Back to the Classics Challenge 2017

I have tried to do this challenge but for some reason I have been unable to complete it.  It basically is reading classics that fit the various challenge areas.  If you want more information, you can find out more information here.

Here are the categories:
1.  A 19th Century Classic
2.  A 20th Century Classic
3.  A classic by a woman author. 

4.  A classic in translation
5.  A classic published before 1800
6.  A romance classic
7.  A Gothic or horror classic
8. A Classic with a number in the Title
9. A Classic about a animal or which includes the name of an animal in the title
10. A Classic set in a place you would like to visit
11.  An award-winning classic
12. A Russian Classic    

Back to the Classics Challenge 2016

I have attempted this one a couple of times, but I am going to see where this one goes this coming year.

Here are the categories:

1.  A 19th Century Classic - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
2.  A 20th Century Classic - The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
3.  A classic by a woman author. - 
4.  A classic in translation.  - Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
5.  A classic by a non-white author. - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
6.  An adventure classic - Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
7.  A fantasy, science fiction, or dystopian classic. - Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
8.  A classic detective novel.  - The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
9.  A classic which includes the name of a place in the title. - Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
10. A classic which has been banned or censored. - The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
11. Re-read a classic you read in school (high school or college).  - Petersburg by Andrei Bely
12. A volume of classic short stories. - Lady with the Little Dog and other stories by Anton Chekov

Back to the Classics 2015

I have done this for a few years, but with little success.  So I am hoping that this time around I can get most of the categories completed.

Here are the categories:

1. A 19th Century Classic
2. A 20th Century Classic
3. A Classic written by a woman
4. A Classic in translation
5. A Very Long Classic (500+ pages)
6. A Classic Novella
7. A Classic with a Person's Name
8. A Humorous and Satirical Classic
9. A Forgotten Classic
10. A Nonfiction classic
11. A Children's Classic
12. A Classic Play

If you want more detailed information about the challenge, you can head to Books and Chocolate and find more information in regards to the challenge as well as help to find books for some of the challenges.

Here is what I am intending to read for the various categories:

1. A 19th Century Classic: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
2. A 20th Century Classic: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
3. A Classic written by a woman: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
4. A Classic in translation: The Illiad by Homer
5. A Very Long Classic (500+ pages): War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
6. A Classic Novella: Daisy Miller by Henry James
7. A Classic with a Person's Name: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
8. A Humorous and Satirical Classic: Animal Farm by George Orwell
9. A Forgotten Classic: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
10. A Nonfiction classic: A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
11. A Children's Classic: The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
12. A Classic Play: The Tempest by William Shakespeare

I will link up my reviews here on this page as well at Books and Chocolate.

Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen

Title: Northanger Abbey
Author: Jane Austen
Pages: 254
Published: 2003 (first published 1817)
Challenges: Back to the Classics
Genre: Classics, Fiction
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: During an eventful season at Bath, young, naive Catherine Morland experiences fashionable society for the first time. SHe is delighted with her new acquaintances: flirtatious Isabella, who introduces Catherine to the joys of Gothic romances, and sophisticated Henry and Eleanor Tilney, who invite her to their father's house, Northanger Abbey. There, influenced by novels of horror and intrigue, Catherine comes to imagine terrible crimes committed by General Tilney, risking the loss of Henry's affection, and has to learn the difference between fiction and reality, false friends and true. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I first read this book back in November when doing the Unputdownables readalong for this book.  And like I said my previous review of this book, this book needed a second reading to understand it better (I read it the first time for the sake of saying said I had read the book) and also to appreciate it more.  And as I was reading it this last time, I did enjoy the book more than I did the first time I had read it.  What also made the difference is that I wasn't really juggling too many books at the time and that by reading basically this book, I was able to focus on the book and really appreciate what this book for what it is.

While it isn't Austen's best work, I can definitely see elements of her other books in this book  The book showed elements of themes that Austen tends to focus with more depth than she did here.  She also showed her appreciation of literature and also how somebody can get so obsessed with a book that you think that you are living it.

Bottom line: While it wasn't my favourite Austen (S&S and P&P are my favourites), I would have to say that its not at the bottom of my list.  It maybe a book that I read at some point in my life.  I probably wouldn't recommend the book to somebody who is starting with Austen and would probably suggest it was left until you have read the other books by her and that it one would read it twice before giving it a true opinion of the book.  Recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Pages for 2014: 3646

Back to the Classics 2014

I am going to try this one again and I think that I may actually get this one completed, considering the books I am possibly going to do for this year.  There is a new host this year, but it is somebody who is familiar with the challenge.  Click the photo above to get yourself to the sign up page.

The main rule is that you have to chose a book that is published before 1965; so basically anything up to 1964.

Here are the main guidelines from the host at Books and Chocolate:

• All books must be read in 2014.  Books started prior to January 1, 2014 are not eligible.  Reviews must be linked by December 31, 2014.
• E-books and audiobooks are eligible!  Books can count for other challenges you may be working on.  However, books may NOT crossover categories within this challenge.  You may NOT count the same book twice for different categories in this challenge.  
• If you do not have a blog, you may link your review from Goodreads or other publicly accessible online format.  
• Please sign up for the challenge using the linky below BEFORE MARCH 1, 2014.  Please link to your sign-up announcement post (if possible/applicable).
• You do not have to list your books prior to starting the challenge, but it is more fun that way :).  You can always change your list at any time.  You can read the books in any order (including mixing in the optional categories at any time).
• You can decide to attempt the optional categories at any point (you can also bow out of the optional categories at any point as well).
• Please identify the categories you've read in your wrap-up post so that I can easily add up your entries for the prize drawing! 

And finally. . . . The 2014 categories: 

Required:

1. A 20th Century Classic
2. A 19th Century Classic
3. A Classic by a Woman Author
4. A Classic in Translation  If English is not your primary language, then books originally published in English are acceptable.  You could also read the book in its original language if you are willing and able to do so.
5. A Wartime Classic  2014 will be the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I.  Any book relating to a war is fine -- WWI, WWII, the French Revolution, the War of the Worlds -- your choice.
6. A Classic by an Author Who Is New To You This can be any author whose works you have not read before.  It doesn't necessarily have to be an author you've never heard of.  

Optional Categories:

1. An American Classic
2. A Classic Mystery, Suspense or Thriller 
3. A Historical Fiction Classic.  This is any classic set at least 50 years before the time when it was written.  For example, Margaret Mitchell published Gone with the Wind 70 years after the end of the Civil War; therefore, it is considered a historical novel.  A Tale of Two Cities and The Scarlet Letter are also historical novels.  However, older classics set during the period in which they were written are not considered historical; for example, the novels of Jane Austen.
4. A Classic That's Been Adapted Into a Movie or TV Series.  Any period, any genre!  This is practically a free choice category.  However, it's a separate category than the required categories.
5. Extra Fun Category:  Write a Review of the Movie or TV Series adapted from Optional Category #4.  This should be some kind of posting reviewing the book read for the previous optional category above.  It can be any adaptation -- does not have to be adapted before 1964.  For example, if you chose Pride and Prejudice as your the optional classic above, you could review any adaptation -- 1940, 1980, 1995, 2005, etc. These two optional categories go together, but this must be a separate blog posting -- no fair just mentioning it in the book review!

Here are the books that I plan on reading for the challenge in each of the categories

Required:

1. 20th Century Classic To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

2. 19th Century Classic Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

3. Classic by a woman author North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

4. Classic in translation Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

5. Wartime classic All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

6. Classic by an Author who is new to you The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Optional Categories

1. An American Classic The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

2. A Classic Mystery, Suspense or Thriller  The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

3. A Historical Fiction Classic A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

4. A Classic That's Been Adapted Into a Movie or TV Series Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

5. Extra Fun Category:  Write a Review of the Movie or TV Series adapted from Optional Category #4.

I hope everything passes the sniff test and I look forward to start my list in the new year!

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

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli

Title: The Prince
Author: Niccolo Machiavelli
Pages: 160
Published: 2008 (first published 1513)
Genre: Classics, Non-fiction
Challenges: The Classics Club, Back to the Classics, Embarrassment of Riches, Off the Shelf
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description: The first modern treatise of political philosophy, The Prince is one of the world’s most influential and widely read books. Machiavelli reveals nothing less than the secrets of power: how to gain it, how to wield it, and how to keep it. Ruthless, cunning, and amoral, The Prince is a controversial analysis of manipulation and an essential guide for anyone interested in conquest, self-defense, or observation of dominance and control.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I think this is a book one needs to examine more closely when reading and is not a book that should be read quickly and therefore any sort of comments that I may impart on others would be inadequate.  At least I can say I have read the book.

Bottom line: I would recommend this to individuals who have an interest in political philosophy and those who just have an interest in how to gain power.

Rating: 2.725/5

Pages for 2013: 5974

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Title: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
Pages: 435
Published: 2002 (originally published 1813)
Genre: Classic, Fiction
Challenges: Classics Club, Pride & Prejudice bicentenary Challenge
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal

Description:  When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited, while he struggles to remain indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life. (via Goodreads.com)

Thoughts:  I quite enjoyed the book and liked how the miniseries incorporated so much of the book into the miniseries.   Sure this is my favourite Austen book and yes, I have compared each one to this book, but there is something to be said for Austen sort of rebuking the way husbands were acquired by those in certain classes at that time, of course in her own way.  I can't really say what I liked about the book because there was so much that I did like about the book.  Its honestly one of those books that there is so much that one likes about the book that you really cannot pinpoint what you liked the most.

Bottom line:  Recommended for those that haven't tried her or who have read her other later books, but    would like to give her another chance.  I would also recommend the book to those that have read her earlier books.  And I would also recommend it to those that need a lighter read, but is still considered to be a classic.

Rating:  5/5

Pages for 2013: 3136

Back to the Classics 2013

I was humming and hawing about doing this one, since last year was basically a failure.  Anyways, I am hoping for better results for the coming year (2013).

Here are the details that Sarah has put up on her blog:

• All books must be read in 2013.  Books started prior to January 1, 2013 are not eligible.  Reviews must be linked by December 31, 2013.
• E-books and audio books are eligible!  Books can count for other challenges you may be working on.
• If you do not have a blog, you may link your review from Goodreads or other publicly accessible online format.  
• Please sign up for the challenge using the linky below BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2013. Please link to your sign-up announcement post (if possible/applicable)
• You do not have to list your books prior to starting the challenge, but it is more fun that way :)  You can always change your list at any time.  You can read the books in any order (including mixing in the optional categories at any time)
• You can decide to attempt the optional categories at any point (you can also bow out of the optional categories at any point as well).
• Please identify the categories you've read in your wrap up post so that I may easily add up your entries for the prize drawing!  

THE CATEGORIES:

The Required Categories:

1. A 19th Century Classic
2. A 20th Century Classic
3. A Pre-18th or 18th Century Classic
4. A Classic that relates to the African-American Experience - This can be an African-American author, or a book relating to slavery, civil rights, or African-American culture.
5. A Classic Adventure
6. A Classic that prominently features an Animal - This can feature animal characters or animals in the title (real or imagined)

Optional Categories:

    A.  Re-read a Classic

   B.  A Russian Classic

   C.  A Classic Non-Fiction title

   D.  A Classic Children's/Young Adult title

   E.  Classic Short Stories - collection must include at least 3 short stories by the same author, or at 
                                              least 3 stories collected together by genre, time period, etc.

Here are my plans for each of the categories:

1. A 19th Century Classic  North and South (1855)

2. A 20th Century Classic  All Quiet on the Western Front (1929)

3. A Pre-18th or 18th Century Classic Mysteries of the Udolpho (1794)

4. A Classic that relates to the African-American Experience  Uncle Tom's Cabin

5. A Classic Adventure The Count of Monte Cristo

6. A Classic that prominently features an Animal Moby Dick

Optional Categories:

A.  Re-read a Classic  Pride & Prejudice

B.  A Russian Classic War & Peace

C.  Classic Non-fiction  The Prince

D.  Classic Children's/Young Adult title  Gulliver's Travels

E.  Classic Short Stories The Canterbury Tales

Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Title: Les Miserables
Author: Victor Hugo
Pages: 1232
Published: 1985 (originally published in 1862)
Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction
Challenges: Back to the Classics, Historical Ficiton
Edition: Paperback
Source: Personal Library

Description: Victor Hugo’s tale of injustice, heroism and love follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. But his attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly put under threat: by his own conscience, when, owing to a case of mistaken identity, another man is arrested in his place; and by the relentless investigations of the dogged policeman Javert. It is not simply for himself that Valjean must stay free, however, for he has sworn to protect the baby daughter of Fantine, driven to prostitution by poverty. A compelling and compassionate view of the victims of early nineteenth-century French society, Les Misérables is a novel on an epic scale, moving inexorably from the eve of the battle of Waterloo to the July Revolution of 1830. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: What can I say? It was amazing.  It was one of those books that took your breath away, even though there were moments in the book that I honestly really didn't feel should have been apart of the book, but when reading it, one realizes that it does have to be apart of the book, especially towards the end of the book.  And, yes, I did read the unabridged version of the book.

Bottom line: I would probably recommend this book to those that enjoy reading long books or that enjoy reading books that are of an epic nature.

Rating: 5/5

Pages for 2012: 23254