Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

Here I am

B1: 18th Century or Earlier Classic Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
B2: Book Chosen by the Cover Le Joueur d'échecs by Stefan Zweig
B3: European Classic Arsene Lupin Vs. Herlock Sholmes: A Classic Tale of the World's Greatest Thief and the World's Greatest Detective! by Maurice Leblanc
B4: Telegraph’s 100 Novels List Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
B5: 20th Century Classic I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal

I1: Book from the Group’s Bookshelf Prior to 2019 Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
I2: New-to-You Author The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
I3: Classic Play Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello
I4: Literary Prize of Your Country Private Renaissance by Maria Bellonci
I5: Classic on Your Bookshelf For over a Year Moi qui ai servi le roi d'Angleterre by Bohumil Hrabal

N1: South American Classic I funerali della Mamá Grande by Gabriel García Márquez
N2: Short Story Collection Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
N3: FREE SPACE Roman Blood by Steven Saylor
N4: Poetry or Essay Collection The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot
N5: Asian Classic Swami et ses amis by R.K. Narayan

G1: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize Remembering Babylon by David Malouf
G2: Classic By a Female Author La femme de papier by Françoise ReyEdgar Degas
G3: Classic Non-fiction Lettres de Degas by
G4: Written by Nobel Laureate The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway Ernest
G5: Book from the Group's 2019 Bookshelf The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

O1: 19th Century ClassicLe notti bianche by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
O2: Classic Sci-fi or Fantasy The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
O3: Classic Comedy or Satire Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
O4: Classic Romance Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
O5: 21st Century Potential Classic Wolf Dreams by Yasmina Khadra

Welcome to the challenge, Stefania! Hope you read some good books next year :)

Good luck on your challenge, Stefania.

So glad to have you join us in the Bingo Challenge, Stefania. Have fun reading .

Thanks Terris, Rosemarie and Katy!

N2 Death in Venice from Thomas Mann. What a perfect book!

B1 Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.

Stefania wrote: "N2 Death in Venice from Thomas Mann. What a perfect book!"

Glad to see you're enjoying your challenge, Stefania. I loved this one too!

Yes Kathleen, it is really great. I read it as a teenager and I didn't appreciate it, probably at the time I did not even understand it. It was a great pleasure to read it again.

I2 The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham. I've a lot of fun with my readings. I've loved this one!

G4 The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway Ernest. My first Hemingway (what a shame). I'm not so fun....

O2 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis Really good!

O3 Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote Absolutely interesting. She is an incredible caracther, so modern, especially if you you got in mind that the history take place in '40!

Stefania wrote: "O3 Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote Absolutely interesting. She is an incredible caracther, so modern, especially if you you got in mind that the history take p..."

I loved Breakfast at Tiffany's also had never seen the film until after reading it. I loved the film too, but it's very different. The film is much more lighthearted. I prefer the book's moodiness.

I'm so glad you loved Death In Venice. A friend recommended it after I said how angry I was about his The Magic Mountain . I hope to get to it soon.

There are scary authors, for me Thomas Hardy and Thomas Mann are some of those who really scare me! I did not read The Magic Mountain but I really loved Death in Venice. Somewhere that made me reconcile with Thomas Mann.

B5 I Served the King of England by Bohumil Hrabal. I don't know how to say, it was hard but the end was really good.

N1 I funerali della Mamá Grande by Gabriel García Márquez. This little collection of novels is beautiful. I would say for me Márquez is always beautiful!

I3 Six Characters in Search of an Author by Luigi Pirandello. The first time I read this play I was twenty. Now that I'm older, I could really appreciate the text, the language, the meaning, the play of life and the question: what theater is. How plays, how is it possible to play a caracther in the way the writer thought him.....to read

I4 Private Renaissance by Maria Bellonci. She won Premio Strega in 1986. Composed like a diary, it tells the story of Isabelle d'Este, marquis de Mantua and fundamental character of the Italian Renaissance. Bellonci style was difficult to me. She writes in a sort of old italian that sounds just a style performance a bit irritating. I read it in Italian, perhaps it is better in translation!!

O5 Wolf Dreams by Yasmina Khadra. Good, hard, telling how a normal young Algerian can became a terrorist.

I think The Magic Mountain is one of Mann's wordiest books. There are an awful lot of discussions, but the characters and setting are very interesting. Buddenbrooks is a much lighter read, but it is long too.
I love all of his works, but some better than others.

Thanks for the comments on each book.

Stefania wrote: "O5 Wolf Dreams by Yasmina Khadra. Good, hard, telling how a normal young Algerian can became a terrorist."

That one looks interesting.

You are moving along nicely with your challenge.

Katy wrote: "Stefania wrote: "O5 Wolf Dreams by Yasmina Khadra. Good, hard, telling how a normal young Algerian can became a terrorist."

That one looks interesting.

You are movin..."
It is! TY Katy

Rosemarie wrote: "I think The Magic Mountain is one of Mann's wordiest books. There are an awful lot of discussions, but the characters and setting are very interesting. Buddenbrooks is a much lighter read, but it i..."

Thanks Rosemarie, I give a lot of value to your observations because every time I read a book that you advised, I liked it .... so The Magic Mountain is now in my TBR list.

Thanks. Be sure to read The Magic Mountain when you have lots of time!

N3 Roman Blood by Steven Saylor. What a funny polar! The action take place in Rome during Sylla reign, at about 80 bc. The main carachter is an investigator engaged by Cicero. The historical context is correct, the case is inspired by the second trial of Cicero. Really funny.

G5 The Pillars of the Earth BY Ken Follett. How to say? I think I was the last one on earth taht hadn't still read this book! It's deep, interesting, weel written, I couldn't stop reading.......all I love in a book.

B4 Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. Not so fan. So dark, so sad, so hard. I'm on holiday and it really doesn't correspond to my mood, perhaps I'll try to read it in winter time....it would be better I think, to appraciate.

Great progress on your challenge. I agree that Frankenstein did not appeal to me, but I see that you read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Painted Veil. I really enjoyed both of those!!

Thank you Lynn, I enjoyed The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but i saw the movie.....difficult to imagine my own characters. Anyway a very good book. The Painted Veil is a masterpiece for me!

O4 Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence How to say...beautiful! Absolutely absolutely sulphurous and unconventional but full of love.

G1 Remembering Babylon by David Malouf Absolutely not for me!! So hard to finish it.....

N4 T.S. Eliot by The Waste Land it was a rereading...always the same emotion, perhaps more. Always perfect.

I1 Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. For me Jane Austin is perfection, nothing to say more!

B3 Arsene Lupin Vs. Herlock Sholmes: A Classic Tale of the World's Greatest Thief and the World's Greatest Detective! by Maurice Leblanc It's so funny! A lot of humour.

B2 Le Joueur d'échecs by Stefan Zweig a masterpiece.

Finished!! I had a lot of pleasure.