Category/Genre Forums: Classics Books
Classics via DailyLit
I think that I use DailyLit primarily for its large collection of classics. I'm currently reading Jane Eyre, Persuasion, and Dubliners; along a subscription to Various Quotations.
Does anyone else notice that they have started to get into more of the classics due to DailyLit? I guess that this can also be due to the fact that I had wanted to read more of the classics when I started using this site, and it certainly doesn't hurt that they're public domain.
Replies (10)
Posted by
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I actually all but gave up on contemporary literature a while ago because I was so disappointed with a lot of what I read.
That started me down a path of reading all of the famous books I had heard of but never read. I have been doing that for many years now and the list was drying up but this site has introduced me to a lot more books than I would have considered otherwise.
There were some books that I dreaded trying to read because of their reputation but were easier to get through thanks to this site (like Moby Dick).
And I just started the Dubliners myself yesterday after a recommendation from a user on this site. Hopefully it will lead in to Ulysses.May 12, 2009 9:47 am
by cresswga -
I spent a lot of time in Saudi Arabia based in the middle of nowhere in the 1970s and thats the last place to be if you cannot keep your mind occupied i.e. no cinema, limited tv programmes, no real social events. And so you had the time & the peace to read those classics that you never before could get round to reading: Gibbons "Decline & Fall" etc. You just had to make sure that you took with you a suitable catholic mix according to your daily prevailing moods. Thus some Grahame Green, William Manchester with a sprinkling of Ian Fleming & Ed McBain.
May 13, 2009 5:15 am
by MANICHAEAN -
@ cresswga: I feel the same way about contemporary literature. Like I mentioned before, I'm trying to read more of the classics, however I only started about a year ago.
@ manichaean: That sort of reminds of the whole deserted island scenario where if you could only bring five books, which books would you bring... Intriguing thought.
by books -
Off the top of my head:
1. "A Hero of Our Time" by Mikhail Lermontov.
2. "A Woman of No Importance" by Oscar Wilde.
3. " Fruits of the Earth" by Andre Gide.
4. "The Power & The Glory" by Grahame Greene.
5. "Count Cagliostro" by Alexei Tolstoy.
by MANICHAEAN -
Desert Island Books would be a great question of the week. I am not sure how I would make my choice. Would they be books I have tried to read but never made it through like Don Quixote? Would they be ones I like to re-read? (Or would they be ones with lots of pages just to pass the time?)
I certainly cannot list 5 off the top of my head.
by cresswga -
Not sure how I made the choice myself. A combination of: books I have really enjoyed & go back to like old friends time & time again, new books or authors that have caught my interest & then of course the tome to use up the time & to be dipped into at leisure.
by MANICHAEAN -
I'm afraid I haven't read any of the books on your list Manichaean! The second one I will probably read at some point, but there are so many books on my list; so much to read, so little time!
Good point, Cresswga. Since you bring the idea of wanting to tackle books, I would probably have to add Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace to my list. I got about 1/5 into the book before putting it down; it's 1,000 pages of verbosity. I couldn't handle it, but I look forward to trying it again.
by books -
Five classics that I would probably bring to a desert island:
1) Pride and Prejudice: This could practically be a modern book with its clarity of language and intriguing plot.
2) The Once and Future King: I love the King Arthur tales. This is actually more modern, but I think it counts as a classic.
3) A Tale of Two Cities: Nope, I haven't read this yet, but if I were stranded on a desert island I would finally have enough time to read and finish it.
4) The Odyssey: The mythology and culture of the ancient Greeks has fascinated me for many years. I've just started reading Richmond Lattimore's translation of it and so far it has exceeded all my expectations.
5) The Origin of Species: I haven't read this either, but it has come across my radar thanks to a recent National Geographic issue with an article about Darwin pointing out that everyone quotes his books but has never read them.May 17, 2009 7:35 pm
by wellreadscholar -
Prode and Prejudice would be my top pick if I was stranded on a deserted island, too.
Apr 3, 2011 10:17 am
by Bd200789 -
I use DailyLit to read classics that I missed from homeschooling and college. I have very little time on my hands so reading in little snippets everyday is easy on me. I'm so grateful for this site because it really has given me a chance to catch up with these great books and work that I'd never heard of before!
Apr 4, 2011 10:18 pm
by vanessanicole21