Friday, December 30, 2022

Back to the Classics Challenge 2022 Wrapup

 


This is not the first year I read books for all the prompts, but it is the first year I managed to blog about a book for all the prompts. Woo-hoo! Here's the list:

19th Century Classic

Sir Walter Scott's Count Robert of Paris

20th Century Classic

Thomas Pynchon's V

A Classic by a Woman Author

Willa Cather's A Lost Lady

A Classic in Translation

Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun's Memoirs

A Classic by a BIPOC Author

James Baldwin's Go Tell It On The Mountain

Mystery/Detective/Crime Classic

S. S. Van Dine's The Garden Murder Case

A Short Story Collection

Thomas Hardy's Wessex Tales

Pre-1800 Classic

Oliver Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield

Non-Fiction Classic

Edmund Wilson's The Shores of Light

Classic on your TBR the longest

Edmund Wilson's Axel's Castle

Classic Set in a Place You'd Like to Visit

Kate O'Brien's Farewell Spain

Wild Card

William Faulkner's Light in August

Chuck displays The Stack (minus the Van Dine, which I also read on the Kobo): 

As for that original set of predictions of what I might read for each category, I got three (!) correct, plus one by the same author I originally planned (James Baldwin) and one that I planned but switched categories (Willa Cather's A Lost Lady). Predicting three in advance is pretty standard for my abilities as a prognosticator...

Thanks to Karen for hosting this challenge again! I'm reachable at reese (at) reesewarner (dot) com.


11 comments:

  1. Well done you! Here's to surviving 2022, and may next year be stuffed with good books.

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  2. Quite an achievement, Reese. I have been able to read books only for 6-7 prompts. I also think you have to mention your sign-up and review numbers alongside. Incidentally, you mentioned that you wanted to read books by Conyth Little but have been unable to get them. I found a copy of The Black Thumb at IA for free download: https://archive.org/details/dli.ernet.241032

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  3. That's me above:). A Very Happy 2023 to you and your family.

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    1. Happy new year to you and yours as well, Neeru. Thanks!

      And thanks for the link Conyth Little book. From your description they sounded really fun.

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  4. Congratulations for completing all categories!
    I've never read Faulkner. Have tried The Sound & the Fury years ago, but DNF-ed it. I might check your review of Light in August (never heard of that one).

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    1. Thanks!

      Light in August is a dark tale of racism in the US, but is a **much** easier read than The Sound and The Fury. Light in August is also usually considered one of Faulkner's greats I think. I liked Absalom Absalom a lot (never blogged about it) but it's a pretty challenging read, too.

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    2. My tip for The Sound and the Fury is to pay attention to Benjy's caretaker. There are 3 of them, and when you know who the caretaker is, you know what time period he's talking about.

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  5. You called Light in August Faulkner's easiest book but I gave up on it several months ago.
    I love The Sound and the Fury though.

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    1. Interesting! I'm not sure which I'd say I liked better between TS&TF and LIA, or maybe which I thought the greater novel, since like isn't quite the right word, but I certainly think LIA is the easier read. Less experimental. (Though Major Yammerton suggested on an earlier post if you're starting Faulkner, start with The Bear or one of the great short stories, which is certainly right). Though I've been meaning to reread TS&TF since it's been so long since I read it.

      Why did you give up on LIA? That's interesting.

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    2. It was not because it's difficult.
      I wrote about it here: https://thelittlewhiteattic.blogspot.com/2022/01/reading-light-in-august.html

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