For a quick review of the past year, I'm going to borrow this questionnaire from LindyLit (who borrowed it from Jessica at The Bookworm Chronicles) and highlight a few key points of my reading.
I have read 11 books, including one from my bonus list:
Brontë, Anne - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (12/12)
Christie, Agatha - And Then There Were None (4/12)
Gaskell, Elizabeth - North and South (8/12)
Greene, Graham - The End of the Affair (11/12)
James, Henry - Washington Square (1/13)
Hemingway, Ernest - The Old Man and the Sea (9/12)
Pym, Barbara - A Glass of Blessings (2/13)
Tanizaki, Junichiro - The Makioka Sisters (5/12)
Thackery, William Makepeace - Vanity Fair (3/13) *from bonus list
Thirkell, Angela - High Rising (4/13)
Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorian Gray (3/13)
Looking at the list, I'm struck by it's variety - a mix of male and female authors, short and long books, comfort reads and a few more challenging, and even one in translation.
Most Anticipated:
The Makioka Sisters
Most Beautifully Written:
The End of the Affair
Most Disappointing:
The Picture of Dorian Gray - much darker than expected
Most Surprising (In A Good Way):
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Anne Bronte was way ahead of her time. I can't figure out why she is regarded as the 'lesser' Bronte.
The Old Man and the Sea - Why did I hate it so much in high school?
Most Memorable Characters:
Margaret Hale, North and South
Becky Sharp Crawley, Vanity Fair
Most Recommended-to-Others:
North and South
The Makioka Sisters
Favorite New Authors Discovered:
Anne Bronte
Angela Thirkell
Ambitions for Year Two:
read at least ten classics
participate in a couple of readalongs
Finally, an unexpected bonus in joining the club, I have met many like-minded readers and discovered several excellent blogs. I'd say it's been a good year!
You're making great progress! I'm reading The Makioka Sisters right now and I love it! It's on my Classics Club list as well, and on my annual TBR Challenge list. I don't have any Barbara Pym on the list but I am planning to read more of her books in June.
ReplyDeleteKaren K. - So glad to hear you're loving The Makioka Sisters! I don't think I've ever read a book the so clearly illustrates the pull between old ways and modern Japan... such good book!
DeleteI joined the Classics Club, but rarely even look at my list any more. I need to revise it and start over because I don't like anything I chose last year! I think I'll put The Tenant of Wildfell Hall on the list - I've wanted to read it for a while.
ReplyDeleteAnbolyn - Since our tastes change over time, I think it's fine to have an evolving list of classics... that way there are always books I'm excited to read.
Delete11 off the list, that's awesome! I'm a big Anne Bronte fan after reading Agnes Grey so I am saving Wildfell Hall for when I get near the end of my list, I know it's going to be awesome so I want to save it!
ReplyDeleteSam - And that's exactly how I feel about Agnes Grey... I'm saving it for a treat!
DeleteCan't believe it's a year already. I decided to join it but couldn't make up my mind since I had other obligations,one of which was to dent by TBR books.
ReplyDeleteI still have a few classics (mainly English and American) on my shelf and will clear them.
Nana - I'm fortunate because many of my Classics Club selections are already on my TBR shelf!
DeleteYou're doing great! I haven't joined the Classics Club since I'm still tackling my list from Project Fill-in-the-Gaps. What I really like about C.C. is its openness and all the little read-alongs that are happening.
ReplyDeleteVasilly - Thanks! I'm having a great time with the CC readalongs and the recent "spin" game was fun, too.
DeleteSounds wonderful and I must say that you're certainly doing a great job on the list. I love your posts because I've been intrigued enough to add a few of these authors to my reading and audio list!!
ReplyDeleteStaci - I'm happy so many classics are available on audio... that sure pulled me through Vanity Fair!
DeleteAdding my congratulations on your first year's progress! There's some definite overlap in our readings, even though I haven't joined the club - and of course I owe my introduction to the Makioka Sisters to you!
ReplyDeleteLisa May - The Makioka Sisters is such a wonderful book! My mother loved it, too. I keep meaning to investigate Tanizaki's other work.
DeleteWay to go!! I wish I liked the classics better, but more often than not, I'm disappointed. That said, I'm eager to give Angela Thirkell a try.
ReplyDeleteLes - High Rising reminded me of Barbara Pym (minus the clergy) - a real winner!
DeleteYou have made great progress. I love the variety.
ReplyDeleteDiane - Thanks, there really is a little bit of everything here.
DeleteI love how the Classics Club has encouraged me to get to some of the most intimidating books on my list. You're doing awesome!
ReplyDeleteMelissa - Same here. Your read-along was definitely a highlight :-)
DeleteI don't know why I haven't signed up for this yet...I better before I get all my 2013 classics done!
ReplyDeleteI really like Margaret Hale too--amazingly, there are many who don't like her.
JaneGS - I thought you were already signed up! You really should - lots of great readalongs/activities. How can people not appreciate Margaret Hale??
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ReplyDeleteI have flirted with the idea of signing up for a long time. Just can't seem to commit. I'm marking this post so that when I look at it again I may break down and decide to give it a try!
ReplyDeleteDorian was very dark and not at all what I expected either, but I thought it was okay.
Stacybuckeye - I can see myself rereading Dorian Gray at some point... and I'll know what to expect next time. Hope you decided to join the Classics Club!
DeleteYou're doing much better with your list than I'm doing with mine! I'm so distracted by shiny new books and readalongs.
ReplyDeleteLisa - I know all about distractions and readalongs! My numbers ended up being higher than I expected thanks to the Vanity Fair group read and a short classics spin book.
Deletenice way to recap your classics in the year. I'll have to remember to do something like this when I get to that point!
ReplyDeleteHere's my Classics Club book list if you'd like to stop by.