Kell1976 is not currently reading any books.
I’m 36 years old, female, from the United Kingdom. I’ve been a DailyLit member since February 17, 2009. My reading interests include Classic, crime fiction, and historical fiction.
Books
- 3 Short Reads by Edgar Allan Poe finished
- The Fall of the House of Usher finished
- Ligeia finished
- The Pit and the Pendulum finished
- Heroes For My Son finished
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland finished
- Ulysses finished
- Moby Dick finished
- Tales of the Jazz Age finished
- The Beautiful and Damned finished
- This Side of Paradise finished
- Middlemarch finished
- Walden finished
- Around the World in 80 Days finished
- The Turn of the Screw finished
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button finished
- Ivan the Fool finished
- A Simple Soul finished
- The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitaller finished
- The Dance of Death finished
- The Arabian Nights suspended
- Robinson Crusoe suspended
- The Last of the Mohicans suspended
-
Emma unread
-
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde unread
-
Pride and Prejudice unread
-
The Picture of Dorian Gray unread
-
The Three Musketeers unread
-
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow unread
-
The Alchemist unread
-
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer unread
-
Dracula unread
-
Jane Eyre unread
Posts
Reader Challenges - That Lovin' Feeling
*sweet
Reader Challenges - That Lovin' Feeling
Like drowning in chocolate - you feel yourself slipping under, but you don't care because it tastes so swet!
Reader Challenges - DailyLit Slogan
Lit on the flit.
Emma - Emma
As much as I could appreciate it, I can't say I'm actively enjoyed this novel. I found too many of the characters thoroughly annoying in a million little ways and just couldn't see the attraction towards any of them as people. I know for a fact that if I were stuck with Highbury Society as shown here, I'd shun the lot of them. Except, perhaps, Mr. Knightly, as I found I agreed with him and felt he was not in it nearly enough for my liking.
I did, however, persevere to the end, as I was determined to finish it. I'm eventually got to grips a little more with the excessively formal style, but found it felt stilted when in the reading and, as a result, it felt like it took forever to plough through.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
This is very cleverly written in such a way that the reader never knows more than Jekyll's friend, a lawyer named Richard Enfield; although it is told in the third person he is our representative within the tale. By using this ploy, Stevenson manages to keep the tension notched right up and spins the yarn so skillfully that, had the story not been so well-known, the revelations would be shocking (oh, how I wish I could have read this when it was first published!).
What is most surprising, at least to this modern reader, is the description of Mr. Edward Hyde - in film adaptations, he is continually depicted as a hulking figure of powerful physical presence, which highlights how little regard the film industry has typically shown to classic literature.
This is one of those tingling tales that should be told round the fire on a cold winter's evening, with the wind howling and the rain lashing...
Pride and Prejudice - Pride and Prejudice
Austen seems to enjoy offering up heroines that are slightly different than one might expect from a romantic novel of this period - they are witty, intelligent and fearless in their choices much of the time. They also seem to buck the trend of social propriety, even if it may cause them to lose their good name, happiness and position.
This is a highly enjoyable novel with more than enough social interaction, betrayal of trust, and witty badinage to entertain anyone with half a mind to give it a try.
The Picture of Dorian Gray - The Picture of Dorian Gray
I wonder how much of Dorian was Wilde's own beloved Bosie (Lord Alfred Douglas) and how much of himself was in the tortured artist that adored him. Lord Henry seemed to personify Wilde's own ideas about the workings of society, yet the artist, Hallward, seemed to represent his more heartfelt romanticisms...
The story itself is fascinating, though - an exploration into the morals of the time, the belief that sin will show itself on the face of the sinner and that our sins will be found out however we try to hide them.
The Three Musketeers - The Three Musketeers
This is not just a classic tale of good versus evil, but has deliberately blurred lines which are crossed by all the characters on multiple occasions, asking the discerning reader to consider the context and implications of the characters’ actions before judging their behaviour. It is also a romp the likes of which it would be hard to beat – the swordplay is always quick and the author never stints on the danger as the heroes are thrust headlong into action.
If you’ve never read this, whether or not you’ve seen a film version, pick it up, turn the pages, and become completely absorbed in this most passionate, adventurous tale – I promise you will not regret it!
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The writing of this story is wonderfully rich and his telling of it was chilling. It's wonderful how the superstitious hero (Ichabod Crane) is chilled by the legend of the Headless Horseman and then becomes a part of the legend himself.
Excellently exciting, even almost 200 years after it was written; this has stood the test of time and is filled with dark humour as well as psychological terror.
The Alchemist - The Alchemist
This book reads like a fairytale, full of mysterious wise men, omens, dreams and a destiny to follow. There’s a simplicity here – the story flows from scene to scene at a gentle pace, but there is so much happening under the surface, and at each step there is a lesson to be learned.
There is something timeless about The Alchemist - it could be set in any period, past, present or future – and will remain relevant in a way that some other books written in the latter part of the 20th Century may not, due to its complete lack of reference to anything that could possibly date it.
Absolutely enchanting!
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Although I know this was written to be primarily aimed at children, it does seem rather dated and there are words used that kids of "that age" today wouldn't understand and many of Tom's antics would seem pretty tame (as would his collection of "treasures" such as marbles, a dead rat to swing on a string, and a brass knob - in this age of commercialism, children would marvel that anyone of any age would think of these things as worth having). This also seems a lot more childish than The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn did, although perhaps that's to be expected as this was written first and the hero is younger here.
Overall, I think I liked this slightly better than The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but there's not much in it. It's was entertaining enough, but not one I think I'll pick up in paperback.
Dracula - Dracula
Stoker’s style is incredibly atmospheric, evocative and sensual, drawing the reader into a dark world filled with tumultuous emotions, madness and sexual awakening, even making the protagonist, the brooding Count himself, a figure to be pitied and admired, as well as feared.
Whether or not you have seen any of the hundreds of film adaptations of this classic, really you should treat yourself to reading it first-hand, and experiencing the chilling mix of desire and horror
Jane Eyre - Jane Eyre
Some of the most beautiful writing I have ever experienced: The descriptions of the various locales were such that I could almost feel the wind blowing over the moor and the dank, oppressiveness of Lowood School; the characters, far from being the usual beauteous creatures depicted in many a novel, both classic and contemporary, were plain and homely-looking, and were physically appealing to very few others (throughout the proceedings, the appearance of Miss Eyre is commented upon as being far from pleasing), which made a refreshing change; the plot developments were perfectly timed, so that every drop could be wrung out, without turning sour, before moving on to the next; and some scenes actually had me weeping, whether in sorrow or joy, at the situation of the characters.