I didn't even think about it until Beth at Bookworm Meets Bookworm posted her check-in, but today is the half-way point for the Back to the Classics Challenge hosted by Sarah at Sarah Reads Too Much (if you are sticking to the original end date of June 30th, like I am).
Finished: 4 of 8 books
A banned book: Lady Chatterley's Lover, D. H. Lawrence (1928)
A Pulitzer Prize winner in Fiction: The Old Man and The Sea, Ernest Hemingway (1951)
19th Century classic: The Age of Innocence (book one) (book two), Edith Wharton (1920)
20th Century classic: The Bridge of San Luis Rey, Thorton Wilder (1927)
In reviewing these titles I realized that I failed to actually chose a 19th century classic for the 19th century classic category. I don't really know what happened there, and I'm not sure why no one pointed it out to me when I posted my Classics Challenge breakdown. So, I'm going to scratch The Age of Innocence from my list (sigh) and seek out an actual 19th century classic. I'm thinking Thérèse Raquin by Zola since I've already got it on my shelf.
Of the four classics I have read so far, my favorite one was Lady Chatterley's Lover. It's fantastic and I plan on incorporating more D.H. Lawrence into my reading diet.
The other 4 (or now 5) titles I've got left to read:
A book with a wartime setting: Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
A children's classic: Little Women, Louisa May Alcott (1868)
A 19th century classic (grrrrr...): tentatively Thérèse Raquin, Émile Zola (1867)
A book I think should be considered a 21st century classic: Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides (2002)
A reread from highschool/college: The Awakening, Kate Chopin (1899)
If anyone sees any discrepancies in the titles I've yet to read, please let me know!
Now that the deadline has been extended I want to jump in!! The 6 month timeline kinda freaked me out at first!! I read Lady Chatterley's Lover for the first time in high school...and loved it then. Not sure why...since at that point in my life I wouldn't have had very much life experience to base it on ;) I think I'm going to read that one again and see what my 42 year old self thinks ;)
ReplyDeleteI didn't even notice that book wasn't 19th c., i think because I used it for my Pulitzer Prize winner!
ReplyDeletePeppermint, You should jump in! It's a good one.
ReplyDeleteSarah, I can't believe I didn't notice sooner! My own fault.
I feel bad because I didn't notice it either when you said you were going to do it when we planned the read-along. I just read The Awakening for my fem. book group, and picked up so much I had missed when I read it the first time. I'm anxious to see what you think of Middlesex. Looks like you're doing great.
ReplyDeleteBeth, It's ok it's not your fault! I think I thought going into it that it was written in the 19th century because Edith Wharton has that older style prose. I just never verified it and then must have forgotten which category I had it under when I finally got around to reading it. Not a big deal, as I did enjoy the book very much anyhow!
ReplyDeleteWell done :-) Like your choices. I have read two so far and are half-way in two of the others so getting there slowly but surely :-)
ReplyDeleteWilla, Sounds like you are in good shape!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the rest of the books. I love Little Women, although the ending was a little frustrating, and The Awakening. :)
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