To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Pages: 323
Published: 2005 (first published 1960)
Genre: Literary Fiction, Classics
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up. (via Amazon.ca)

Thoughts:  I read this book this past summer because I wanted to have the storyline fresh in my mind when I read Go Set A Watchman.  It also didn't help that I hadn't read the book in over 20 years and the book had become fuzzy and couldn't quite remember when things happened in the book.  I suppose listening to the audiobook, which was narrated by Sissy Spacek, didn't hurt either.

Usually I find some little thing to nit-pick, even the ones that have a 4.5 rating, but  honestly there was nothing that came to my mind in regards to anything bad about the book.  I can see why why this book is considered to be a classic, even though it has only been about 55 years since its first publication.

Bottom line: I quite enjoyed this read and would recommend this book not only to readers, but also to non-readers as well.  Highly Recommended.

Rating: 5/5

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle

Title: A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet #1)
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Pages: 232
Published: 2007 (originally published 1963)
Genre: Science fiction, Fantasy, Classic, Middle-Grade
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Out of this wild night, a strange visitor comes to the Murry house and beckons Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O'Keefe on a most dangerous and extraordinary adventure - one that will threaten their lives and our universe. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I had heard a lot about how a lot of podcasters that I listen to liked this book as kids and thought I would give it a try.  To make it plain, this is probably something that should be read first as a kid, but each reader is different.  Basically I couldn't make heads over tails about what the book was trying to say.

Bottom line: Probably more ideal for middle grade readers that like science fiction or fantasy.  Recommended.

Rating: 2.75/5

All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque

Title: All Quiet on the Western Front
Author: Erich Maria Remarque; translated by A. W. Wheen
Pages: 296
Published: 1987 (originally published 1928)
Genre: Historical Fiction, War Fiction, Classics
Edition: Mass-Market Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: This is the testament of Paul Bäumer, who enlists with his classmates in the German army of World War I. These young men become enthusiastic soldiers, but their world of duty, culture, and progress breaks into pieces under the first bombardment in the trenches. 

Through years of vivid horror, Paul holds fast to a single vow: to fight against the hatred that meaninglessly pits young men of the same generation but different uniforms against one another... if only he can come out of the war alive. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: This was my book club's selection this past June and the third time that I have read the book.  It was interesting to read the book on my own for the first time (first two times I read the book were for course work; the first time was for my grade 12 English class and the second time was for a 100-level History course).  Overall, I liked the book, even though I had difficulty getting through the first half of the book.  

What I really liked was how Remarque used language to evoke what it was like to be in the those trenches a hundred years ago. My favourite scene was when Remarque described the fog rolling in, filling in where the shells had hit the ground.

Bottom line: While the book is fairly short, it a book packed with emotion and imagery, both bad and good.  It probably will leave the reader questioning the nature of warfare and wondering what it does to the soldier on both sides of a conflict.  Highly Recommended.

Rating: 4.75/5

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

Title: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie Bucket #1)
Author: Roald Dahl, Quentin Blake (illustrator)
Pages: 155
Published: 2007 (first published 1964)
Challenges: Classics Club, I Love Library
Genre: Children's, Classics, Fantasy
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Willy Wonka's famous chocolate factory is opening at last!

But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

Thoughts: I got this book because I hadn't read this book for quite sometime and also due to the controversial cover that was released in early August, 2014.

Personally, I thought that the book was okay, but what I liked about the book is that the messages that Roald Dahl put into the book are very timely and relevant even today's culture.

The message that spoke the most clearly to me was about Mike TeaVee and his addiction to TV, as he seem to find his creativity from something that doesn't allow for too much creativity.  The book is definitely quirky, but it is well-written and has a strong message to say for its readers.

Bottom line: While the book didn't move me as an adult, I can definitely see where children between Grades 3 and 5 can get something more out of the book; well, I suppose one hope that they do.  Highly Recommended.

Rating: 4.25/5

Pages for 2014: 24,172  

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson

Title: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
Pages (File Size): 224 (297 KB)
Published: 2013 (first published 1886)
Challenges: Classics, E-Book, R.I.P. IX
Genre: Classics, Gothic
Edition: E-book
Source: Personal

Description: When lawyer Gabriel John Utterson witnesses the odd behavior of a man named Edward Hyde, who uses cheques signed by Utterson’s friend Dr. Henry Jekyll, he decides to investigate the strange and violent man. Utterson soon discovers the horrible and incredible truth in the form of a letter written by Dr. Jekyll and left near the body of the late Mr. Hyde. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I got this book due to the fact that I had just read Under the Wide and Starry Sky.  While I enjoyed the book, I somehow lost the subtleties of the book due to the fact that I lost the story somewhere during between starting the book and getting to the final chapter.

Bottom line: While it was interesting to read Dr. Jekyll's rationalizations, I did find the book to be dry and a little too straightforward and didn't really find anything memorable about the book.  This book would be perfect for those that would like a spine-tingling tale that doesn't take very long.  Recommended.

Rating: 2.75/5

Pages for 2014: 24,017

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

Title: A Tale of Two Cities
Author: Charles Dickens
Pages: 489
Published: 2003 (first published 1859)
Challenges: The Classics Club, Chunkster, Historical Fiction, Blogger Summer Reading
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics, Literature
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal Library

Description: After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, the ageing Doctor Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There the lives of two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil roads of London, they are drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror, and they soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine. (from Goodreads)

Thoughts: I don't know why but this has become one of my favourite novels; I think it has partly to do with the historical detail, but it probably it is more likely due to the fact that Dickens uses language so well and allows the reader to be drawn into the story as much as possible.  So when a readalong was organized by a blogger that I follow, I had to definitely do it. 

One thing that I liked about the book is how Dickens draws the reader into the world that he creates in the days leading up to the French Revolution and even the one during; it also doesn't hurt that the book is a really good example of how detail can add to the overall story and how it has the ability to make the experience of reading that more enjoyable.

While the vast majority of the book is well done, I did find that the last little bit of the book a bit rushed, but I will give Dickens the benefit of the doubt on that one, as there is too much of the book is too well done that it would be nitpicking on a book that in all respects is well-written and has a lot of amazing detail in it.

Bottom line: Dickens does a really good job of describing London and Paris during the French Revolution, but also builds up the story so that one gets a pretty good build up to the events of the story.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5

Pages for 2014: 10150

The Mysteries of the Udolpho - Ann Radcliffe

Title: The Mysteries of the Udolpho
Author: Ann Radcliffe
Pages: 875
Published: 2010 (first published 1794)
Challenges: Blogger Summer Reading, Classics Club, Chunkster, Historical Fiction, I Love Libraries
Genre: Classics, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Literature
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Beautiful young heiress Emily St. Aubert is frightened when she finds herself orphaned and in the hands of her cold and distant aunt, Madame Cheron. But her fear turns to terror when Madame Cheron agrees to marry the haughty and brooding Signor Montoni, and she finds herself trapped in the castle of Udolpho, threatened by Montoni's terrible greed and haunted by the secrets of the medieval fortress. Will Emily find the strength to survive this place of nightmares? Or will Montoni and his wicked schemes destroy her completely? (from Goodreads)

Thoughts: Even though this was a book that I had wanted to read for sometime, I struggled with it.  While reading the book, I found that I really couldn't keep my interest with the book and found it to be a bit of a chore, even though at times I could get myself engrossed with the story.  I found it to be something that I read for long periods of time without figuring what was going on and all of a sudden I got interested in the story for a bit and the process would repeat itself.

Bottom line:  If you are a big fan of gothic-era books and large books that seem to go on for quite sometime and you can get lost in the world of the story, I would say that this is a book for you.  Recommended.

Rating: 3/5

Pages for 2014: 8768

Villette - Charlotte Brontë

Title: Villette
Author: Charlotte Brontë
Pages (File Size): 440 (917 KB)
Published: 2012 (originally published 1853)
Challenges: Ebook, The Classics Club, Outdo Yourself
Genre: Classics, Fiction
Edition: E-book
Source: Personal

Description: With neither friends nor family, Lucy Snowe sets sail from England to find employment in a girls’ boarding school in the small town of Villette. There she struggles to retain her self-possession in the face of unruly pupils, an initially suspicious headmaster, and her own complex feelings, first for the school’s English doctor and then for the dictatorial professor, Paul Emmanuel. Charlotte Brontë’s last and most autobiographical novel is a powerfully moving study of isolation and the pain of unrequited love, narrated by a heroine determined to preserve an independent spirit in the face of adverse circumstances. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I probably took too much time to read this book and should have completed the book in a quicker fashion and that influenced how I rated the book in the end.  But that being said, I did enjoy the book and is one that I would consider re-reading in the future to give myself a different perspective on the book.  

I do admit that my love of Jane Eyre did colour my view of this book and this is why I did read Villette; I wanted to say that I had read more than one Charlotte Brontë book.  

It definitely is a more mature read than Jane Eyre is and explores different things than what Jane Eyre, even though there are some similar themes in the two books, they explore them in different ways.  For example, they both deal with religion.  Whereas Jane Eyre deals with the balance between moral duty and earthly pleasure, Villette deals with the clashes between Lucy's Protestant background and Paul's Catholicism.

Even though Lucy and Jane seem to be around the same age at the start of the book, Lucy seems to be a more mature individual and more aware of what she wants and desires at the outset, while Jane seems to know what she wants and desires, its only when she leaves Thornfield Hall does she realize what she desires and wants.  And Villette seems to deal a little more on what it was like to be a teacher in a boarding school, whereas Jane Eyre deals more with governess aspects (although Anne's book, Agnes Grey, is much darker than Jane Eyre ever was).

Bottom line: If you have read any of Charlotte Brontë's other books and haven't read this one, I would recommend that you read it.  I will likely reread the book to get a better idea of the flow and also the French (that wasn't translated in my e-edition) that was spoken on a regular basis.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Pages for 2014: 696

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

Title: A Christmas Carol
Author: Charles Dickens
File size (Pages): 939 KB (104)
Published: 2010 (originally published 1843)
Challenges: Christmas Spirit, e-book, The Classics Club
Genre: Christmas, Classics, Fiction
Edition: E-book
Source: Personal

Description: The beloved holiday classic with illustrations by John Leech. A Christmas Carol is Dickens' haunting cautionary tale about Ebenezer Scrooge a miserly businessman who dismisses charity and holiday cheer with an icy "bah humbug!" One night Scrooge finds himself visited by the ghost of his late business partner Jacob Marley returned from the dead with a trio of spirits and a plea for his old friend Ebenezer to change his ways and open his heart to the true meaning of Christmas... before it's too late. (via kobobooks.com)

Thoughts: This is my second time reading this short Christmas novel.  And reading it the second time, I had new appreciation for the book.  Even though it is quite simple, it is also quite complex, in that I suppose we all have a bit of Scrooge in us and all need to be reminded from time to time we could easily become like him, due to our fallen nature.  And I suppose it is always a good reminder that being bitter and miserly does nobody any good.

While I did feel that the chapters were a little on the long side, Dickens did a masterful job in showing how we as humans beings can easily become like Mr. Scrooge and that bitterness from a number of events can leave us in a similar position.  It is truly a book that should be read by most people at some point.

Bottom line: It is a book that I would recommend that people read at least once in their lifetime, but I think fans of either novellas or Dickens would probably appreciate this book a bit more.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.75/5

Pages for 2013: 19, 559

The Good Earth - Pear S. Buck

Title: The Good Earth
Author: Pearl S. Buck
Pages: 357
Published: 2004 (first published 1931)
Challenges: The Classics Club, Historical Fiction, OfftheShelf, Embarrassment of Riches
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literary
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: This tells the poignant tale of a Chinese farmer and his family in old agrarian China. The humble Wang Lung glories in the soil he works, nurturing the land as it nurtures him and his family. Nearby, the nobles of the House of Hwang consider themselves above the land and its workers; but they will soon meet their own downfall.

Hard times come upon Wang Lung and his family when flood and drought force them to seek work in the city. The working people riot, breaking into the homes of the rich and forcing them to flee. When Wang Lung shows mercy to one noble and is rewarded, he begins to rise in the world, even as the House of Hwang falls.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: It took me at least until the half-way through the book to get into the book and to actually understand the point of the book and see its importance in the modern literary canon.  Its almost as though the land is a part of Wang Lung, no matter how poor or wealthy he becomes; as though he is a nurturer of the land around him and sees himself as a steward for the earth, treating it in a manner that is respectful and honourable.  The book, in a way, could be a morality story on how to treat the land, in that if one treats the land well and with respect, it will in turn treat you well and with respect; almost an early form of environmentalism before the term was being used frequently.

Bottom line: I would probably recommend this book that enjoy books by the likes of Steinbeck, Hemmingway, and Faulkner.  It has the same sort of epic and literary quality that one can find with those authors (yes, I have read at least one piece of each).  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2013: 17,120

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen

Title: Northanger Abbey
Author: Jane Austen
Pages 235
Published: 2003 (1818)
Challenges: The Classics Club, OfftheShelf, Embarrassment of Riches
Genre: Classics, Gothic, Literature
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal Library

Description: Catherine Morland, an unremarkable tomboy as a child, is thrown amongst all the 'difficulties and dangers' of Bath at the ripe age of seventeen. Armed with an unworldly charm and a vivid imagination, she must overcome the caprices of elegant society, encountering along the way such characters as the vacuous Mrs Allen, coquettish Isabella and the brash bully John Thorpe. Catherine's invitation to Northanger Abbey, in her eyes a haven of coffins, skeletons and other Gothic devices, does lead to an adventure, though one she didn't expect, and her misjudgement of the ambitious, somewhat villainous General Tilney is not wholly unjustified. However, with the aid of the 'unromantic' hero Henry Tilney, Catherine gradually progresses towards maturity and self-knowledge. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: Maybe it was due to the fact that I had read Sense & Sensibility not long before reading this one and the fact that I really I enjoyed that particular book or that I hit a reading funk just as I started the book, I don't know, but I just couldn't get into this particular Austen.  It kinda felt like it was an early book of hers (which upon further research it was actually one of the first that she completed) and probably therefore needs a re-read of the book before I make an overall judgment of the book (I have a bookclub meeting this coming spring that is focused on the book).  But in a way I can see the formula for her later and more beloved books being started.  That being said, it wasn't exactly my favourite and hence I struggled with the book, as it seemed choppy at times and her thoughts and concepts didn't feel as though they were coming from somebody like Jane Austen.  It was an enjoyable read and I will give it a re-read to formulate a more well-rounded opinion of the book. 

Bottom line: Like Mansfield Park and Persuasion, I would recommend the book to those that are more familiar with Jane Austen rather than those that aren't as familiar with her work. Recommended.

Rating: 3.5/5

Pages for 2013:  16,763

Agnes Grey - Anne Brontë

Title: Agnes Grey
Author: Anne Brontë
Pages (File Size): 110 pages (352 KB)
Published: 2004 (originally published 1847)
Challenges: E-book, The Classics Club
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Literature
Edition: E-book
Source: Personal

Description: When her family becomes impoverished after a disastrous financial speculation, Agnes Grey determines to find work as a governess in order to contribute to their meagre income and assert her independence. But Agnes’s enthusiasm is swiftly extinguished as she struggles first with the unmanageable Bloomfield children and then with the painful disdain of the haughty Murray family; the only kindness she receives comes from Mr Weston, the sober young curate. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: This was my first Anne Brontë book and I came away with lukewarm feelings. I have read other books about governess' and really felt that it was a bit weak and not something that I particularly enjoyed.  I realize that it was her first book, but I felt that it was pushed ahead with publishing due to the popularity of her sister's book, Jane Eyre, one that I have enjoyed over the years and remains a favourite of mine.  

Bottom line: It was okay and maybe it deserves a reread at some point to get a better sense of the book, but at this point I am feeling rather lukewarm about the book.  Its a solid read and there are some places in the book in which the story flows better than others. I would probably recommend to read something by Charlotte Brontë before reading this.  Recommended.

Rating:  3/5

Pages for 2013: 14860

The Thorn Birds - Colleen McCullough

Title: The Thorn Birds
Author: Colleen McCullough
Pages: 692
Published: 2003 (first published 1977)
Challenges: Classics Club, Historical Fiction, Chunskter Challenge
Genre: Historical Fiction, Classics
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: Colleen McCullough's sweeping saga of dreams, struggles, dark passions, and forbidden love in the Australian Outback has enthralled readers the world over. This is the chronicle of three generations of Clearys, ranchers carving lives from a beautiful, hard land while contending with the bitterness, frailty, and secrets that penetrate their family. Most of all, it is the story of only daughter Meggie and her lifelong relationship with the haunted priest Father Ralph de Bricassart—an intense joining of two hearts and souls that dangerously oversteps sacred boundaries of ethics and dogma.

A poignant love story, a powerful epic of struggle and sacrifice, a celebration of individuality and spirit, Colleen McCullough's acclaimed masterwork remains a monumental literary achievement—a landmark novel to be cherished and read again and again. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  There were times I struggled with the reading of this book and wouldn't pick up the book for times, but once I was able to get into the story, I quite enjoyed it.  Since it has been a few weeks since I finished the book, my final thoughts have been lost to the wind, but do remember that once I was getting closer to the end of the book, I really became involved with the story and by the end I was crying buckets.  I can see why people like the book and why it has become a modern classic of sorts.  

That being said, I didn't exactly fall in love with this book and at times felt it too be a bit of a chore to get through and wanted to climb through the pages and shake Meggie to her senses and make her realize that her "love" for Ralph was basically a school-girl crush and not one that was formed through adult eyes.  Maybe if she had gone to school outside of the Outback and in a more populated area, she could have probably found somebody that was more her equal and somebody that complemented her, not somebody who looked like Ralph and reminded of the one that she truly loved.

Bottom line: For the most part, I enjoyed the book but felt it was too schmaltzy at times.  I probably won't reread the book, but if I need something for a plane ride or a beach vacation, it may be a book that I may take with me.  Recommended.

Rating:  3.8/5

Pages for 2013: 14750

Moby Dick - Herman Melville

Title: Moby Dick, or The Whale
Author: Herman Melville
Pages: 640
Published: 1998 (originally published 1851)
Challenges: Back to the Classics, Chunkster, The Classics Club, Embarrassment of Riches, Off the Shelf
Genre: Adventure, Classics, Fiction, Literature
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Personal


Description: Over a century and a half after its publication, Moby-Dick still stands as an indisputable literary classic. It is the story of an eerily compelling madman pursuing an unholy war against a creature as vast and dangerous and unknowable as the sea itself. But more than just a novel of adventure, more than an encyclopedia of whaling lore and legend, Moby-Dick is a haunting, mesmerizing, and important social commentary populated with several of the most unforgettable and enduring characters in literature. Written with wonderfully redemptive humor, Moby-Dick is a profound and timeless inquiry into character, faith, and the nature of perception. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I first became intrigued with the book on TLC's Great Book series and after reading it, I have very mixed thoughts about this book.  While I enjoyed the narrative of the journey of the Pequod and the story of the men on the ship, the musings of Melville almost made me want to not finish the book.  I understand why Melville may have gone on and on about the physiology of the whale (which he does spend several chapters talking about the physiology of the sperm whale), but there really is no need to spend time philosophizing about things that have nothing to do with the story and the only reason that I finished the book was due to my interest in the narrative, which seems to be very little of the story.

Bottom line: If you have an interest classics and really like reading classics, I would probably put this on your TBR list.  Basically I wouldn't rush out to read it and it probably is a book that you can skip, if you have no interest in the book. And its probably something that I won't reread, but one never knows.  Sure its an interesting book in that you can see elements of the modern novel in this book, in fact its referred to as the first modern novel, even though its put in the classic category. Recommended.

Rating: 3/5

Pages for 2013: 14058

Sense and Sensiblity - Jane Austen

Title: Sense and Sensibility
Author: Jane Austen
Pages: 409
Published: 2003 (originally published 1811)
Challenges: The Classics Club
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Literature
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal Copy

Description: Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love—and its threatened loss—the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts:  Definitely one of my favourite books and classics at the same time.  This was my second time reading the book (I realize that is hard to believe, but the first time I attempted the book,  I didn't understand what was going on and abandoned it) and I actually enjoyed it more this time.  The weird part was that I had the Emma Thompson film version of the book going on in my head as I read the book.  I saw Alan Rickman as Col. Brandon and Kate Winslet as Marianne and Emma Thompson as Elinor and Hugh Grant as Edward and Hugh Laurie as Mrs. Jenning's son-in-law (this is before House), etc (if you saw the cast list, you would probably recognize a number of the cast members including the actress who played Delores Umbridge in the Harry Potter series). But in any case, I had the film running throughout and while it could be construed to be somewhat annoying (for some reason I don't see anything of the P&P mini-series when I read Pride & Prejudice).

But in any case, next to Pride & Prejudice, this has to be my favourite Austen novel.  While the book is light-hearted for the most part, the characters for the most part are better developed and I feel that the main characters change their thinking about things or at least they become better adept at realizing their own sensibilities about their particular situations.  In otherwords, I really enjoyed the book and it will likely be a book that I would visit again.

Bottom line: While Pride & Prejudice is Austen's best known work, I would have to say that I probably enjoyed this book just as much as I have reading Pride & Prejudice.  I would probably recommend this for readers that have read Pride & Prejudice and would like something that is deeper.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.5/5

Pages for 2013: 13454

Wives and Daughters - Elizabeth Gaskell

Title: Wives and Daughters
Author: Elizabeth Gaskell
Pages (File Size): 404 (1103 KB)
Published: 2012 (Originally published 1865)
Challenges: The Classics Club
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Literature
Edition: E-book
Source: Personal

Description: A classic 19th century romantic novel that addresses the constraints imposed by society between individuals of professional versus aristocratic social classes. (via Kobobooks.com)

Thoughts: This was my second book that I have read that was authored by Mrs. Gaskell and was very different from that first one, Mary Barton, which was primarily a tale of life in Manchester during the height of the Industrial Revolution.  This book was very much like Jane Austen's books, in that it was situated in a middle-class, genteel provincial town about 20 years after the publication of Austen's books.  The book does feel like Emma in the sense that it deals with a young woman of marriageable age who would be considered to be genteel and the town seems to be similar to that of the town in Emma, but what's different is that Molly doesn't try to meddle in the lives of those around her, even though her step-mother tries to.

And with that in mind, I quite enjoyed it.  I realize that Gaskell had an agenda in this book by talking about provincial life before the Industrial Revolution was able to take over most individual's lives, both rich and poor, but nonetheless of her agenda, I quite enjoyed the book.  While there were characters in the book that I ended up not really liking, for the most part, I liked the characters and felt that they for the most part had a bit of backbone, especially when it came to Molly at several points throughout the book.  In other words, the characters in the book for the most part aren't exactly pushovers.  Highly recommended.

Bottom line: I would probably recommend it to readers who have read Gaskell's other works, but I would recommend it to those who are fans of Jane Austen, as it does seem to echo a lot of the themes that are included in her works.

Rating:  4/5

Pages for 2013:  13045

Emma - Jane Austen

Title: Emma
Author: Jane Austen
Pages: 512
Published: 2003 (originally 1815)
Challenges: Austen in August, Chunkster, Classics Club
Genre: Classics, Fiction, Literature
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: I never have been in love; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall.'

Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: Emma is not my favourite Austen, nor do I think most Janeites would profess it to be.  Nonetheless, its a pretty good piece of literature.  But the one thing I noticed with this reading is that I found much of the book to be rather dull and felt that the ending to be rather long winded.  I realize that there were a number of storylines to wrap up, but I just felt that rather than just wrapping it up after the Jane Fairfax/Frank Churchill had been resolved, which ended up being the main storyline for the second half of the book, that Austen continued on with the story much longer than I felt was necessary. But maybe it was because I was trying to quickly finish up the book rather than just soak in the book and absorb the novel as I am apt to do.

Bottom line: If you are thinking that Emma is going to be like Pride & Prejudice, you might want to read something else of Austen's other work before tackling Emma, but I would certainly recommend the book for those who are fans of Austen's work.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2013: 12641

Classics Spin #3 #ccspin

Ok, reset.  The last one I failed at, but I did get most of the book completed.  Sadly, I had to finish The Help for my bookclub and so that took up a lot of my time, in addition to the library books that I needed to finish and return.  Anyways, I am back at it and hopefully I will be a little more successful this time around, but depending on how long it takes me to read The Thorn Birds, I don't know how much I can get done.





So here is my list:

1) The Orestia
2) Little Women
3) Northanger Abbey
4) Sense & Sensibility
5) Agnes Grey
6) The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
7) The Canterbury Tales
8) The Woman in White
9) Little Dorrit
10) Middlemarch
11) Madame Bovary
12) Cranford
13) North and South
14) Tess of the d'Urbervilles
15) Antony and Cleopatra
16) As You Like It
17) Richard III
18) The Tempest
19) Jane Eyre
20) The Age of Innocence

August Meme : Question # 13 #ccmeme

This month, The Classics Club asks:

Do you read forwards/notes that precede many classics? Does it help you or hurt you in your enjoyment/understanding of the work?

Generally I don't read the notes/forwards that precede many classics because the times that I have read the notes/forwards, they have given the story away at times and by the time I have finished the forwards/notes, I am not at all interested in reading the book and makes me want not to read the book.  I sometimes wish that publishers would get away from a lot of the forwards/notes that precede classics because for the most part readers skip over them and go right into the story.  It might be helpful to those taking literature courses, but for the average they either don't enhance the book or just turn them off from the book because the forward/notes are quite lengthy at times and usually have no bearing on the actual story itself. 

Twelfth Night - William Shakespeare

Title: Twelfth Night
Author: William Shakespeare
Pages: 208
Published: 2010 (originally published 1601)
Challenges: The Classics Club
Genre: Drama
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: A pair of twins are separated by a shipwreck, each believing the other has drowned. A lovesick duke woos a countess deep in mourning for her brother, while her rowdy household plots the downfall of her puritanical steward. Disguise, confusion, and mistaken identity follow in Shakespeare’s great comedy of love in all its manifestations.

Thoughts: Besides Romeo & Juliet, this has to be one of my favourite Shakespeare plays.  I think part of it has to do with the fact that it was one of the first plays that I did read and seeing it performed through a video in my English 12 class made the story come alive and made me realize how relatable his plays are.  I think it also speaks to how his plays have never really lost their popularity and why they are visited over and over again.  

One thing I liked about the play is that the pacing is fairly even and one can see the maturity of Shakespeare's writing and you can also see how his writing is slowly becoming a bit darker (most of his plays after this one are mainly tragedies and histories).  I also saw the play performed recently and the ambiguity that lies within the play speaks to what makes us who we are and makes us question if things like gender or class are set in stone. 

Bottom line: It is a play that while it is funny and full of humour, it is also a play that allows one to think about who we are and makes us wonder if we can change who we are.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 4.5/5

Pages for 2013: 9068