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Classics to Read

Carla
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Post by Carla » Wed April 21st, 2010, 5:50 pm

[quote=""boswellbaxter""]I think Under the Greenwood Tree is more upbeat than the others, but I've never read it. Jude the Obscure is definitely in the depressing category.

My own favorite classic authors are Dickens, Austen, Charlotte Bronte, and Elizabeth Gaskell.[/quote]

I read Under the Greenwood Tree a while back, and it's definitely a lot less depressing than most of Hardy's output. Far From the Madding Crowd is another that's not too grim. Tess, Jude and The Mayor of Casterbridge seem to be tragedy piled upon tragedy - definitely not for the faint-hearted.
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Nefret
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Post by Nefret » Thu April 22nd, 2010, 5:16 am

[quote=""boswellbaxter""]

My own favorite classic authors are Dickens, Austen, Charlotte Bronte, and Elizabeth Gaskell.[/quote]

I'm trying to read as many Dickens novels as I can. So far, 3 down, and 4 (that I own) to go. And I have all of the Austen novels now. As for Charlotte Bronte, I have Jane Eyre and Villiet.

It's getting hard to decide the order in which to read them. Wish I could read them all at once.
Last edited by Nefret on Thu April 22nd, 2010, 5:28 am, edited 1 time in total.
Into battle we ride with Gods by our side
We are strong and not afraid to die
We have an urge to kill and our lust for blood has to be fulfilled
WE´LL FIGHT TILL THE END! And send our enemies straight to Hell!
- "Into Battle"
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Vanessa
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Interest in HF: The first historical novel I read was Katherine by Anya Seton and this sparked off my interest in this genre.
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Post by Vanessa » Thu April 22nd, 2010, 8:14 am

I loved Jane Eyre - it's still one of my favourite books.
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sweetpotatoboy
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Post by sweetpotatoboy » Thu April 22nd, 2010, 8:43 am

I have to admit to feeling somewhat uncomfortable with lumping all 'classics' together under one sole discussion.

Given that all it means is that they are books written before the current era, books falling into this category span many centuries, many genres and countless authors.

On the question of whether classics can be counted as historical fiction, I would class them as such only if they were a historical novel when they were first written and published. The time passing since their publication doesn't by itself transform them into historical fiction - for me at least. (But I'm sure we've had this discussion before.)

Having said that, my favourite English-language 'classical' authors are Trollope and Thackeray. Thackeray in fact wrote two of my favourite historical novels: The History of Henry Esmond and its sequel The Virginians.

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cw gortner
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Post by cw gortner » Mon May 10th, 2010, 6:52 pm

I agree with you, SweetPotato Boy; it's historical if it was set in the past at the time it was published.

I've read far less Dickens than I'll ever feel comfortable admitting; that said, I do love Bleak House and David Copperfield. I'm not a big Austen fan; I like the movies based on her books more - I know, it's terrible; I can hear the gasps! - but I am a Bronte nut, particularly for Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.

I also adore Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo being my all-time favorite classic novel.

Though she's a 20th-century writer, I'd consider Daphne du Maurier a classic; few writers have equaled her ability to transcend genre and create such defining stories. My Cousin Rachel and The Glassbowers are my favorites of hers.
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Nefret
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Post by Nefret » Mon May 10th, 2010, 7:09 pm

Should we have classic sub-categories or something? How should those be set up then?

I really liked Jane Eyre. I've got a few more Dickens novels I want to read. Among many others waiting on my shelf.
Into battle we ride with Gods by our side
We are strong and not afraid to die
We have an urge to kill and our lust for blood has to be fulfilled
WE´LL FIGHT TILL THE END! And send our enemies straight to Hell!
- "Into Battle"
{Ensiferum}

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boswellbaxter
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Post by boswellbaxter » Mon May 10th, 2010, 7:24 pm

[quote=""Nefret""]Should we have classic sub-categories or something? How should those be set up then?

I really liked Jane Eyre. I've got a few more Dickens novels I want to read. Among many others waiting on my shelf.[/quote]

If anyone wants to discuss a particular classic book or author, just start a thread here under "Classics." We lump these books together merely because the board is primarily for discussions of historical fiction, but if there were sufficient posts on the classics section to justify the creation of additional subcategories, we could do so.
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LoveHistory
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Post by LoveHistory » Mon May 10th, 2010, 11:54 pm

Here's a well-guarded secret: you can like both Austen and the Brontes.

You can also like both Austen and Mark Twain, who once famously remarked that he would call any library a good one that did not include any books by Jane Austen, even if it contained no other books.

I can see liking the movies better. They're easier to get into. Though you lose a great deal of the satire of Northanger Abbey by putting it on film. And Mansfield Park still hasn't been done right.

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Nefret
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Post by Nefret » Tue May 11th, 2010, 12:52 am

[quote=""LoveHistory""]Here's a well-guarded secret: you can like both Austen and the Brontes.

You can also like both Austen and Mark Twain, who once famously remarked that he would call any library a good one that did not include any books by Jane Austen, even if it contained no other books.

I can see liking the movies better. They're easier to get into. Though you lose a great deal of the satire of Northanger Abbey by putting it on film. And Mansfield Park still hasn't been done right.[/quote]

Oh, good. Since I do like both. Just for different reasons.

I have not read any Mark Twain since school.

Reading Pride and Prejudice did make me want to see the movie again. I still want to see the movie version of Emma as well.
Into battle we ride with Gods by our side
We are strong and not afraid to die
We have an urge to kill and our lust for blood has to be fulfilled
WE´LL FIGHT TILL THE END! And send our enemies straight to Hell!
- "Into Battle"
{Ensiferum}

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LoveHistory
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Post by LoveHistory » Tue May 11th, 2010, 3:21 pm

Which movie versions are you thinking of Nefret?

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