The Song Fight Bulletin Board

Anything by Alexandre Dumas
(3 Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Man in the Iron Mask)

These books are astoundingly good. I'd even go so far as to call them a refreshing read, after reading more contemporary readings. You read me?

'k, that was dumb.

Anyone else have some strong recommendations for reading from previous centuries?

Did you mean for this to be a general forum on Classical Literature? Because I like to get my kicks in with Don Quixote, yo. Quite a fine book.

Never read any Dumas, actually, though The Count of Monte Cristo has been on my list for quite some time. That's the nature of my list, you see.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (a historical fiction set during the French Revolution). Such a great story. About 50 pages into it, I couldn't put it down.

I'll have to check out Don Quixote cuz I keep hearing great things about it.

Hey Generic, yup. No specific genre, just gotta be old.

Don Quixote is definitely on my list, as is Tale of Two Cities. Thanks!

Victor Hugo's Les Miserables is a most compelling story. Make sure it's the abridged version. The full version, I'm told, has lots of long boring passages which were only semi-related to the story and more related to political events of that day. But the abridged version is like eating a big juicy steak.

I don't know that this counts technically as "classic" literature, but I've loved every Steinbeck novel I've ever read. Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, Cannery Row (extremely underrated), a bunch of others I can't remember the names of.

But my favorite classic novel, bar none, is the astounding Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham. I was hooked five pages in, and stayed that way till the bitter end. Follows the life of a man from age 5 to about 35, in his search for who he wants to be. He is dogged year after year by an evil woman who is very bad for him but whom he can't stop falling for. Very meaningful, full of memorable sequences and chock full of Truth, especially for males with artistic aspirations.

Catullus & Martial. Mary Shelley. Thomas Love Peacock. G K Chesterton (apart from the fact he was a bit of an anti-semite. Not in his writing, but it's worth bearing in mind). Turgenev (in translation). Henry James.


Just the first that come to mind. I agree with Generic - Don Quixote rocks (in translation. I don't speak a word of Spanish.)

j$

Generic wrote:Never read any Dumas, actually, though The Count of Monte Cristo has been on my list for quite some time. That's the nature of my list, you see.

heh. good movie. jesus did a good job as the count.

Chekov.

Ernie.

Digging Celine at the moment, but Stephen King's Gunslinger books pulled me away (I'm a sucker for a western/philosophy/sci-fi/whatever). I don't recommend Dickens's "Hard Times," but "Great Expectations" and "Tale of Two Cities" have been on my list for years. In fact, I'm pretty ashamed I haven't gotten to them yet. It's like not seeing Star Wars. Of course, I haven't gotten to Joyce's "Ulysses" either.

Also, Raymond Carver.

My favourite of all time is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Also a big fan of Tom Jones and Gullivers Travels

Jim of Seattle wrote:Victor Hugo's Les Miserables is a most compelling story. Make sure it's the abridged version. The full version, I'm told, has lots of long boring passages which were only semi-related to the story and more related to political events of that day. But the abridged version is like eating a big juicy steak.

i read the whole thing several years ago, and i had a tough time getting into it at first, because as i remember, the first 50 pages or so were extremely boring, and as you said, more politically related. but after that, i thought the rest of the story was fairly engaging, though it did have its dull moments sprinkled throughout.

"the adventures of don quixote de la mancha", mentioned a few times earlier in this thread, was one of my favourite books i ever read. surprisingly, for having been written in spain in the sixteenth century, i thought the book was hysterical. i understand that a lot of the stuff in there was satirical about lots of stuff that was going on at the time, but i think it translated very well to this modern reader.

another of my all-time favourites was "crime and punishment" -- it has been many years since i read that one, so i don't really remember much about it, but i remember really getting into it, and i remember it making me think about a lot of stuff, because it had a lot of deep, insightful commentaries about life and stuff.

tviyh wrote: another of my all-time favourites was "crime and punishment" -- it has been many years since i read that one, so i don't really remember much about it, but i remember really getting into it, and i remember it making me think about a lot of stuff, because it had a lot of deep, insightful commentaries about life and stuff.

Yes, Mr Dostoevsky does give the old grey matter a workout. Haven't read Crime and Punishment, but the Brothers Karamazov nearly did my head in. As you say, I recall always having to put the book down every couple of pages to think sit back and contemplate what was being said. It took me ages to finish the bastard. (I read that many years ago when I was a student trying to look all earnest and intelligent in an attempt to shag smart chicks - now I'm married I just watch sit-coms)

Actually, now you mention Russians - I was once stuck on a small cargo ship in the middle of the Pacific for a week with Anna Karenina. That was also a very entertaining read.

tviyh wrote: i understand that a lot of the stuff in there was satirical about lots of stuff that was going on at the time, but i think it translated very well to this modern reader

I personally believe this is exactly what defines a classic, TVIYH. Something which retains a relevance for each new generation. You can enjoy a certain work as historical reference, but to actually gain something from, for example, Catullus, 2,000 odd years after it was written, takes artistry by the author to tap into the human psyche/sub-conscious/whatever you want to call it.

J$

I'm a big George Eliot fan and have read read pretty much all her stuff. It just stays with you.

tviyh wrote: stuff and stuff.

It's never wise to use the word "stuff" (more than once even!) while describing something you consider to be deep or intellectually stimulating.



jb

jb wrote:describing something you consider to be deep or intellectually stimulating

hooray, you caught the irony there, please notify me as to where i can send your prize!

Jules Verne, definitely.

Particularly <cite>20,000 Leagues</cite>.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WD1V

I recently found one of these puppies for $3.00. Snatched it up. I mentione that because someone mentioned Steinbeck. Yeeah.

Also, Jim, about the abridged version of Les Mis, I believe you, but on the other hand, I saw an abridged version of Moby-Dick once that began: "I am Ishmael." So I'm generally wary of abridged anythings.


And stuff.

I've found that it's really easy to abridge books yourself by just skimming over the boring bits. You'd think it'd be a no-brainer, but I used to spend hours re-reading pages when my attention would wander while I was reading.

The "classics" that I love are dubiously labeled as such:

To Kill a Mockingbird
Catch 22
Catcher in the Rye

I doubt they're old enough to be real classics, but they are "literature" and people are made to read them in school (that's where I read TKaM), and I love 'em to bits.

Oscar Wilde - Almost anything, but my favourite book of all time by him is the "Picture of Dorian Gray". Changed my life.

Oscar Wilde is great. Dorian Gray, Ideal Husband... buncha short stories...
lots of good stuff.
Also Catch-22 was excellent.
Just adding my agreement to those.
-bill

jb wrote:Catcher in the Rye

Oh yeah. I'll add to my list EVERY OTHER SALINGER BOOK (tho there's only 3 more).