Sunday, December 30, 2012

Clarissa Group Read: The End


It all began with a simple twitter conversation. Sometime last December, Terri tweeted that she was going to read Clarissa. I responded with encouragement and interest. One thing lead to another. Soon we were a group of two dozen readers with a plan to read the 537 letters (roughly 1500 pages) on their corresponding dates  between January 10 and December 18.

Terri and I never expected such an enthusiastic response to our project. I also never dreamed Samuel Richardson could be so long-winded!  Early comments from the group focused on adjusting to the 18th century language, women's lives in the 1700's, and Richardson's obvious need of an editor, but soon we were all involved in Clarissa's plight. And then...

Nothing... happened... for weeks.

Most of us fell behind in our reading. Some abandoned it altogether. I got as far as the May letters (around page 600), but a small group persevered to the end.

Please join us in congratulating:

Cat - Tell Me A Story
Christina - The Literary Bunny- (final post)
Lindsey - Sparks' Notes
Helen - She Reads Novels
Charlotte - Charlotte Reads Classics (final post)


Let me know if I've missed anyone. Also, if you include a link to your final post in the comments, I will add it here. 

Failing to complete my own project is an embarrassment, but I'm happy for the new friends and wonderful blogs I discovered in the process.  I will return to Clarissa eventually, but with a different approach - it will get my undivided attention. Reading Clarissa was always enjoyable, yet always a struggle to pick up after even short break.

So what's next? If you're up for another year-long group read, Amy and Iris are tackling War and Peace. I need a little break.

Terri and I thank you all for reading along with us this year.







6 comments:

  1. *applauds every single one of you!*

    I thought this was a very brave project. I think I might have mentioned at the beginning that I was joining, but I don't think I ever even actually started. I can imagine it must be weird not to finish your own project, but as you say you will be returning to Clarissa, so at least you won't have read those 600 pages in vain (and even if you abandon it it won't be in vain exactly).

    Thank you for mentioning our group read. I certainly hope it will be easier than Clarissa.

    Oh, and a very happy 2013!

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  2. Congratulations to the ones who finished!!

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  3. For all those who completed the challenge, I say: Way to go!! I'm sorry I didn't make it in 2012. I'll try again in 2013.

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  4. It was quite an experience to read Clarissa - and apparently, I'm extremely stubborn so I finished it... I have yet to write my final post but here's a link to my post about the last few months, a very short post, I just want to be done with this book!!! http://christinarosendahl.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/the-final-months-of-clarissa/

    ReplyDelete
  5. It was quite an experience to read Clarissa - and apparently, I'm extremely stubborn so I finished it... I have yet to write my final post but here's a link to my post about the last few months, a very short post, I just want to be done with this book!!! http://christinarosendahl.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/the-final-months-of-clarissa/

    ReplyDelete

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