Classic Novels

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pinksalamander

pinksalamander

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I made a late New Years resolution to read more classic novels, and 'great novels' as they always say.

It started when I looked at this list of the 100 greatest novels of all time, and realised that, despite calling myself quite an avid reader, I've only read 3! (Lolita (favourite book ever!), The BFG and To Kill a Mockingbird!

So I went out and bought a book today. OK so I bought two books. I bought Ulysses, and New Moon :) But I promised I would not even FLICK though New Moon until I've finished Ulysses... all 1000 pages of it....

I was wondering what other 'classics' people have read. I'm not going to stick to this list as my reading list, rather just find books that I know are classics and I will enjoy.

I've been told that Ulysses (often called the greatest book ever written) is incredibly difficult, and I can say its true! I've only finished the first serial and already I'm confused! But I have been told its a very good read and that you just have to stick with it.

Discuss!
 
I used to do a lot of reading in High School, however since starting University, I have barely read any books for pleasure. Mainly the reason being that if I got into reading pleasure books I would never read any of my text books or do any homework.

I can't wait until I am graduated from University so I can start reading copious amounts of books again.

From the list you have posted, I have read the following:
Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
Little Women, by Louisa M. Alcott
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell
Charlotte's Web, by E. B. White
The Lord Of The Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien (All of them including the Hobbit)
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
The BFG, by Roald Dahl


I might have read this as a child but I can't remember for sure:
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne


So that is 11 possibly 12 books from that list that I have read.

You have now inspired me to read some more classics once I'm done my classes this semester. My course load over the summer should be light enough that I should be able to find some reading time.

--Dawn
 
There are a few of those books that I have dabbled in but not completed. For example I've probably read parts of Alice in Wonderland but I don't remember ever sitting down and actually reading it. Charlottes Web I'm thinking maybe I have read actually, and Little Women I think I may have read, but I either never finished it or only flicked through it because I can't remember a large majority of what happened in it!

But yeah, Ulysses is incredibly difficult! Seriously its so unbelievably wordy!

I'm deciding what to read after I've finished it. I think I'll finish off The Book Thief which is good but I got a bit bored with, and then read New Moon.

Maybe my New Years Resolution should not be to read more classic literature and actually read all the books I've already started/am half way through! The Book Thief, Dawn French's autobiography, Lolita (although I've read it about 6 times already!), The Lollipop Shoes are all half finished on my book shelf!

I also really want to read Animal Farm again. I'm surprised that isn't on the list.

I think I've read an abridged version of Nineteen-Eighty-Four in school at some time. I think it was a bit racy for us to read all of it in Year 8.

Also, books are so expensive! I'm going to have to go up to the Southbank book fair or something.

It seems only me and Dawn have a passion for classic lit then!
 
seniorcats wrote:
I think there's about 4 I haven't read yet. I am surprised Thomas Mann isn't on the list for at least 'The Magic Mountain'.

There are quite a few sites online that have classic novels to read for free. Here's one I've used

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/
Click to expand...
Looks like a great site, but nothing beats a lovely worn book to read. Plus I read a lot on the train and stuff...

I seriously don't know what I'm going to do when I move to university... where will all my books go? I don't think I'm going to have enough storage space!
 
I read a lot. Not so much "classics" now but I did go through a lot in high school and college for my own entertainment. These are the ones from the list that I've read:

Frankenstein (much different than movie, sadder), Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, The Scarlet Letter, Huckleberry Finn, Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Call of the Wild, The Wind in the Willows, The Great Gatsby, Brave NewWorld (READ THIS BOOK!), Ninteen-Eighty Four (READ THIS TOO!), Catcher in the Rye, Charlotte's Web, The Lord of the Rings (+ Hobbit), Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, Catch-22, and Song of Solomon.

A few others that really should be on the list: The Satanic Verses by Salmon Rushdie, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. That's all I can think of right now, at least that I can remember the names of.

I'm currently reading the Vampire Hunter D novels, which are still in the process of being translated from the original Japanese. Not high-brow, but very good!

 
I love classic literature as well, however ironically studying English literature means I haveless time to read!Instead I'm stuck reading (and re-reading...and re-re-reading...:rollseyes) the books on my syllabus. Annoying! I'm hoping to do English literature next year at university though so this summer willbe dedicated to reading as much as possible!

At the moment I am reading a lot of World War 1 literature for my synoptic exam which I do really enjoy, although find so depressing at times! I'm about half way through 'Regeneration' at the moment which I'm findingreally good. That was written in the 1990s though sonot classic at all...;)I just love talking about books!:D


I really want to read Nineteen-Eighty Four (my history teacher raves about it!) but I think I need a bit more free time first. It's supposed to be one of those 'must reads', or so I've heard!
 
Ulysses is getting better and better by the page I have to say! Yet it is still just as wordy and difficult as ever.
 
  1. Robinson Crusoe
  2. Gulliver's Travels
  3. Dangerous Liaisons
  4. Frankenstein
  5. The Count of Monte Cristo
  6. David Copperfield
  7. Wuthering Heights
  8. Jane Eyre
  9. Vanity Fair
  10. The Scarlet Letter
  11. Moby-Dick
  12. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
  13. Little Women
  14. Huckleberry Finn
  15. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
  16. The Picture of Dorian Gray
  17. The Call of the Wild
  18. The Wind in the Willows
  19. Ulysses
  20. The Great Gatsby
  21. Nineteen Eighty-Four
  22. Catcher in the Rye
  23. Charlotte's Web
  24. The Lord of the Rings
  25. Lord of the Flies
  26. To Kill a Mockingbird
  27. Catch-22
  28. The BFG
OK, so I have some reading left to do. :) And there are a few I'd like to read again, too! I have bookmarked both sites! Thank you for them!


 
28!
 
Elf Mommy wrote:
seniorcats wrote:
There are quite a few sites online that have classic novels to read for free. Here's one I've used

http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/
Click to expand...
They have Little Lord Fauntleroy!!!!

That was my favorite book as a child! I know what I'll be rereading first! :D
Click to expand...
Have you read 'The Secret Garden' by the same author? It's even better and still one of my favorites.
 
'Paradise Lost' should be on the list. There's nothing by Jerzy Kosinski either. I detest Phillip Roth and Norman Mailer's writings. I don't think I saw Joseph Conrad on the list or Paul Scott for the Raj Quartet (The Jewel in the Crown/the Day of the Scorpion/the Towers of Silence/a Division of the Spoils). I am one of the few who loves Beowulf and other epics.

Joseph Campbell, 'The Hero with A Thousand Faces' is a must read, as are all his books. This book has been called the most influential book of the 20th century. It's not a novel but should be on the 'must read' list.
 
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