Nothing like a Classics Spin to get me out of a blogging slump -- I'm down to only sixteen books on my Classics Club list! This made signing up for the latest Classics Spin really easy. Next Monday, I'll be assigned a book from this list based on a random number assigned by the Classics Club. Here's my list:
1. The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens
2. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
3. Armadale by Wilkie Collins
4. New Grub Street by George Gissing
5. Sylvia's Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell
6. The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas
7. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
8. The Four Feathers by A. E. W. Mason
9. No Name by Wilkie Collins
10. Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
11. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
12. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
13. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
14. One of Ours by Willa Cather
15. A Dance to the Music of Time (First Movement) by Anthony Powell
16. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
And to make it an even 20, I'm repeating four books:
17. The Four Feathers by A. E. W. Mason
18. New Grub Street by George Gissing
19. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
20. No Name by Wilkie Collins
I'm really hoping for Hardy, Collins, or maybe Anthony Powell. New Grub Street sounds interesting too. Which books should I be dreading? And is anyone else signing up for the next Classics Spin? What books are you hoping for?
Updated: My lucky spin number was 5, so I'll be reading Sylvia's Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell! Very happy with my spin pick!
18. New Grub Street by George Gissing
19. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
20. No Name by Wilkie Collins
I'm really hoping for Hardy, Collins, or maybe Anthony Powell. New Grub Street sounds interesting too. Which books should I be dreading? And is anyone else signing up for the next Classics Spin? What books are you hoping for?
Updated: My lucky spin number was 5, so I'll be reading Sylvia's Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell! Very happy with my spin pick!
I loved The Hunchback of Notre Dame, probably my favourite Victor Hugo novel. I also want to read A Dance to the Music of Time.
ReplyDeleteMy list: http://thereadingarmchair.blogspot.gr/2015/08/the-classics-club-spin-10.html
I've never read Hugo and I also have Les Miserables on my TBR shelves, which I think will be my long read for next summer. I'm a little intimidated by Hunchback and I think it's just the subject. Many people love it so fingers crossed!
DeleteI haven't read any of these, so I don't know if you should dread any of them. :) My vote goes to Willa Cather. I love her writing. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI've loved much of the Willa Cather that I've read, though I seem to enjoy her midwestern books most. I also have Alexander's Bridge and Lucy Gayheart on my shelves which I will probably add to my NEXT Classics Club list, after I finish the final 16.
DeleteI've always enjoyed Henry James, but I haven't read Portrait of a Lady. Awesome that you're so close to being done your list. I have years to go still. Good luck on Monday!
ReplyDeleteI've only read Daisy Miller, which was OK, and Turn of the Screw, which I disliked intensely. Portrait of a Lady is rather daunting because of the length. And because it's Henry James!
DeleteArmadale! I just read it and it was quite a trip. I want to read No Name next. Nothing on your list seems terribly dreadful. One Of Ours is not my favorite Cather, but I'll read anything she writes.
ReplyDeleteI'm really hoping for Collins because I haven't read anything by him in forever! If I don't get one or the other I'll probably read No Name anyhow.
DeleteThat's a list of lovely possibilities. I'd pick the two Wilkie Collins books as particular favourites, and Sylvia's Lovers as the book I'd most want to read.
ReplyDeleteI read Mary Barton this year and I think I'd really like to read Sylvia's Lovers.
DeleteHugo, scary! But I'd love to read The Man in the Iron Mask. I will sometime.
ReplyDeleteI finally read The Count of Monte Cristo this year so I don't think I'd mind more Dumas.
DeleteYeah, I did a year or two ago and it was great. More Dumas is good!
DeleteWhat a great list! I love Armadale and No Name and I also enjoyed The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Sylvia's Lovers and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (despite it being unfinished). Good luck on Monday.
ReplyDeleteI finally read Pickwick this year and so I'd really like to cross Edwin Drood off and have completed ALL of Dickens' novels!
DeleteI keep adding books so even if I read and read my list never seems to diminish.
ReplyDeleteI'm just sworn not to add anything more to THAT list, but I do have a SECOND list started!
DeleteNo Name is wonderful. A typical Collins page turner with lots of great social commentary woven into it.
ReplyDeleteI'm really hoping for Wilkie Collins this time around!
DeleteI quite liked New Grub Street ....... it's not stunning but definitely a solid book and worth reading. I have to start to actually put Hardy on my list. I tend to avoid him because he's so depressing but I've heard that his writing is good, so I have to stop that! :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a great spin, Karen!
Thanks! I was really put off by Hardy after Tess of the D'Urbervilles, but I really loved Far From the Madding Crowd (though I do admit I saw the movie first). I've heard great things about Return of the Native so I want to try again.
DeleteI'm hoping for Hardy too - one of my favourite authors. I was surprised by how much I liked The Mystery of Edwin Drood, even though it's not finished! And I loved Lark Rise to Candleford when I read it some years ago. You can't go wrong though which ever one is picked.
ReplyDeleteI keep putting off Lark Rise, so that's encouraging. It's rather long and it looks kind of slow, so I shouldn't jump to conclusions -- I've never seen the TV series but I know many people love it.
DeleteI think you'll really enjoy Sylvia's Lovers.
ReplyDelete