by Jack McLaren (1926).
The Twyburn Affair seems late for a classic, but it's included in Classics, Books for Life by Jane Gleeson-White. My sources for the others are The Australian Collection: Australia's Greatest Books and The Literature of Australia both by Geoffrey Dutton. 6 titles in 6 months, and read other books as well? Maybe I won't succeed but I'll have a good time trying. I'll be blogging my reviews at http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com
Lisa Hill, ANZ LitLovers, Melbourne, Australia
Thanks for the challenge. I would say a good book for beginners is The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare, or The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
I am SO excited about this one!
I'm going to read 5, plus a bonus since I finished my bonus this morning (...and then stumbled upon this excellent challenge!).
My blog post isn't up yet. I spoke vaguely but am planning a real one on this specifically.
And YAY for being #100!
I am going for Level 3: Six classics :)
I've got my post up also.
I'm going for the Classics Feast!
http://mealibris.wordpress.com/challenges/classics-challenge-2009/
Not sure about future classics, but one I nominate for the ambitious is The Drinking Den by Emile Zola. On second thought, is Watership Down already a classic? Or may I nominate that fro the future?
Count me in! I'm going to feast...er classic feast, that is.
Here are my choices:
1. A Tale of Two Cities
2. The Old Man and the Sea
3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
4. The Bell Jar
5. The Hiding Place
6. Hound of the Baskervilles
Bonus: The Kite Runner
May I suggest Little Bee by Chris Cleave as a future classic? I absolutely loved that book.
Thanks guys for your great suggestions and for joining. I put Zola and Watership Down in the classics form, but what do I know? You're welcome to read these are current classics or future classics. :) If anything looks out of place or is missing, please let me know.
Sara - I added Underworld to the future classics. One of these days....!
HAVE FUN!
This looks like a great challenge! I just finished reading Painted Veil so is it ok if I include that one? I know I'm coming in a little late!
Hello there!this is my first challenge ever,I like the suggestions..
My suggestion for a "new" classic is:
Hermann Hesse- "Steppenwolf" and also "Siddharta"..
A nice place to start would be:
"The Hound of Baskervilles".
I'll do the classic entree ;)
Yay for this challenge! I promised myself not to start with some other challenge until I finished one, but I had to sign up for this one :)
I'd like to add "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov to the books that will be classics one day (and no, I don't consider it a classic yet, it is too young). For beginners with "real" classics I would recommend the always beloved "Pride and Prejudice".
Oh, and of course, here's my list. :)
There is no Mr. Linky for sign up. But, I've started The Classics Challenge and I just finished Pride & Prejudice!
Sheri
A Novel Menagerie
Hello all! Just found this so I thought I would join along. Great list of books for the challenge. For the next time around or just for those interested Tom Jones by Henry Fielding is a fantastic read. I have Ethan Frome on my TBR pile so I will be starting the challenge with that one.
Happy reading-
Amanda
Amanda's Weekly Zen
Hi Trish, as my old blog got lost :) i m re-entering myself for this challenge :)
I am in for the Classics Snack :) and will try and read one book from the "future classics" list :)
I am still reading "Jane Eyre" and I really love it till now and think it to be a classic :)
Take care~!
Hi Trish, I love reading Classics and couldn't stop myself from participating in this challenge,though I know I am awfully late.
I would Like to take up Classics Entree.
I have just finished Vanity Fair and I am reading Lady Susan..
I know I'm coming to this late, but I just found it and couldn't resist. A book a month should see me to Classic Snack with a bonus, though, right?
My modern classic would be "The Blue Flower", by Penelope Fitzgerald, and for beginners I'd recommend "The Catcher in the Rye".
Thanks for hosting!
What a fabulous idea! I would like to join (even if I do appear a bit late to begin). I found this while random blog surfing for challenges.
I've made a post here with my selections. I'm choosing the Classics Snack.
Hi Trish
I've been long wanted to read these classics but never got to until now. This is a great idea!
I mentally join this challenge since few weeks ago. But, again, didn't get to let you know about it. Now it's time. Here's the link
OK, I choose the Classic Snack.
My recommended classic is The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
Future classic is Middlesex.
Now questions : Do I need to write a review after I finish reading ?
Thanks!!
Now here's the link :)
http://www.bloggang.com/mainblog.php?id=starcatcher&month=10-06-2009&group=3&gblog=47
Great idea!
I'm all for a "Classics Feast."
My blog: http://thoughtsfromthehearth.blogspot.com/
My "Beginner Classic" Suggestion(s):
"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte, "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott, and "Laddie" by Jean Stratton Porter
My "Future Classic" Suggestion is Non-fiction (hope that counts):
"The Fourth Turning" by Strauss and Howe
Thanks for signing up for the challenge! No worries about being "late"--there is no such thing. Enjoy the reading!
I Finished the Challenge today, here's the link to my final list. Thanks for the challenge!
http://bookworm-jules.blogspot.com/2009/04/classics-challenge.html
What fun! Never tried a reading challenge before. I'll try the full catastrophe, the feast. My choices are:
1. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee,
2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain,
3. The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck,
4. True Grit - Charles Portis,
5. Cloudsplitter - Russell Banks (A future classic, I hope),
6. The Hills is Lonely - Lilian Beckwith. (You didn't specify an American classic, did you?)
Future Classics suggestion:
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. It's a page turner (meant for kids) about the adventures at sea of a young (11-ish) girl, and she makes some remarkable observations about life at the end.
Beginner's Classics suggestions:
The Monkeywrench Gang by Ed Abbey.
A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter Miller, Jr. I'm not much of a sci-fi fan, but I really like this one and have read it a couple of times.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Keysey.
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.
The Last Hurrah by Edwin O'Connor.
Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I dared not ask what you mean by a classic, so I've browsed the entries to see if modern classics are allowed. And they ARE! :)
So I would like to join in! I'll blog about it later (including my list). To be on the safe side I'm choosing Classics Entree (5 books), PLUS bonus since I've got Revolutionary Road waiting on the shelf ;) Which I already consider a classic btw :\
A future classic will DEFINITELY be The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami.
And beginners could read Watership Down by Richard Adams for starters.
To answer your last question: because of WeeklyGeeks 2009-23 I came by this challenge thanks to Book Nut.
Well, my list is up!
And I would like to add two more future classics, if that's all right...: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon.
Oh, I love reading challenges! I choose the entree level with one bonus book. My list can be found here:
http://allielujah.wordpress.com/2009/06/28/the-classics-challenge/
Oh, I'm excited =]
Oh, I forgot to suggest books, I'm sorry!
Future: Persepolis
Beginners: To Kill a Mockingbird
So sorry! I got "trigger happy", I suppose =]
Welcome welcome! Thanks for signing up for the challenge and I've got your suggestions added to the side bar.
Happy reading!
(Is there a Mr Linky I'm just not seeing on this page?)
Future classic: Cry, the Beloved Country
Classic for beginners: The Story of the Treasure-Seekers / The Wouldbegoods
And my list: http://wkiskizt.wordpress.com/2009books/classics/
Thanks for the challenge!
Hi
I would love to take part in the Classics Challenge.
My category would be Classics Snack
The books that I plan to read :
1. animal Farm -George Orwell
2. Anne on Green gables - L.M.Montgomery
3. Little Women - Alcott
Hi Trish,
I would love to take part in the Classics challenge. My list would be -
Anne of Green Gables - L.M.Montgomery
Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
The Diary of Anne Frank
Count me in! I'm going straight for the classics feast and I'm going to attempt to squeeze in a bonus book too.
My picks for a classics beginner would be Dracula and To Kill a Mockingbird. I know that it is already mentioned on your list, but I think that Harry Potter is a future classic.
I've finished the challenge and posted my link for the wrap up post here:
http://freshinkbooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/classics-reading-challenge.html
It was fun and I tried read some books I would not have chosen without the challenge. I'd read more but I have so many other challenges that need my attention.
Thank you for all your hard work Trish.
I'm really excited to get started on this! I'm going for Classics Entree.
As far as a beginners classic, I'd say Pride & Prejudice. I think Harry Potter could be considered a future classic :)
Hey there. My fave challenge!
I'm going for Classics Feast - Read SIX classics.
The Mill on the Floss
Daniel Deronda
North and South
Lady Audley's Secret
The Kite Runner
Wives & Daughters
and from your list...
Jonathon Strange & Mr. Norrell
(eek that's over 1000 pages....hmmm)
chewing a leaf
Man - this challenge is right up my alley. Unfortunately with my book clubs and other challenges, I don't think I can commit to this with only two months left. Do you plan on hosting this challenge again next year? I'd love to join!
http://lauragerold.blogspot.com/
You convinced me - I'm going to sign up. I thought about it and I've read a couple of classics since April and I can combine challenges so I should be able to do it!
Books that should be considered "classic":
1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
2. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
3. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
And I agree on Atonement - I loved it and think it should be considered a classic.
Books for beginners:
1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. Persuasion by Jane Austen
3. My Antonia by Willa Cather
I heard about your challenge on the blog The Book Nut.
I'll be posting my list soon!
Is it too late to sign up for this challenge? I just stumbled upon this today. Well, I'd like to recommend a beginners classic anyway. I myself began with the likes of A Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Secret Garden. I think every child should begin with a light adventure or fantasy book and then move on to heavier works. For someone older I'd like to suggest the books by Jane Austen. They are not that hard to read.
If I'm not too late my list of books would be,
1. Three Men in a Boat.
2. The Secret Garden.
3. Pride and Prejudice.
4. Hound of Baskervilles.
5. Great Expectations.
6. The Great Gatsby.
I hope I'm not too late!
Anyone interested in reviews on Dickens, Dostoyevsky, George Eliot, Thomas Hardy, Edith Wharton, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf (to name but a few!) will find plenty of reviews to enjoy on my site: please feel free to drop by!
http://tonysreadinglist.blogspot.com/
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