Posted by Guillermo Maynez
on 11/9/2011, 12:43:16, in reply to "Re: Nominations for 2012"
189.140.65.35
The idea of reading Dickens will always be welcome by me. What I've read:
1. The Pickwick Papers (I would read it again)
2. Hard Times (remember little of it, so I would also read it again)
3. David Copperfield
4. Nicholas Nickleby
5. Little Dorrit
6. A Christmas Carol
7. Our Mutual Friend
8. Bleak House
9. Oliver Twist
So "The Mystery of Edwin Drood", "Great Expectations" or any other novel I haven't read would be fine.
As to Sterling's list, it sounds wonderful, so that I could adopt it. My only comment would be that it is too English, but any way I want to read almost all the books he proposes. By the way, I read "The Elective Affinities" many years ago, and liked it a lot. I would give it another try. And oh, one I did not like at all was "The Good Soldier". I'll post my nominations later.
--Previous Message--
: This is a real trip back to the past for you, Sterling,
: only one novel on your list comes from the last 90
: years!
:
: What you're saying about Hammett and Chandler is kind
: of like my problem with Dickens... I wan't to read
: something, but what? I've only read The Maltese Falcon
: and The Big Sleep. In fact, those are almost the only
: two novels I've read out of the whole crime fiction
: genre. So the idea of skipping past those and going on
: to Red Harvest plus either of the other Chandler
: novels is absolutely perfect for me.
:
: I've read all of Trollope's Barchester novels, and
: would be delighted to read the Palliser books. If we
: go for The Eustace Diamonds, I think I would first try
: to read the two earlier volumes, even if they aren't
: essential, since I would want to read the entire
: series anyway.
:
: --Previous Message--
: OK, I'll go first with my nominations. I know we're
: only allowed ten. If I get a great idea after I've
: posted, can I withdraw one and substitute another?
: All right. Here goes:
:
: Humphrey Clinker - Tobias Smollett
:
: For several years, we've read something from the 18th
: century (Defoe, Diderot, Sterne). It would be fun to
: continue to do so. I thought of Richardson (too long
: and, I've always suspected, too boring), maybe a
: Fielding I haven't read (still a good idea, but I've
: read his most famous novel), and even de Laclos (but
: I've already read Les liaisons dangereuses , and I
: suspect everyone else has too). I've read Roderick
: Random by Smollett and enjoyed it. HC is widely
: considered his most famous and funniest novel.
:
: Elective Affinities - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
:
: This has long sounded like an interesting novel to me.
: Goethe is a major artist, and I've only read Faust .
: This novel of marital infidelity (I believe) sounds
: like his most interesting. It has been a subject of
: considerable debate for two centuries. Is it moral or
: immoral, satire or tragedy, etc.? It sounds like a
: good subject for discussion.
:
: The Eustace Diamonds - Anthony Trollope
:
: I read The Way We Live Now and enjoyed it. I hoped
: to put a Dickens on this list that I haven't read, but
: I can't seem to generate much enthusiasm for his
: lesser known novels. Trollope may not be Dickens, but
: he is considered one of the masters of the English
: novel. I've always associated him with Dickens (for
: some reason). Why The Eustace Diamonds , the third
: novel of the Palliser sequence? Well, I doube that
: I'll read them all. This is regularly recommended as
: a the most enjoyable. Besides, The Lifetime Reading
: Plan suggests starting here.
:
: The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins
:
: Oh, I don't know. We all enjoyed reading The Woman
: in White . I'm interested in reading his other most
: famous novel, which is also considered to be the first
: detective novel in English.
:
: Which brings us to:
:
: Dashiell Hammett
: Raymond Chandler
:
: At some point recently, we thought about reading
: classics of a genre. These two invented the modern
: style of crime/private eye novel (very different from
: Doyle, Christie, etc.) I'm not really ready to
: propose specific works, but I suggest that we read
: both since their novels are relatively short. From
: Hammett, I'm fond of Red Harvest , the first and most
: relentless of his novels. The Maltese Falcon is the
: most frequently cited, but I think that's mostly
: because of the famous movie. They're all good. If we
: pick them, we can discuss which novel(s) we want to
: read. Similarly, with Chandler, The Big Sleep is
: the best known, but again I think this is partly
: because of the famous film. I think possibly
: Farewell, My Lovely or The Long Goodbye , but we can
: decide later. Incidentally, in many ways Hammett and
: Chandler are very different. Comparing them would be
: fun.
:
: The Good Soldier - Ford Madox Ford
:
: Widely considered his best novel, especially if you
: exclude the tetrology Parade's End . I've intended
: to read him for years. I think this novel might be an
: interesting companion piece to Elective Affinities .
: It's on many "best" lists, including Bloom,
: Smiley, Burt, The Modern Library, etc.
:
: Suttree - Cormac McCarthy
:
: I thought Blood Meridian was amazing, but the
: violence and horror are not really right for our
: group. Besides, I've read it :^) I thought that The
: Road was disappointing. Suttree is often listed as
: one of McCarthy's finest novels. Apparently, it is
: both humorous and very sad -- quite unlike his
: ferocious works.
:
: I've got some other idea, but I think these seven
: (counting Hammett and Chandler as one) are enough for
: today.
:
:
:
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: Let's go ahead and open the floor for nominations for
: our monthly readings for next year.
:
: The process and rules will be exactly the same as last
: time: Anyone may nominate, even brand new members. The
: nominations will close, and voting begin, whenever all
: of our regular participants have finished. You may
: nominate up to 10 books each. You don't have to post
: all your nominations at once, and you may change them
: at any time. If you wish, you can be creative by
: making contingent or combination nominations such as
: "whichever book wins the Giller Prize" or
: two short books to be read together. Provide as little
: or as much information about the books you nominate as
: you care to. Campaigning is certainly permitted. All
: nominations will go on the ballot; they don't have to
: be seconded.
:
: Earlier I posted lists of anniversaries, awards, and a
: breakdown of nationalities we have read in the past.
: This is purely for inspiration, not to limit your
: choices. Others are welcome to post such lists as
: well.
:
: I'm eager to see what the rest of you are interested
: in reading. At this point I have no particular books
: in mind myself.
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
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