Monday, August 12, 2013

The Classics Club Spin

I'm not a very active participant in The Classics Club, besides having created a list for it, but lately I've been inspired to take a more diligent role in reading through my fifty books. Today I'm joining in the third spin.

The Classics Club is very lenient when creating a set of rules. Though you're supposed to pick twenty books you haven't yet read, order them in number, and maybe set them in categories such as "books I'm dreading," "books I can't wait to get my hands on," and the like, I've decided to only number ten. But someone from The Classics Club had the brilliant idea of giving each book two numbers, so whatever number was picked, I would still be able to read along with the rest of the group. Thank you for that!
1 & 11 Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott
2 & 12 The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
3 & 13 Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett
4 & 14 The Black Stallion Returns by Walter Farley
5 & 15 The Blythes Are Quoted by L.M. Montgomery
6 & 16 The Good Master by Kate Seredy
7 & 17 Sanditon by Jane Austen
8 & 18 Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
9 & 19 Village School by Miss Read
10 & 20 Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I'm not going to set them all in categories, but one book I'm tremulous about setting my hands on is The Silmarillion. I've heard some rather terrifying things about it. Such as--


So. True. You have to be a grade-A Tolkien linguist to pronounce even a quarter of the names in that book correctly!
source
I believe my brother found it boring, too.

I can't wait to read The Black Stallion Returns by Walter Farley. I love the movie, and can only imagine what the book is like.

I'm neutral about Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Even though Mom read the Little House on the Prairie series to us when we were little, I don't think I've ever read it in full on my own. That's the reason it's on here.

26 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks, Anna!

      When I saw your name, I thought, "Anna. . .who is that?" And then I remembered that Storyteller's name is Anna! But I had to click on your name just to make sure :)

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  2. I want to do something with classics really badly on my book blog, but I don't like reviewing them because it feels weird reviewing classics. And my reading schedule is crazy as it is, so I don't want to join the classics club quite yet... I don't know what to do!!!!

    Anyway great list! :) Have fun.

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    1. Yeah, reviewing classics can be sort of, well, futile. They're classics for a reason, right? But I think it's good for my brain to try to comprehend them, and it also warns other like-minded people to stay away from the ones I found boring.

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  3. I've had to put down The Silmarillion a couple of times. It's on my shelf and it will be read at some point, but not at this moment in time!

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    1. Oh, wow. Let's hope I have the guts to finish it. . .I've never been good at getting back to things once I've laid them down!

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  4. I don't think I have heard of most of these titles but the authors of course I know. Hope the spin number you desire comes up! Happy reading! :) Thanks for stopping by my blog and being a follower! I will put your address in my reader so that I can follow you. I am not a googler...:)

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    1. Thank you, Joyful Reader! Becoming more interested in reading new books definitely helped me discover some less well-known classics.

      Thanks for putting me in your reader! I do have my blog (or most of it) on Wordpress, but. . .:P I guess I won't add anything but that for now :)

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  5. Cool list!! I have read --- Good Wives, The Black Stallion Returns, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and Farmer Boy. :o )

    Off topic here, I know, but do you have a blog button???

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    1. Good! Usually when I see one of the spin lists I can find about three titles that I've read. :)

      You know, I used to have a blog button, but now that my blog is no longer titled Simply Hannah Elise, I don't anymore. I need to find out how to make one so that others can use it if they'd like.

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    2. Okay.
      Can I tag you in a blog tag here????
      Oh! I don't know if I told you, lol, but I have a blog now.
      The Pages Of Me: ysa-pianoplayer4jesus.blogspot.com

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    3. Yeah, you can tag me on here! :) Once I switch to my new blog I'm going to make that one tag-free, but this one isn't, so it's all good!

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    4. Okay!!!

      Tag, you're It!!! :o P
      Go check my blog and see the tag. ;o )

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    5. Thanks! I'll try to do it Monday or Tuesday :)

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    6. You're welcome! Thanks for joining my blog! <3 :o )

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  6. I need to finish The Lord of the Rings before I read The Silmarillion (is that how you spell it?). Right now I'm in The Two Towers.

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    1. Oh, I love The Lord of the Rings! I'm so happy you're reading it! Yes, that is how you spell it :)

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  7. Personally I really liked the Silmarillion. However, one thing is VERY true - you have to flip to the map/index/glossary constantly to look something up! I can't fathom how on earth dear J.R.R. kept all his names and facts straight. I certainly can't. And it's definitely written more like a history book (of a fantasy world no less) than a novel, which is probably why in general it's harder to get through and less appealing.

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    1. Oh, I'm glad you liked it, Laura!

      I can't comprehend his intelligence either. He must have been incredible, being familiar with so many languages, making up his own, and keeping an entire world straight. . . .

      I've seen the inside of one or two of the books of "The History of Middle-Earth" series--I think it was "Morgoth's Ring". If you've seen or read any of those, is The Silmarillion like them?

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    2. I haven't read the History of Middle Earth...I think a few years ago I picked up a few in a used book store and paged through them, but as I recall I found them to be kind of like extracts from The Sil...I'm pretty sure why I decided I didn't really need to read them... hmm. I wish I could remember better.
      I think since you LOVE LotR, you are more likely to enjoy The Sil, because it's fun to get background on so many things that come up in LotR. I think a lot of people who don't like The Sil so much are people who don't have an extravagant fondness for LotR, which you and I both seem to have ;)

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    3. Oh, wow. So they are kind of alike.

      Good. I'm glad you think I will :) I've wanted to find out more about the Elder Days--and it seems so odd to think there could ever be a villain more horrible or powerful than Sauron.

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  8. I haven't read any of these, but I do love a good challenge, i.e. when you need reference material just to understand what's going on.

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    1. A good challenge always makes finishing a book so rewarding, I will admit! :) Thanks for visiting!

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  9. I've read The Silmarillion and absolutely LOVED IT!!!!!!! Very hard, I'll admit, BUT... I read it in three days...=D

    Layla.

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    1. Good. Hopefully I'll like it, too! I want to learn more about Luthien and Beren. . .their story is intriguing.

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