It's time for another classics spin!! I participated in the first two Spins and wound up liking both of the selections -- The Mystery of Mrs. Blencarrow and Lady Chatterley's Lover. So, naturally I've signed up for this mini-challenge again. On Monday, the Classics Club will choose a number from one to twenty. I've made a list of twenty books from my Classics Club list and whichever number comes up determines the selection from the following list. On October 1, I'll post about my selection. So here are my choices:
Five really long books:
1. No Name by Wilkie Collins
2. Miss Marjoribanks by Mrs. Oliphant
3. He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope
4. Orley Farm by Anthony Trollope
5. A Dance to the Music of Time (First Movement) by Anthony Powell
Five books I really want to read:
6. The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West
7. Twilight Sleep by Edith Wharton
8. Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck
9. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
10. Rachel Ray by Anthony Trollope
Five books I'm neutral about:
11. The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
12. Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert
13. Bel-Ami by Guy de Maupassant
14. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
15. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
Five books that are on the bottom of the TBR list:
16. New Grub Street by George Gissing
17. The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
18. The Four Feathers by A. E. W. Mason
19. Sylvia's Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell
20. Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
I'm making excellent progress on my Classics Club list -- of the 75, I've already finished 32, so I'm nearly halfway there. I'm currently reading #33, The Good Soldier Svejk, and it's taking a long time, but I hope to finish at least 38 from the entire list by the end of the year.
Is anyone else signing up for the next Classics Club Spin? What's on your list? Are any of them on this list as well?
Updated: The Classics Spin came up with #4, so I'll be reading Orley Farm by Anthony Trollope. I'm happy because it's a Trollope (ten read, only 37 left to go), and because it's on my owned-and-unread shelf, but sadly, it's on the long side. How about your Classics Spin selection? Happy or scared about it?
I'm not spinning, but I'm so enjoying seeing the different lists. Miss Marjoribanks may look long, but it's a fun, fast read. It was my introduction to Margaret Oliphant's books, and I fell hard for her. She reminds me of Trollope - who I'm glad to see on your lists in a major way :) And oh yes, He Knew He Was Right is a LONG book.
ReplyDeleteI still have six books by Trollope on the list -- I've read four this year which is pretty good progress, I hope to read all 47 someday. So many of them are doorstoppers!! I'm looking forward to Mrs. Oliphant, I hope I get that one.
DeleteThis is a great list--there are so many here that I don't know. I hope you get a chance to read one that you're really looking forward to.
ReplyDeleteThanks!! On previous spins I got one I was neutral about and one I was dreading, and both were good. So the odds are in my favor!
DeleteHi Karen, I see you have lots of Trollope on your list. I love Trollope! I am in the midst of Castle Richmond right now and if you haven't read it yet I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteI love Trollope and someday I hope to finish all the books -- I think I've finished ten. Last time I had all Trollopes for the free choice but the number was from the "books I've been dreading" pile. It was okay though.
Delete32 out of 75 certainly is great progress!
ReplyDeleteI hope you like whatever book you get this time as much as the previous two.
I hope so!! And I hope it's a short one, right now I'm in the middle of Schwejk which is 750 pages and it's kind of dragging. I could use a short classic right now!
DeleteYou're almost halfway done--great job and great reading! I read Main Street forever ago in college and was completely ambivalent about it, so I was interested to see you are eager to read it. It's never been on my reread list, so I'll be interested to read your review when you do read it to find out your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI like Sylvia's Lovers quite a bit--I loved visiting Whitby, where it takes place, and the historical aspect was very interesting, along with the characters. It's sort of a mini-Moby Dick with regards to whaling :)
May the spin deliver a wonderful book for you.
I think I just want to read Main Street because it's about a librarian!! Plus I feel like I need to read more American authors -- so many of the books on my list are British, I think 45 out of 75!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm hesitant about Sylvia's Lovers because I've heard there's a lot of dialect, which I sometimes find challenging. Maybe if I like it I'll be less afraid to tackle Moby-Dick!
I really liked Main Street. Plus, when you have read it, it will do double duty since it is also on the Modern Library 20th century list.
DeleteCongrats on being so far along through your list! I've only read two of your spin list, Main Street and Moby Dick, and recall being pleasantly surprised by both. I'm off to check out some of the books on your list that I'm not familiar with!
ReplyDeleteIt seems people either love or hate Moby-Dick, so I'm hoping I wind up loving it. If it doesn't come up as my spin selection, I'm going to put it on my TBR Pile Challenge list for next year, so I'll be reading it sooner or later.
DeleteI like how you had all women writers on your list. I don't have enough women to do an entire list of 20, but next time around I'm going to make up more interesting categories.
Good luck with your spin list! :) I decided to give it another go as well, even though I failed the first 2 times.
ReplyDeleteOoh!! Can't wait to see what's on your list!
DeleteGood luck with the spin - some great titles there that I want to read someday. No Name is the only one I also have on mine.
ReplyDeleteI hope I get Wilkie Collins! I've only read The Moonstone and The Woman in White. Of the Victorian authors, I've mostly read Dickens, Trollope and the Brontes so I'd like to expand a little.
DeleteThe Return of the Soldier is a brilliant novella - I'm a bit of a Rebecca West fan! I'm interested in The Edwardians, would like to read your review if you select it. Sweet Thursday is fabulous, too.
ReplyDeleteWe have some authors in common - West, Gissing, Trollope and Flaubert but different books. I'd love you to get 1 or 11, both of which I loved, but I hope that whatever number comes up brings you a book to love.
ReplyDeleteJust saw the number -- looks like another Trollope for you :) So many of your books are new to me. I am looking forward to your reviews!
ReplyDeleteTrollope is high on my list of priorities but I want to read his books in order. Good luck with Orley Farm! I got Zola's Nana, which I've never read. Zola and I aren't exactly friends but the premise of Nana is exciting and I'm eager to try it.
ReplyDeleteHey, Karen - I've been looking all over for your email address, but can't seem to find it. Can you shoot me an email. This is about the TBR Pile Challenge Check-In for August. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
-Adam
(roofbeamreader-at-gmail-dot-com)
I enjoyed The Old Curiosity Shop more than I thought I would. You'll probably like it, too.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love everything about your blog! I am about to peruse more of the lists. I of course started with your "favorites," many of which I love too (Wallace was almost a "Zora" because of And Their Eyes Were Watching God.
ReplyDelete