Classics I have tried to read
Posted by Lesley on October 02, 1998 at 02:21:04:
In response to In fairness to Twain, written by Art on October 01, 1998 at 20:04:24
First of all I read the Turn of the Screw and it made me mad. What in the heck was he getting at? I hate these writers who leave things ambiguous!
Also, Charlotte Bronte, made some disparaging comments about JA too. But my opinion is that JA is so clean, her prose is smooth, flawless and runs like a German engine. You sure can't say that about Jane Eyre. And don't get me wrong, JE is my favorite novel of all the Bronte sisters. I find myself skipping all the long descriptions in the second half and getting to the dialogue.
I guess my beef with the Brontes is that when they open their mouths, their guts fall out. James is is too literary and obtuse.
But my strongest dislike is for all those American realism writers like Steinbeck. Please, please, reading these books is like torture. The Red Pony, The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men. Help!!! Hemingway? No way!
And please no existentialists! No Satre, Camus and Ionescu for moi, s'il vous plait. Of all the French novels I read in school, I can't think of any that I liked, exept maybe Stendahl but that is only bc I can't remember what his books were about.
I also couldn't read Vanity Fair. This made me mad bc I felt like Becky Sharp would be really interesting. But whenever the prose focused away from her it was too boring.
These are my VHOs but it has motivated me to try to read Stendahl and Vanity Fair again and maybe some more Henry James.
- Steinbeck Patricia R. 19:44:43 10/02/98
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- Defending Steinbeck & Hemingway Steinbeck and Hemingway 01:32:52 10/04/98
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- To Reads Patricia R. 13:59:06 10/04/98
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- Excellent choices but don't forget the Kleenex! (nfm) Patricia Bingham 00:19:03 10/05/98
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- Excellent choices but don't forget the Kleenex! (nfm) Patricia Bingham 00:19:03 10/05/98
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- uhm... Patricia Bingham 01:38:24 10/04/98
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- To Reads Patricia R. 13:59:06 10/04/98
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- To like or not to like, that's the question! Kristin T 09:06:07 10/03/98
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- likes & dislikes Chael 19:32:44 10/03/98
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- I think I understand you better now, Chael. (nfm) Kristin T 16:48:19 10/04/98
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- I think I understand you better now, Chael. (nfm) Kristin T 16:48:19 10/04/98
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- likes & dislikes Chael 19:32:44 10/03/98
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- Life is too short! Barbara 23:50:35 10/02/98
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- Defending Steinbeck & Hemingway Steinbeck and Hemingway 01:32:52 10/04/98
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- Lesley's classics Lizard 10:04:55 10/02/98
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