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Classic Novels
http://arwen-undomiel.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=17589		 Page 1 of 3
Author:  Johnny's Fan [ January 25th, 2008, 8:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Classic Novels
I've almost finished reading the novels of Jane Austen, and I feel like reading some of the old classics but I'm not really sure which ones to go for, especially from authors I've never read before.

There are only a couple I know I'm going to try and get from the library:

The Phantom of the Opera
Les Miserables
The Hunchback of Notre Dame

I just wondered if anyone can give me some ideas of what else I should look for. :-)
Author:  Larael [ January 25th, 2008, 11:04 pm ]
Post subject: 
Be careful when looking for The Phantom of the Opera. There's loads of different versions of it, and some of them are not very good. The original version, which is the one I've read is by, Gaston Leroux.

On my reading list right now I've got -
Anthem
Dracula
Great Expectations
Wuthering Heights

I also suggest, if you haven't already read them -

Jane Eyre
Tess of the d'Urbervilles
The Secret Garden
The Scarlet Letter
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Last of the Mohicans
Heart of Darkness
Author:  Calenfalathiel [ January 25th, 2008, 11:35 pm ]
Post subject: 
Ooh! I LOVE classic literature!! that's probably my favorite genre. Since I know you like Jane Austen novels, I'm going to recommend a couple that I think you'd like that are kind of similar-ish:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte- I know, you've probably already read this before. But i'll mention it in the unlikelihood that you haven't. This novel is amazing!! Great love story that has mystery and romance.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy- This novel is dark, but it's very good. It's about a young girl who gets seduced/molested by a distant relative, and after that her life changes. She tries to forget her past and falls in love with a man named Angel. They are happy together, until he finds out that she was molested, which he thinks is socially unacceptable. The story is basically about how the girl deals with so many (undeserved) tragedies in her life, and how she has to battle the female prejudices in society. I can't explain it very well, but I assure it is well worth reading. :)

Washiington Square by Henry James- This is one of my favorite stories (like you couldn't tell from my sig set :D). This one's also a bit of a feminist novel with a not very happy, but realistic ending. It's basically about a socially awkward girl who is an heiress, and a young man begins to woo her. She falls for him, but her father is convinced he's only out to get her money and disapproves of the match, and threatens to disinherit her. The story is about how she tries to fight for the man she loves, who may or may not love her...

Great Expctations by Charles Dickens- I haven't read this in FOREVER, but I do remember enjoying it. hmmm....*thinks* Yeah, I need to reread this sometime soon.

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare- One of my favorite Shakespeare plays ever! Of course it has the usual complicated love storylines, but it also has a very interesting, kind of dark tone to it. The play is about a man who must take out a loan for his business, but the only person he can get a loan from is a Jew whom he often mistreated (for racial reasons). The Jew, who is full of rancor, agrees to the loan on the condition that if the man cannot pay him back, he must pay with a pound of his own flesh. Things look good, until the the man's business crumbles and he is unable to pay his debt. Upon hearing this, the Jew goes to claim his pound of flesh! :confused2:


there are lots more books I recommend but I'll leave it at that for now. plus, I am so horrible at summarizing these books. They are so much better than I know how to say.
Author:  Johnny's Fan [ January 25th, 2008, 11:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
Aye, I have his name on my list. :yes:

Yes, I was thinking about some of the Bronte novels. I did start to read Jane Eyre, but I gave up as I was at that time slowly losing my reading passion. ;)

And I was thinking about Dracula and Frankenstein as well.

I'll write down your suggestions. :-)

@ Calenfalathiel - Thanks for your suggestions and the summaries. I'm probably going to choose anything that is Charles Dickens, as although I haven't read a lot of his books, he's too good not to read.

Ooh, I've never actually thought about Thomas Hardy books, but I might just try one or two of his.

Washington Square sounds like my type of novel (I'd been wondering what your banner was about) so I will definitely look for that.

Recommend away! The more the merrier, you don't need to summarize I can find out about them when I see the books. :-)
Author:  Larael [ January 25th, 2008, 11:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good, good. At least you won't waste time on other such PotO remakes. I think I went through about three til I found the original. :P

I can't believe I forgot about Shakespeare! I remember A Midsummer Night's Dream being my favourite, but Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet are fantastic as well from a literary standpoint. They are tragedies, but very well done tragedies.
Author:  Johnny's Fan [ January 25th, 2008, 11:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'm too much a fan of the film to get the wrong author.... although up until a couple of hours ago I thought Victor Hugo had written it.... *hehe*

I've actually got the complete works of Shakespeare, I tried reading some of the ones I've seen the films versions of.... I couldn't really get into them.... and I didn't really understand it.... :teehee: ... I'd like to think now I'm older I might understand them better but I doubt it. :P
Author:  ethelfleda [ January 26th, 2008, 1:50 am ]
Post subject: 
i know they've already been mentioned, but i really recommend wuthering heights, dracula and frankenstein. the latter is particularly astonishing when you realise that mary shelley was only 18 when she wrote it.

the turn of the screw and dr jekyll and mr hyde are also good, if you feel like something a little shorter.

oh, and sheakespeare's definitely worth persevering with (macbeth's my personal favourite).
Author:  Calenfalathiel [ January 27th, 2008, 12:34 am ]
Post subject: 
Shakespeare is very difficult to understand, but it is worth it!! he has some great stories out there. I mean, without him we wouldn't have the Lion King (LK=best Disney movie ever)!!

And I'd like to second Frankenstein. I read that recently in my english class, and I really enjoyed it. It has a much better storyline than I thought it would.

I'd also like to add:
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Author:  Johnny's Fan [ January 29th, 2008, 8:51 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for all the suggestions folks. My library is useless.... no Frankenstein, no Dracula... no Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame or Les Miserbles.... and just enough Charles Dickens to prevent me throwing some books at the librarians. :annoyed2:

I eventually got:

A Tale of Two Cities
The Old Curiosity Shop

And two other more modern books.

Also having about 30 gonky kids messing around in both the upstairs and downstairs section, at least 6 groups, one lot with a skateboard and another with hooters did not make me happy. And not one staff member said anything about it. :annoyed:

They currently have a board you can stick notes on about what you would like to see in the library. I added one that said "less noise".
Author:  Larael [ January 30th, 2008, 12:11 am ]
Post subject: 
:annoyed2: Kids these days...

I know this isn't really what we're discussing, but what 2 modern books did you get? I'm looking for something new to read. :)
Author:  Johnny's Fan [ January 30th, 2008, 12:19 am ]
Post subject: 
Ooh, well I got the first three books in the Hornblower series by C.S Forester (it was three in one). I mean, it's not that modern (1960's I think), but I have the TV series so I thought I should read the book. It's about a naval mishipman and set during the Napoleonic war so it might not be something you're interested in.

I'm also a big fan of Daphne du Maurier so I got another one of her books. You should read Rebecca and Jamaica Inn, they are two of my all time favourite books. Romance and mystery, me likes it. :-)
Author:  Larael [ January 30th, 2008, 12:30 am ]
Post subject: 
Oo, I've heard loads about Daphne du Maurier! I'm surprised I haven't picked up any of her books from the library. I shall most definitely put those two on my book list [which is sorely lacking]. :yes: Romance.. :drool: I'm a die-hard fan of it.
Author:  ethelfleda [ January 30th, 2008, 7:26 am ]
Post subject: 
you should definitely try some daphne du maurier, larael. i don't normally like romance novels, but i make an exception for her - her books are wonderfully atmospheric, with interesting characters and enough layers of deeper meaning to keep me interested. she's one of my favourite authors, despite the fact that she's terrible at writing endings.

which of her books did you get, JF?
Author:  Johnny's Fan [ January 30th, 2008, 12:27 pm ]
Post subject: 
You should definitely read some of her books yes. There's actually a thread for her that I made a while back but only me and Este ever posted there. :teehee:

Um.. what was it called? I think it was called the "Parasites" but I'm not 100% sure, and I'm too lazy at the moment to go upstairs and find out.

The books of hers I have read so far:

Rebecca
Jamaica Inn
Frenchmen's Creek
My Cousin Rachel

And I bought one from the library last year which I haven't read yet; Mary Anne.

I think Jamaica Inn is my favourite. Jem = ♥
Author:  Ashwise [ January 30th, 2008, 5:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'm reading the Illiad by Homer, it's kinda confusing.
Author:  Johnny's Fan [ January 30th, 2008, 11:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
^ That's actually not something I'd actually ever read. It's just not something I'm interested in, especially if it's confusing. :teehee:
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