Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Classics I Want to Read


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's actual topic involves other types of stories (movies, television shows, etc.), but I'm going rogue again. After last week's list of my ten favorite classics, I can't resist following up with those at the top of my TBR (to be read) list.

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope (or maybe Barchester Towers)
Melissa and Amanda's project has me itching to read more Trollope.


Imperial Woman by Pearl S. Buck
Loaded on my kindle and ready to go, I hope to read it this summer.


Villette by Charlotte Brontë 
It's definitely time to read another Bronte sister novel


Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 
...the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation, please


Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
...because I loved North and South


Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton
More of a novella, I have a copy on my shelf

Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty
I learned from The Optimist's Daughter that I love Welty's writing.


An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
I should have read this novel based on a local story ages ago.


suggested by Les because she knows how much I love Willa Cather


The Belly of Paris by Emile Zola (or maybe Germinal)
Therese Raquin and The Ladies Paradise left me wanting more Zola.

As always, tomorrow's list could be totally different, but I'm tempted to make this a fall of classics.

Which classics do you want to read right now?

38 comments:

  1. I liked North and South, but loved Wives and Daughters! And beware of starting Barchester Towers, because it is very hard not to keep going.... I've read no. 4, no. 1, no. 2 (in that order), need to read no. 3 next, then no. 4 again, because I loved it...

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    1. Audrey - I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I've made it this long without reading C&P! Will definitely read it for the Classics Club. Seriously thinking about having fun with summer reads and then tackling some classics in the fall. We'll see...

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  2. Impressive list. I haven't read a single one of them.

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    1. Kathy - Me neither. I don't think most of them are all that well-known.

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  3. Yay for Zola! And also Trollope - Barchester Towers is a great novel. I don't think I liked The Way We Live Now that much, but I'm wondering if I've confused it with something else...

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    1. O - I can't wait to get back to Zola! As for Trollope, I have a bookmark from 7 or 8 years ago in the middle of The Way We Live now, so I'll need to start that one over again. The Warden was just an okay read for me and I'm wondering if I should skim it before beginning Barchester Towers.

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  4. Interesting list. I read Crime and Punishment in high school but didn't get all that much out of it. I really need to read more of the Bronte sisters' books. There's so many books on here that I haven't read that I need to add to my list. You're great on the classics!

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    1. Katherine - I loved classics even when I was in high school and college, but took so many science classes back then that I never had a chance to read much. I'm making up for lost time now ;-)

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  5. Villette is on my list, as is Anthony Trollope.

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    1. Heidi - I hope we can both get to the soon :)

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    1. Marianne - I'm glad to hear that! I have a hard copy and an ebook ready to go.

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  7. Villette, An American Tragedy, and more books by Elizabeth Gaskell are at the tippy top of my want-to-read list, too. I loved Sister Carrie when I read it several years ago. I need to add American Tragedy to my actual TBR. Or maybe Oyster has it. Hmmm.

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    1. Andi - I couldn't decide whether to include An American Tragedy or Sister Carrie, but went with the former because of the local story. Glad to know you loved Sister Carrie.

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  8. I'm surprised at how many of these titles are unfamiliar to me! For shame Trish! Though Villette is one that I keep hearing about and would really love to read. I've been making fairly terrible progress on my classics list lately. :-/

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    1. Trish - I've only read a couple of classics this year, but plan to get busy in September!

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  9. I'm so glad you went rogue. I love this list. I haven't read one thing on it - which is great! I want to start with Giants in the Earth because I too love Cather. Plus, I lived for so many years in that part of the country. Thanks, JoAnn, for sharing your list.

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    1. Margot - I was vaguely aware of Giants in the Earth before Les mentioned it, but never considered reading it. Now I'm really excited about it!

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  10. Love this post. First of all, the idea of a "fall of classics" warms my heart. Fall is my favorite season and I always intend to read more classics, and never read enough of them. Second, your list has give me some good ideas. I want to read the Edith Wharton since I am on a Wharton kick right now. Also the Elizabeth Gaskell. I have North and South on my night stand and have been avoiding it. Will now make it my next book. And I read Vilette a long time ago and highly recommend it. Enjoy!

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    1. Sunday - Fall is my favorite season, too! I've been reading a so many new releases lately that I am longing for older works and a classics fall might be just the thing. I loved North and South... made it a read/listen combination last year and then followed up with the miniseries. What a memorable experience that was... watched it with my daughter in NYC as she recovered from the NYC triathlon! So glad to have your recommendation for Villette. Can't wait to read it.

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  11. I commend you! The last classic I read was East of Eden...I thought it was fine, but a bit slow.

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    1. Sarah - I really love classics, but seem to be reading mostly new releases this year. I'm not even sure how that happened, but am looking forward to adding more classics to the mix again.

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  12. Several here that I haven't read but which look interesting. I need to read more American classics.
    Do read Germinal - brilliant!

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    1. Cat - I'm actually more interested in Germinal, but have a copy of The Belly of Paris on my shelf. That's never stopped me from buying new books before though ;-)

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  13. Of Human Bondage and Silas Marner are on my TBR shelf. I read Giants of the Earth last year. Had heard about it for years from my Norwegian friends. Also, the author had taught at my father's college, St. Olaf. Interesting read. I don't think I will forget it.

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    1. Midlife Roadtripper - Of Human Bondage is on my shelf, too, but I read Silas Marner about ten years ago and didn't like it much. I'm very curious about Giants in the Earth.

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  14. I read Delta Wedding many years ago but it just did not do it for me. I so wanted to like it and I'm sure I'll read more of Welty. Might have just been the wrong time for that particular book.

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    1. Lisa - Hmm, that's not very encouraging, but I did love the writing in The Optimist's Daughter so I'll give it a shot!

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  15. An American Tragedy is a great book. Well, I guess it is great, but what I meant is that I really enjoyed it.

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    1. Thomas - I'm so glad to know you enjoyed An American Tragedy! Sister Carrie is on my list, too, but the local element of AT makes me want to start there.

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  16. I'm definitely reading An Americdn Tragedy this year! We 'll have to compare notes.

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  17. I've read 7/10 on your list - I was so pleased to see Trollope, Zola, and Wharton, three of my favorites! I loved The Belly of Paris, it was my first Zola -- lots of great food descriptions. I also loved The Way We Live Now. It's long, but SO worth it!! And it's a stand-alone -- when you start the Barchester series, you'll have to read the whole thing (though Barchester Towers was my favorite). Now I have to think about my own list. . .

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    1. Karen K. - I really want to read Barchester Towers, but am a little nervous about the series aspect ;-)

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  18. I haven't read any of these but I did buy Vilette a few years ago. Still unread :(

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    1. Stacy - Vilette has been on my chef for quite a few years, too!

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  19. I liked Bunner Sisters, it was a quick read. Guess what? I've never heard of that Charlotte Bronte novel! Will need to check that out.

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    1. Melinda - I learned about The Tenant of Wildfell Hall from other book bloggers. I'd never heard of it either, but thought it was great!

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