I haven't participated in a challenge for ages but, for some reason, Karen's Back to the Classics Challenge called out to me right now. I have many unread classics on my TBR and I would love to get through a few of them next year!
Here are books I might read in each of the 12 categories:
1. A 19th century classic - any book published between 1800 and 1899.
Our Mutual Friend (Charles Dickens, 1865)
2. A 20th century classic - any book published between 1900 and 1968.
One of Ours (Willa Cather, 1922)
3. A classic by a woman author.
The Linwoods (Catharine Maria Sedgwick, 1835)
4. A classic in translation. Any book originally written published in a language other than your native language.
The Ladies' Paradise (Émile Zola, 1883, French)
5. A children's classic.
Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson, 1883)
6. A classic crime story, fiction or non-fiction.
The Leavenworth Case (Anna Katherine Green, 1878)
7. A classic travel or journey narrative, fiction or non-fiction. The journey itself must be the major plot point -- not just the destination.
Three Men on the Bummel (Jerome K. Jerome, 1900)
8. A classic with a single-word title.
Emma (Jane Austen, 1816)
9. A classic with a color in the title.
The Red House Mystery (A.A. Milne, 1922)
10. A classic by an author that's new to you.
Lud-in-the-Mist (Hope Mirrlees, 1926)
11. A classic that scares you.
To the Lighthouse (Virginia Wolfe, 1927)
12. Re-read a favorite classic.
David Copperfield (Charles Dickens, 1846)
Well, I've ended up with two Dickens on here but that may change. Otherwise, I'm excited by this list. Half of the authors are women and that's great! I'm going to pull these books and put them together on my TBR and try to get to them earlier in the year. I was already planning on Our Mutual Friend and The Linwoods in January so I'm hopeful that I will make good progress.
Reading the past,
K
Great list! I love, love, love Three Men in a Boat so I'm always happy to see it on a reading list. One of Ours is also wonderful. And Zola! I'm probably reading A Love Story which is Rougon-Macquart #8 (though I also own three others). The Ladies' Paradise is a good one, and I also enjoyed Pot-Bouille which comes just before it and has one of the same characters. You don't have to read them in order, though, each book stands on its own. I hope you like it!
ReplyDeleteI hope I will too! This will be my first Zola but hopefully not my last. :)
DeleteAlways always yes to V. Woolf! I bet the Copperfield re-read is going to be a lot of fun. That book, as intimidating in length as it is, goes by pretty quickly.
ReplyDelete(It's the copy you gave me of V. Woolf!) And I adore Copperfield but haven't gotten to it in years and I miss it. It has my favorite first line.
DeleteI hope you love Lud-in-the-Mist - one of my favorite fantasies!
ReplyDeleteI'm really excited to finally read it!
DeleteYes, we are reading a few of the same, and you have some of my favorites on your list. I reread Treasure Island a year or so ago and loved it all over again and Copperfield is a personal favorite. Happy classics reading!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Same to you!
Delete