October Classic Club Meme Question

This month the Classics Club Blog asked us to go to the member list and select a fellow classics clubber to feature on your blog.

I’m in a unique position this month because I visit every single Classics Club member at least once. I’m the person who adds all of the members into our member’s page when they first join and I comment on everyone’s list. Because of this I’ve been able to see a wonderful variety of blogs and lists. I love it!

One blog stood out when I thought about this meme: Brona’s Books. I’ve had the chance to get to know her a bit better through the Classics Club. Brona’s is a lovely blogger in Australia and she picked a wonderful mixture of 75 books to create her list. I love that her site is broken down by age groups. If you’re looking for recommendations for kids or teens you’ll have an easy time finding what you want.

 

She has a great ability to get right to the point in her reviews, giving her honest and insightful thoughts on what she’s reading. Here are a couple great examples…

A Moveable Feast

Persuasion

I’m so happy I’ve had the chance to discover so many new bloggers through the club. Though I originally joined to have a deadline for reading a bunch of classics on my TBR list, as I got more involved I’ve been thrilled to find dozens of fellow classics lovers around the globe.

I can’t wait to see what other bloggers are featured this month!

September Classic Club Meme Question

Rereading a favorite classic at different stages of your life gives you different insights with each reading. Is there one classic you’ve read several times that also tells a story about you?

I’ve reread Little Women multiple times now. I’m endlessly fascinated by how the same book becomes new with each new stage of life. When I first read it I remember so much about the girls plays outside and having picnics. I remember Amy falling thorough the ice and the plays they put on for the Pickwick Club.

When I read it in college I loved Jo’s adventures in New York. I remember Amy’s travel’s in Europe with envy. Then re-reading it this year I finally noticed Meg’s struggle to adjust to married life and the depth of the relationship between Jo and the professor. Marmee’s role really stood out to me this time as well. Her gentle guidance and encouragement shapes her daughter’s lives.

I love how each time I return to a favorite book I discover something new. I’ve done this with all of Austen’s work and To Kill a Mockingbird and others, but this one has particularly felt like a different novel to me each time I read it. I think that says quite a bit about my identifying with different stages of life and choosing to focus on those when I read.

 

Join in the fun here. 

August Classic Club Meme Question

Do you read forewords/notes that precede many classics?  Does it help you or hurt you in your enjoyment/understanding of the work?

I usually skip the forewords and notes until I finish the book. I’ve been burned in the past when the forewords gave away major plot points when they assume the reader has already finished the book.

I do always go back and read them after I finished. It’s interesting to learn more about the context of the story or interpretations of the plot. Depending on who wrote them they can definitely enhance my reading experience. I’ve read some that are basically just a brief author bio and others that give a point-by-point break down of the plot. I can’t help but feel I haven’t finished the book until I’ve read every page.  

Join in the fun here. 

July Classic Club Meme Question

  

What classic book has changed your view on life, social mores, political views, or religion? For this month’s Classic Club question I have two answers (obviously I have a problem keeping it to just one book).

To Kill a Mockingbird: This book had a big effect on the way I view the world and on what comes to mind when you think of a hero. One of its most important lessons didn’t even make it into the famous film version. When Scout’s brother Jem destroys an elderly woman’s garden his dad makes him spend time reading to her. She (Mrs. Dubose) is addicted to morphine and is often crabby, but Atticus’ punishment is meant to teach Jem that we should show others kindness no matter how they treat us. We often have no idea what they’ve gone through in their own lives.

Obviously there are also huge lessons about racial injustice, standing up to bullies, setting an example by your actions instead of your words, etc. Boo’s character teaches us that you should never trust rumors and stories to form your opinion of a person. You can find friends anywhere if you’re willing to get to know them. It’s such a beautiful book to read, especially when read at an impressionable age.

The other book is The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. This dark tale taught me that the sins we commit have a larger effect on our own souls than on the lives of others. You may think you’ve “gotten away” with something, but that guilt will haunt you. It taught me that you have to live with the decisions you make, even if their consequences aren’t immediately visible. A person’s outer appearance often doesn’t reflect their true nature.

June Classic Club Meme Question

What is your favorite opening sentence from a classic novel (and why)?

I love the opening scene from I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Cassandra Mortmain tells us the story through her personal journal. The opening line, “I write this sitting in the kitchen sink” paints the perfect picture. She’s a young girl on the cusp of womanhood. She’s living this strange life in a dilapidated castle and from those opening paragraphs you’re completely hooked. Her strange family, the mysterious neighbors, the romance of the castle life with it’s drafty rooms and cups of tea, I just love it.

Join in the fun here.