Books of Literature by Nobel Prize Winning Authors: 2020 Challenge discussion

Confirmed:

January: Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun

February: No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre

March: John Steinbeck member's choice.

April: Quo Vadis or With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz

May-June: Joseph and His Brothers by Thomas Mann

July: The Axe by Sigrid Undset

August: And Quiet Flows the Don by Mikhail Sholokhov (this is vol 3 of the 5 part series)

September: Barabbas by Pär Lagerkvist

October: Iceland's Bell by Halldór Laxness

November: Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

December: Dear Life by Alice Munro

Nominations needed for these months. To be a group read the book needs to be seconded by another member.

Please post nominations and month you would like. If you would like to read a book that is a bit hefty, 500+ pages, we could do it over 2 months, September- October.

July:

September:

October:

December:

I loved Kristin Lavransdatter and would like to read another Sigrid Undset. I thought of Catherine of Siena or Gunnar's Daughter, but they are also historical, one non-fiction about the 14th century, the other fiction about the 11th Century. And Tracey has already read them. I thought of The Axe, but that starts another series and is 13th Century.
Also, they are not translated by Tiina Nunnally who is probably partially responsible for the fluidity of Kristin Lavransdatter. She did translate Undset's first novel. Jenny, so I nominate that. It will be more contemporary to the times. It might be good to try something by Undset in a non-historical vein. One reader compared it to a Hardy, Flaubert or Forster and another compared it to something by Edith Wharton. But I'd be open to try the others I mentioned, even starting the The Master of Hestviken series with The Axe.

Brian wrote: "I loved Kristin Lavransdatter and would like to read another Sigrid Undset. I thought of Catherine of Siena or Gunnar's Daughter, but they are also historical..."

I have read both Catherine of Siena and Gunnar's Daughter and did enjoy them.
I would love to read The Axe. If I put it in for July would that work with you? If we like it it gives us the remainder of the year to read the next 3 books 🤔😉

Jenny seems a little harder to find in print.

Tracey the Bookworm wrote: "Brian wrote: "I loved Kristin Lavransdatter and would like to read another Sigrid Undset. I thought of Catherine of Siena or Gunnar's Daughter, but they are a..."

I'll happily wait for The Axe to fall in July.

I would like to nominate Barabbas by Pär Lagerkvist.

Have you all read The Golden Notebook by Lessing?

The Golden Notebook is set for a November 2020 author/genre read in the Never Too Late To Read classics group. I have contemplated reading it, as I own a copy, but I'm about 50/50 and was going to wait and see what else I'm reading then. It's a long one.
November here is filled by Dr. Z.

Wow... I can’t plan for the next month and you have planned for the whole year which has not yet started 😀

Thanks for the information BTW.

Tracey, I am reading Voices from Chernobyl with a group this month, so I will not count it for Nobel challenge.

What are my options? Shall I choose another book previously read by the group? Like Forsyte Saga ?

Or another book by same author Secondhand Time?

Nidhi wrote: "Tracey, I am reading Voices from Chernobyl with a group this month, so I will not count it for Nobel challenge.

What are my options? Shall I choose another book previously read by the group? Like ..."

That’s funny because I have a copy from the library right now. What group is it? I will take that one down and we can choose another for March.

Rosemarie wrote: "I would like to nominate Barabbas by Pär Lagerkvist."

Hi Rosemarie, that looks good. What month would you like it in?

Brian wrote: "Tracey the Bookworm wrote: "Brian wrote: "I loved Kristin Lavransdatter and would like to read another Sigrid Undset. I thought of Catherine of Siena or [book:Gunnar's Da..."

Funny 😆

I asked for it for Christmas but if I don’t get it I will ask for it for Mother’s Day. My kids know my wish list is mainly books.

Any month is fine, Tracey. It is a relatively short book.

Rosemarie wrote: "Any month is fine, Tracey. It is a relatively short book."

Ok I will put it in for September as there are quite a few heavy weights in the months preceding. Great nomination.

Brian wrote: "I loved Kristin Lavransdatter and would like to read another Sigrid Undset. I thought of Catherine of Siena or Gunnar's Daughter, but they are also historical..."

Hi Brian do you fancy reading another by Halldór Laxness in 2020? I was looking at Iceland's Bell but any other would be ok. I know we have both read World Light

I was looking to read Iceland's Bell someday. How about October?

Also, you missed the boat in scheduling Barabbas. You should "give us Barabbas" in April. :)

Brian wrote: "I was looking to read Iceland's Bell someday. How about October?

Also, you missed the boat in scheduling Barabbas. You should "give us Barabbas" in April. :)"

Ah yes! Blown it now :)

I have put Iceland's bell in for October.

I just realised that so far all our classics would probably be classics in translation. Nationalities of authors:

Norwegian
French
Polish
German
Danish
Russian (2)
Swedish
Icelandic.

An international cornucopia.

So you're counting Sigrid as Danish? Since she was born there it a good way to increase the variety in the cornucopia.

Catching up on Classics ( and lots more) This group is currently reading Voices.... by Svetlana Alexeivich.

I see March and December are open. In March I am thinking Steinbeck ss an easy read as am planning on starting Ulysses sme month.
I would also like to nominate Alice Munro as December pick Brief Life

Connie wrote: "I see March and December are open. In March I am thinking Steinbeck ss an easy read as am planning on starting Ulysses sme month.
I would also like to nominate Alice Munro as December pick Brief Life"

Great I will put them in.

Brian wrote: "So you're counting Sigrid as Danish? Since she was born there it a good way to increase the variety in the cornucopia."

You got it! I am thinking of going into politics and so I am practising manipulating results to say what I want them to say ;)

We now have a list for 2020.

I like the list👍🏻

Tracey the Bookworm wrote: ".I would love to read The Axe. If I put it in for July would that work with you? .."

I have The Axe ready to read it in July. I am thinking about when to read it, early or late in the month, and wondered if anyone else is going to read it.
I'm reading it even if it's a No-Buddy else read.

Brian wrote: "I have The Axe ready to read it in July. I am thinking about when to read it, early or late in the month, and wondered if anyone else is going to read it.
I'm reading it even if it's a No-Buddy else read."

I read it and liked it enough to go on to the second book The Snake Pit, sometime after I read The Summer Book by Tove Jansson who is a Finn citizen who spoke and wrote in Swedish. As Undset was a Danish born Norwegian, I have the Scandinavian/Nordic countries fairly well covered this month, with iceland to look forward to later,

I'm glad you enjoyed The Axe, Brian.

Rosemarie wrote: "I'm glad you enjoyed The Axe, Brian."

Yes, I was very pleased that The Axe was not a grind.

Hi everyone, I'm a new member of this group and just wanted to say hi. As it's kind of late in the year, I know I won't be able to complete the challenge for 2020, but I'll be joining you for the upcoming monthly reads. I hope there will be a new challenge next year, so that I'll be able to start fresh from the beginning. ;-)
Happy reading and see you around here soon!
All the best, Angie
PS: Is anyone else going to read And Quiet Flows the Don?

Hi Angie and welcome to the group. The planned reading schedule was hard to stick to because of libraries being closed etc but hopefully we can get in a few of the reads this year. Yes I would like to read And quiet flows the Don this year. Anyone else interested? I am hoping to get to Joseph and his brothers by Thomas Mann first.

Brian wrote: "Rosemarie wrote: "I'm glad you enjoyed The Axe, Brian."

Yes, I was very pleased that The Axe was not a grind."

Hi Brian. I am glad you enjoyed it. I do hope to get to it this year.

I have read And Quiet Flows the Dawn twice in 30 years. It is worth the effort since it successfully depicts the chaos and hardship of those times. I read the sequel as well. If I have time, I may read another book by that author-Virgin Soil Upturned.

Tracey the Bookworm wrote: "Hi Angie and welcome to the group. The planned reading schedule was hard to stick to because of libraries being closed etc but hopefully we can get in a few of the reads this year. Yes I would like..."

It's too bad the reading plan went astray. The past two months, I was a solo reader for both Joseph and The Axe. As a Cubs fan, though, I grew up being used to disappointment and saying "Wait till next year!"
Go Buffalo Blue Jays! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EdtEkndWk...

Thanks, Brian. The issues of playing in Toronto were too sensitive. We love our neighbours to the south(for the most part) but we'll be glad to see you in 2021!

Tracey the Bookworm wrote: "Hi Angie and welcome to the group. The planned reading schedule was hard to stick to because of libraries being closed etc but hopefully we can get in a few of the reads this year. Yes I would like..."

Thank you Tracey for the warm welcome.
I completely understand that the reading schedule had to be adapted to the current situation. Our local libraries aren't fully open at the moment as well. And one really needs access to a good library since some of the works by Nobel Prize Laureates are tricky to get hold of, I have noticed.

I'm impressed by your plan to tackle Joseph and his Brothers (and indeed I am by anyone who has read it already), so far I haven't had the courage to pick it up yet. It just sits there on the family bookshelf looking very daunting with its 1355 pages.

Angie, the Mann book is four novels, so not as intimidating as it looks-- and it's really good!

Aha! Thanks for pointing that out, Rosemarie. I hadn't realised that they are four novels. In our edition they are bound together in one volume, with one continuous table of contents, unmarked as individual books. Reading them separately, maybe during the course of a year, seems much more doable.

Brian wrote: "Tracey the Bookworm wrote: "Hi Angie and welcome to the group. The planned reading schedule was hard to stick to because of libraries being closed etc but hopefully we can get in a few of the reads..."

Brian, you are a star carrying the flag for us all. :)
I am currently waiting for my library for some of the books.

Angie wrote: "Aha! Thanks for pointing that out, Rosemarie. I hadn't realised that they are four novels. In our edition they are bound together in one volume, with one continuous table of contents, unmarked as i..."

Angie that might be the way to go. If I get a copy we could read a book a month. If we don't like book 1 we can always give up there :)
I am waiting on this book, Quo Vadis and Quiet Flows the Don. I have a copy of Doctor Zhivargo I could read that instead.

Would you like to read
September: And Quiet Flows the Don
October onwards: Joseph and His Brothers

If Joseph and HB is as good as Buddenbrooks I will love it.

I am hoping to read Quo Vadis in what is left of August if I can.

What books would others like to read for the remaining months of the year? I can reset the schedule and set up threads if 2 or more are interested in a book.

While I only read the first book of the Joseph and His Brothers tetralogy, I read all four of theThe Master of Hestviken tetralogy. I am not interested in reading any of the other Joseph books.
Pick what you want, Tracey. I don't want to commit to other reads, though I may be trying The Golden Notebook during October/November. It's set for a November read in NTLTRC and I think Rosemarie nominated it for a fall read in another group possibly catching Up With classics.

Brian wrote: "While I only read the first book of the Joseph and His Brothers tetralogy, I read all four of theThe Master of Hestviken tetralogy. I am not ibnterested in reading any of..."

What did you think of M of H? My library had the books and now they don’t. Not sure what happened but probably deemed them obsolete and got rid of them in a library sale.

Yes, it would be lovely if we could agree on some group reads or buddy reads - much more fun than reading alone.

My August is pretty "booked up" already, so I won't be able to commit to anything this month. But And Quiet Flows the Don in September would work well for me.
I would also give book 1 of Joseph and His Brothers a try in October.
Then maybe The Golden Notebook in November?
After that, I was kind of hoping to read Doctor Zhivago in December, because that would go nicely with winter. ;-) But of course, I'm ready to pick something else as well...

Other books I have on hand, are those from the original list (Barabbas, Iceland's Bell, Dear Life) and Selma Lagerlöf's Gösta Berling's Saga.

All in all, I'm very flexible and up to reading almost anything, I just need to know ca. 2 weeks in advance to be able to get the book(s) from the library.

Hello all, just checking in... any reading plans for September?

Hello. Just checking in also.