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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 1527 Views
This month is just making me hate classics. ? - 23/01/2011 12:06:08 AM 1353 Views
Aw. That's a shame. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 12:21:10 AM 1273 Views
Re: Aw. That's a shame. ? - 23/01/2011 12:55:44 PM 1374 Views
Hrm... a high fantasy classic... ranagrande - 23/01/2011 01:15:05 PM 1156 Views
Yeah? Okay... *NM* ? - 23/01/2011 01:16:15 PM 599 Views
Yes. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:17:18 PM 1300 Views
Dunsany is good. And Grimm, but Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:25:40 PM 1175 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 600 Views
Perhaps Gormenghast? Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:58:50 PM 1335 Views
Perhaps, haven't read either Dunsany or Peake. Legolas - 23/01/2011 02:02:51 PM 1281 Views
Re: Perhaps, haven't read either Dunsany or Peake. Camilla - 23/01/2011 02:05:31 PM 1452 Views
Maybe Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? *NM* ranagrande - 23/01/2011 02:20:49 PM 605 Views
Re: Dunsany is good. And Grimm, but Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:37:56 PM 1208 Views
Re: Dunsany is good. And Grimm, but Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:59:18 PM 1331 Views
H. Rider Haggard. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:24:01 PM 1291 Views
Sounds interesting. ? - 23/01/2011 01:34:45 PM 1311 Views
Re: Sounds interesting. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:39:34 PM 1379 Views
King Solomon's Mines is also awesome. nossy - 23/01/2011 03:52:04 PM 1134 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 1347 Views
Precisely Camilla - 23/01/2011 09:40:26 AM 1562 Views
True true... ? - 23/01/2011 12:58:42 PM 1306 Views
Fortunately, that's precisely what this site aims to do! *NM* Legolas - 23/01/2011 01:34:16 PM 620 Views
You just aren't reading the right books (and reviews), it seems Larry - 23/01/2011 12:41:07 AM 1367 Views
The Swiss Family Robinson is hardly a "classic", unless by "classic" you mean "old". Tom - 23/01/2011 06:55:30 AM 1165 Views
Fine then. ? - 23/01/2011 01:02:48 PM 1231 Views
Re: This month is just making me hate classics. Camilla - 23/01/2011 09:05:52 AM 1353 Views
A lot of "classics" need proper context to be appreciated DomA - 23/01/2011 12:22:44 PM 1521 Views
Well said. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 12:46:35 PM 1348 Views
Re: Well said. DomA - 24/01/2011 02:33:10 AM 1413 Views
That reminds me I need to get back to the Mémoires of Marguerite de Valois. Legolas - 24/01/2011 10:17:17 PM 1122 Views
Very true Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:04:56 PM 1288 Views
Speaking of Dumas... DomA - 24/01/2011 02:45:02 AM 1145 Views
ooooh Camilla - 24/01/2011 08:51:46 AM 1467 Views
The Molière movie is called... wait for it... Legolas - 24/01/2011 10:21:48 PM 1288 Views
oooh Camilla - 24/01/2011 10:24:19 PM 1328 Views
Re: oooh Legolas - 24/01/2011 10:29:23 PM 1192 Views
Re: oooh DomA - 25/01/2011 01:15:39 AM 1284 Views
I really should watch that movie. Legolas - 25/01/2011 09:43:35 PM 1239 Views
Re: I really should watch that movie. DomA - 25/01/2011 11:15:10 PM 1388 Views
Why not? We liked Le Déclin de l'Empire Américain and Les Invasions Barbares. *NM* Legolas - 26/01/2011 06:45:26 PM 609 Views
Re: Why not? We liked Le Déclin de l'Empire Américain and Les Invasions Barbares. DomA - 27/01/2011 12:26:48 PM 1527 Views
I guess I'd have to see it to have an opinion on that. Legolas - 27/01/2011 08:00:53 PM 1460 Views
Re: oooh DomA - 25/01/2011 01:50:04 AM 1223 Views
Re: oooh Camilla - 25/01/2011 10:22:21 AM 1370 Views
Re: oooh DomA - 25/01/2011 12:46:30 PM 1397 Views
That's it! Camilla - 25/01/2011 12:50:18 PM 1409 Views
Re: A few thoughts on my Classic challenge book. Well, books, as it turns out. everynametaken - 23/01/2011 06:25:50 AM 1312 Views
The big problem with Dracula is that it's an epistolary novel. Tom - 23/01/2011 06:58:25 AM 1298 Views
Yeah, agreed. Legolas - 23/01/2011 09:46:57 AM 1250 Views
But Frankenstein doesn't even have good writing to recommend it. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:09:58 AM 1239 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 1124 Views
The challenge is making me wish I hadn't already read Frankenstein Brian - 23/01/2011 07:38:49 AM 1944 Views
Really? ranagrande - 23/01/2011 07:52:24 AM 1203 Views
I didn't mind The Importance of Being Earnest too much Brian - 23/01/2011 08:38:14 AM 1912 Views
Frankenstein ranagrande - 23/01/2011 09:05:10 AM 1333 Views
... Camilla - 23/01/2011 09:08:03 AM 1171 Views
Thank you. *NM* Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:10:34 AM 590 Views
For, as usual, being my wonderful, divine self and bringing light to the world? *NM* Camilla - 23/01/2011 10:12:30 AM 620 Views
Something like that. *NM* Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:15:37 AM 544 Views
There's a reason why they include Wilde among the "decadents". Legolas - 23/01/2011 10:16:33 AM 1249 Views
Re: A few thoughts on my Classic challenge book. Well, books, as it turns out. Camilla - 23/01/2011 08:53:01 AM 1270 Views
Yes. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:15:04 AM 1255 Views
Re: Yes. Camilla - 23/01/2011 10:18:02 AM 1253 Views
I just read A Christmas Carol as well. It's very short, alright. Legolas - 02/02/2011 08:46:16 PM 1308 Views
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