Monday, December 28, 2015

Back to the Classics Challenge 2016 - Possible Contenders

 


It is with great pleasure that I announce my intentions to participate in the 2016 Back to the Classics Challenge hosted by Karen at the blog Books and Chocolate. Below are the categories and the books that I will possibly read:
  1. A 19th Century Classic - any book published between 1800 and 1899. Something by Dickens! I still have 5 of his novels to read...maybe I will tackle The Pickwick Papers or maybe The Old Curiosity Shop...
  2. A 20th Century Classic - any book published between 1900 and 1966. Since I am slowly working my way through the Modern Library's 100 Best List , I am going to choose one from that particular group; maybe The Grapes of Wrath, Native Son or Lolita?
  3. A classic by a woman author. I might choose another title by Dorothy Whipple, or maybe Frankenstein or Their Eyes Were Watching God or Evelina by Frances Burney...lots of good choices here.
  4. A classic in translation. Any book originally written published in a language other than your native language. Feel free to read the book in your language or the original language. This will possibly be the hardest for me to fill.. I have a copy of War and Peace, but don't want to tackle that this year. Maybe something by Collette or Zola.
  5. A classic by a non-white author. Can be African-American, Asian, Latino, Native American, etc. I have wanted to read Things Fall Apart for a long time.
  6. An adventure classic - can be fiction or non-fiction. I think I will try The Lost World by Conan Doyle.
  7. A fantasy, science fiction, or dystopian classic. Dystopian could include classics like 1984. Maybe Frankenstein?
  8. A classic detective novel. It must include a detective, amateur or professional. I have all of Josephine Tey's books, so I think I will read The Franchise Affair.
  9. A classic which includes the name of a place in the title. It can be the name of a house, a town, a street, etc. Examples include Bleak House, Main Street, The Belly of Paris, or The Vicar of Wakefield. This fits The Small House at Allington perfectly, which is the next book in the Barsetshire Chronicles that I have to read
  10. A classic which has been banned or censored. If possible, please mention why this book was banned or censored in your review. All three of my 20th century classic novel choices above have been banned at some point, so the one that I don't read for that category will be my choice to fill this category.
  11. Re-read a classic you read in school (high school or college). If it's a book you loved, does it stand the test of time? If it's a book you disliked, is it any better a second time around? This one is tough for me. I don't like re-reading. I wouldn't mind, however, re-reading Wuthering Heights, but while I read it during college, I didn't read it for a class. I basically read it because of the Kate Bush song! If I have to pick a book I actually read for class, I might opt for A Separate Peace which I read for high school freshman English and about which don't much remember except for the end.
  12. A volume of classic short stories. This must be one complete volume, at least 8 short stories. Children's stories are acceptable in this category only. I think I will try Daphne Du Maurier The Birds since I have a copy on hand.
 I am hoping to read as many titles from my actual shelves as possible and then supplement with library books as needed. The only book that I might need to buy would be Evalina.  Below are some of the books that I already have on hand that would fill ten of the categories easily!
 
 

2 comments:

  1. Such possibilities. First off, I'm a big Pickwick fan--I've read it 4-5 times, and enjoy it every time. On the other hand, I thought Curiosity Shop to be a yawner...but others disagree.

    I finally read Frankenstein a couple of years ago and found it so interesting, especially considering what else was being published when it debuted! A really remarkable book.

    I reread A Separate Peace a couple of years ago, and it was fun to remember reading it in high school. I think it holds up well over time.

    Good luck with the challenge and I'm looking forward to reading your reviews.

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    1. Good to hear that you liked Pickwick. I will start with that one then

      I am very much looking forward to reading Frankenstein...I have heard many people state that it really holds up.

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