Classics for Beginners discussion

Hi everyone,
It's nomination time again! Before nominating a book, please read the guidelines below.

Nominations will close and poll will open on 15th July. The winner will be announced at the end of the month.

Usual rules for nominations apply:
1. One nomination per person.
2. Classic books only (over 50 years old).
3. Books should be under 600 pages (books over can be nominated for our tri-monthly read instead).
4. No book we have read before as a group read.*
5. No book from an author who we have read either in the last 10 group reads or the last 4 tri-monthly reads.†
6. To facilitate poll creation, please use a Goodreads link to add the nomination by clicking on 'add book/author' above the text box.
7. Please indicate whether or not you would be willing to lead the discussion if your nomination is chosen.


*For a full list of books we have read before please check the master-list:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
(Note: lists sorted by book title, author surname, or date read)

†Authors not to nominate:
Mark Twain (August 2016)
Truman Capote (July 2016)
Henry Miller (June 2016)
Rebecca West (May 2016)
Anne Brontë (April 2016)
Robert Louis Stevenson (March 2016)
Frank Kafka (February 2016)
Nevil Shute (January 2016)
Daphne du Maurier (December 2015)
Oscar Wilde (November 2015)

James Joyce (July-September 2016)
Wilkie Collins (April-June 2016)
R.D. Blackmore (January-March 2016)
Charlotte Brontë (October-December 2015)

Nominations so far
Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Mendelssohn is on the Roof by Jiří Weil

Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham

☯Emily wrote: "Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham"

No offense, but as this one is close to 700 pages, I think it would be better suited for a quarterly read.

Heather L wrote: "☯Emily wrote: "Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham"

No offense, but as this one is close to 700 pages, I think it would be better suited for a quarterly read."

My copy isn't that long, but I will change it to Cakes and Ale by the same author.

Most of the editions shown on GR showed 575 to 700 pages. There was one edition coming in around 300, but compared to length of other editions, I'd bet that one either has super small print or is abridged. '-)

I wasn't going to nominate anything for September, since I am doing the August book, but seeing as there is only one other book so far, I'll choose one from my banned books TBR, in honor of September being Banned Books Month:

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Heather L wrote: "I wasn't going to nominate anything for September, since I am doing the August book, but seeing as there is only one other book so far, I'll choose one from my banned books TBR, in honor of Septemb..."

Do you know why that was banned? I read it as a kid and my parents wouldn't let me read anything that was questionable.

Here's what I found online, from a 2016 article, Banned Books That Shaped America:

Generally hailed as Jack London’s best work, The Call of the Wild is commonly challenged for its dark tone and bloody violence. Because it is seen as a man-and-his-dog story, it is sometimes read by adolescents and subsequently challenged for age-inappropriateness. Not only have objections been raised here, the book was banned in Italy, Yugoslavia and burned in bonfires in Nazi Germany in the late 1920s and early 30s because it was considered “too radical.”

Mendelssohn Is On The Roof by Jiří Weil - I can lead

I'll second Call of the Wild.

Heather L wrote: "I wasn't going to nominate anything for September, since I am doing the August book, but seeing as there is only one other book so far, I'll choose one from my banned books TBR, in honor of Septemb..."

One of my favourite classics. I'm surprised to hear it was banned.

I was surprised by the Nazi ban on Call of the Wild, so I dug around and made a list of other books banned by Nazis. Here it is, if you're curious:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

Hi everyone,
Nominations have closed and a poll has been created. Polling will close on July 25th.

Please cast your vote!

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...