Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

21/25
This is my firts time doing the Bingo Challenge, and doing simply a reading challenge. At firts I didn't wanted to do the Bingo Challenge because I'm already doing The Buffet Challenge but some nice fellow from the group convined me to try this one as well^^ I know I won't make all of the box but I will at least try to make some rows! ;-)

B1: Classic of Asia Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Ueda Akinari
B2: Classic Tragedy Richard III by William Shakespeare finished reading 27 october
B3: A Book Published at Least 200 Years Ago Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley finished reading 23 january
B4: Memoir, Autobiography, or Biography Boy Meets Depression: Or Life Sucks and Then You Live by Kevin Breel finished reading 18 march
B5: Classic of Europe Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse finished reading 9 july

I1: Classic Mystery or Crime ( mystery ) The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux finished reading 31 july
I2: Group Bingo Participant Pick The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle ( Thanks Philina! ) or The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole ( Thanks Toviel! )
I3: Classic Drama or Play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
I4: Book From Group’s 2020 Bookshelf We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson finished reading 8 March
I5: Classic Gothic or Horror Dracula by Bram Stoker

N1: Book From Group’s Old School Classic Shelf prior to 2020 The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde read 6 april
N2: Winner of a Foreign Literary Prize The Book Thief by Markus Zusak finished reading 3 January
N3: Reader’s Choice Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides finished reading 21 february
N4: Classic Short Story The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson finished reading 28 march
N5: Book From Group’s New School Classic Shelf prior to 2020 Lolita by Nabokov Vladimir finished reading 21 march

G1: Classic Science Fiction or Fantasy The Silmarillion by Tolkien, J. R. R. finished reading 5 april
G2: The Bigger Read List by English Pen The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov finished reading 4 december
G3: Poetry or Essay Collection Illuminations by Arthur Rimbaud finished reading 29 january
G4: Banned Book 1984 by George Orwell finished reading 5 may
G5: Classic Science or Philosophy The Stranger by Albert Camus finished reading 29 may

O1: Classic of Africa, Antarctica, Australia, or Oceania Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay finished reading 4 february
O2: Classic Western My Antonia / O Pioneers! by Willa Cather finished reading 8 december
O3: Book Published the Year You Were Born Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters finished reading 21 june
O4: Classic Adventure The Call of the Wild by Jack London finished reading 20 april
O5: Classic of the Americas The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin finished reading 11 mai
 

So glad that you have decided to join us in the Bingo Challenge. Happy reading !

Katy wrote: "So glad that you have decided to join us in the Bingo Challenge. Happy reading !"
Thank you!^^

Good luck on your challenge, Irphen!

Rosemarie wrote: "Good luck on your challenge, Irphen!"

Thanks!^^

I know I won't probably be able to read all of this, but it's nice to give it a try. I haven't completed for all the sections with books yet because I have some in mind but I'm not sure whether i will be able to find them in the libraries here. So I will be checking them and afterwards up dating and hopefully having everything planned before the end of this month!

As for the participant book pick it's up to you guys. I would prefer if it is not to long ( under 300 pages, because it will be a huge struggle for me already to try read all of this ). Maybe pick a few books you think I would like as to make sure I will be able to find at least one of them.

I will recommend The Remains of the Day for I2. It's under 300 pages, and a very lovely book.

I recommend Jurassic Park or it's inspiration The Lost World.

Milena wrote: "I will recommend The Remains of the Day for I2. It's under 300 pages, and a very lovely book."

Thank you for your recommendation Milena! I will make sure to check The Remains of the Day out :-)

Philina wrote: "I recommend Jurassic Park or it's inspiration The Lost World."

Thanks for the recommendation Philina! Could indeed be an interesting idea, rather the original by Conan Doyle I think cause I honestly never read anything fromm him and that's a bit of a shame! XD

I have never read Conan Doyle either. Is The Lost World OK to read for the first?

I really enjoyed the book. It's a typical old adventure story.
It's also fun to start Conan Dayle with a non-Sherlock-Holmes book.

You've got this!

Milena wrote: "I have never read Conan Doyle either. Is The Lost World OK to read for the first?"

I think it is, from what I understood The Lost World is more of and more modern version inspired by the original from Conan Doyle.

Philina wrote: "I really enjoyed the book. It's a typical old adventure story.
It's also fun to start Conan Dayle with a non-Sherlock-Holmes book."

You're right, it's kind of a funny troll to read at first something different than Sherlock Holmes from Conan Doyle! ;-p

Jazzy wrote: "You've got this!"

Thanks!^^ And I hope you are right and that I will make it!

So I just finished completing the whole of my Bingo Challenge list! I'm afraid I won't make it to read all this but at least I will try and do my best!

Just go and have fun with it! That's the most important thing.

Philina wrote: "Just go and have fun with it! That's the most important thing."
Indeed!^^

It looks like you have a great board!
(Good luck with the Silmarillon; I've tried and failed to read that monster several times.)

I noticed there's a lot of gothic horror/short stories on your bingo card and read list, so I think The Castle of Otranto would also be up your alley (if you haven't already read it), even you end up reading Lost World for the recommendation square. It's only about 180~ pages.

Toviel wrote: "It looks like you have a great board!
(Good luck with the Silmarillon; I've tried and failed to read that monster several times.)

I noticed there's a lot of gothic horror/short stories on your bin..."
Thanks!
( Haha, thanks! Yeah I was told it isn't an easy read at all, some friend of mine also abandonned so you are not the only one failing with it! XD )
Indeed I'm quite a fan of gothic fiction! ;-p Thank you for your recommendation! ;-) I haven't read The Castle of Otranto yet and it seems quite tempting, I think I will just put it near Lost World and will choose later on which I will be reading ( could be both both! )^^

I just finished all the books I planned for the N section! Out of this five the one I most enjoyed was The Book Thief, although the other reading where nice too!

Congrats on your Bingo, I too enjoyed The Book Thief it was great.

Congratulations, Irphen!

Bob wrote: "Congrats on your Bingo, I too enjoyed The Book Thief it was great."

Thanks! And indeed great is the word for such a book^^

Katy wrote: "Congratulations, Irphen!"
Thank you!

I really like your choices! ☆☆☆

Nike wrote: "I really like your choices! ☆☆☆"

Thanks!^^

I changed G4, instead of The Picture Of Dorian Gray which I already read I decided to pick another classic: 1984 by George Orwell. Haven't read it before but it seems pretty good!

I just finished The Left Hand of Darkness and this was my first time reading Ursula K. Le Guin. I enjoyed it very much! Interesting from quite a few different points of view and the descriptions of this cold planet full of ice gripped me in their claws.

I think it is time I asume I will never be able to complete all this for the end of the year...
But I will try at least to finish O and G!

Irphen wrote: "I just finished The Left Hand of Darkness and this was my first time reading Ursula K. Le Guin. I enjoyed it very much! Interesting from quite a few different points of..."

I am so glad you enjoyed Le Guin. I liked The Left Hand of Darkness but I really loved The Dispossessed Last summer I bought an ebook collection of her earlier works which was fun. The first three were fun 1960s sci-fi. Rocannon's World / Planet of Exile / City of Illusions / The Left Hand of Darkness

Lynn wrote: "Irphen wrote: "I just finished The Left Hand of Darkness and this was my first time reading Ursula K. Le Guin. I enjoyed it very much! Interesting from quite a few diff..."

Quite some people have been recommending me The Dispossessed, so I think it will be the next one from her I will be reading ;-) That sounds nice! Actually I totally prefer real books through ebooks have advantages as well, I like to feel the pages in my hands and to see my selves crawl under the weight of all my books! XD

Irphen, did you read Rimbaud in French? I adore the French poetry but my French is too rudimentary, still need translations and they are not always good.

Vesna wrote: "Irphen, did you read Rimbaud in French? I adore the French poetry but my French is too rudimentary, still need translations and they are not always good."

Yes, I read Rimbaud in French. Actually I live in France so I read quite a lot in French. I feel you about the translation problem, not all translations are good. Especially when it comes to poetry which is even harder to translate! Maybe you can try reading the French version and translation side by side for more understanding. I used to do that when reading English a couple of years ago. However I'm not sure it will really be useful when it comes to poetry

Orphan, I am planning to read Castle of Ortranto to in 2021 for my bingo card. I would like to read that with you, the earlier in 2021, the better for me.

Cynda wrote: "Orphan, I am planning to read Castle of Ortranto to in 2021 for my bingo card. I would like to read that with you, the earlier in 2021, the better for me."

Actually this is my 2020 board! XD But as The Castle of Otranto is one of the books that I didn't read yet and won't have time to finish I decided to put it on my board for next year as well.^^ And I would be glad to read it in 2021 with you! I don't have a copy yet but later this month normally the lockdown here will be over and I will be able to go look for it in libraries ;-) I will let you know when I have it so we can plan when to read it^^

Irphen wrote: "Cynda wrote: "Orphan, I am planning to read Castle of Ortranto to in 2021 for my bingo card. I would like to read that with you, the earlier in 2021, the better for me."

Actually this is my 2020 b..."

Haha funny me. . . .Okay then! Let me know when you have Otranto. I will borrow from my library's eservices, so I can start any time.

Cynda wrote: "Irphen wrote: "Cynda wrote: "Orphan, I am planning to read Castle of Ortranto to in 2021 for my bingo card. I would like to read that with you, the earlier in 2021, the better for me."

Actually th..."

Don't worry, that's the kind of thing which happens to us all from time to time ;-p Yes, I will let you know when I have it!^^

Just finished The Master and Margarita! Now for the end of the year I will only have to make sure to finish My Antonia / O Pioneers!, which is on good way, and then I will have completed at least most of this Bingo board!^^

Irphen , did you know that My Antonia /O Pioneers are two different novels. . . . That will lessen your read load significantly.

Cynda wrote: "Irphen , did you know that My Antonia /O Pioneers are two different novels. . . . That will lessen your read load significantly."
Thanks for the information but in fact I already knew. I finished My Antonia this summer and now I'm reading O pioneer!

They are good novels. Enjoy :)

As someone who generally doesn’t care for Horror as a genre, I found Bram Stoker’s a Dracula surprisingly engaging.

Cynda wrote: "They are good novels. Enjoy :)"
Thanks!^^

Terry wrote: "As someone who generally doesn’t care for Horror as a genre, I found Bram Stoker’s a Dracula surprisingly engaging."

Well actually I kind of like horror genre, but more the old and gothic like type. XD Anyways, this info will with a bit of luck get me motivated to read it coming year, thanks!^^

Just finished O2: My Antonia / O Pioneers! by Willa Cather! So this is all I will be able to do this year for my Bingo challenge. This was the first time for me participating in this and I must say I'm kind of proud cause I nearly made it, just 4 books left to clear the whole board! With a bit of luck in 2021 I will be able to do so^^ Anyways, it was a great expercience and I want to thank those who made this challenge cause t hepled me to get out of my comfort zone and read some books I wouldn't have read ( probably ) without this challenge.

Top 5 of my Bingo board ( no particular order ):
-Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
-Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
-The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
-The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
-We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson