Classics Challenge Recap

I have always been a proponent of Mark Twain's definition of a classic ("a book which people praise and don't read"), but I'll admit I had fun with the Classics Challenge. I chose the Student level (5 books), and as I just made it, I'll go with that next year. Here's what I read:

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

3. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

4. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

5. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey

Title: Northanger Abbey

Author: Jane Austen
Publisher: eBook
ISBN: n/a
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Classics, Show Me the Free

Thoughts: I loved Catherine and her obsession with gothic novels. I love gothics, too, and it seemed like this was Austen's way of taking a dig at the pulp reading that was so popular in her day. Despite that, I still enjoyed this immensely.
Rating: 4 stars

Little Women

Title: Little Women

Author: Louisa May Alcott
Publisher: ebook
ISBN: n/a
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Classics, Show Me the Free, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I have never read Little Women until now, but last year I did read a graphic novel version. The book was much longer and I think the graphic novel flowed better as a lot of the story was streamlined. Many of the chapters in the book seemed to almost stand on their own with a loose story holding them together. Overall, Little Women read like a morality tale, but it was cute.
Rating: 3 stars

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Title: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Author: Washington Irving
Publisher: eBook
ISBN: n/a
Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Horror & Urban Fantasy, Classics, Show Me the Free, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I was excited when my book club picked this because I am directing a play version right now. I have to say, I was rather disappointed. As there is no dialogue and Irving goes into such detail about everything, which is too much for a novella, the story drags and seems like nothing but exposition. The climax was lost in excess description.
Rating: 2 stars

Jane Eyre

Title: Jane Eyre
Author: Charlotte Bronte
Publisher: Wordsworth
ISBN: 1-85326-020-7
Why Read?: Bookclub
Challenges: Book Blogger Recommendation, Classics, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: For the longest time, I have had no desire to read Jane Eyre (not really sure why since it is the first Gothic). I really do not know why I waited so long. Yes, as is typical of books from the 1800s, it was a little long in parts, but in others, it read faster than I excepted and the story was simply excellent.
Rating: 4 stars

Pride and Prejudice

Title: Pride and Prejudice

Author: Jane Austen

Publisher: Kobo (I think)

ISBN: eBook

Why Read?: Book Club

Challenges: E-Book, Book Blogger Recommendation, Classics, International, Show Me the Free (Borders.com), 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I had no desire to read Pride and Prejudice until I read the Marvel graphic novel version. And then I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. When my book club picked Pride and Prejudice, I was actually looking forward to now reading the real thing. I enjoyed it. Some parts - mainly the pacing - did make it seem like a classic, but it is just a great story all around.

Rating: 4 stars

Note: Cover featured is not of the free Borders edition.

Classics Challenge

I don't read many classics, but I do have some in my TBR pile, so maybe Stilletto Storytime's Classics Challenge 2011 will get me to read some. I am going with the Student level (5 books).

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

3. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

4. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

5. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen