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)

Pollyanna

Pollyanna

By Eleanor H. Porter

★★★★☆

The name Pollyanna has become synonymous with an overly-cheerful person, but the original story isn't nearly as irksome as the name's conotations suggest. I was completely charmed by this book. A few years ago I read Heidi and the main character came across as saccharine sweet and far too optimistic. So despite growing up with two separate film versions of Pollyanna (including the famous Hayley Mills version) I was worried that this one would be all sugar and no substance. It wasn't that way at all!

Pollyanna's joy is sincere and she's been through a hard life already at the tender age of 12. She moves in with her strict aunt after becoming an orphan. Her minister father taught her to find something to be glad about even in the most dire circumstance. Her "glad game" is not pretentious, it's just her way of dealing with life and it's her earnestness that sells the spirit of the book.

Every person she meets is touched by her unbridled enthusiasm. What a beautiful way to live your life. No matter what their circumstances, each person who crossed her path found that their world was a little brighter because of her presence. How many of us can say that?

BOTTOM LINE: A sweet gem that I can't wait to share with my own daughter one day. We could all learn a little something from Pollyanna. 

I absolutely adored the 1990 film version. It was called Polly: Coming Home and starred Rudy from The Cosby Show. It took the Pollyanna story, but gave it a unique twist by setting it in 1956 Alabama. Pollyanna befriends people of different races and becomes an instrument of understanding in the community. 

“What men and women need is encouragement. Their natural resisting powers should be strengthened, not weakened ... Instead of always harping on a man's faults, tell him of his virtues. Try to pull him out of his rut ... Hold up to him his better self, his real self that can dare and do and win out! ... People radiate what is in their minds and in their hearts.”

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)