Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

Just purchased a new Classic?

Let us know your great find?

How did the book fall into your Cart?

I recently purchased four new classics from thriftbooks.com.

The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
I've been wanting to read this for years and finally purchased it.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
This book just shows up on so many lists. I read a couple books by Wilde last year and enjoyed them.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
I wanted to buy a classic not from America or the UK, so this was it.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Reading all the books by Jane Austen is a goal for me.

In May, I bought the following classics:

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
This was to participate in our group discussions! :-)

On Obligations by Marcus Tullius Cicero and
An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume
These two are the current reads at another Goodreads group.

Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
I finished Lolita recently and wanted to better understand the author and his literary techniques. This auto-biography should hopefully be more readable than interpreting e.g. what a butterfly means :D

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
I highly enjoyed Anna Karenina and plan to read all Leo Tolstoy's books; probably even in multiple translations. Last month I got myself a second copy of Anna Karenina, this time in German :-)

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
This book is very popular among Goodreads groups, and I like historical romance classics.

Ying Ying,
The two philosophy books, On Obligations and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, look interesting and important for this modern age. I've added them to my TBR.

Last night I purchased an ebook for $1.99. It is the Italian version of Reeds in the Wind by Grazia Deledda. I found out about this through goodreads. It was on the reading list of a "friend".
She is a Nobel Prize winner. One of my long- time reading goals is to read a book by every winner of the Nobel Prize.

My relatively recent used book purchases are:

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein - a science fiction classic that is on many top 100 lists

The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois - I have been meaning to read this book since high school and finally found a second hand copy at a good price and in excellent condition

Tales of the South Pacific byJames A. Michener -a book for another group that looked interesting. I liked the three Michener books that I have read.

I have also been busy loading free ebooks onto my ipad for my upcoming holiday, including

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle - the first book featuring Sherlock Holmes

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne- for the travel theme and because I will be travelling by train at the end of June

Ying Ying wrote: "In May, I bought the following classics:

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
This was to participate in our group discussions! :-)

On Obligations by [autho..."


I also finished Lolita recently. I have mixed feelings about the book.
Considering the disturbing topic, I found it funny at times, but at other times quite boring.

Kathy wrote: "I recently purchased four new classics from thriftbooks.com.

The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing
I've been wanting to read this for years and finally purchased it.

[..."

Things Fall Apart is an excellent book, but sad at times.
I hope you enjoy Dorian Gray as much as I did.

Kathy wrote: "Ying Ying,
The two philosophy books, On Obligations and An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, look interesting and important for this modern age. I've added them ..."

That's what I love about classics! They are as relevant as, if not more, than, their modern counterparts, despite their old age. I hope these books provoke you much thought, just as they are doing for me.

Rosemarie wrote: "Ying Ying wrote: "In May, I bought the following classics:

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
This was to participate in our group discussions! :-)

[book:On Obligations|..."

Rosemarie, I had the same feeling, until I read the introduction of the book. All the metaphors were deconstructed so beautifully that I decided to read more Nabokov, in order to return to Lolita with new eyes and understanding.

Very recent purchases: "The old man and the sea" and "Wuthering Heights". I've been trying to control myself with buying books, I try to purchase more carefully nowadays! :)

That's a lot of self-control, Ana! :-)

Ying Ying, my latest challenge is to avoid purchasing a stack of books in one go! Sometimes i achieve the goal (like this time), but book fairs or off-price seasons are a big temptation, I confess. :D

I don't think you are alone, Ana. I have great trouble resisting bargains- especially used book sales.

Rosemarie, fortunately, some journalism magazines i read bring along some classics editions sometimes. I don't have to buy them anymore, when it happens. Book fairs are good for low cost books. First editions are rare, but with a bit of luck... ;)

Rosemarie wrote: "Last night I purchased an ebook for $1.99. It is the Italian version of Reeds in the Wind by Grazia Deledda. I found out about this through goodreads. It was on the read..."

Well, Rosemarie, now I've added Reeds in the Wind to my TBR. Sounds wonderful.

Kathy, I so love that site!

A great goal too!

Ana, I totally understand the addiction to purchasing wonderful deals and finding the First Editions at random, making the purchase seem unbelievable in luck! ;>)

My recent purchase of The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard for just the story (talk about short!) of Three-Ten to Yuma original tale, resulted in a First Edition!

Lesle, that is a great find. I didn't know Elmore wrote western stories.

Lesle wrote: "Ana, I totally understand the addiction to purchasing wonderful deals and finding the First Editions at random, making the purchase seem unbelievable in luck! ;>)

My recent purchase of [book:The C..."
Lesle, it's addicting and i usually feel enthusiastic about it. I always do my best to make the best deal, though, and avoid get carried away with the flow! :)

Ana, that is a problem I have as well, avoid get carried away with the flow! :)

If purchasing online I usually leave them in the cart for about a week to really decide "Do I really want that book or is it 'wrapped up in the moment' purchase. If I am not sure still, I usually move it to my wish list.

Rosemarie wrote: "Lesle, that is a great find. I didn't know Elmore wrote western stories."

The purchase I made was his writings he submitted for a paycheck to different dime western magazines.

Lesle wrote: "Ana, that is a problem I have as well avoid get carried away with the flow! :)

If purchasing online I usually leave them in the cart for about a week to really decide "Do I really want that book o..."

That sounds like a good strategy, Lesle!

Ying Ying, it is as close as I can get to restraint! Haha!

Good evening!

Among the classics I purchased at the library book sale, aka crack for book lovers, on 10 June 2017, are the following:

Inferno by Dante Alighieri (1265-1321),
City of God by Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430), and
a D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930) omnibus consisting of *Rainbow* and *Lady Chatterly's Lover*.

Jim

Jim, I like your description of libary book sales. They really are addictive. You got some good books.

I recently purchased two books by Eric Ambler
The Light of Day and A Coffin for Dimitrios

Adding to the neverending TBR Pile!

It is a Members fault that I got them, but for the life of me I cannot remember who, but it was a guy! haha!

Lesle, I have added those books to my to-read list of books from the library. I saw the titles in one of our challenges.

I remember us discussing them with the Member, just cannot think who it was....bugging me!

Lesle - how soon you forget!

Tony wrote: "Lesle - how soon you forget!"

Are you serious! Oh my! ☺☺☺☺
I did not say ever my memory is good!
Hahaha!

Have you read both of those?

My TBR is not a pile, not a mountain, but a mountain range.

Jim, I can relate to that!

Happy Canada Day to the USA's northern neighbors, who are celebrating their sesquicentennial (150 years) independence from Great Britain and France.

If anyone wants to add to their TBR (to be read) mountain range, a New York Times article today (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/01/sp...) on ailing former pitcher Jim Bouton, links to the New York Public Library's 100 Books of the (20th) Century, which includes Bouton's seminal Ball Four.

Jim

Lesle wrote: "Are you serious! Oh my! ☺☺☺☺
I did not say ever my memory is good!
Hahaha!"

😄😄

Lesle, I haven't read The Light of Day - it's also known as Topkapi. It's one of his later novels and is a heist story about a diamond. It's on my to-read list.

I have read Coffin of Dimitrios - known as Mask of Dimitrios in the UK - it is one of his pre WWII novels when everything was uneasy in Europe. It's very good and regarded as one of his best. I'd start with that.

It came wrapped in plastic? I am not sure why. Not sure I want to open it! What if it's a first edition?

I just noticed the typo in the title of this thread. Shouldn't "Lastest" be "Latest"?

Jim

On vacation in Michigan, USA, we stopped at a resale shop and I bought four books at 25 cents each:

Funerals Are Fatal by Agatha Christie

The Murder at Hazelmoor by Agatha Christie (this book is now called The Sittaford Mystery

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

All are yellowed paperback editions which I often take when traveling. When I'm done reading, I leave them in the train station or in a hotel and don't have to carry in my luggage!

One more book is not a classic, but looks fun: Aunt Dimity Down Under by Nancy Atherton. Published in 2010.

What a bargain, Kathy. Agatha Christie books are a relaxing read.

Kathy that is really a wonderful gift to leave the paperbacks behind for someone else!

Rosemarie, I find Agatha Christie very relaxing to read, definitely.

Lesle, I hope someone likes the books I leave behind!

Kathy the funny part was that I can see somebody saying "I wish I had brought a book!" and what a surprise they would receive!

Very nice Kathy, I will have to remember that.

I know! I've had that experience of wishing I had a book.

My recent purchases are:
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
The Hamlet by William Faulkner
Hard Times by Charles Dickens
Pharsalia: The Civil War by Marcus Annaeus Lucanus

The books are either second hand or a highly reduced price.

Funny I was just looking into Hard Times by Charles Dickens and was wondering how to fit it into a theme read?

I finally completed my collection of Craig Johnson's The Walt Longmire Mystery Series it has taken forever to locate these in Hardcover. Just need this years addition.

I also purchased my first Graham Greene (Brighton Rock).

I been watching the Durrell's in Corfu on PBS after watching Poldark, both come back this fall in October!! I purchased Marrying off Mother by Gerald Durrell.

The Gerald Durell books are funny, especially the books about his family.

I was actually looking for his first book about the family but it too is on the waiting list!

Do you mean the new Poldark Lesle?

Lesle wrote: "I finally completed my collection of Craig Johnson's The Walt Longmire Mystery Series it has taken forever to locate these in Hardcover. Just need this years additio..."

Which My Family and Other Animals miniseries do you like best? The older or newer one?

Which Ross Poldark series do you like best? Older or newer?

Do you like the Longmire tv/netflix series?

My answers are older, newer, and yes.

Blueberry, Since I am not sure about the My Family and other Animals, Im going with newer!

I have not seen the older version of Poldark. So yes new version.

Oh I love the Longmire TV series that is what got me hooked to the books! I emailed Craig Johnson (not thinking he would answer) about how hard it was to fine Used hardcover books of his and how that is a good sign to him that owners were hanging on to them! He actually replied the next day thanking me for recycling his books and not leaving them on a damp dark shelf in a store somewhere! haha (I know it probably really wasnt him but hey! it was a nice touch.)