The categories and the books I plan on
reading are as follows:
1.
A 19th Century Classic --
any book published between 1800 and 1899. – This should be pretty easy,
considering all the unread Dickens, Collins and Trollop books that I want to
read. I think I will choose Framely Parsonage, the fourth book in the
Barchester Chronicles.
2.
A 20th Century Classic -- any
book published between 1900 and 1965. Just like last year, all books
must have been published at least 50 years ago to qualify as a classic. - Here, I have to take advantage of my quest to
read all the books on the Modern Library’s “100 best English-language novels of the twentieth century”
which I have been working on since 1999 or so and choose one from that list. Only 34 more titles to go! I think I will read either Appointment inSamarra by John O'Hara or Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
3.
A Classic by a Woman Author -- This
was a tough one to choose because there simply is so much to choose from, but based
on Simon at Savidge Reads’ glowing review (http://savidgereads.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/east-lynne-ellen-wood/)
I think I will give East Lynne by Ellen Wood a try.
4. A Classic
in Translation -- This was also
difficult, but I finally decided on Siddhartha by Herman Hesse because
(a) I have a copy in English already, (b) it is very short and (c) I think I
might try to also read it in the original.
5.
A Very Long Classic Novel – I have the
doorstop of TheMysteries of Udolpho by
Ann Radcliffe awaiting me in this category.
6.
A Classic Novella -- Here I
opted for One Fine Day by Molly Panter-Downes which has been championed by a
variety of bloggers, but most important to me, by Simon at Stuck in A Book (http://www.stuck-in-a-book.blogspot.com/2012/03/one-fine-day-mollie-panter-downes.html).
7.
A Classic with a Person's Name in the Title -- Since I
chose the Radcliffe novel for the chunkster category, I thought I would read
either Armandale by Wilkie Collins or Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens for this category.
8.
A Humorous or Satirical Classic -- The easiest
by far! I will read Lucia’s Progress by E.F. Benson, which is the fourth book
published in the Mapp & Lucia series.
9.
A Forgotten Classic -- Karen pointed out that Virago or Persephone
titles would probably be a good fit here, so I have chosen to read Someone at a Distance by Dorothy Whipple.
10.
A Nonfiction Classic -- I think I will try American Notes by
Charles Dickens.
11.
A Classic Children's Book – I am
pretty sure I never read A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett and The Secret Garden is a childhood favorite, so that will
probably be the book I read for this category.
12.
A
Classic Play – Yikes! The hardest category of all! I have some
Shakespeare plays on my shelves, but hopefully Lady Lady Windermere's Fan will be more amusing
than King Lear, if I can get my hands on a copy.
