A.L.’s Comments (group member since Sep 27, 2012)

A.L.’s comments from the Classics group.

Gaston Leroux. Same chap who wrote the original phantom of the opera.
The Mystery of the Yellow Room

Yes it is great. It is quite hard to get but I managed to get a spare copy via Amazon. I have not seen it in Kindle form though.
I have a nice clean shiny copy and a readable copy now.

True.

The book is huge as well. I have copies of Phantom of the Opera in French, I can't actually speak our read it but it is part of the collection. I have the lyrics in Flemish, and Italian or something somewhere.

Oh cool. Good Luck

This is an interesting locked room mystery. The first time I read this I did not see the "reveal" coming.

Even re reads it still surprises me and the detective (although I think he is a journalist) is great. I wish this was a film.

The ultimate revenge?

I love this book, Edmund is such an enigmatic character. So may guises and deceptions.

Utterly destroying those who wronged him yet he is kind to those who were kind to him. He doesn't kill anyone, at least not directly. It is interesting to see how a man can better himself even up against the odds.

I love Haidee, the history of how she came into his house and the Napoleonic history. The characters are rich and well written, Edmund now I guess would be an anti-hero.

Please feel free to add books.

Fair enough. I know there is a sequel to Phantom of the Opera which is awesome Phantom and I have read a rather dubious seque to lady chatterly's lover.

I would say follow ups are a no, does that constitute what we now call Fan fic?

Oh yes I liked Candide as well.

Hopefully I can get back into them.

Hmm they don't appear:(
I will try again later.

I have added a few books I think are classics to the group book shelf. I will add a few more as time goes on.
Please feel free to add those you see as fitting.

I won't do a monthly book until after christmas and we have a few more to choose from. Please have a think on what you might like and nominate your title and why.
I will work out how to set a poll and we can vote.

It might take me a while as I am new to this.

I started moby dick a few years back and found it rather slow to get into. I have to be in the mood for that kind of thing. That might be another one to re try.

Other than shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet) at school and The Tempest and Much Ado about nothing at college we didn't do that many classics. I supposeTender is the Night and Moonfleet probably count. I am going to add a list on the group shelf for ones I can think of.

Oh yes, good idea. I have no set up a group on GR before. I will send out an email.

I have to say I never really got into Dickens. I tend to like th screen adaptations but the books no. I have no idea why I just couldn't get into them. Maybe now I am a little older I should take another look.

I think there are classics in every genre
Lord of the Rings and Narnia for Fantasy
War of the Worlds, Jules Verne, HG Wells etc etc for SCI FI
Jane Austen, Brontes, etc etc for historical romance
Greek/ROman/Norse Myths for fantasy/adventure
Hugo/Dickens/Voltaire/Doestevsky for political/social/.
Leroux/Stoker for horror

I have to say I love Gaston Leroux, The Mystery of the Yellow Room is an excellent mystery and his "Bedside companion" is one of the most frightening things I have ever read.

Conan Doyle/Leroux/Christie for Crime and mystery.

Hmmm yes I would agree with that.

I think as well the influence of a classic on later books. Lord of the Rings for example has been a major influence on modern fantasy and the sagas and heroic tales of old on LOTR. The lost king and his band of friends fighting an impossible war against a dark foe.

In fact, my own series is influenced by a number of such tales.

Sinbad and Odyssey are similar, wandering adventurers dealing with gods, monsters and each other as they try and return home, cursed and lost.

I think there are a number of modern books along the same themes.

I suppose these days we do not appreciate the themes in say, Austen- women needing to not only be virtuous on their wedding day but perferably providing a dowry. If you read a lot of the literature of that period and style the women were concerned with a potential suitor's status and wealth, he could be a wife-beating alcohol but if he had £10000 to his name and was the lord of whereever he was a good catch.
The men wanted to know what dowry a women would bring.

Ugly and rich- you got a husband (who took pretty mistresses) pretty and poor you were the mistress. Ugly and poor you were the old maid.

Whether this was ACTUALLY the case I do not know but it certainly seemed that way. Of course times are different, in many parts of the world but romantic historical fiction is still popular.

I have to say I like the books of that era but I do get a little bored with what now seems the shallowness of the Bennett women, but this is from the point of view of a modern woman.

I am watching Downton Abbey on TV. That again is another era, long gone (fortunately) but it is a good insight on how far we have moved forward.

What constitutes a "Classic?"

I am actually not sure. Age perhaps- anything written before the 1950s?

Hi

I am Alex, I love to read all manner of books but I have been keen on Classical Literature for a good many years.

I studied Homer during my diploma.

Here are some of my fav classics (feel free to comment if you do not consider them classics.
Wuthering Heights
Jane Eyre
Sense and Sensibility
Les Misérables
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Mystery of the Yellow Room
Le parfum de la dame en noir
The Gaston Leroux Bedside CompanionThe Real Opera Ghost and Other TalesThe Tenant of Wildfell Hall
The Importance of Being Earnest
Complete Works of Oscar Wilde
The Canterville Ghost
The Odyssey
The Iliad
Dracula
Frankenstein
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeThe Woman in White
The Monk
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
The Hobbit
The Lord of the Rings

These are in no particular order.