About 5 years ago I did a post on classic novels I'd read and would like to read, so I thought I was overdue for another post on classics!
I kind of go in and out of reading classics because they can be quite heavy and a bit of work to get through, but they are usually worth the time.
What I'm reading now:
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - I'm absolutely loving this so far! I can't believe I've never gotten around to reading it before. The 1949 movie has always been one of my all time favorites.
I'm also re-reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen with this beautifully illustrated edition my children gave me for my birthday last March.
Classic novels I have read since my last post:
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy - This one I only got half way through, then cheated and watched the movie, which I didn't particularly like so I never went back to the book.
(I may go back to this book after talking to my daughter, who had a different perspective on the story then I did.)
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen - This next one I really enjoyed. Of course it's Jane Austen. : )
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - And this one I absolutely loved! I'd seen the movie beforehand, but the book was even better.
I've also read these classic novels that weren't on my list:
In His Steps by Charles M. Shelton - Really enjoyed this one. You can read my thoughts here... In His Steps
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin - This one was really cute.
Daddy-long Legs by Jean Webster - This was enjoyable, but the liberal theology shared in it was a bit disconcerting.
Lady Susan by Jane Austen - This is probably my least favorite of hers, but still witty.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly - I didn't particularly like this one, as it was dark and depressing. Mary Shelly had a way with words that brought you into the darkness Victor Frankenstein choose for himself in creating an unethical monster. Though there are lessons to learn throughout this book.
Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell - Loved this one, though it was a bit of struggle to get through. You can read my thoughts here... Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather - The writing was beautiful, and the story, in the lives of her characters living on the prairie, was real and raw.
Classic Novels added to my TBR shelf:
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911)
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Payson Prentiss (1880)
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell (1864)
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (1851)
Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell (1848)
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (1854)
Evelina by Frances Burney (1778)
Anne of Green Gables Series by Lucy Maud Montgomery (1908)
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens (1857)
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (1862)
Middlemarch by George Eliot (1871)
The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith (1766)
*You can check out Part One here... Classic Novels
I went through a Willa Cather phase a few years ago. Such good memories of glorious writing. I enjoyed Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy, so I'd probably like Madding Crowd. You've certainly given lots of great recommendations!
ReplyDeleteI will have to check out more of Willa Cather.
DeleteThanks for stopping by Michele!
I hope to work on reading more classics in the new year. As much as I li k evto read, I havent read that many
ReplyDeleteHope you find some good classics you can enjoy in the new year!
DeleteWhat wonderful books and good to know the better and the best, as well as those you were not particularly fond of! I read Little Women as an adolescent...probably my first long novel. I have always wanted to read it again. You are encouraging me to do so. There are a number of books here that I will need to add to my TBR list. I am reading classics in my late 60s and loving finding that I want to read them even now! BTW...I love Willa Cather too. Thanks so much for all of these recommendations and such.
ReplyDeleteI find the older I get the more I'm enjoying the classics too. They have so much depth that you don't always find in modern novels. I think you would really enjoy reading 'Little Women' again. I'm finding it so fun to read after loving the movie all these years. (I'm actually finding the book better) : )
DeleteSomehow I grew up without having read many classics, and I have been making it my mission as an adult to read them. I probably appreciate them more now than I would have as a student. I listen to them mostly via audiobook. Some of them are so hefty (like Les Mis and War and Peace) that I wouldn't want them monopolizing my reading time for so long, but I don't mind the length on audiobook.
ReplyDeleteLittle Women is one of my all-time favorites! I've read it at different intervals, identifying with the girls as a child, with Meg when newly married, with Marmee now that I am older. I like the 1994 movie version. I didn't like P&P and S&S on first readings but love them now. I think the films helped greatly there. Somehow I had never heard of Austen's Lady Susan. My favorite of hers is Persuasion. I've not read Far From the Madding Crowd but have considered it several times. I keep thinking about Middlemarch, too, but have heard from some that it is dull in places - but I guess you could say that with many classics. :-) Les Miserables is one of my top two favorites, even though Hugo could veer off onto lengthy rabbit trails. The other of my top two favorites is A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, though it took me several tries to complete it the first time. I enjoyed Gaskell's Wives and Daughters and North and South and want to read more. Secret Garden is on my TBR list, too.
I really want to read Les Miserables! Glad you loved it. (I loved the movie and the play) The length seems so intimidating though. I will have to take my time with it and stretch it over a long period of time or else I'll never get to reading anything else! : )
DeleteIn His Steps is one of my favorite books, ever! Off to read your post on it...
ReplyDeleteIt's a great book! Thanks for stopping by Lisa. : )
DeleteWhat a great list of books --some of which I have read and loved, but several that I haven't gotten around to either! Maybe it's time for a visit to the library!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy your next classic read Karrilee. Glad you stopped by!
DeleteThat's a lot of classics! I've tried reading classics (I REALLY want to), but I never get very far...
ReplyDeleteYou should try Little Women, it's fairly easy reading compared to other classics and it's such a beautiful story.
DeleteThanks for stopping by Heather. : )
Wonderful recommendations of some great classics! Visiting from Kristin's place!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting Susan!
DeleteThis makes me want to read the classics! In His Steps looks really good! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt is! Thanks for stopping by Valerie!
DeleteI love your list. I enjoy the classics. I read Far From the Madding Crowd and really enjoyed it. It did take quite a long time for me to really be able to settle into it though. I've never seen the movie.
ReplyDeleteI will have to try reading it again, since so many others have enjoyed it. Glad you stopped by!
DeleteI loved this reminder of books I've loved and the reminder to read some of the classics I haven't read before!
ReplyDeleteGlad you stopped by Elizabeth!
DeleteGreat recommendations! Sharing on Twitter and FB. Thanks. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Glad you stopped by Bette. : )
DeleteI love reading classics over and over again. I haven't read some of these, maybe it's time to check them out! Thank you for your recommendations and thanks for reading. It makes the world a happier place. Blessings upon blessings!
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy your next classic read! Thanks for stopping by Mari-Anna. :)
DeleteI enjoyed some of these, but others not so much! Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday last week on Mommynificent.com!
ReplyDeleteTina