Ginny’s Comments (group member since Jul 13, 2012)

Ginny’s comments from the Reading the Classics group.

Thanks Alana, I'm glad I made you smile : ) and I will keep searching for my favorite Dickens and I'm sure I will eventually find it! I just know it's not Great Expectations, Hard Times or Nicholas Nickelby!! : )

Okay, honest confession time here for me; Charles Dickens causes me to break into hives and feel tremendous guilt. I have successfully read Nicholas Nickelby, but an aunt kind of forced Great Expectations on me at too young of an age for me. She kept hounding me about if I had finished it so I finally just told her I had. It was then she gave me the surprise 'pop quiz' - I wish I was kidding. Later on in college for a British history class (I was a history minor) I was supposed to read Hard Times. I basically skimmed the book and wrote my report on it. I felt horrible after I turned in the essay and felt I deserved to fail it, but was given an A and the note "insightful!!" on my paper. I have felt a great deal of guilt ever since. I don't like reading authors that I have those kind of feelings associated with them (with very humble apologies to Charles Dickens- I do so much want to like him and be his biggest fan- that role alas, goes to Tolstoy). There, off my soap box and I really like all of you...... lol

Lobstergirl wrote: "A Christmas Carol. I've heard people say they read this every year and I wonder, how? Let it be said that is the only Dickens I have read...

The Old Man and the Sea. Granted I read it in 9th gra..."

The Glass Menagerie and I have an interesting history together. I read it in high school and didn't like it. When I was in college, a friend of mine was trying out for a part for the community theater group and I went as moral support. The director asked me to try out for Laura. I said no several times but my friend talked me into it. I ended up getting the part. Very sad story; really difficult character to play.

I've read both and liked each of them. I believe 1984 is the shorter of the two. I remember reading it went a lot faster than Anna Karenina. However, I read 1984 in high school and Anna Karenina as a single mom of two teenage daughters...not sure how helpful I'm being. I do like eenie meenie minie moe : )

Alana wrote: "I just finished Mockingjay. Wow. They call this a children's series?"

I know. I've read the series because of my daughters(both in high school).My two girls were responsible for a book club at their school and this series was their group read. If my girls were younger, I don't think I would have been okay with them reading them. At the same time, they were great books, not just for elementary age or lower middle school age.

Yay! Other people feel the same as I do about Moby Dick!! I did finish it but likened it to eating my brussel sprouts. I'm reading through ALL seven volumes of Proust's In Search of Lost Time because of another group(1001 books you must read before you die) but it is slow going. I guess I'm reading these just to prove to myself that I can. I really do enjoy reading the.classics; just some more than others.

I'm currently wading through Proust In Search of Lost Time-volume 2.

Andrea wrote: "Kelsi- I am also a huge fan of Larson. I've been struggling to find other books similar to his style. He can't write them fast enough for me. The one you are reading is my favorite of his. I hope y..."I love Larson as well! I think I have read all of his books now. I agree that he needs to write faster. Of his books, I think my favorite was Isaac's Storm. I'm not sure why, but think that it might be that the protagonist in this book was someone I felt I could relate to.

Hi, I'm Ginny from Michigan. I'm a sign language interpreter for the deaf and mother of two teenage daughters; my oldest will be graduating from high school next June. I enjoy the classics and looking forward to the group reads.