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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 1487 Views
This month is just making me hate classics. ? - 23/01/2011 12:06:08 AM 1317 Views
Aw. That's a shame. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 12:21:10 AM 1233 Views
Re: Aw. That's a shame. ? - 23/01/2011 12:55:44 PM 1343 Views
Hrm... a high fantasy classic... ranagrande - 23/01/2011 01:15:05 PM 1119 Views
Yeah? Okay... *NM* ? - 23/01/2011 01:16:15 PM 586 Views
Yes. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:17:18 PM 1269 Views
Dunsany is good. And Grimm, but Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:25:40 PM 1143 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 586 Views
Perhaps Gormenghast? Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:58:50 PM 1300 Views
Perhaps, haven't read either Dunsany or Peake. Legolas - 23/01/2011 02:02:51 PM 1254 Views
Re: Perhaps, haven't read either Dunsany or Peake. Camilla - 23/01/2011 02:05:31 PM 1415 Views
Maybe Alice's Adventures in Wonderland? *NM* ranagrande - 23/01/2011 02:20:49 PM 592 Views
Re: Dunsany is good. And Grimm, but Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:37:56 PM 1173 Views
Re: Dunsany is good. And Grimm, but Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:59:18 PM 1302 Views
H. Rider Haggard. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:24:01 PM 1251 Views
Sounds interesting. ? - 23/01/2011 01:34:45 PM 1280 Views
Re: Sounds interesting. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 01:39:34 PM 1340 Views
King Solomon's Mines is also awesome. nossy - 23/01/2011 03:52:04 PM 1099 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 1318 Views
Precisely Camilla - 23/01/2011 09:40:26 AM 1525 Views
True true... ? - 23/01/2011 12:58:42 PM 1269 Views
Fortunately, that's precisely what this site aims to do! *NM* Legolas - 23/01/2011 01:34:16 PM 606 Views
You just aren't reading the right books (and reviews), it seems Larry - 23/01/2011 12:41:07 AM 1333 Views
The Swiss Family Robinson is hardly a "classic", unless by "classic" you mean "old". Tom - 23/01/2011 06:55:30 AM 1130 Views
Fine then. ? - 23/01/2011 01:02:48 PM 1199 Views
Re: This month is just making me hate classics. Camilla - 23/01/2011 09:05:52 AM 1315 Views
A lot of "classics" need proper context to be appreciated DomA - 23/01/2011 12:22:44 PM 1492 Views
Well said. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 12:46:35 PM 1317 Views
Re: Well said. DomA - 24/01/2011 02:33:10 AM 1377 Views
That reminds me I need to get back to the Mémoires of Marguerite de Valois. Legolas - 24/01/2011 10:17:17 PM 1083 Views
Very true Camilla - 23/01/2011 01:04:56 PM 1252 Views
Speaking of Dumas... DomA - 24/01/2011 02:45:02 AM 1116 Views
ooooh Camilla - 24/01/2011 08:51:46 AM 1426 Views
The Molière movie is called... wait for it... Legolas - 24/01/2011 10:21:48 PM 1258 Views
oooh Camilla - 24/01/2011 10:24:19 PM 1304 Views
Re: oooh Legolas - 24/01/2011 10:29:23 PM 1161 Views
Re: oooh DomA - 25/01/2011 01:15:39 AM 1252 Views
I really should watch that movie. Legolas - 25/01/2011 09:43:35 PM 1208 Views
Re: I really should watch that movie. DomA - 25/01/2011 11:15:10 PM 1359 Views
Why not? We liked Le Déclin de l'Empire Américain and Les Invasions Barbares. *NM* Legolas - 26/01/2011 06:45:26 PM 595 Views
Re: Why not? We liked Le Déclin de l'Empire Américain and Les Invasions Barbares. DomA - 27/01/2011 12:26:48 PM 1500 Views
I guess I'd have to see it to have an opinion on that. Legolas - 27/01/2011 08:00:53 PM 1428 Views
Re: oooh DomA - 25/01/2011 01:50:04 AM 1180 Views
Re: oooh Camilla - 25/01/2011 10:22:21 AM 1337 Views
Re: oooh DomA - 25/01/2011 12:46:30 PM 1360 Views
That's it! Camilla - 25/01/2011 12:50:18 PM 1381 Views
Re: A few thoughts on my Classic challenge book. Well, books, as it turns out. everynametaken - 23/01/2011 06:25:50 AM 1272 Views
The big problem with Dracula is that it's an epistolary novel. Tom - 23/01/2011 06:58:25 AM 1271 Views
Yeah, agreed. Legolas - 23/01/2011 09:46:57 AM 1216 Views
But Frankenstein doesn't even have good writing to recommend it. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:09:58 AM 1202 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 1089 Views
The challenge is making me wish I hadn't already read Frankenstein Brian - 23/01/2011 07:38:49 AM 1896 Views
Really? ranagrande - 23/01/2011 07:52:24 AM 1172 Views
I didn't mind The Importance of Being Earnest too much Brian - 23/01/2011 08:38:14 AM 1870 Views
Frankenstein ranagrande - 23/01/2011 09:05:10 AM 1302 Views
... Camilla - 23/01/2011 09:08:03 AM 1146 Views
Thank you. *NM* Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:10:34 AM 574 Views
For, as usual, being my wonderful, divine self and bringing light to the world? *NM* Camilla - 23/01/2011 10:12:30 AM 605 Views
Something like that. *NM* Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:15:37 AM 530 Views
There's a reason why they include Wilde among the "decadents". Legolas - 23/01/2011 10:16:33 AM 1212 Views
Re: A few thoughts on my Classic challenge book. Well, books, as it turns out. Camilla - 23/01/2011 08:53:01 AM 1236 Views
Yes. Rebekah - 23/01/2011 10:15:04 AM 1222 Views
Re: Yes. Camilla - 23/01/2011 10:18:02 AM 1221 Views
I just read A Christmas Carol as well. It's very short, alright. Legolas - 02/02/2011 08:46:16 PM 1278 Views
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