Back to the Classics 2015 Wrap Up

 

I didn't complete all the books on my Back to the Classics Challenge list, but I got through eight (one entry)! The challenge is hosted by Karen of Books and Chocolate. Below are all of the categories along with the books I finished. You can see the complete list of details in Karen's post here. 

 1. A Classic by a Woman Author: The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (1915)
2.  A Classic in Translation: Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan (1954) 
3.  A Very Long Classic Novel: Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (1891) 
4. A Classic with a Person's Name in the Title: Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis (1955)   
5.  A Humorous or Satirical Classic: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (1726)  
6.  A Forgotten Classic: A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter (1909) 
7.  A Classic Children's Book: Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter (1913)  
8.  A Classic Play: Richard II by William Shakespeare (1623)

Bonjour Tristesse

Bonjour Tristesse

by Francoise Sagan

★★★☆

Cecile is a teenage girl spending the summer with her father in a villa in the south of France. His mistress Elsa is there as well and Cecile sinks into the relaxed atmosphere from the moment she arrives. Her father treats her more like a friend than a daughter and allows he allows his love life to play out in front of her. Anne, a former friend of her mother’s, comes to visit and a romance sparks between her and Cecile’s father. The

This book is part of the Penguins Great Loves series. Each edition in this series comes with a gorgeous cover and I buy them whenever I see them in bookstores. That’s how I first heard of this book. It’s a strange little tale, but one that sweeps you right along.

Cecile and her father see themselves as people fated to be alone. They push others away if they get close at all. Their immaturity and selfishness hurt those around them and they constantly long for whatever they don’t have. They both use the people who love them to further their gain. Even at the end of the book we see that despite the dire circumstances, they haven’t really changed.

Although the book is slim, the narrator is convincing. She feels like a real teenage girl, making selfish decisions, changing her mind in a moment, not thinking about the consequences of her actions, etc. She is jealous of her father’s attentions and at the same time is distant from him. I think the most impressive part of the book is that the author was only 18 years old when she wrote this.

BOTTOM LINE: A quick summer read for a lazy day in the sun. The eerie tone of the book will leave you with an air of loneliness after you finish.

“Certain phrases fascinate me with their subtle implications.”

Back to the Classics 2015

I love the Back to the Classics Challenge. There are always great categories that make me get a bit creative when I choose my books. For the second year in a row the challenge is being hosted by Karen of Books and Chocolate. Below are all of the categories along with my selections. You can see the complete list of details in Karen's post here. 

Here's my list:

1.  A 19th Century Classic: The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (1860) 

2.  A 20th Century Classic: The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene (1940)  

3.  A Classic by a Woman Author: The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (1915) 

4.  A Classic in Translation: Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan (1954) 

5.  A Very Long Classic Novel: Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (1891) 

6.  A Classic Novella: The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (1951) 

7.  A Classic with a Person's Name in the Title: Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis (1955)  

8.  A Humorous or Satirical Classic: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift (1726) 

9.  A Forgotten Classic: A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter (1909)  

10.  A Nonfiction Classic: A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain (1880)  

11.  A Classic Children's Book: Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter (1913) 

12.  A Classic Play: Richard II by William Shakespeare (1623)