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Ah Cliff, I bow to thee BlackAdder Send a noteboard - 30/09/2010 11:30:41 PM
Legolas' post about Emma and Rebekah's challenge got me thinking that there are a lot of "classics" floating around out there that certain people (myself included) may never have given a chance. This will be true, regardless of what you consider a "classic" to be. I leaned a little too heavily on a man named Cliff during school to avoid getting too far out of my comfort zone. Also, making something "required" reading usually took away some of it's appeal for me.

I totally didn't go to the same school you did (probably), but I know this Cliff fellow. He was quite the popular guy in school; not bad for a total bookworm.

How do you define a classic work or author?

Probably something that is widely appreciated and widely taught/held up as an example.

What are your favorite classic works?

I don't read much and I'm going to leave out quite a few, but my favorites:

Western: Candide, Notre Dame de Paris, Jungle Book, Gargantua and Pantagruel, Don Quixote, The Inferno, Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, Tale of Two Cities, The Periodic Table (to my shock, it wasn't about Chemistry), The Prince, Return of the Native, 1984, Animal Farm, Common Sense, Wealth of Nations, Democracy in America, Leviathan, Social Contract, Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn, works by Homer, Virgil, Poe, Verne, Moliere

Eastern (not as many favorites here): The Analects, Tale of Genji, Midnight's Children, Ramayana, Journey to the West, Camel Xiangzi, Muqaddimah (actually, this might technically be Western, but w/e)

If you had to suggest just one, which would it be and why? (please not, "because it's good" )

Hmm, I really like several of them, they're good in different ways. I will say though:

Western: Candide. I love the story-telling; it moves very rapidly and everything is done quite comically. And yet, there is a satire to it if you choose to read it on that level (it's not necessary though). Next in line would be Notre Dame de Paris, probably.

Eastern: Hmm, tough to choose. Midnight's Children is nice, but kind of topical. I'd probably go with Journey to the West or Camel Xiangzi since they deal with larger themes and give you a better idea of creative thinking in Eastern works. It's pretty different from Western ideas. Ramayana is pretty cool as well.

What have you staunchly refused to read that might be considered a classic?

Well, not refused, but I could never get through Hesse's Siddartha

Why don't you want to read it?

It was really boring for me. I could not get past the first few chapters. I don't really know.. it just wasn't for me.
This message last edited by BlackAdder on 30/09/2010 at 11:55:10 PM
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The Classics - general discussion / survey - 30/09/2010 03:52:53 PM 1318 Views
My own answers. - 30/09/2010 04:38:33 PM 905 Views
I'm trying to read a bit of Shakespeare at the moment - 30/09/2010 07:20:02 PM 850 Views
Re: I'm trying to read a bit of Shakespeare at the moment - 30/09/2010 09:14:23 PM 836 Views
Get a copy with annotations! - 30/09/2010 10:56:12 PM 828 Views
Re: My own answers. - 30/09/2010 09:02:08 PM 930 Views
Powdered Soup! - 30/09/2010 09:23:51 PM 951 Views
Re: Powdered Soup! - 30/09/2010 09:34:06 PM 1202 Views
Re: Powdered Soup! - 30/09/2010 10:07:20 PM 891 Views
Re: Powdered Soup! - 30/09/2010 10:10:32 PM 1055 Views
They are much, much worse than powder soup. - 30/09/2010 09:50:07 PM 787 Views
Well, since they're made of paper... - 30/09/2010 10:09:41 PM 873 Views
Re: My own answers. - 30/09/2010 11:35:36 PM 902 Views
Cliff's notes - 05/10/2010 08:05:56 PM 956 Views
Re: Cliff's notes - 05/10/2010 09:21:06 PM 1179 Views
Re: Cliff's notes - 06/10/2010 01:40:38 AM 967 Views
It's cool. - 06/10/2010 04:42:13 PM 1009 Views
A classic is really any book with enduring value. - 30/09/2010 05:33:35 PM 882 Views
Re: A classic is really any book with enduring value. - 30/09/2010 06:46:02 PM 911 Views
Re: A classic is really any book with enduring value. - 30/09/2010 10:57:23 PM 844 Views
Re: A classic is really any book with enduring value. - 30/09/2010 11:39:16 PM 737 Views
Camilla, that's just because you're an atheist. - 01/10/2010 09:37:34 PM 800 Views
Yes. - 01/10/2010 09:51:32 PM 783 Views
Re: A classic is really any book with enduring value. - 01/10/2010 12:20:51 AM 965 Views
totally problematic classics - 30/09/2010 08:07:22 PM 944 Views
Re: totally problematic classics - 30/09/2010 09:26:46 PM 848 Views
I study them, apparently. - 30/09/2010 08:44:40 PM 973 Views
I wish I could do that. - 30/09/2010 09:49:57 PM 880 Views
Less fun than you'd think. - 30/09/2010 10:52:10 PM 771 Views
Good survey. - 30/09/2010 10:23:18 PM 959 Views
Agreed. edited - 30/09/2010 10:37:48 PM 920 Views
But but but Milton is beautiful - 30/09/2010 10:46:06 PM 860 Views
Sometimes. - 30/09/2010 10:47:28 PM 877 Views
Maybe I was unclear. - 30/09/2010 10:55:22 PM 886 Views
Re: Maybe I was unclear. - 30/09/2010 10:57:41 PM 765 Views
I'm glad you approve on the whole. - 30/09/2010 11:12:00 PM 891 Views
I generally do. - 30/09/2010 11:19:05 PM 886 Views
Excellent. Might as well include a Hooft poem anyway, in case anyone's interested... - 30/09/2010 11:40:24 PM 1041 Views
Re: Excellent. Might as well include a Hooft poem anyway, in case anyone's interested... - 30/09/2010 11:43:20 PM 877 Views
Dickens - 01/10/2010 02:42:42 PM 871 Views
Re: I generally do. - 30/09/2010 11:54:11 PM 939 Views
Oh, and link to the Flecker poem: - 30/09/2010 11:42:30 PM 771 Views
Re: Good survey. - 01/10/2010 02:52:27 AM 1040 Views
My classics - 30/09/2010 10:54:56 PM 849 Views
Re: My classics - 01/10/2010 03:01:24 AM 923 Views
Ah Cliff, I bow to thee - 30/09/2010 11:30:41 PM 983 Views
Re: Ah Cliff, I bow to thee - 01/10/2010 03:18:58 AM 830 Views
Re: Ah Cliff, I bow to thee - 01/10/2010 05:20:10 AM 924 Views
Re: Ah Cliff, I bow to thee - 01/10/2010 02:05:35 PM 868 Views
Re: Ah Cliff, I bow to thee - 02/10/2010 04:07:10 AM 874 Views
Ha, we weren't that far off after all. - 04/10/2010 08:11:39 PM 817 Views
I will not list 300+ books here, I promise - 01/10/2010 12:36:17 AM 970 Views
O'Connor is wonderful. But I am not sure many can appreciate her. - 01/10/2010 02:50:54 AM 674 Views
I agree, thus the "confound" part in there - 01/10/2010 02:53:26 AM 757 Views
I figured as much. - 01/10/2010 03:08:26 AM 800 Views
I expected you to have quite a few as well. - 01/10/2010 03:25:06 AM 874 Views
Re: I will not list 300+ books here, I promise - 02/10/2010 11:23:37 AM 926 Views
Criminy, I thought I was done with essay questions years ago. - 01/10/2010 01:39:56 AM 903 Views
Glad to bring back the school days. - 01/10/2010 01:49:48 PM 930 Views
Re: Glad to bring back the school days. - 02/10/2010 05:32:47 AM 758 Views
not sure but I don't believe in instant classics - 02/10/2010 05:22:07 AM 912 Views
the bf and I are going to do a "Paradise Lost" book club... - 02/10/2010 08:29:38 AM 1018 Views
Mm, Doré's engravings are gorgeous. - 02/10/2010 11:40:48 AM 942 Views
Re: Mm, Doré's engravings are gorgeous. - 02/10/2010 09:42:37 PM 903 Views

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