Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Back to the Classics 2019

Books and Chocolate is again hosting the Back to the Classics Challenge for 2019



My list (subject to change)



A 19th century classic: 
Bleak House - Some say this is Dickens’ best









A 20th century classic: 
The Ox Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark - Been on the TBR for a while









A classic by a woman author: 
Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor - I’ve read her short stories – now for her novel










A classic in translation: 
Papillion by Henri Charriére









A classic comedy: 
Candide by Voltaire












A classic tragedy: 
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote









A very long classic: 
Gargantua and Pantagruel by Francois Rabelais - Over 1000 pages









A classic novella (under 250 pages): 
The Shadow Over Innsmouth by H. P. Lovecraft









A classic from the Americas: 
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain  You can't get more American than this











A classic from Africa, Asia, or Oceania: 
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay - A reread









A classic from a place I have lived: 
The Oak Openings by James Fenimore Cooper - Set in my childhood hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan










A classic play: 
The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe - No idea what to expect from this.









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25 comments:

  1. In Cold Blood and Candide! I adore them.

    I want to read everything else in your list. I can't wait to read your reviews.

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  2. You have made some excellent choices. Enjoy!

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  3. Grand list! I have Gargantua and Pantagruel as a possibility on my list too. Happy reading!

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    1. Yeah...I saw you (and someone else) with G&P. I think we had them in different categories though. Enjoy!

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  4. Nice list! I want to know about the James Fenimore Cooper. I've never even heard of that one.

    Looking forward to your readings.

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    1. I'm excited about that one. I only learned of it recently.

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  5. I thought you read In Cold Blood already, but I see you haven't. (It was Breakfast at Tiffany's.) So, that popped out at me, and it gives me the shivers. I have flashbacks about In Cold Blood; and yet, I await anxiously to read your reaction to it.

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    1. I remember you, and several other commented on Breakfast at Tiffany's that I must read In Cold Blood...so this seemed like the right time.

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  6. Hi Joseph,
    You have a fascinating list. I have yet to read Bleak House, though I own a fine copy. And the James Fenimore Cooper set in Michigan--fascinating! I had no idea. Happy Reading!!

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  7. Great list! (But pardon me as I run away screaming from The Ox-Bow Incident. The movie version traumatized me.)

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    1. Ha ha! That was funny! But it sounds like the movie wasn't. My condolences.

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    2. Then you are excused from reading that review, but I expect extra enthusiasm reading/commenting on the others.

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    3. Cleo, it's just that... I was deep in a Dana Andrews crush... and I was so SURE he would be okay... sniffle.

      Thank you, Joseph. I'll do my best.

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  8. That's a fascinating list, which I'll keep an eye on. Some have been on my tbr pile for some time, but I haven't got around to them yet. I do remember loving Bleak House, but it's been awhile so I forget most details. And Picnic at Hanging Rock is a great haunting, Aussie tale.

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    1. I'm very excited about Bleak House...It is probably the second most mentioned as Dickens' best. I'm still maintaining ATo2C, but will keep an open mind.

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  9. Great list! I love Bleak House. It is possibly my favorite Dickens (I can't really ever choose, however).

    Papillon has also been on my shelf for *whispers* 25 years. Maybe your review will kick me in the pants and make me pull it off the shelf and finally read it!

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    1. Yeah, I'm excited about Papillon as well. I guess I just did a superb job picking, because I'm excited about all of them. Thanks for the feedback!

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  10. Oh, Papillon! I read it many years ago but I’ve never seen it mentioned since then. Bleak House is superb, as is the BBC movie adaption. I rarely watch movies so that’s high praise from me. 🙂

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    1. I'm usually disappointed in Dickens adapted to film, unless it's BBC. They usually keep it faithful to the book. Thanks for the recommendation.

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  11. Bleak House is indeed a rocker. Flannery O'Conor will soften us up with jokes and then make the roof cave in over our heads - real trickster. Read Papillon in high school when the Dustin Hoffman / Steve McQueen movie of it came out. When I finished In Cold Blood, I fell on my knees thanking Creation I knew nobody remotely like Perry and Dick. Cooper set a book in Kazoo - who knew?

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  12. I loved Bleak House! I am hoping to read it again this year, probably for this challenge. But I need to read some others first -- this month I am reading _A Vindication of the Rights of Woman_ (for the classic by a woman) & maybe _One Hundred Years of Solitude_ (classic from the Americas).

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    1. I hope you enjoy 100 Years of Solitude. I did. Good choice

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