Classics

[Rocket]

This is a topic to talk about classic books - rather than make loads of topics for Dickens and Edgar Allen Poe etc etc I thought it would be a good idea to discuss them all in one place.

Some classics I've read and really enjoyed are If On a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino, erm, Invisible Cities by the same author. Anybody read any of these?

If On A Winter's Night is really good. It's so good. Basically, it's written entirely in the second person so you can reall imagine yourself being the character, in this case, you are the "reader." It starts off with you finding a book - If On A Winter's Night A Traveller. And you start reading it, but you realise there is a page missing and the book makes no sense. So you go off to find another copy. But that book is a completely different book.

The whole story is your journey to find the same copy of the book you originally had - you go through loads of books and it's so much better than I have made it sound.

[TiggsRulz:)]

Great topic idea rocket  

The book sounds good Rocket, but just a tad confuzzling    


Well I have read quite a few classics in my time  

Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London - not really sure if these come under the category of classics but still... They are basically two books that tell opposite tales. White Fang is about a wolf on his life journey encountering humans and becoming slowly part of the human world, and Call of the wild is about a dog who is forced to work as a sled dog and adapts to pack life in the wild after a domesticated puppyhood. For those of you who like animals, this is the book for you  

I've also read a few of the Dickens' books like great expectations, Nicholas Nickleby, A Christmas Carol, Bleak House, Oliver Twist and a few others I can't think of at this precise moment XD These books are good if you are willing to be open to a new style of writing, or should I say the old style of writing   At the beginning, they are a bit intense as you try to keep up as you adapt to Dickens' style, but once you get into the swing, they're great literary works.

If the original Sherlock Holmes books count as classics, then you can add them to the list - again, the writing style is a little different, but they are undeniably great books and worth a read if you have time. I've got the collection and I read them all without any regrets, so they're definitely not a waste of paper!!

Also have read some of the Bronte sisters' books - more of the romantic type though, so not really at all similar to any AH books - but then mind you neither are any of the books I've listed here...
But if you don't mind, or even appreciate romances of the older style, then you will like these. The ones I've read which I'd recommend would be Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Jane Eyre.

Edgar Allen Poe. Well. I've read a few of his stories a long time ago, and I have to say that they're quite sinister but good. I don't know why , but I don't tend t one scared by horror stories - as in I wouldn't lose any sleep over them worrying about something coming to haunt me. True, in many, I can see the horror of what they contain, but I never get scared as such. I mean after watching a scary movie, I may be scared of the dark for a week, but I can't say that a book has ever done that to me. That being said, if you aren't like me and do get scared by some books, then maybe some of his stories might be a little creepy for you. But I had no such trouble with them, enjoyed them, and would recommend them  

Treasure Island is another great classic by Robert Louis Stevenson. A good story that keeps you reading about... Well... Treasure Island 

I've read Jules Verne's Around the world in eighty Days and 20 000 leagues under the sea and journey to the centre of the earth. Good books.

Life of Pi gets the thumbs up 

Also read Jack London's book called Sea Wolf (which incidentally has nothing to do with wolves, but a hell of a lot to do with the sea). It's a great book and well worth the time 

I'm pretty sure I've read more, but at the moment my brain has started to fry because I'm sitting in front of a sunny window and it's almost 30 degrees outside and quite humid...

EDIT:// Hahaha just looked onver my post and saw my analysis' of the books growing briefer and briefer...
             Also noticed that all my reviews are positive... Hmm. Might come back later and write about some classics I didn't like!

[Rocket]

Hahaha no! It's a good post! Pedro would give you the thumbs up!

I also really liked Jane Eyre, becaus it wasn't overly romantic I don't think. it had that mystery in it too with the whole Rochester's wife thing.

I must admit, I liked Great Expectations, but I didn't like Oliver Twist. Maybe it was because I already knew the story, but Great Expectations was totally new.

[TiggsRulz:)]

Hahaha no! It's a good post! Pedro would give you the thumbs up!

I also really liked Jane Eyre, becaus it wasn't overly romantic I don't think. it had that mystery in it too with the whole Rochester's wife thing.

I must admit, I liked Great Expectations, but I didn't like Oliver Twist. Maybe it was because I already knew the story, but Great Expectations was totally new.

Thanks 
It's kinda rare that I do worthwhile posts! 

But anyhow yes, to be honest, I preferred Oliver Twist the movie too the book - probably because I saw it first and I had it in my mind...
Jane Eyre, while it did have a romance aspect to it, it was never a dominant or overpowering theme in the book, which was good. When I read the bit about

*SPOILER*

Rochester's first wife, I just went 'Oh no, this can't be good' 

[DilanMelis]

I've read a few myself, mostly Shakespeare (does that count), a Dickens book - David Copperfield, John Donne's poetry, etc.

But I'm more into the ancient texts - Virgil, Homer, Sophocles, Tacitus and Ovid.

[TiggsRulz:)]

I've read a few myself, mostly Shakespeare (does that count), a Dickens book - David Copperfield, John Donne's poetry, etc.

But I'm more into the ancient texts - Virgil, Homer, Sophocles, Tacitus and Ovid.

Yes I've watched the movie of David Copperfield and enjoyed it - never really to round to the book, but I'm sure it would be good like most Dickens works.

The only Shakespeare I've read would be a Midsummer Night's Dream and that was forced upon me for school... It was ok... I guess... 

[Schadenfreude]

But I'm more into the ancient texts - Virgil, Homer, Sophocles, Tacitus and Ovid.

I quite like those as well. But then I've always been into stuff from that era. One of my favourites are the Theban Plays, which made me happy to study Antigone in school. I also adored The Odyssey, but that's kind of a given, I guess?

I've been meaning to read the Divine Comedy, but I keep not getting around to it.

Out of Shakespeare's works, I've read Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Twelfth Night, Othello, Macbeth and King Lear. As well as a whole bunch of his sonnets.

>.>

We studied him a lot in school, okay. That, and my dad sometimes takes my siblings and me to see the plays when they're on in town, and I always read them before I see them. Though, speaking of productions of Shakespeare's plays, I need to get a hold of David Tennant and Catherine Tate's version of Much Ado About Nothing. And read the actual text, too. XD

[TiggsRulz:)]

Humph.

Fine, then don't comment on my legendary posting 

Just kiddin' with ya 

Can't say I've read any of those you mentioned Freudey... Will have to remedy that 

[Schadenfreude]

You haven't read any of them? Huh. Wait, you're only in about year 8 or something, aren't you? I guess I can forgive you your sins in this case. Just make sure you do remedy it. XD

Also, your legendary post was pretty legendary. I'm sorry for not giving it the attention and recognition it deserves, my dear. :P


Do you guys reckon The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett counts as a classic? It was one of my absolute favourite books when I was about eleven, I loved it. If you haven't read it, you should. It was published in 1910 or something, so I'd say that counts as a classic.

...Wow, that's actually over a hundred years ago.

[Rocket]

I've been meaning to read more Shakespeare. I've read A Midsummer Night's Dream with school, which I quite liked.

I also want to read all the ancient texts too. I've heard quite a bit about The Odyssey but I never get round to reading it.

I picked up a couple more classics, The Grapes of Wrath by Steinbeck and Catch 22 by Heller. After I read them I'm going to swap with my friend who is reading Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky.

Argh, SO MANY BOOKS TO READ! It's insane when that happens.

[TiggsRulz:)]

You haven't read any of them? Huh. Wait, you're only in about year 8 or something, aren't you? I guess I can forgive you your sins in this case. Just make sure you do remedy it. XD

Also, your legendary post was pretty legendary. I'm sorry for not giving it the attention and recognition it deserves, my dear.


Do you guys reckon The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett counts as a classic? It was one of my absolute favourite books when I was about eleven, I loved it. If you haven't read it, you should. It was published in 1910 or something, so I'd say that counts as a classic.

...Wow, that's actually over a hundred years ago.

Why thank you Freudey  *beams*

Yes! I have read the Secret Garden!!!!! Again, a great book, I read it years ago and remember re-reading it a few days later 
I was actually considering giving it another go, to be honest just a few days ago.

Also, speaking of Steinbeck works, I just realised that I have read of Mice and Men. A good work, but quite sad actually. Yes in fact it was very sad. Especially the ending. If you are looking for a really cheerful and humorous book, I wouldn't recommend it, but if you don't mind a little solemn reading matter, I would say that it's worth it.

[Rocket]

My Mum told me to read that. I brought The Grapes of Wrath back and she was like 'Why didn't you get Of Mice and Men?' :S

I will get that soon. It wasn't in the library.

[gypolord]

Solemn? That book is down right depressing tiggs.SPOILER.

Poor Lenny. . .

[TiggsRulz:)]

Solemn? That book is down right depressing tiggs.SPOILER.

Poor Lenny. . .

Yeah, well, didn't want to scare off the refers, did I?! 

SPOILER

I know that was a terrible ending - how could whatsisname (mental blank) have done that?! Weren't they supposed to be friends??

I mean seriously, with friends like that, you don't need enemies! Poor Lenny, all he ever did was be stupid and that wasn't his fault!

No but I do get whatyoucallim's 'reason' for doing what he did... Not that it was properly justified.

[DilanMelis]

Anybody listen to the radio play version of that with David Tennant? I can't say Of Mice and Men was my fave book.