A meme rewind from May 2013: Tell us about the classic book(s) you’re reading this month. You can post about what you’re looking forward to reading in February, or post thoughts-in-progress on your current read(s).
I am currently working my way through Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
My first thoughts? It’s long, so very, very long. I’m not
going to finish it in February, which according to strict Classics Club rules,
prevents me from talking about what I’m looking forward to next, because it won’t
be in February – but stick around. I may break the rules.
Tom Jones, fully titled The History of Tom Jones, A
Foundling. It’s very good, but it’s long, so very, very long. It has a definite
Dickensian feel, which is really unfair to Henry Fielding; he predates Charles
Dickens. In fact, I remember David Copperfield reading Tom Jones at one point
in that novel.
My scheduled reading is full of big fat thick
novels this year: Pride and Prejudice, War and Peace, The Count of Monte
Cristo, Les Misérables, The Fountainhead, Crime and Punishment. I’m looking
forward to all of them, but they’re long, so very, very, long.
And Les Mis – ya know, I think it’s a misnomer. Goofy French
spelling aside, I don’t know how Hugo could call it Less Miserable. I can’t
imagine it being any MORE miserable. But ya know, artists – they're quirky.
.
All I can say is good luck with all your tomes! At least they're all great books (except I don't have experience with The Fountainhead, so I'll leave that out of my comment).
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that Les Misérables is untranslatable into English, or perhaps they meant it simple doesn't translate well. I didn't find the book completely miserable because there is certainly redemption in the misery. But Hugo was definitely realistic.
Thanks Cleo :)
DeleteLooking forward to those 'huge' books....
ReplyDeleteI'm exhausted just thinking about them. But as the say:
“Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” (Admiral Farragut USN, Battle of Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864)
Yep...no telling when, but I'll get through them.
DeleteI wouldn't call Pride and Prejudice long. But the rest...yeah. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Not sure what I was thinking. Thanks for keeping me honest :)
DeleteMy potter around with Louisa May Alcott and Woolf looks pretty weak comapred to the chunksters you have ahead of you!
ReplyDeleteIt took me 2 months to finish W&P and I read it during my teaching years when I had nearly 6 glorious weeks off over the summer with nothing to do but read, read, read. My tip is to read a translation that YOU like (which may not necessarily be the one everyone else recommends). By 3/4 of the way through mine, I realised I was struggling thanks to the translation. It may be a very long time before I have the time or patience to commit to reading it again with a better translation. So get that right and you'll be fine...with all of them.
You may feel like throwing The Fountainhead against a wall or out the window quite regularly - go with it - it's a perfectly normal response :-)
Thanks for the advice regarding The Fountainhead. I've heard great things about Atlas Shrugged (I also have that coming up), but less about The Fountainhead.
DeleteYes, they are all long,so very very long! But they are all good, so very very good! Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteThanks...will do!
DeleteA Dickensian novel that pre-dates Dickens - but is he as good as Dickens?? I'm about a third of the way through Dombey & Son. It's taking me ages but I am enjoying it.
ReplyDeleteJury's still out. So far, I'd say not quite on par with CD, but I'm a big fan of CD, so that's a high bar. I'll give you the verdict with the final review.
DeleteI find Pride and Prejudice and The Fountainhead to be quick reads despite their heft, if that's at all encouraging :-)
ReplyDeleteGood to know...thanks.
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