All about Dickens! (part II)

[birdienl]

As most of you will probably know, last Tuesday was the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens birth. I wanted to make a post to celebrate this fact, but real life got in the way. Also, I haven't had the time to write a book or adaptation review, but luckily there is the [Poll #1817751]

One last question and I'll leave you alone for today: on my to-be-read list of the last few years I had a line saying: 'Read at least one novel by another classical author'. With 'another' I meant, some author other than 'the big six' ;-): Austen, Brönte, Gaskell, Dickens, Hardy and Eliot. I filled this reading resolution so far by reading classic children/youth literature from Louisa May Alcott and Frances Hodgson Burnett. Very good and entertaining reading, but I'm ready to broaden my horizon and try other classic authors. So please,  recommend away! I'm looking forward to all your suggestions!

Comments

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

Edith Wharton! It's her 150th birthday this year, and she's one of my favorite authors. "The House of Mirth" is my favorite; "The Age of Innocence," "The Custom of the Country," and "Old New York" (short stories) are all very good.

I liked the meme and your answers. (As for "Mrs. Dickens's Christmas," why some people think a person's birthday is a great time to bash him is beyond me! He wasn't perfect, but it would be fairer to have a balanced look at his flaws than an hour of flat-out bashing. Gaylor Arnold did a very good job of this in her novel "Girl in a Blue Dress.")

Glad you're reading two Dickens this year! I wonder if you'd consider doing the Dickensblog readathon, so you can raise money for charity as you read? It's a very Dickensian thing to do, I think. :-) Details here: http://dickensblog.typepad.com/dickensblog/2012/01/happy-dickens-year.html

We've only got two readers and could really use more! Let me know if you're interested, and I'll help in any way I can. :-)

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

I've read about your readathon on the Dickensblog ofcourse, but I don't know who I could interest in sponsoring me for such a cause. It's hard to interest people here in The Netherlands, as Dickens is not such a big name.

Edit Wharton, I must say I'm a bit scared to start her novels. I have seen some of the adaptations of her works and they always seem so depressing. But that was over 5 years ago, so maybe I'm 'mature' enough now to try again!

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

Well, I'd sponsor you, for one. :-) But no pressure. Do whatever you're comfortable with.

Wharton's novels ARE sad, but they're so good that I think they're worth it. You might try "The Custom of the Country," which is a satire and so has more humor than many of the others.

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Oh thanks for the offer! I'll think about it. I thought about sponsoring myself, but that's a bith weird don't you think? Maybe I could sponsor you in return.

Thanks, I'll keep that title in mind

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

That would be cool!

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Oke, let's go for it! How do I proceed now?

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

First, you pick your charity from the list on this page, and set up a fundraising page. Let me know if you need any help with that!

http://dickensblog.typepad.com/dickensblog/2011/12/the-dickens-bicentennial-charity-fundraiser.html

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Well, it took a while, but I set up a fundraising page for the Great Ormond Street Children's hospital here: www.justgiving.com/birdienl

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

You are awesome!!! I've just sponsored you.

And here's my page: http://www.razoo.com/story/Dickens-Fundraiser-Somaly-Mam

Thank you! *hugs*

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Thanks very very much!

I also sponsored you!
Which books are you planning to read this year?

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your donation!!

I'm reading "Selected Short Fiction," "Sketches by Boz," and "Selected Journalism." I just finished reading all the novels, so I had to branch out. :-)

[ever-maedhros.livejournal.com]

I love Betsey Trotwood, too. I can't decide which I love more, her character in the original book, or Maggie Smith's portrayal of her.

I'm going to try and read at least two Dickens novels this year as well--preferably more. :)

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

I have only watched the Hugh Dancy version of David Copperfield, which has Sally Field in the role of Betsy Trotwood. I loved her portrayal, but I've heard many good things about Maggie Smith's portrayal as well. I should really watch that version!

I think two Dickens novels is my max, it usually takes me at least three weeks to finish one of his novels and there are other things to read as well! Anyway, I could always try to watch all the adaptations this year which I haven't seen yet. Takes way less time!

[ever-maedhros.livejournal.com]

Yes, you should watch the Maggie Smith version. I love it so much, I own it. :)

[epea-pteroenta.livejournal.com]

Voted for Little Dorrit - which I loved. The BBC adaptation is very close to it but there's MORE OF IT and you can really picture the characters. It was amazing. Also, why not read Edwin Drood? That could be really interesting...

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Little Dorrit has the most votes now, so I think I'll just place the reservation at my library!

Edwin Drood is indeed a good idea as well!

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

Wonderful post! :)

I'd recommend Stendhal, especially The Red & The Black. I love this novel.

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

I must say I'd never before heard of Stendhal, but I'll look into his works!

[caffeinatedlife.livejournal.com]

I voted for Our Mutual Friend and Little Dorrit--loved both novels! My favourite Dickens <3 Not to mention I loved both BBC adaptations for the books xD

As for a recommendation for a novel from another classic author...how do you feel about reading something out of Russian literature? ;) Or are you sticking to English classical lit for suggestions?

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your recommendations!

No, I'm not definitively sticking to English classical lit. I've thought about Russian ofcourse. Do you have a short(ish) and not too complicated novel to recommend to start me of?

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

Do you like reading plays? Chekhov's plays are some of my favorite Russian literature. And they're shortish. :-) Shorter than most novels, anyway.

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

Oke, thanks! I don't have much experience with reading plays, but I'll see if I can find one

[caffeinatedlife.livejournal.com]

I've never read any of his plays (only his short stories)--did he write a lot? Been hearing how wonderful his plays were though =)

[litlover12.livejournal.com]

I don't know, actually. I have a book that has five or six of them, but I don't know how many others he wrote.

[caffeinatedlife.livejournal.com]

Well, I recently read Ivan Tugenev's First Love and Anton Chekhov's A Russian Affair, both of which are part of the Penguins Great Loves series. I think that's a great place to start because the stories are really short but quintessentially Russian on the outset =P

I would also recommend anything by Anton Chekhov really; he wrote a lot of short stories that are very accessible but tackles the same sort of existential/social/larger issues like any of the other big Russian authors. I greatly enjoyed Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Sons which is relatively short (maybe as long as Forster's Howard's End? Definitely not Tolstoy long =P) and shows a lot of the issues that were prevalent in 19c Russia. Not to mention I was also rooting for the characters in the novel, which was pretty cool (for a novel I had to read for my 19c Russia class, haha).

As you can tell, I'm a big fan of Chekhov and Tolstoy xD

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

I think most of what I know about Russian literature is actually thanks to your LJ posts, Li!