THE TASK

1.  Read one classic a month.

2.  Write a review or blog about the book.

3.  OPTIONAL:  Answer the following questions:

     WHEN I Discovered This Classic

     WHAT Makes It A Classic

     WHY I Chose to Read It

     WILL It Stay A Classic

     WHO I’d Recommend It To

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse REVIEW

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Finishing this book was actually work. Between the cardboard characters and senseless philosophy, I was a little bit miserable. I should have just called it quits, but I couldn't let a 130 page book go unfinished.

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, John Tenniel (Illustrator) REVIEW

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn’t really appreciate this book. It was weird nonsense to me that never delivered anything exceptional.

I did like the writing and the way Alice never took any of it very seriously. Alice gave the reader a pass to just enjoy. If she could roll with the punches, so could you, as the reader. I felt in on the joke, but it went on too long. Each chapter had some interesting aspect to it, but at the end of each chapter, I didn’t care. I knew that nothing would end up meaning anything.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland has appealed to generations of children. My son told me that, when he read it as a child, he loved it. It is a whacky adventure that I think most kids would enjoy, but it was a miss for me personally.


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Ethan Frome REVIEW

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

***SPOILER***

I couldn’t muster much sympathy for Ethan Frome. He married a woman he didn’t love out of fear. Then, he managed to blame her for his unhappiness. Just as he didn’t have the gumption to make the life that he wanted for himself when he, finally, met the woman of his dreams, he didn’t have the will to seize the day. What was his final answer to all of his problems—suicide. What a weak cop-out, but I wasn’t in the least bit surprised. I saw it coming a mile away, which made it worse. 

The entire story was too melodramatic for my taste. However, I’m giving it three stars, because it did, eventually, capture my interest enough for me to want to know how it would end.

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The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter REVIEW

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's a cute, quick read with a message that all parents can support. Children should do what their Moms tell them, or they might end up in a stew pot. There is just enough angst for a disobedient little rabbit. Mom's can't go wrong with this one.

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I have abandoned answering the W questions, but, in this case, I will answer the "why" question. I am thinking about reading Lost in a Good Book.  Characters from several classics are written into the plot of that book and it would certainly act as a spoiler for the classic mentioned.  Consequently, I am trying to read any book mentioned in Lost in a Good Book before I actually read it.

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick REVIEW

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is incredibly clever, but that didn’t translate directly to enjoyment for me. I was always initially interested, but I quickly fell asleep when I picked up the book in the evening. The biggest problem for me was that I didn’t care about any of the characters. None of the POVs had any moral fortitude, nor were they enjoyable antagonists.

I had other problems as well. Dick tackled big themes, but I’m not sure I always knew what his point was. Was he trying to say that we, as individuals, control our destinies, or we should just throw in the towel and let I Ching direct us on a need to know basis? I have no idea where Dick was going in Chapter 14 with Tagomi’s exploration of the pin. I had the feeling that was mumbo jumbo ramblings disguised to seem like something deep and intellectual. Also, the ending was lackluster. I didn’t mind ambiguity in the wrap-ups of each of the POV storylines, but I greatly disliked the ending as related to The Grasshopper Lies Heavy. That needed explanation. I’m not impressed when authors just throw out weird stuff, leave it to you to figure out and walk away.

On the whole, even though I didn’t love it, I would recommend this book. The themes were very relevant in the context of the 1960’s political and social environment. I appreciate sci-fi used as social commentary. Alternate realities aren’t particularly unique, but for some reason, when they are done well, they seem fresh. The Man in the High Castle isn’t ordinary. I can understand the wide appeal of this book.


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The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Stanley Corngold (Translator) REVIEW

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a difficult book for me to rate. On one hand, there is no denying that it is brilliant. Kafka has a strong point of view. He wants to talk about alienation and loneliness among other things. His themes are universal and have been worked by many other competent writers, but Kafka gives the reader something unique and unexpected. An English teacher could spend a semester of delight helping students understand all of the nuances of this book.

But…For me, personally, reading it was a chore. I didn’t look forward to it. Metamorphosis did not speak to my soul. It was annoying that it was so weird. Taking into account my level of enjoyment, I can only give this book three stars, but I would never want to discourage anyone from reading it. It is a classic for a reason, and I think that it could be enjoyed today as easily as the day it was written.

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The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands, by Mary Seacole REVIEW

The Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands by Mary Seacole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you public domain for another excellent, free book. The most interesting part of this book was Mrs. Seacole’s observations during her travels and her notions about race and discrimination. She was very proud of being Jamaican, but she was also proud of her “yellow” complexion. She loved the English, but knew that they were a conquering power. The writing has a sense of flirtation and hominess, but Mary Seacole was complicated. Her attitudes were an amalgamation of contradictions that were just down right interesting.

The biggest problem that I had with the book was that so much was left out about Mrs. Seacole’ financial dealings. Mary Seacole engaged in capitalist activities everywhere she went, but where did she get the seed money? Who paid for her first trip to England? What did she do there? Why was she there? How much of her services did she deny to men who couldn’t pay. The complete lack of disclosure left me with a feeling of impropriety. Also, the book contained absolutely nothing about Mrs. Seacole’s personal life. She told us that her first husband died, but, after that, she mentions absolutely nothing about romantic interests. Who was Sarah, a young woman who is documented to have joined her in Balaclava? Sara is rumored to be Seacole’s daughter, but there is no mention in the autobiography of Sarah at all, which is weird no matter who she was. Like I said before, Mary Seacole was a complicated woman. She wrote this book to make money, not to unburden her soul, but mostly everything that is known about Mary Seacole comes from this book. I wish that she would have left us with more.

In 2004, Mary Seacole was voted the ‘Greatest Black Briton’ in history, and I’d never heard of her. This book is worth at least four stars to me for introducing me to a person that I should have been teaching about right alongside Florence Nightingale. I would recommend this book to anyone who is unfamiliar with Mary Seacole. We should all have learned about her in World History. Shame on public education.


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Black No More by George Schuyler REVIEW

Black No More by George S. Schuyler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In this Harlem renaissance classic, Schuler mixes satire and science fiction for a unique blend of social commentary. Black No More is not often referred to as science fiction, but it is the first science-fiction work by an African-American writer.

By definition, a satire is supposed to be “over the top” funny. Here, Schuler’s jokes are mostly “in your face”, but just when you, as a reader, are feeling saturated by the humor, he switches it up and gives you something a little more subtle. For myself, I didn’t think that it was laugh out loud funny, but I found it extremely interesting. The irreverence he showed for the icons of his time, like DuBois was shocking, but I felt he made a good cases to justify his criticism.

Schulyer’s overarching themes are: (1) Racism is absurd; (2) Racism is used by capitalist elites to control the population. After reading this book, I did a little research on Schyuler, and I was shocked that shortly after writing this book, his political leanings took a 180 degree turn. Clearly, part of the agenda in writing Black No More was to garner support for, what was considered at the time, socialist ideas. Also, Schuler was very critical of the NAACP. Maybe his satire spoke more truth about who he was than anyone could have guessed. In Black No More he accused everyone of using racism to make money, but Schulyer seems to have done exactly that. He aligned himself with agendas that most would consider hostile to civil rights. For example, in 1968, in a radio broadcast Schuyler said, "In South Africa you have a system of apartheid. That's their business. I don’t think it’s the business of other people to change their society." He opposed Martin Luther King’s award of the Nobel Peace prize. Although, in Black No More, he was very critical of the NAACP, Schulyer worked for the NAACP from 1937-1944 as business manager.

Was any of the satire based on genuine conviction? He criticizes black men for their apparent rejection of black women, but at the time he wrote the book, he was married to the rich, white heiress, Josephine Lewis Cogdell. Schuyler became a staunch conservative, leaning extremely right, and he made a good living expounding his point of view. He may have switch sides in real life as easily as Max Disher turned into Matthew Fisher. It might be interesting to read one of his later books like Black and Conservative: the Autobiography of George Schuyler or Rac(e)Ing to the Right. I assume either would offer some explanation for his transformation.

Questioning Schuyler’s real opinions when he wrote this book is interesting, on an academic level to me, but does not change my perception of the book itself. It is well done. The book lacks depth, but that can be forgiven with a satire. I didn’t like the part of the ending involving the botched getaway. I thought it was little long and gory. When I read Black No More, it reminded me of Mat Johnson’s Pym. In a way, even the endings were similar. Johnson lost control of Pym in the same way I think Black got away from Schulyer. Both books offer irreverent, entertaining social commentary.


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Black No More

My first classic of 2016 will be Black No More  by George Schuyler.

2015 COMLETED GENRE BREAKDOWN

One of my goals is to read classics from differing time periods, cultures & genres.  The breakdowns I created are largely arbitrary.  Some of the books can fit into more than one category.

African American

• The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson (non-fiction)
• The Marrow of Tradition by Charles W. Chesnutt
• The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois (non-fiction)

African

• Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

American

• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
• The Pearl by John Steinbeck
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

British (19^th century)

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

British (20^th century)

• Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (mystery)
• Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Children’s

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, # 1) by J.K. Rowling,
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Christian

• Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard
• The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Greek (Ancient)

• Phaedo by Plato

Russian (19^th century)

• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Hind's Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

I had never heard of this book before last week.  I was reading a list of books that all Christians should read, and Hinds Feet on High Places was on it.  It is a Christian allegory about salvation in the same genre of Pilgrim's Progress.

Rebecca-Alfred Hitchcock Movie

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I watch the 1940 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock starring Laurence Oliver and Joan Fontaine. I was struck by how different the movie was from the book. Yes, Hitchcock did a wonderful job. Visually, it was artistic and pleasing. Hitchcock generated a lot of suspense, but it is very different from the book, which was a disappointment.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury REVIEW

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Without a doubt, Bradbury had an incredible imagination. He gave his 1950s audience flat panel TVs, IPODs and ATM machines. He also turned the traditional role of the fireman upside down and used the symbolism of fire to both bring forth life and destroy it. It is one thing to be a good storyteller or a talented writer, which certainly, Bradbury is, but in my opinion, it elevates the craft to do that while making relevant social commentary. Bradbury had a lot to say, and he did it in the context of a compelling and entertaining story.

Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 during the McCarthy error; so government censorship was a serious and real concern. What is interesting to me is that Bradbury makes the point that the people and the state share the blame for censorship, with the people bearing most of the culpability. Every group that has a viewpoint wants the counter-viewpoint censored. Bradbury warns us of the perils of political correctness before political correctness even had a name.

Bradbury also warns that as society intoxicates itself with pleasures and titillation of mass media people will increasingly move away from, not only intellectual pursuits, but they will lose their ability to bond with one another. Bradbury didn’t even own a TV until the 1950s, but he had the foresight to understand the (now well documented) mental health issues that can come from heavy ICT use.

I was, generally, pleased with the storytelling. Bradbury was, at times, a little long winded but he painted vivid pictures. The foreshadowing was nicely done, and even though I knew the plot, I was surprised a few times. Really, you can’t ask for much more out of a book. It is a cool coincidence that I just happened to read this classic during banned book week.


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Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier REVIEW

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes when you read a book, there is something so special about one conversation or one bit of writing that even if the book, in its entirety, isn’t good that piece makes it worth your effort. In this case, the entire book is fabulous, but there are a couple of parts that are extraordinary. To me, the first chapter is a gothic masterpiece. You know that you are in for a treat right from the beginning. As a whole, the book is superbly written, but there are several sections of pros that stand out. There is a bit about growing older in chapter 15 that is particularly poignant. I loved the confrontation at the window’s ledge in chapter 18.

There is something about this book that reminds me of Dostoyevsky. Du Maurier’s and Dostoyevsky’s styles are completely different. The similarity is probably in the way that the narrator, in Rebecca,has longwinded conversations with herself and that everyone is a little crazy and self-absorbed, but they are completely clueless to their narcissism.

The comparison with this book to Jane Eyre is obvious. In my opinion, du Maurier is a better writer than Bronte, but Jane Eyre is a superior book. I love Jane. Rebecca’s narrator is weak and pitiful most of the time. I was attracted to the superb writing, the plot and the mystery in Rebecca, but I didn’t care about the main character. She was appealing to me at first, in Monte Carlo, but after she became Mrs. De Winter, she was just mostly pathetic; so that limited my emotional connection to her. (view spoiler)[When the narrator began her life at Manderley, after an adjustment period, I wanted to see her comb her hair, claim her man, fire her housekeeper, and get on with it. She was content to sit around and ponder her misery—boring. Even during Max’s confession to our narrator, Mrs. De Winter was portrayed as narcissistic to the point of ridiculousness. Max confessed to the cold blooded murder of his wife and her unborn child, and all that she could think of was the state of her love affair. (hide spoiler)] All of her whining and obsessions with herself and Rebecca was uninteresting and unrealistic. This is easily a five star book, but I think it could have been even better with a stronger protagonist.

What I love about this book is that it painstakingly follows the gothic formula. There is a castle, a mystery to be solved and portents of doom. There is heroine overwrought with emotional destress. It seems like it would be “over the top” or even silly, but du Maurier pulls it off perfectly. I was fully engaged, telling off Mrs. Danvers and wanting to slap some sense into Mrs. De Winter.

I was really obsessed with this book. I couldn’t put it down, and I didn’t want it to end. Reading this kind of book is what the classics challenge is all about.

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Rebecca Daphne du Maurier

I'm excited to start this one.  Rebecca won the Anthony Award's Novel of the Century in 2000.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck REVIEW

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Steinbeck’s writing is wonderful. He packs quite a punch in this little novella. He uses simple characters to create a complex work that tackles universal themes of friendship, loneliness, poverty and helplessness. He uses animal imagery that is both symbolic and suggestive. Symbolism isn’t my strongest suit, but here, even I get it. He condemns society for its treatment of the lowest classes. He basically does it all in 100 pages.

The one thing that I didn’t like was the way Steinbeck penned Curly’s wife. None of the characters had very much depth, but Curly’s wife’s behavior was odd, to say the least. I imagine these laborers as being smelly, dirty and unattractive. It is inexplicable that she would have been completely undiscerning in her attraction to them, desiring all of the men equally. Since Curly’s wife was such a pivotal character, I would have liked for Steinbeck to have taken a more nuanced approach with her.

Although, I rate this book five stars, I won’t be reading more Steinbeck anytime soon. The bottom line is that his stuff is depressing. I get it. I even like it, but I need it in small doses. Two Steinbeck books in one year are more than enough for a while.

I am participating in a classics challenge. The challenge requires a blog entry for each classic book. You can find my blog at http://linda2015classicschallenge.blo...



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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

My son is reading John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men in English class, so, being that I am in a classic's challenge, I figured I'd give it a go.  I know the plot, presumable because I read it in high school myself, but I don't actually remember reading it.

I can probably go ahead and take care of the Ws:

WHEN I Discovered This Classic:  high-school, most definitely

WHAT Makes It A Classic:  Steinbeck's pros is wonderful and he tackles big themes of loneliness, work, poverty and tragedy.

WHY I Chose to Read It:  I love reading books with my kids

WILL It Stay A Classic:  Yes

WHO I’d Recommend It To:  No one.  Steinbeck is completely depressing.  His whole purpose seems to be to let us know that, if you poor, life sucks, and, then, you die.  The poor have no control and all choices lead to one depressing outcome.

Phaedo by Plato REVIEW

Phaedo by Plato
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What I like about Plato’s dialogues is how accessible they are. Much of Western thought is based on Plato's writings, so you can’t get much more academic than that, but at the same time, Plato isn’t hard. You don’t have to have special skills or been formally trained in philosophy to enjoy and understand Plato. Pheado is one of Plato’s later dialogues so it, probably, represents Plato’s own viewpoints rather than Socrates’. As for the philosophy itself, I like the proofs for the pre-existence of the soul and even the existence the soul after death. Some ideas Plato seems to take for granted and just doesn’t offer any explanation, like re-incarnation. I enjoyed Pheado. I think that Plato's dialogues is a great place to start for someone who has an interest in the origins of western philosophy.

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The Ws

WHEN I Discovered This Classic

college 

WHY I Chose to Read It

I hadn't read any ancient Greek, for the challenge, yet.

WHO I’d Recommend It To

someone interested in Western philosophy

WILL It Stay A Classic

Clearly, the answer is yes, but I think that it is still relevant because it deals with the universal theme of the existence of the soul.

WHO I’d Recommend It To

I’d recommend this to anyone who expressed interest in reading a mystery.

Murder on the Orient Express - REVIEW & The Ws

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Without a doubt, I saw the movie adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express as child, but it never occurred to me that I would remember anything about the book. Although I didn’t recall anything specific, I knew, without a doubt, “whodunit.” My knowledge of the ending, pretty much, ruined the experience of the book. I kept reading for two reasons: 1) to make sure that I wasn’t crazy and that I really did know the outcome, and 2) to get a feel for Agatha Christie’s writing.

I don’t know if this book is reflective of Christie’s overall style or not. I loved the main character, but I didn’t think that I got enough of his investigative process. There were many interviews and an elucidation at the end. I don’t read many mysteries, so I don’t know how common that style is, but personally, I think that I would enjoyed the book more if I were given more access to Poirot’s thought process before the big reveal.

Given the circumstances, it is difficult for me to give this book a fair rating. If I hadn’t known the ending, I might have rated it four stars. However, I wouldn’t hesitate to read another of Agatha Chrisite’s book.


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The Ws

WHEN I Discovered This Classic

I can’t remember a time of not knowing that this book existed.  I, probably, saw a movie adaptation before the age of ten.

WHAT Makes It A Classic

Agatha Christie books have sold over 3 billion copies.  Christie took the lead from authors like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but she has been influential in her own right.  Murder on the Orient Express is her most famous dealing with the universal themes of justice and judgment.

WHY I Chose to Read It

It was chosen as group read in a group that I’m in on Goodreads.

WILL It Stay A Classic

It was written in 1934 and has never been out of print.  That is a pretty good start. 

WHO I’d Recommend It To

I’d recommend this to anyone who expressed interest in reading a mystery.