Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) discussion

I've decided to give this another go after a terrible reading slump I've experienced in the last three years. Wish me luck! :)

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge

1899 and earlier/Old School
1. The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens - FINISHED 19. 5. 2024.
2. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
3. Začuđeni svatovi by Eugen Kumičić - DID NOT FINISH

1900-1999/New School
4. How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn
5. Famous American Plays of the 1940s by Henry Hewes
6. Au nom de la race by Marc Hillel

Cleaning the bookshelf candidates
7. The Romance of Tristan and Iseult by Joseph Bédier - FINISHED 18. 9. 2024.
8. The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry
9. The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry
10. Wallis - Secret Lives of the Duchess of Windsor by Charles Higham
11. The Stonehenge Legacy by Sam Christer
12. Anđeli naši svagdašnji by Michal Viewegh - FINISHED 29. 8. 2024.

Alternates
1. Pillars of Light by Jane Johnson
2. The Salt Road by Jane Johnson

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

1. Priče iz Vukovara by Siniša Glavašević
2. Zeleni pas by Nada Mihelčić
3. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
4. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
5. Oči Zagreba, Die Augen von Zagreb, The Eyes of Zagreb by Karl-Markus Gauß
6. Zagreb una Historia una Familia: Scheuren by Ana Estefania Scheuren de Gil
7. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
8. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
9. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
10. Stories for Children by Isaac Bashevis Singer
11. Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
12. Anđeli naši svagdašnji by Michal Viewegh
13. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith
14. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa
15. The Goodbye Cat: Seven Cat Stories by Hiro Arikawa
16. The Romance of Tristan and Iseult by Joseph Bédier
17. Travels With Epicurus: Meditations from a Greek Island on the Pleasures of Old Age by Daniel Klein
18. Teba by Jorge Ángel Livraga Rizzi
19. U divljini by Jon Krakauer
20. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
21. Bez zastoja i bez straha by Zrinka Posavec

Hope you have fun with your 2024 Buffet Challenge, Samanta, and that it gets you out of your reading slump!

I loved How Green Was My Valley -- hope you enjoy it too :)

Happy Reading!

Thank you, Terris! I hope it does go away. I miss reading. :)

Thank you, Matt! You, too! :)

I haven't read much Dickens. I read A Tale of Two Towns and A Christmas Carol, of course. I plan on reading Dickens at Christmas (published by Vintage Classics) this month.

Lovely to see you back again, Samanta. Reading slumps are the worst--hope yours is over.

Thank you, Sara! :) I'm still struggling, but I've managed to read 27 books so far this year, so that's a progress.

I have had dry years, Samanta, when reading just seemed impossible for me. I think 27 books is an awesome number.

The post-pandemic me feels the same, the per-pandemic me is very critical. :D :D

I'm actually looking forward to the challenges. I've felt butterflies in my stomach thinking about next year's reading. :D

Nice choices Samanta. I loved The Romance of Tristan and Iseult. I hope you like it!

You've got a lot of huge classics in your challenge. I hope you'll enjoy your reading! 27 books in a year is great -- I think you're on your way out of your slump!

Thank you, Lynn and Wobbley! :)

Lynn, it's been sitting on my shelf for a while now. I thought it was time to read (in my native language, though).

Wobbley, I've always loved classics and a classic was the first book I read in English language (not my native language), so they hold a special place in my heart and on my bookshelf. :)

I'm glad you are giving this another try. Reading slumps are terrible, I hope this challenge helps you break yours. Happy reading!!

Thank you, Bob! :)

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Siniša Glavašević
Date: 7.1.2024.
Rating: A
Genre: Essays, Croatia, Homeland War
Review: Stories from Vukovar is a collection of very short essays about basic human emotions and actions that we, human beings that we are, often take for granted, until we find ourselves in life-threatening situations, like war.

Siniša Glavašević was a journalist, war reporter and the main editor of Croatian national radio station in Vukovar. Vukovar was his native town and when it was besieged by the aggressors in 1991., he decided to stay and report to the whole country of what was happening in Vukovar.

While Siniša was reporting and trying to survive her also wrote these essays, and a few days before the fall send them through a fax machine to Mladen Kušec, to be read live on radio every day. Later on, they were compiled into a book, along with his war reports from the last month before the "fall". The stories are really simple, one, one and a half page long and very beautiful. They were also translated to English. The most famous story is the one titled "Priča o Gradu" (A Story of the City). It has been read so many times it became one of THE stories of the Croatian Homeland War and the symbol of Croatian courage and the fight for survival.

Sounds interesting, Samanta

Well done getting a start on your challenges!

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Nada Mihelčić
Date: 12.1.2024.
Rating: A
Genre: Fiction, Addiction
Review: The Green Dog is a novel for young adults that speaks about the greatest plague of our times: drugs.

Our narrator (unnamed) is an 18-year-old girl who lost her older sister to drugs and is, of course, marked by the whole experience, and not in a good way.

The story starts with an introduction by the author in which she decides to tell the story of how drugs ruined her life. In the next chapters she takes us back 4 or 5 years when the whole horror story started. As the third of four children, she always felt like she was living in the shadow of her older siblings (twins Vlatka and Robert) which made her act out, especially because she felt her parent gave all their attention and love the her sister Vlatka who was a problematic teen. One day, Vlatka disappears with our narrator's pocket money and the family finds out that Vlatka is doing drugs. The subsequent months will be ones of trials and tribulations that will test the relationships in the family and mark every member for good or bad.

The novel is written from first person POV and in a language familiar to young adults. It won many national as well as a prestigious international reward because of the topic and the writing style. What makes it so different from many other works on this topic, is that it's written from the perspective of the addict's member of the family, it speaks about the effect addiction has on the family while the addict is a secondary character, and it doesn't have a happy ending. The author's aim was to educate people on devastating consequences of drug addiction and to point out that more times than not, there is no happy ending in this story.

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Ben Aaronovitch
Date: 12.2.2024.
Rating: B
Genre: Fantasy, Crime
Review: Peter Grant is a young copper in modern-day London who is about to be assigned to a unit. He would like to become a detective, but, although he is really intelligent, he is easily distracted. Because of that he also managed only a C in national exams despite having a great understanding of math, physics, chemistry and knowing all sorts of historical and other facts.

One night, Peter and his partner Lesley are assigned to guard the perimeter of a gruesome beheading. While waiting for Lesley to get them coffee, Peter meets a ghost that tells him he has information on the murder. Peter, naturally, thinks he's gone crazy, but still he goes back to the same place to confirm that he actually saw a ghost. While there, he meets a strange detective called Nightingale, and soon Peter is transferred from a boring desk job to a Metropolitan police unit specialised in dealing with the supernatural world that lives in the shadows of London and England. Under Nightingale's guidance, Peter will train to become a magician (yes, in this world you are not necessarily born to magic) and try to solve a string of terrible attacks and murders caused by an unknown supernatural force.

I really liked the world Aaronovitch built. There is mention of known supernatural beings like ghosts and vampires, but there is also something new, England's rivers, those around the "Mother River" Thames (it included) are river gods and goddesses. Thames is divided between Father and Mother Thames, who are by the way, archenemies, and their sons and daughters" who are Thames' tributaries.

All of the main characters are very likable. Peter is intelligent, quick-thinking, a fast learner, and loyal to his friends. On the other hand, he can't help but think "dirty thoughts" about his partner Lesley and Beverly Brook, one of Mama Thames' daughters. That was the only part of the story that bothered me, because it was really unnecessary as it made me roll my eyes at Peter and think less of him. Other than that, the story was really interesting and fast-paced. This is the first book of a series of nine, with lots of short stories, but prequel to the first and in between the main books. I recommend it for a light, funny read.

I've never heard of this one. Glad you found a winner!

It's a hit now in Croatia, because it was translated and published in October last year. I was a bit disappointed to see that it was originally published in 2011. It should have been done years ago.

Samanta wrote: "Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Ben Aaronovitch
Date: 12.2.2024.
Rating: B
Review: ..."

I really liked that one too Samanta

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Sarah Penner
Date: 20.2.2024.
Rating: B
Genre: Historical Fiction
Review: The Lost Apothecary is a story of three women, two living in the 18th century London, and one visiting London in the 21st century.

Nella is an apothecary that deals in remedies specifically for women. She learned the art of preparing natural remedies from her mother, who also taught her to serve only women because in the 18th century women did not have quality treatments available to them. When Nella's mother dies, she takes over the business, but eventually starts preparing different kind of "remedies" for women, those that will make them get rid of unfaithful, abusive and bad men from their lives, be them husbands, brothers, lovers, fathers...
She will hide away and successfully "help" women for the next 20 years, until young Eliza comes for one such "remedy" in the name of her mistress. In her excitement to learn from Nella, she will recklessly give a hint of Nella's existence to the outside world, and put their lives in danger.

In the present, Caroline comes to London for what was supposed to be a trip for her 10th-year marriage anniversary, but alone. She just found out her husband had been unfaithful, so she decided to come alone to get away and think things through. While walking near Thames, she bumps into a group of Thames' muck explorers, enthusiast who dig muck to find historical objects. She joins them and finds a bottle with an engraved bear that will make her investigate further and wake up the love she had for history that she buried deep within herself in order to have "stability" in life. She will slowly unravel the story of Nella and Eliza and in the process, also her own.

The idea for the story is very interesting. I loved the alternate past and present POV's, but I wish it was more about discovering the phenomenon of an apothecary who produced venom to help women when no one else would, and less about Caroline's bad marriage. I loved Nella and Eliza's stories, and the fact that Caroline found herself again and decided to finally do what she truly loves, but it should have been more about the history.

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Karl-Markus Gauß
Date: 21.2.2024.
Rating: B
Genre: Essays, Zagreb, History
Review: The Eyes of Zagreb is an essay written by a famous Austrian writer, translator and literary critic, who, as an admirer of Miroslav Krleža (read: Krlezha), one of the most important Croatian writers of all times, visited Zagreb as a speaker or lecturer on different congresses. As such, he had the opportunity (and according to him, honour) to visit Zagreb four times by the time the essay was written and published in 2017. Each time it was a different era, politically and culturally speaking, and Gauß (read: Gauss) describes the political and cultural climate during each of his visits. He also mentions some facts from our history, and comments them with a healthy dose of sarcasm. In a subtle or not so subtle way (depending on your own level of sarcasm) he criticizes Croatian nationalism, and even at times communism/socialism, the rewriting of history, hypocrisy and our double-standards. He is especially angry at Croatian nationalist who tried and for a time succeeded in erasing history and making it more "Croatian", but who don't seem to know or have any desire at all to learn historical facts.

Despite its more than obvious criticism of Croatian society, I have to admit that I liked the essay a lot. I chuckled many times while reading and, in fact, agreed with the author. The essay was originally written in German, translated into Croatian and English, and published in all three languages in one book.

It can be bought online on the publisher's webpage and it's only 3 euros at the moment.

You're making great progress!

Thank you, Wobbley! :)

Sarah Penner was one of my new authors last year. I liked your thoughts on The Lost Apothecary.

Samanta wrote: "Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Sarah Penner
Date: 20.2.2024.
Rating: B
Genre:..."

I have this book, Samanta, but have never got to it! Now you have piqued my interest -- I think I had better move it up on "the list!" :)

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Ana Estefania Scheuren de Gil
Date: 24.2.2024.
Rating: C
Genre: Memoir, History, Croatia, Venezuela
Review: Zagreb: One History, One Family is a history and memoir of a family of German origin who "was born" in Bosnia and Herzegovina, found its way to Croatia, and finally made Venezuela its final safe harbour.

The author first gives an historical overview of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina from the last decades of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy to modern times. She also places her family within the contexts of what was going on there.

Her German great-grandfather was sent by the Habsburg emperor to Dobrinj in Bosnia and Herzegovina as the representative of the crown. There he met his future wife (also German) and had a daughter, who would be the author's grandmother. And so starts the saga of this family. The author was born a few year before WWII in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the family was forced to move to Croatia at the end of the war. Her uncle was, for some reason that wasn't precisely disclosed, holding a very important position in the fascist regime in Croatia, during the time of the Nazi puppet state, The Independent State of Croatia. For that reason, when the war was coming to an end and the Communists started gaining power, and prosecuting and murdering the supporters, functionaries and soldiers of the old regime, the men of her family escaped. Although they were in terrible danger and were once almost executed by the partisans, they manged to arrive to Austria, and from there on a whim decided to take the ship to Venezuela. Some eight years after the war ended, the women of the family, who stayed in, what was by then, Yugoslavia, finally managed to go to Venezuela, and the family was reunited.

I like the story of this family, because of its Croatian origin. Even though the originators were German, with marriages they became a Croatian family. I am not quite sure if the family was a supporter of the fascist regime, or if they were just naturally given (forced) to take a position due to their German origin. The author smoothly avoids that detail, and it's a very important detail. Don't get me wrong, I do not support the Communist regime in Yugoslavia, it was a murderous dictatorship which cost many people's lives and livelihoods (and is costing us today because of its heritage), but the fascist regime was a genocidal regime and is a blot on Croatian history (although many Croatians today deny that).

This a chronicle of a family. it is divided in titled chapters, but apart from the historical overview of the area, it's as if the author just threw her thoughts on the paper, and made a text of them. If felt as if it was all over the place.

Bob wrote: "Sarah Penner was one of my new authors last year. I liked your thoughts on The Lost Apothecary."

Thank you, Bob! I stumbled upon it in my favourite local library, and actually took it because I liked the cover and the summary.

Samanta wrote: "Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Ana Estefania Scheuren de Gil
Date: 24.2.2024.
Rating: C
Gen..."

Balkan history is very interesting. I just finished reading Selimovic's Death and the Dervish and appreciated the allusions to Tito's Yugoslavia. I know little about Fascist Croatia but you've definitely piqued my interest.

Glad to hear that, Ila. If you are interested in the history of the Balkans in general, try The Balkans: Nationalism, War and the Great Powers 1804 - 1999. There are surprisingly many books about Yugoslavia, but not so many on the Independent State of Croatia (the fascist regime). It is still a very hot topic in my country.

During my excursions to bookstores and travels for work, I also came upon interesting books on histories of individual countries of the Western Balkans.

Great updates!

Thank you, Veronique :)

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Madeline Miller
Date: 21.3.2024.
Rating: A
Genre: Historical Fiction, Greek Mythology
Review: Song of Achilles tells the story of the famous Greek hero Achilles and his lover Patroclus.

The story is written in first person POV with Patroclus' voice. it starts with his life from early age and ends after his death. Patroclus was a young prince of a very small Greek kingdom. His father was a brute to him, because he was of a weaker constitution, and his mother, who probably had some kind of a mental disorder. At age 9, Patroclus' father forces him to offer for the future Helen of Sparta's hand, but she chooses Menelaus, and this is the first glimpse of the historical even that will take place in 10 years, the Trojan war. Soon after, Patroclus accidentally kills a young boy who was bullying him and he is exiled to the court of king Peleus where he meets Achilles. At first, Achilles seemingly takes no notice of him, being "the best of all Greeks" and all that, but soon they realise they have strong feelings for each other and so starts the beautiful relationship that will last until their deaths and beyond.

I honestly knew very little of this topic, given that I successfully avoided reading Iliad in school (I basically skimmed through it). I was glad to read a bit about Achilles, since he is not such a popular subject of books. I was positively surprised that the book was more about Patroclus because I liked him a great deal. I found him to be a good, honest and loving person until the very end, while Achilles was too absorbed in his status of "the best of all Greeks" and his immortal glory.

In the afterword, Madeline Miller mentions that in ancient Greek literature, Achilles' and Patroclus' relationship is described as romantic, but the subsequent developments in history decided to erase that part and show them "only" as the best of friends. She decide to go against the official teachings that denied that part of their relationship and write a story about it.

I'm glad you found a winner!

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by George S. Clason
Date: 17.4.2024.
Rating: A+
Genre: Short Stories, Classic, Personal Finance
Review: I am completely in love with this book!!

I will admit that before seeing it on my brother's bookshelf, I had no idea this book existed, much less that it was a classic. I was, of course, drawn to the title, being the history nerd and all that. I was surprised, but quite taken with the topic, as well as with the format and the writing style.

In short, George S. Clason, a very successful American entrepreneur who lived at the turn of the 19th and 20th century, and who managed to survive the Great Depression, started writing short stories with advice on how to earn money and multiply it. He decided to place them in ancient Babylon, as it was an example of a enormously rich city that based its economy on trade. To better get into the stories, he decided to write them in archaic English, which was a bit of a task, but still enjoyable.

All of his stories are based on a principle or a financial plan that he calls "The Five Laws of Gold". The main idea is to always put aside one tenth of your earnings, no matter how much you earn in a day, week, month into what we nowadays call the emergency fund. The other nine tenths you spend as you see fit. He also advised to use the next two tenths to pay your debts (if you have them), and to use the rest for life expenses. Now, this might sound impossible today, when we have bank debts with fixed monthly allotments and similar fixed expenses, but the principle is still very good. Another one of his "laws" is to invest a part of your earned money so that it continues to work for you and eventually multiplies, but never to invest into something you know nothing about, or with people who are not experts in the area you want to invest in.

This particular edition comes with a foreword and comments by Dave Ramsey, a popular financial expert in the USA, if I understand correctly.

Stories written in archaic English is certainly a creative way to dispense financial advice. I'm glad you found something you enjoyed so much!

That sounds very interesting, Samanta!!

I picked up Sarah Penner as a new author last year. I will certainly try her again.

You reviews of new authors are really interesting - especially forgotten classics or the writers who aren't American/British. I'm always trying to find good books from other countries, so thanks for sharing this!

Teri-K wrote: "You reviews of new authors are really interesting - especially forgotten classics or the writers who aren't American/British. I'm always trying to find good books from other countries, so thanks fo..."

I'm glad I could help :)

Challenge #1 - Old & New TBR Challenge

1899 and earlier/Old School

by Charles Dickens
Date: 19. 5. 2024.
Rating: C
Genre: Classic British Literature
Review: It took me so long to finish this book that I do not know what to write about it.

Having already read some of Dickens' work, I started this one mainly because I considered it to be an acquirement of basic cultural literacy and general knowledge. I have to admit this one was hard to go through.

Firstly, Dickens' writing style (at least in this book) is very flowery. I am not sure if it was done on purpose, but I had to read 570 pages of a story that could be told in, let's say, 300 pages. Paragraphs and paragraphs of saying a lot without saying anything. I would usually lose track of the storyline at some point. Secondly, there were just too many different characters introduced into the story, and I could not follow their stories or how they intertwined with the story of the main characters. The saving grace is the ending, which was very well done. Every single thread of the story got a conclusion, in general satisfying. It's a usual trope of destitute people, angel-like in disposition, who are being "tortured" by terrible characters. But, all ends well in the end, well almost. Good wins over evil, but not all the good ones survive to see it.

I used to fear Dickens. Other than "A Christmas Carol" I never read any of his works. That changed about ten or twelve years ago. Since then, I have read 10 or 11 and have not regretted any of them. Some are defiantly better than others. I agree this one is not one of his easier reads.

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Harper Lee
Date: 5. 6. 2024.
Rating: A-
Genre: Classic American Literature
Review: When you finish a book like this one, you should be able to write a long review, but my mind is mostly blank.

I would say that almost everyone knows the plot of this book, two white children trying to live their lives normally, looking at everything through rather innocent eyes, until they are hit with the reality of the world they live in. A black man, Tom Robinson, is falsely accused of sexually assaulting a white woman, and found guilty all the same just because he is a black person living in the south of USA in 1935. The whole situation, that goes against everything their father taught them, will be an eye-opener for them that will mark the end of their innocence.

There isn't much I did not love about this book; the writing style is superb, the story flows beautifully and there author uses a local dialect. I loved that the whole story is told from the point of two children, and their innocent way of thinking makes you stop and think about all that is wrong with our society. I love the upbringing Scout and Jem received. There weren't many parents at that time that would educate their children to be accepting of everyone. There aren't many today, either. And, finally, I was glad Scout finally met the illusive Arthur (Boo) Radley. Scout needed that closure. :D

As for the things I did not like... I expected Tom Robinson to be found guilty, because, frankly, at that time, there was no other possible outcome, but I did not like how the author ended his story. I really thought he would get a chance for a second trial (I know, I know!, almost impossible at that time). I would have liked to know what was going on in his head when he made the decision that cost him his life.

Yay, an A- is a great read! And it's good to add this really well-known classic to your repertoire. Great progress.

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Date: 25. 8. 2024.
Rating: A
Genre: Classic Children's Literature, Short Stories, Jewish Stories, Literature in Yiddish
Review: This is my first read by Isaac Bashevis Singer, although I have heard of him before. It is a collection of short stories for children previously published separately in his other books/collections.
The stories lie heavily on Jewish and Slavic folklore, as well as on Jewish biblical stories. The majority of them are set in Poland, with some being set in Russia, Ukraine, and even in the USA, I think (it's not always clear).
It's a collection of stories, so I cannot really write a summary of them, but I absolutely loved them. They were just my cup of tea; full of myths, legends, local folklore and biblical stories. Some are funny, and some are very serious, but each has a lesson to teach. Another thing that I like is that Hanukkah is present in many stories, which gave me an opportunity to learn a bit about Jewish traditions and beliefs. All in all, a great read, and a book I would like to have in my home library one day.

You are finding some great books for your challenges.

Challenge #7 - Expand Your Horizon With New Authors

by Laurie Lico Albanese
Date: 27. 8. 2024.
Rating: A
Genre: Historical Fiction
Review: Isobel Gamble is a young fiery-haired Scottish woman living at the beginning of the 19th century in Glasgow. She comes from a long line of fiery-haired and strong women, where the first daughter in the new generation was named either Isobel or Margaret by the first Isobel, who was a healer accused of being a witch in the 17th century and her offspring. Isobel learns to be a seamstress from early age, and has a special condition that she needs to keep secret in order not to be proclaimed crazy or, worse, a witch (although, which hunt has long since been forbidden). She sees colours everywhere and connects them with people's faces, words and images around her.

She marries Edward, a much older man, and is forced to flee to America because of his debts. She arrives to Salem, once known for terrible witch hunts and killing of innocent people, where people are still marked by the terrible history of their town, and do not really welcome foreigners.

Soon, Edward will leave her to go on a sea voyage, but because of his addiction to opium, and his bad character, he will steal Isobel's money and leave her penniless. Isobel will be forced to use her seamstress skills and her unusual gift for colors to survive in an unwelcoming world. She will also meet young and dashing, aspiring writer, Nat Hathorne, troubled by his families terrible history and his own darkness, and because of her love for him, risk everything she has in a world hostile to women.

The author noted that the inspiration for all Nathaniel Hawthorne's novels, but one, is "accounted for". Hawthorne was, according to her, a very private person, and he burned a large part of his personal correspondence, and there are 10 years of his life, his 20s, for which there is no personal information. The author also states that we still do not know what the inspiration for "The Scarlet Letter" was so she decided to reimagine Hawthorne's Salem and create the "real-life" Hester Prynne.


FUN FACT: Isobel Gamble's and her ancestors' condition is today known as synesthesia, but at that time was considered as something abnormal and possibly supernatural.