Should have read classics discussion

This is the children's group read for February.

I received my copy of Hans Brinker today. It is a wonderfully musty and browned paged 1968 copy I purchased from an online used book store. I love old books. I always wonder what kind of life they've had. From the looks of this one I believe it was forgotten in a box in a basement or back room. There are no markings no dog eared pages so I am anxious to begin reading and give it life.

What a good find Cory. It seems like that copy will add to the ambiance of the story.

Old books are great for just that reason. Nice find, hope that you enjoy it!

I'm just starting today!

Wow Mo! Way to get a jump start. I am looking forward to this one because my boys both speed skate so it will be fun to read...maybe I should read it to them?!

Yeah, um, I didn't pay attention to the dates and had it on my Kindle already, so...

How is it going with this one? Has anyone started or finished it yet?

I finished. I found it very sweet but dated. I was more than a little frustrated that a good chunk of the story centered around the other boys. I kept wondering when the author would get back to Hans and his story.

I haven't finished it yet - my copy is 330 pages and has some lovely illustrations, but like Mo I am wondering where Hans and the silver skates have got to! I'm currently just leaving Leydon in my mini travelogue around Holland with the boys. It seems that most of the book so far has gone off on a history and description of Holland. I wonder if all writers of this time were paid by the word!
Hopefully it won't be too long until we return to Hans and his family and catch up with how they are faring with the father and his state of mind and more about the watch and their stash of wealth, fortunes, ... That's where the story lies for me.

I have finished and really got to enjoy the story more once we returned to Hans and his family. I had not read this book before.

Mo, since we both were frustrated by the way the story seemed to centre for so long around the boys which took us on a mini tour of Holland, it's canals and history, it is interesting to note that the original title of the book was Hans Brinker or, the Silver Skates : A Story of Life in Holland. It was because of the inclusion of the history component that evidentally made it an instant best seller.

More interesting is that the author never visited Holland until after she had written the book! That surprised me since she had the Dutch dialect fairly well off pat - very precise way of speaking. However, I learned that she had Dutch neighbours from where a lot of her information was gleaned,and I do believe the father Brinker was modeled on the 'father neighbour'.

Altogether I am pleased I have finally read this book, so thank you Kerri and Lisa for introducing me to it.

I haven't checked in with this group for some time, but just was doing some catching up and saw that you are reading Hans Brinker ... which is, coincidentally, on my "to read" shelf for February. It will be the last book I read this month, probably, but I will start it in the next couple of days. My copy came from a used book store that is wonderful ... over crowded shelves, can hardly walk through, lost of nooks, crannies and corners to look in, and some great treasures just waiting to be found. I read the book when I was a child, and loved it, as well as the movie. I am eager to read it again.