Limping to the finish line, here's my wrap up of the nine books read and blogged for the Back to the Classics Challenge 2021.
1. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read.
The House of Ulloa by Emilia Pardo Bazán
2. A humorous or satirical classic.
Right You Are, Jeeves, Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves, Jeeves and the Tie That Binds by P.G. Wodehouse
3. A classic about an animal, or with an animal in the title. The animal can be real or metaphorical. (i.e., To Kill a Mockingbird).
Setting Free the Bears by John Irving
4. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author.
A Grain of Wheat by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
5. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read.
Orley Farm by Anthony Trollope
6. A children's classic.
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
7. A classic in translation, meaning any book first published in a language that is not your primary language. You may read it in translation or in its original language, if you prefer.
His Excellency, Eugène Rougon by Emile Zola
8. A 20th century classic: any book first published from 1900 to 1971.
Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
9. A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an adventure.
She: A History of Adventure by H. Rider Haggard
As always, a huge thank you to Karen at Books and Chocolate for organizing this and doing all the heavy lifting. My email is naessa [at] yahoo [dot] com. Most were winners and I am very glad to have read them all; any excuse to explore classic novels I’ve been meaning to get to for years!
Congrats on another successful classics reading challenge! I always love seeing the books you choose to read...and then adding them to my own TBR list. :) Do you think Karen will host this challenge again next year? I hope so!
ReplyDeleteI hope so too! Let's cross our fingers. I know blogging for her has become a bit of a problem in the past couple years as well.
DeleteCongrats! It's been fun reading yours. I need to write my wrapup. Like you--as you mentioned in the previous post--I've read more than I managed to blog about, and maybe I'll write about Major Barbara before that. We'll see...
ReplyDeleteAnd joy of the season to you!
Happy holidays to you too reese! I do love this challenge for all the wonderful classics it introduces me to. :D
DeleteCongratulations Ruthiella and I always look forward to your reviews. Of the books you named I think I would like to read Sister Carrie next year. I believe I started it years ago but I don't know if I ever finished it. I too hope Karen hosts the challenge again although I know how much work it is. But regardless I am so grateful and amazed at the books I have read since starting the challenge. I would never have read these books otherwise.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy. I also really appreciate how the challenge makes me read books I have been meaning to read for years but keep putting off. A little bit of organization to my reading list goes a long way, I find. I too hope Karen will continue with the challenge in 2022.
DeleteWhat do you mean, "limping to the finish line"? You did great! I only wish I'd done nearly as well. I actually did manage to read 9/10 of my choices, but I posted on --- nada! nothing! zilch! Even so, I love this challenge, as it always gets me to read things I wouldn't otherwise. Oh well, maybe next year (I haven't seen anything for 2022; hopefully Karen is up to hosting again).
ReplyDeleteWell, I really wanted to do all 12! I am hoping that I will get back into blogging regularly next year. Also, I am crossing my fingers that Karen continues in 2022 as well, but so far no news...
DeleteWell done on finishing up 9! That is quite a line up. Except for Sister Carrie, which I read in high school, Wind in the Willows is the only one I have read, but it is a favorite. I finally read Cider House Rules earlier this year (or was it last year?), and discovered that I like John Irving, so I want to read more by him. Setting Free the Bears might be the place to start.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Jane! I wouldn't suggest Setting Free the Bears for your next Irving read. Try The World According to Garp or A Prayer for Owen Meany instead. Of course, I could be wrong and you will love it. But I found, while it had much of Irving's signature style which he would develop more fully in his later books, it was a little hard going in places.
DeleteNice list! I need to go back to Wodehouse!
ReplyDeleteI had such fun "discovering" him this year. Now I want to read all the Jeeves & Wooster books in order!
DeleteHopping over from the Back to Classics wrap-up post linkup. These were all new-to-me titles of classics, except for The Wind in the Willows, which I loved. I enjoyed your review and had no idea that Mr. Toad was based on Kenneth Graham's son as a child, haha!
ReplyDeleteHere is my list, if interested! https://elle-alice.blogspot.com/2021/12/back-to-classics-wrap-up-post.html
Thanks for the comment Elena Alice! I will pop over to your blog to see your wrap up. I love looking at other blogger's lists for discoverability. :D
DeleteA nice assortment! I know I have started but not finished Sister Carrie. Otherwise, I have read all of Jeeves although I will admit I only remember the plots of a few. My mother dislikes The Wind in the Willows so I never read it, which is strange as I am sure I read every other English children's classic.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you too CLM! I think all the Jeeves and Wooster plots are essentially Bertie gets into a pickle and Jeeves gets him out of it...ha ha ha. The plots really do run together since they aren't really too different on from another.
DeleteCongrats! You always do an excellent job with this one. Big YAY for Karen, too! WOOT
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Happy New Year to you too Care. :D
DeleteGreat list! Thanks for participating in the Back to the Classics Challenge!
ReplyDeleteThank you for all you do Karen! I really appreciate it. :D
DeleteA good mix you have there, Ruthiella. Well done on finishing 9 books.
ReplyDeleteThanks Carol! 9 books is better than none. :D
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