1. When did you join The Classics Club?
May 2014
1.a How many titles have you read for the club so far?
50 for list #1
ç That right there, reddish brown text, that’s a
hyperlink. Go ahead and click it. (sorry, you probably know that, but I’m desperate for blog stats)
75 for list #2
50 for list #3
19 of 50 for list #4
Total of 194
2. What classic
are you planning to read next? Why?
Probably Loving by Henry Green. Cuz it’s next on my list.
3. Is there a book first published in 1926 that you plan
to read this year?
Nope. This sort of makes me feel guilty, as if I should have one…but
nope. How about 50 years ago? I may get to The Magus by John Fowles. I’ve been
saving it for this year, so I wouldn’t get challenged on whether it’s a classic
or not.
4. Classic author who has the most works on your club
list? Or, classic author you’ve read the most works by?
Dickens: 12 read for the club. I plan to read all
of Dickens’ novels, 3 to go, unless I decide to read Edwin Drood, then it's 4 to go, see question
#16
5. If you could explore one author’s literary career from
first publication to last — meaning you have never read this author and want to
explore him or her by reading what s/he wrote in order of publication — who
would you explore? Obviously this should be an author you haven’t yet read,
since you can’t do this experiment on an author you’re already familiar
with. Or, which author’s work you
arefamiliar with might it have been fun to approach this way?
Probably Stephen King, but I’ve already read The Stand and The Dark Tower series.
6. First classic you ever read?
Either The Hobbit or The Call of the Wild. Both sometime in 4th
or 5th grade.
7. Favorite Children's Classic?
The Chronicles of Narnia, though I'm not quite certain I consider it Children's Lit. So if not Narnia, Winnie the Pooh.
8. Which classic is your most memorable classic to date?
Why?
Most memorable? Not best?, not favorite? (those are not the
same btw). Most memorable, perhaps…no, maybe…no...umm. THIS IS HARD! I’m
gonna cheat. The Cellist of Sarajevo (not a classic), but MAN, was it powerful.
9. Least favorite classic? Why?
The Recognitions by William Gaddis. I sort of hated it. But I'm very pleased with my review. I usually hate doing bad reviews.
10. Favorite movie or TV adaption of a classic?
To Kill a Mockingbird is almost perfect.
11. Favorite biography about a classic author you’ve
read, or the biography on a classic author you most want to read, if any?
I’d like to read a biography on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
(The Little Prince). I remember searching once and didn’t find one; unbelievable
right? If anyone knows of one, I’d be grateful for a recommendation.
12. Favorite classic author in translation? Do you have a
favorite classics translator? What do you look for in a classic translations?
Either Dostoyevsky or Tolstoy. I’ve really enjoyed what
I’ve read: The Brothers Karamazov, Anna Karenina, War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, The Idiot. Well, I didn’t care for The Idiot. I just look for a translator with good score on GR.
13. Do you have a favorite classic poet/poem,
playwright/play? Why do you love it?
Kipling. Very versatile writer, and even when sticking just
to poetry he is very diverse.
14. Which classic character most reminds you of yourself?
Tom Sawyer. As a child I was Tom Sawyer.
15. What is the oldest classic you have read or plan to
read? Why?
Daphnis and Chloe by Longus (200AD), which was pretty good.
I’ve also read The Tale of Genji which is sometimes called the oldest novel in the
world, even though Daphnis and Chloe predates it by 800 years.
16. If a sudden announcement was made that 500 more pages
had been discovered after the original “THE END” on a classic title you read
and loved, which title would you be happiest to see continued?
I’m tempted to say Wives and Daughters because it is very
good but unfinished. It is only barely unfinished. The great dilemma is
overcome and a happy ending is ensured, so it’s not had to imagine the ending.
So, for my real answer: The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Dickens. What could be
worse than an unfinished mystery? I want to read all of Dickens’ novels, and
most would say this is one of them, but it seems maddening to read an unfinished mystery. Recommendations?
17. Favorite edition (or series) of a classic you own, or
wished you owned, if any?
First edition of The Little Prince. Runner up: Deliverance
signed by the author James Dickey.
18. Do you reread classics? Why, or why not?
Very seldom. I’ve reread The Lord of the Rings at least 6 times,
and I’ll reread it yet again someday. But other than that the only rereads are
works I read before I started blogging. I will reread them to refresh my memory
before writing my blog review. Otherwise, there are too many classics I've yet to read. It will be very rare that I reread.
19. Has there been a classic title you simply could not
finish?
Nothing I couldn’t finish, because I am very stubborn. Once
I start, I’m going to finish. I really wanted to quit In Search of Lost Time
(longest novel in the world), but I read every word, and that is lost time I’ll
never get back. There have been three that I did not finish, because I found them obscene. I don't want them burned, but I just don't want to read them.
20. Has there been a classic title you expected to
dislike and ended up loving?
War and Peace.
21. List five fellow Classic Clubbers whose blogs you
frequent. What makes you love their blogs?
This is a timely question. I’ve been thinking about this. I’ve
been book-blogging for nearly 15 years. I used to get a lot of comments, but in
the last year or so, I rarely get any. Lest that sound like a complaint, or
worse a whine, I must also admit, that I rarely comment on other’s blogs
anymore. It says in THE Old Book, "if a man has friends, he must himself be
friendly…" Apologies for being a poor correspondent. I’ll try to do better in
2026. Now to answer:
With Freedom, Books, Flowers, and the Moon
The Edge of the Precipice
Readerbuzz
Reading, Writing, Working, Playing
Fanda Classiclit
Oh, and Anonymous. That guy cracks me up.
Why? Different reasons for each one. Similar world view in
some cases, contrasting tastes in other cases which give me pause to my very
opinionated opinions. But in all of these a similar diet of classics.
22. If you’ve ever participated in a readalong on a classic,
tell us about the experience? If you’ve participated in more than one,
what’s the very best experience? the best title you’ve completed? a fond
memory? a good friend made?
I tried one once, and there were just two of us. The organizer quit before halfway done.
23. If you could appeal for a readalong with others for
any classic title, which title would you name? Why?
I’m not really interested in a readalong. Don’t ask why.
24. What are your favorite bits about being a part of The
Classics Club?
The Bookstore discount.
25. What would like to see more of (or less of) on The
Classics Club?
I got nothing. So, instead I’ll just say THANK YOU! To the
mods for keeping it going. Great job…seriously. And thanks for this questionnaire, lots of fun.
26. Question you wish was on this questionnaire? (Ask and
answer it!)
Who is your favorite Transcendental Movement novelist of young-adult extraterrestrial mythology written in Romantic Period prose? Millard Fillmore
of course.
.
