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Re: This month is just making me hate classics. Camilla Send a noteboard - 23/01/2011 09:05:52 AM
Of the ones I've read...I don't think I actively liked any. And, here, there haven't exactly been amazing reviews rolling in on other people's challenge classics, they've been pretty bad. (yours included)...Why are these books classics?


I loved The Pillow Book. So not all is negative.

Ugh. I finished The Swiss Family Robinson today and I am sick and tired of these horrible books. That had to be one of the worst reading experiences for me ever. I think I may dis-obey myself and go back to Erikson. Now.


Clearly you have been picking the wrong books for you. Classics are not a homogenous group, so it is difficult to recommend one that will blow you away without knowing what you like to read. That does not mean you should dismiss all books with the label. It is not a genre. In fact, part of the definition is that it should be something that stands out and is different from the literature that surrounds it. Age is not the only criterion.

Pick up Aristophanes (unless you hate plays). Or Oscar Wilde (lovely plays, but also lovely prose fiction). Or Virginia Woolf. You seem to have been sticking to books that are not famous for their depth or artistry. Perhaps you would like something with more meat. If you can read Erikson, you can read War and Peace.
*MySmiley*
structured procrastinator
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A few thoughts on my Classic challenge book. Well, books, as it turns out. Rebekah - 22/01/2011 11:48:21 PM 1816 Views
This month is just making me hate classics. ? - 23/01/2011 12:06:08 AM 1644 Views
Aw. That's a shame. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 12:21:10 AM 1546 Views
Re: Aw. That's a shame. ? - 23/01/2011 12:55:44 PM 1600 Views
Hrm... a high fantasy classic... ranagrande - 23/01/2011 01:15:05 PM 1419 Views
Yeah? Okay... *NM* ? - 23/01/2011 01:16:15 PM 723 Views
Yes. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:17:18 PM 1554 Views
Dunsany is good. And Grimm, but Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:25:40 PM 1430 Views
There's really only one high fantasy classic, no? Or two, if you count the Silm separately. *NM* Legolas - 23/01/2011 01:35:03 PM 731 Views
Perhaps Gormenghast? Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:58:50 PM 1607 Views
Perhaps, haven't read either Dunsany or Peake. Legolas - 23/01/2011 02:02:51 PM 1590 Views
Re: Perhaps, haven't read either Dunsany or Peake. Camilla - 23/01/2011 02:05:31 PM 1706 Views
Maybe Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? *NM* ranagrande - 23/01/2011 02:20:49 PM 746 Views
Re: Dunsany is good. And Grimm, but Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:37:56 PM 1430 Views
Re: Dunsany is good. And Grimm, but Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:59:18 PM 1592 Views
H. Rider Haggard. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:24:01 PM 1543 Views
Sounds interesting. ? - 23/01/2011 01:34:45 PM 1554 Views
Re: Sounds interesting. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:39:34 PM 1610 Views
King Solomon's Mines is also awesome. nossy - 23/01/2011 03:52:04 PM 1386 Views
You can't love all of the classics, but it's not like it's a genre of its own that you can dislike. Legolas - 23/01/2011 12:32:01 AM 1610 Views
Precisely Camilla - 23/01/2011 09:40:26 AM 1802 Views
True true... ? - 23/01/2011 12:58:42 PM 1563 Views
Fortunately, that's precisely what this site aims to do! *NM* Legolas - 23/01/2011 01:34:16 PM 766 Views
You just aren't reading the right books (and reviews), it seems Larry - 23/01/2011 12:41:07 AM 1655 Views
The Swiss Family Robinson is hardly a "classic", unless by "classic" you mean "old". Tom - 23/01/2011 06:55:30 AM 1407 Views
Fine then. ? - 23/01/2011 01:02:48 PM 1444 Views
Re: This month is just making me hate classics. Camilla - 23/01/2011 09:05:52 AM 1632 Views
A lot of "classics" need proper context to be appreciated DomA - 23/01/2011 12:22:44 PM 1815 Views
Well said. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 12:46:35 PM 1606 Views
Re: Well said. DomA - 24/01/2011 02:33:10 AM 1669 Views
That reminds me I need to get back to the Mémoires of Marguerite de Valois. Legolas - 24/01/2011 10:17:17 PM 1366 Views
Very true Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:04:56 PM 1556 Views
Speaking of Dumas... DomA - 24/01/2011 02:45:02 AM 1403 Views
ooooh Camilla - 24/01/2011 08:51:46 AM 1740 Views
The Molière movie is called... wait for it... Legolas - 24/01/2011 10:21:48 PM 1578 Views
oooh Camilla - 24/01/2011 10:24:19 PM 1571 Views
Re: oooh Legolas - 24/01/2011 10:29:23 PM 1458 Views
Re: oooh DomA - 25/01/2011 01:15:39 AM 1553 Views
I really should watch that movie. Legolas - 25/01/2011 09:43:35 PM 1513 Views
Re: I really should watch that movie. DomA - 25/01/2011 11:15:10 PM 1663 Views
Why not? We liked Le Déclin de l'Empire Américain and Les Invasions Barbares. *NM* Legolas - 26/01/2011 06:45:26 PM 730 Views
Re: Why not? We liked Le Déclin de l'Empire Américain and Les Invasions Barbares. DomA - 27/01/2011 12:26:48 PM 1782 Views
I guess I'd have to see it to have an opinion on that. Legolas - 27/01/2011 08:00:53 PM 1734 Views
Re: oooh DomA - 25/01/2011 01:50:04 AM 1512 Views
Re: oooh Camilla - 25/01/2011 10:22:21 AM 1747 Views
Re: oooh DomA - 25/01/2011 12:46:30 PM 1694 Views
That's it! Camilla - 25/01/2011 12:50:18 PM 1685 Views
Re: A few thoughts on my Classic challenge book. Well, books, as it turns out. everynametaken - 23/01/2011 06:25:50 AM 1548 Views
The big problem with Dracula is that it's an epistolary novel. Tom - 23/01/2011 06:58:25 AM 1538 Views
Yeah, agreed. Legolas - 23/01/2011 09:46:57 AM 1527 Views
But Frankenstein doesn't even have good writing to recommend it. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:09:58 AM 1478 Views
Dracula is the book I hope to review (properly) today. I love it. So very much. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:08:34 AM 1359 Views
The challenge is making me wish I hadn't already read Frankenstein Brian - 23/01/2011 07:38:49 AM 2255 Views
Really? ranagrande - 23/01/2011 07:52:24 AM 1513 Views
I didn't mind The Importance of Being Earnest too much Brian - 23/01/2011 08:38:14 AM 2269 Views
Frankenstein ranagrande - 23/01/2011 09:05:10 AM 1590 Views
... Camilla - 23/01/2011 09:08:03 AM 1453 Views
Thank you. *NM* Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:10:34 AM 722 Views
For, as usual, being my wonderful, divine self and bringing light to the world? *NM* Camilla - 23/01/2011 10:12:30 AM 761 Views
Something like that. *NM* Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:15:37 AM 676 Views
There's a reason why they include Wilde among the "decadents". Legolas - 23/01/2011 10:16:33 AM 1469 Views
Re: A few thoughts on my Classic challenge book. Well, books, as it turns out. Camilla - 23/01/2011 08:53:01 AM 1535 Views
Yes. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:15:04 AM 1504 Views
Re: Yes. Camilla - 23/01/2011 10:18:02 AM 1526 Views
I just read A Christmas Carol as well. It's very short, alright. Legolas - 02/02/2011 08:46:16 PM 1552 Views
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