Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Please share the Classic you just finished that is not part of the Group's Current Reads:

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Recommend:

Varney the Vampire; or, The Feast of Blood by James Malcolm Rymer


Not a novel but a long, goofy serial. It was one of the first pieces of vampire literature.

Book Nerd wrote: "Varney the Vampire; or, The Feast of Blood by James Malcolm Rymer


Not a novel but a long, goofy seria..."

180 years old and over 800 pages?
Never even heard of it Book Nerd.

Lesle wrote: "Book Nerd wrote: "Varney the Vampire; or, The Feast of Blood by James Malcolm Rymer


Not a novel but a..."
It was a popular penny dreadful published one chapter at a time for years. It's supposed to have had a lot of influence on the vampire genre. But it is very weird and inconsistent.

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys [1966]

The backstory of the madwoman in the attic in Jane Eyre

Sieben Legenden/Seven Legends by Gottfried Keller
A Swiss classic from the 19th century. I've read a number of books by this author and felt like reading some short tales. I rated the book 4 stars.

The Collector (1963) (e-book) by John Fowles (1926-2005).

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

I just finished reading this for the third time, only this time was a read-aloud with my husband. (He said a joint read-aloud was the only way he'd ever read it.) It took us four years with several long pauses to read other books, but we managed! It remains my alltime favorite novel to read alone, but reading this text aloud is no picnic! Phew!

Edit: I have not written a review this time. Somewhere I might still have my silly gushing fangirl review from the first time I read it at age sixteen, but don't know if I'd share that one here. ;)

Greg wrote: "Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys [1966]

The backstory of the madwoman in the attic in Jane Eyre"

Had no idea! So this gives more detail on the woman in the attic?

Rosemarie wrote: "Sieben Legenden/Seven Legends by Gottfried Keller
A Swiss classic from the 19th century. I've read a number of books by this author and felt like read..."

Maybe we should notate him for a read some day?

Brianna wrote: "Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

I just finished reading this for the third time, only this time was a read-aloud with my husband. (He said a joint read-aloud was the only..."

Since its your favorite Im guessing a five star?

What an interesting thought. I have never read with another adult like that. Since Brayden is the only one that like to really read (he is 16) could try to see. Be a fun way to spend time with him!

Lesle wrote: "Had no idea! So this gives more detail on the woman in the attic?"

Yes, it's an interesting one. It was often taught in American colleges/universities when I went to school, and based on interactions in Goodreads, it is still sometimes taught in universities in the UK and in the USA.

It tells the backstory of what happened in Jamaica with Rochester and the woman in the attic.

Whether I would recommend it or not depends on your reading taste. The imagery is lovely, and it's highly symbolic/suggestive. I think if you're the sort of reader who gets drawn in by language, you will probably like it. But Rhys uses some modernist and slightly peculiar techniques, particularly in the second part, that are a little disorienting. So the second part is not always easy to read. It's not too hard to get the general gist, but it can be confusing in places who is speaking or who is thinking. I can see how some readers would find that aspect frustrating.

It's quite short. My copy was only 112 pages. The rest of the book was all critical essays and other materials like that. I think it's a good length given what it is. I might have found it a little exhausting myself if it went on for 1,000 pages.

But one of the things I love about Rhys' book is how she imagines the cultural context. Rochester and Antionette/"Bertha" are creatures of their cultures, and I suspect the way that culture plays into what happens between them is one of the reasons it is still studied. And the description of the island itself is often both unsettling and astonishingly beautiful.

Anyone who reads it pretty much has to have read Jane Eyre first though; without the other book as a counterpoint, I don't think Wide Sargasso Sea would have satisfied me. But as a companion piece, I really like it.

Brianna wrote: "I just finished reading this for the third time, only this time was a read-aloud with my husband."

This is fascinating Brianna! A friend once told me that she did this with her husband on long car trips; one would read aloud while the other was driving. For them, an old-school alternative to an audiobook I guess.

Les Miserables isn't short by any means; I'm impressed that the two of you finished. It's an achievement for sure!

Greg wrote: "Yes, it's an interesting one. It was often taught in American colleges/universities when I went to school, and base..."

Thank you for the insight. Have to push it up on my TBR pile!!

Title: Family Fun & Games.. by The Diagram Group
Genre: Entertainment
Stars: 4 - an excellent resource for different games of the same type.

Summary: With more than 50 board games, 34 dice games, 20 versions of dominos, and 30 ways to play marbles and jacks, plus more, this is an excellent source for family and friends to play the right games for any leisure occasion.

My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Title: The Boys from Brazil
Genre: Thriller, Science-fiction & Horror
Stars: 3 - nice introduction to Ira Levin's style.

Summary: As in his previous works, Ira Levin manages to evoke in the reader an irrepressible feeling of fear, repulsion, and curiosity, which keeps the reader hooked on the book, in the hope that the tension can finally be relieved.

My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Tenant for Death by Cyril Hare
A vintage mystery from 1937. I've read other books by this author but this is the first Inspector Mallet book. I rated it three stars, but it lacked the humour of the Francis Pettigrew books.

Rosemarie wrote: "Tenant for Death by Cyril Hare
A vintage mystery from 1937. I've read other books by this author but this is the first Inspector Mallet book. I rated it three stars, ..."

I've only read one by him, but see I gave it 4 stars (rounded it up, but from me that's still a high rating.) Someday I should try the Pettigrew ones; I just marked the first one want to read after reading what you wrote.

Karin and Rosemarie Ive not heard of Cyril Hare
I ordered his An English Murder: The Golden Age Classic Christmas Mystery.

A murder mystery of a party find themselves snowed-in on Christmas Eve with a murderer among them...

It's a fun mystery!

I recently read Time Out of Joint by P. K. Dick. It’s one of his earlier novels (sci-fi) published in 1959. This is 3 years before his success with The Man in the High Castle. I rated it 4 stars. I never know how to describe his books, especially without giving away the story. (I read one review and, in the first sentence, it unintentionally gave away too much!) His books expand your mind to other realities and there’s usually a bit of paranoia involved. That’s the best I can say. I recommend this one and think it’s held up well over the years.

I liked both of the books that I've read by him so far Pam (Ubik and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?). He's an interesting writer, for sure. Quite unique.

Brianna wrote: "Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

I just finished reading this for the third time, only this time was a read-aloud with my husband. (He said a joint read-aloud was the only..."

Go on, give us a giggle.

Well...I mean more than that: To see your old review vs a new one. People's taste changes, and the way they write does too. I think it'd be really interesting.

Title: The Thousand and One Ghosts by Alexandre Dumas
Genre: Horror, Gothic, Short Stories
Star rating: 3 (explained in review)
A short summary: Alexandre Dumas witnesses the aftermath of a ghastly murder, which leads to the telling of ghost stories by a group of acquaintances and strangers.

Book has also been published under One Thousand and One Ghosts in English as well.

Link to your actual review: Review Link

Lesle wrote: "Karin and Rosemarie Ive not heard of Cyril Hare
I ordered his An English Murder: The Golden Age Classic Christmas Mystery.

A murder mystery of a party find themselv..."

I hope you like it since I gave it 4 stars.

I've just finished another Nero Wolfe mystery, Too Many Women by Rex Stout.
Archie is in fine form in this one!

I finished Atlas Shrugged. Still trying to put together some coherent thoughts about the good and the bad of it.

Ive not read it.
Interested to see what you think.

I finished Poor Man's Orange, the third book in Ruth Park's The Harp In The South Novels. I highly recommend all three of them. They are about a poor family in Sydney, Australia.