Classics and the Western Canon discussion

The group’s had a busy year of reading so far, starting in ancient Mesopotamia with Gilgamesh and going on to George Orwell’s prescient Animal Farm and 1984, then back to ancient Rome with Ovid’s Metamorphoses, to ancient India with the Bhagavad Gita, and now to nineteenth century Russia with Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground. And, now it’s time to decide what to read next.

The Random Book Generator (RBG) and moderators propose the following:

John Brown's Body by Stephen Vincent Benet
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays AND The Stranger by Albert Camus
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
The Mayor of Castorbridge by Thomas Hardy
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

What appeals most to you? Exploring existential thought with Albert Camus in philosophic essays paired with his most famous novel? Experiencing the American Civil War in the poetic epic of Stephen Vincent Benét? Or would you like to dive into what some consider Charles Dickens’ best novel as a young man comes of age in Victorian England? Or would you prefer Thomas Hardy’s story of a pillar of the community with a secret hidden in his past? Or maybe you would like to read and discuss Gustave Flaubert’s classic novel of literary realism as a young woman’s romantic beliefs collide with reality? Or would you like to go with one of Virginia Woolf’s best known novels as a well to do society hostess plans a party and a survivor of World War I looks for meaning?

This week’s thread is a chance to advocate for your favorites, share information, and ask any questions before the poll goes up for voting on October 8. The read will start November 5.

I've always enjoyed Hardy, moody and gloomy though he is, so I'll go for Mayor.

The poll’s up. Please vote for a book you intend to read and discuss with the group. The poll will be open through October 14 here: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/1...

I've already read Camus and Flaubert (both well worth reading!), and "John Brown's Body" has never been translated into my language (I'll have to give it a pass, I don't feel up to reading poetry in English).

So that leaves me with Virginia Woolf, Dickens and Hardy... They're all on my TBR list... It's so hard to chose!

La_mariane wrote: "I've already read Camus and Flaubert (both well worth reading!), and "John Brown's Body" has never been translated into my language (I'll have to give it a pass, I don't feel up to reading poetry i..."

It is hard to choose sometimes, but they’re all good choices depending on what you’re in the mood for ;)

Reminder: There’s still time to get your vote in for our next major read. It’s a close race atm between Camus and Hardy. The poll closes at midnight tonight Goodreads Time (aka Pacific Time): https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/1...

The results are in — the group is headed to Wessex with The Mayor of Casterbridge, which had 14 “raw” votes/24 “weighted” votes. In second place, The Myth of Sisyphus and The Stranger had 13 “raw” votes/16 ”weighted” votes, so that option will carryover to the next poll for another chance to be selected.

Schedule information for The Mayor of Casterbridge read will be posted Oct. 29, and the discussion will start Nov. 5.

If you’re interested, you can check the comments to the poll for a complete summary of all the raw and weighted votes: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/1...