Classics and the Western Canon discussion

Welcome members! We are excited to announce the nominees for our fourth major read of 2023. We have two popular nominees from the last poll and five new nominees.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Please let us know which nominees you are interested in and why.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Jul 12	Nostromo Week 7	+ This discussion.
Jul 19	Nostromo Week 8	+ The Poll.
Jul 26	Nostromo Week 9
Aug 2	Interim Week 1	
Aug 9	Interim Week 2	
Aug 16	Discussion of one of these great books begins!

Honestly, I'm not a fan of the choices this time. I'd probably re-read Zora Neale Hurston, but re-reading Turgenev would be my first choice because of a love of Russian literature.

Troilus and Criseyde is a great poem. It is composed in seven line stanzas, but reads like a novel. It's overshadowed by Canterbury Tales (and also by Shakespeare who adapted it for the stage) but is outstanding in its own right. Unlike Canterbury Tales, Chaucer completed this work and it shows: the craftmanship is flawless, the characterizations are deft and insightful, and of course, Chaucer's verse is always great. I heartily recommend this choice.

The poll is posted. Voting starts on: Jul 19, 2023 12:00AM PDT and will run through Jul 25, 11:59PM PDT

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

Do not forget to vote in the poll for the next read:

Voting started on: Jul 19, 2023 12:00AM PDT
Ends at: Tuesday, July 25, 2023 11:59PM PDT

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll. Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev is our next major read. Here are the poll results. Discussion will begin August 16th, after a two week interim read.

R	W	W%	Book
7	13	33%	Fathers and Sons
5	10	26%	Troilius and Criseyde
3	8	21%	The Song of Hiawatha
3	7	18%	Mansfield Park
1	1	3%	Jude the Obscure
0	0	0%	Their Eyes Were Watching God
0	0	0%	Robinson Crusoe

Congrats to an interesting selection.
I voted for Chaucer, but Bazarov is cool.

Good morning! What’s the interim read for August?

Hi, The interim read will be posted later on today.