October 2011 BOTM: Nominations

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Fri August 12th, 2011, 3:07 am

This month's theme is classic literature. This includes both novels that were written as historical fiction (e.g., A Tale of Two Cities) and those that weren't (e.g., Pride and Prejudice). We'll be purely arbitrary and confine nominations to classics that were published before 1940. Nominations close August 15.

P.S. Since we all have lots of books to read, it's probably unrealistic to have War and Peace or Clarissa for the BOTM. Try to limit nominations to short and medium-sized classics.

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Fri August 12th, 2011, 3:35 am

Great choice! I nominate Don Quixote--it's short, it's funny, and if you haven't read it yet, you should. Idioms from the story, like 'tilting at windmills' have become part of the culture--which is much more surprising than Shakespeare, when you consider that Cervantes wrote in Spanish!

Oh, and an added plus, it's not set in England.

Amanda · Post by **Amanda** » Fri August 12th, 2011, 3:35 am

I'll nominate Tess of the d'Urbevilles by Thomas Hardy.

I watched the BBC versions with Gemma Atherton and loved it, so read the book too. He writes beautiful descriptions of the countryside......

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Fri August 12th, 2011, 4:21 am

Any cool halloweenish tales. I'm drawing a blank.

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Fri August 12th, 2011, 6:20 am

Divia, how could you have forgotten Washington Irvings's Legend of Sleepy Hollow? or Rip Van Winkle, for that matter? Although those aren't really long enough to be books.
Didn't the Scarlet Letter have a scene with the devil in it?

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Fri August 12th, 2011, 8:57 am

If you'd like some Gothic, how about Lady Audley's Secret? Can't believe we're discussing Halloween!

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Fri August 12th, 2011, 10:27 am

How about The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins?

The Woman in White famously opens with Walter Hartright's eerie encounter on a moonlit London road. Engaged as a drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie, Walter is drawn into the sinister intrigues of Sir Percival Glyde and his 'charming' friend Count Fosco, who has a taste for white mice, vanilla bonbons and poison. Pursuing questions of identity and insanity along the paths and corridors of English country houses and the madhouse, The Woman in White is the first and most influential of the Victorian genre that combined Gothic horror with psychological realism.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Fri August 12th, 2011, 10:57 am

Oh great choice, Vanessa, it's a fab book!

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Fri August 12th, 2011, 11:51 am

[quote=""Madeleine""]If you'd like some Gothic, how about Lady Audley's Secret? Can't believe we're discussing Halloween![/quote]

I enjoyed Lady Audley a lot. I've got a bunch of TBR free classics on the kindle. Be back later with a nomination from among them.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Fri August 12th, 2011, 12:32 pm

If you want literature and spooky: Frankenstein or Dracula.