Classics and the Western Canon discussion

Here are the nominees for our fifth read of 2022. Feel free to lobby here for your favorites.

POPULAR NOMINEES FROM THE LAST POLL
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau

RBG NOMINEES
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
The Discourses AND The Prince double feature by Niccolò Machiavelli
The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Sep 7-Sep 13	Dead Souls week 3	Next read member discussion
Sep 14-Sep 20	Dead Souls week 4	Fifth Read Poll
Sep 21-Sep 27	Dead Souls week 5	
Sep 28-Oct 4	Dead Souls Optional 6/Interim Read week 1
Oct 5-Oct 11	Interim Read Week 2
Oct 12-Oct 18	5th Read of 2022 Week 1

I’ve read some at least of all the choices except The Three Musketeers and think any would make for an interesting discussion. I’m having a hard time making up my mind which to vote for. How about you?

I'm going to go for Tess, even though it's another 19th-century novel. I enjoyed it in high school and I want to see if it holds up a half-century later. And it's much different in tone than Dead Souls, I think

Yes, Tess!

I am having a difficult time deciding this one. Is anyone else interested in the Machiavelli two-for-one?

Being a comedy from around the same time, I wonder if Tom Jones would be as enjoyable as Tristram Shandy is, which this group read not so long ago.

Since Arendt mentioned Rousseau so much, The Social Contract might be an interesting read.

I am only familiar with the Three Musketeers through popular culture and Hollywood; it would be interesting to how that all measures up to the book.

To me, Tess just has the reputation of being a good book; it might be time to take the plunge to find out why.

Of course Origin of Species is my favorite on the list, but I am torn between reading it again or adding something else to my "read" shelf.

I'm with Roger and Jan--Hardy all the way for me.

But I wouldn't mind reading Tom Jones again since it's been decades since I last read it. I don't remember anything about it other than it's a picaresque novel that was light and entertaining.

I'm voting for Tom Jones which, coincidentally, I am currently rereading.

To respond to a question from a previous post, I think readers will enjoy it just as much as Tristram Shandy. These are the two great 18th century conic novels, though they are very different.

Also, I love what Samuel Johnson had to say about it: "I am shocked to hear you quote from so vicious a book. I am sorry to hear you have read it . . ."

The poll has been posted. Voting opens on: Sep 14, 2022 12:00AM PDT
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

Voting will end Sep 20, 2022 12:00AM PDT.

Please remember to vote for our next read. There's only a few days left for voting.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy is our next read! The discussion is scheduled to begin October 12th.

R	W	W%	Book
6	11	38%	Tess of D'Urbervilles
3	6	21%	The Origin of Species
4	6	21%	The Three Musketeers
2	5	17%	The History of Tom Jones
1	1	3%	The Discourse + The Prince

I missed the poll, but this would have been my vote, too! Not sure I can keep up since I am also reading Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance (800 pages?) with a few friends. But I look forward to trying!

I hope you can still join us, Kathy.

Thanks, Tamara!
Tess has been on my list of favorite classics to reread for a long time. I'm curious to see whether I will love it as much as I did in my 20s. I'm sure it will read quite differently now, for a variety of reasons.