Classics Challenge Overview

For the last 6 months of 2011 I had already been challenging myself to read a classic a month. I was enjoying it and knew I would continue into 2012. So when I saw this challenge being set up I felt I had to join in. Instead of just reviewing the books we were given some questions each month. The challenge was to do at least 7 of those prompts. I managed 12 books and 9 prompts so I am quite pleased with myself. I actually read more classics than that but I read 12 specifically for the challenge.

So here is what I had planned to read;

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights - John Steinbeck
The Three Musketeers - Alexander Dumas
Villette  - Charlotte Bronte
Spring Snow - Yukio Mishima
The Leopard - Tomasi di Lampedusa
The Bell - Iris Murdoch
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

And here is what I actually read;

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights - John Steinbeck
The Bell - Iris Murdoch
The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark
The Leopard - Tomasi di Lampedusa
The Scarlett Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
Villette - Charlotte Bronte
A Connecticuit Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain
The Return of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame - Victor Hugo

The Spring Snow is the only one on the list I originally put together that I decided against. I will read it eventually but there were quite a few that I saw reviewed and then felt I had to pick up. Thanks to not completely sticking to a pre-arranged list I read quite a few unexpected surprises. There are a few authors here I will be returning to. I'm not going into which was my favourite and which wasn't as I mentioned all this in the last prompt.

Anyway, thanks to Katherine of November's Autumn for organising. It was another fun challenge and I particularly enjoyed the unusual way it was organised. These prompts made an interesting change to just reviewing.

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame Victor Hugo

It's 1482 in Paris and a young Gypsy girl has stolen the hearts of most of it's citizens. She entertains the crowd with her dancing and her pet goat. Several men in particular are enthralled. One has stolen Esmeralda's heart. The second is torn by his love and loathes both himself and Esmeralda because of it. The third is the famous Quasimodo, bell ringer of Notre-Dame. He is devoted to the beautiful gypsy after she shows him more kindness than anyone else has. As a result he is devoted to her. When Esmeralsa's love is found dead she herself is blamed. Only Quasimodo saves her from a hanging as he hides her away in his beloved towers.

I am sure I picked this up before and didn't get very far. Determined this time I forced myself through the first 50 pages which seemed to have nothing to do with the main story whatsoever. It took time for any of the main characters to turn up. However, it does make sense eventually and it's worth sticking to. Even as I was annoyed at what seemed to be unimportant description I was impressed by the beautiful writing.

The story is actually slow paced. It spands over 500 pages and nothing much happens in most of it. Instead we are given back ground information to some to the characters. We are also seemingly given unimportant detail of other people but it all connects up and even if it hadn't I was too mesmerised by the writing to care.

I loved each of the characters. Esmeralda's story was just as sad as that of Quasimodo's (well, almost). I even felt sorry for the villan of the book who was so torn by his own beliefs. I'm speaking of course of the Archdeacon who had lived a celibate life and belonged to the church. Esmeralda was everything he couldn't have and yet everything he wanted. The only character I had little sympathy with was that of Esmeralda's love, Captain Phoebus. He seems typical of a lot of classic books. The vain and lazy military man who has no money and so has to marry well. Wants his bit on the side too. I am sure there is one of him in a lot of classic literature.

Over all I loved the book and it was a good last choice for the classics challenge. Since the December prompt for this one is a wrap up I am going to do that separate from this review. If you want to see what others did you can see it here on Katherine's blog, November Autumn.

The Return of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle

In the last set of stories by Conan Doyle Sherlock had met his bitter end at the hands of his genius nemesis, Moriarty. Or so we thought. The first of these short stories brings the return of Sherlock Holmes as he tells Watson how he managed to escape his enemy whilst solving the seemingly unsolvable. As a result we are treated to more tales of the wonderful Sherlock by the pen of his trusted friend, Watson.

Yay! Sherlock is back. Although I wasn't quite sure how that was going to happen. The first of these three short stories is set three years after the events of the last one in the previous collection. We hear all about Holmes and his adventures. What we don't hear is what happened to Watson in all that time. The reason I am curious is that the tales that follow Watson seems to be again living with his friend. There is no mention of his wife or of his practice. Did he leave both for Holmes? Not that I could blame him but I would like to know.

The next 12 stories follows the same style as the rest. Not that I am complaining as I could never be bored of them. There is no puzzle too small or too large so long as Holmes finds it interesting. He saves the country from war, saves a man from hanging, discovers who stole and exam paper and saves a lady from being forced into a marriage.

Holmes himself seems a bit more human in these tales. His three years away seem to have mellowed him somewhat. He no longer takes drugs to save him from boredom (although that threat is always there) and he is more tolerant of people. He even seems to like Lestrade although is amused by his deductions.

I read this as part of the classics challenge hosted by Katherine of November's Autumn. This months prompt is to look back over the last year. I am supposed to pick my favourite from among the classics I have read but I am finding that difficult. I enjoyed most of them. Virginia Woolf is probably the author I am most likely to go back and visit again as I loved Mrs Dalloway. I would also read more by Elizabeth Gaskell. I loved Villette too and I was reminded of how much I enjoy the Bronte sisters. Muriel Spark is another author I am determined to go back to. I am glad I chose The Bell as my first Iris Murdoch as I loved it but didn't so much love The Sea, The Sea which I read later. A Connecticut Yankee In New York by Mark Twain is the only one that I struggled with. That's more because of my mood at the time rather than the book itself.

Best character would have to be Sherlock Holmes. I have said it many times already but I am going to say it again. I'm a little bit in love with him. I am going to be sad when I finished all those books. Mind you, I plan on the films and tv show next. I am afraid I have been poor at visiting other participants. I haven't really got a plan from others posts as to what I am going to read next year. I did visit at the start of the year but things got on top of me.

A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain

A man mysteriously talks about King Arthur's court as though he has been there. He then leaves some papers with a stranger and encourages him to read. The papers are an account of this man's time in court. How he tried to change the way those people worked and how he was sent on his own crusade by King Arthur himself.

When I picked this up I was hoping for/expecting something light and extremely funny. Sadly that's not actually what I got. Whilst there was plenty tongue in cheek the book took itself a little too seriously, I thought. First the humour was really a ridicule of the King Arthur legends. It strips away the romantic view everyone has of King Arthur and his court. The men and women are slobs. The men make up or exaggerate their tales of adventure before King Arthur. Everyone realises this but it's all part of the ritual. The ladies are crude, laughing and making jokes that would make a women of Hogan (the time traveler  era blush.They are also none too bright.

Once Hogan manages to save his own neck he believes that he can change the way the world works with him as the leader. This is where the serious part comes in. He spends much of his time trying to remove power from the church and put it in the hands of the man. He sets up a school to educate the masses. When he is sent (against his will) on his own quest he rescues prisoners and sends them to his schools. He brings about commercialism and advertising.

Had I known that much of this was going to be an essay on the power of the state and the church I probably would have left it to another time because it's not what I was in the mood for. That's not to say it wasn't a good book./ It was, it just wasn't what I wanted at that time and as a result I didn't enjoy it quite as much. I also found the narrator, Hogan, to be quite irritating. He was quite pompous and so sure that he was right. Quite a lot of the time he made a bit of a fool of himself but he was also Twain's mouthpiece. On the plus side I was amused at recognising some of the stories thanks to John Steinbeck.

I read this as part of the classics challenge hosted by Katherine of November's Autumn. This months prompt is about the last chapter read. As I tend to wait until I finish the book before doing these prompts I am going to go for most memorable. For me that would be the first chapter. The one in which the story is set up. The person who comes to read Hogan's story is admiring a portrait of King Arthur's court. As he does he notices that one of the figures in the painting has been damaged so you can't see the features. It's then that Hogan approaches him and claims to have known Arthur. We can guess that Hogan had deliberately damaged the painting so that he wouldn't be recognised. This set up makes the book sound more promising and more like what I was expecting.

Villette - Charlotte Bronte

Lucy Snowe has spent much of her childhood with her God Mother. A kind lady who dotes on her son. Her last summer with them is the most memorable as they also have the company of a strange little girl, Paulina. When Lucy leaves them she puts the past behind her as she faces a future of loneliness and difficulty. After working as a companion to on old lady she heads Europe hoping for a teaching post. Once she reaches Villette she begins teaching at a school for young ladies. There she finds some new friends and strange characters. More importantly she finds some old friends she never thought she would see again.

Not quite as good as Jane Eyre but this book just reminds me of how much I love the Bronte sisters. I quite happily got lost in the pages of this book. Seriously didn't want to leave it. The language is simple and flows very easily. Or maybe it isn't as simple as it seems but is just so well written that it feels that way. Either way I enjoyed the writing as much as I enjoyed the story.

Lucy is rather an odd character even for the Bronte's. Odd as a main character that is. Not once do we get a full picture of who she is. We learn almost nothing about her family and her early childhood. We know that she has had to take on work beneath her station because she alone in the world. That's pretty much about it. Even as the book continues it is hard to pin down her character. She is different to each of the characters in the book. She is sweetness to her God Mother, charming to her God Brother and a little short tempered with her friend Ginevra. Her friends themselves are rather peculiar. M. Paul Emanuel is short tempered all the time and this temper comes out when seeing the littlest fault (in his eyes) in Lucy. I actually found him difficult to like until near the end and we got to hear more of his back story. Paulina was very odd. She didn't read like any normal 6 year old and was more likeable when we meet her again later on. Basically, what I thought of one character was subject to change.

I liked the story itself too. I liked the odd school which Lucy came to work for and I liked the ambition she held for herself and the determination to do well. I liked the fact that she continued her own studies just so that she wouldn't fail. Then of course there is the ghost haunting the school. I would have been disappointed if there hadn't been one and I was amused by the outcome of that.

Overall a lovely book which has reminded me that I need to one day read the rest of the books by these fantastic sisters.

I read this book as part of the classics challenge by Katherine of November's Autumn. This months (yep I have caught up with my reviews and am onto Septembers reads) prompt is about music and what fits the book. I do love music but I am hopeless when it comes to placing music with things. I would be a rubbish film maker. So I'm afraid I can't pick out a piece of music that would fit the book. Then Lucy is a closed off character I think it would be hard to find something that would fit her. If I had to it would probably be something light and classical. Just don't ask me what. It doesn't help that I don't listen to music while I read. I like both too much and usually want to concentrate on them. I can't concentrate on both at the same time so I tend to keep them separate.

Does anyone else pick out music to listen to whilst they are reading? Oh, and yes this book is another one of those vintage covers.

The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hester Prynne has been found guilty of adultery. The evidence is her little Pearl who was born despite Hester's husband being missing two years. The fact that her husband has been missing means a more lenient punishment. Instead of facing death she has to forever wear a large red letter A embroidered by her own hands. Her refusal to tell who the father is as well as the red letter has her shunned from society. Only when her embroidery skills are needed is she reluctantly approached by the women of the village.

The truth behind my prolonged absence and my pile up of awaiting reviews is that this was the next one and I had (have) a mental block. Nothing I say can do it justice. Quite a bit of what I want to say will result in major spoilers. As in you would know the entirety of the story before you read it. So I apologise if this review is far from my best.

What attracted me to this book is the fact that it is set during the famous witch trials although that is not what the book is about. There is some mention of them however. In fact one of the minor characters of the book believes herself to be a witch and believes that little Pearl has the same master. It turns out that an ancestor of Hawthorne himself had a role to play in the witch trials which possibly explains the setting of the book.

I loved the character of Hester Prynne. A beautiful lady of society from London who is unhappy in her marriage. That's not to say this is why she committed adultry but we get a good view of her before from flashes she has of herself in the past. Now she just wants to quietly live with as much dignity as she can muster considering her circumstances. Of course Pearl herself takes some of that dignity away at times and is a trying child. In the book it is hinted that her nature could readily turn to evil if she chose but today we can easily see that she can't help but notice her isolation along with her mothers. Any child would react to that. Despite this Hester has a lot of patience and love for Pearl. She also stands strong in her refusal to voice out who the father is. You can't help but admire her for that although you don't find out her reasons until later on. Call me selfish but I would have been shouting out his name and pointing fingers since he was too coward to stand beside her in the first place.

I really don't know what else to say about the book out of fear of spoiling it. It was one of those books which you felt tied to emotionally from page one. You couldn't help but feel Hester's stubbornness and frustrations at being so isolated. Her worries for her daughter. Plus her terror on behalf of Pearl's father. It's one of those books that will stay with you a long time.

Classics Challenge July Prompt

Ta da! An actual response to one of the classics challenge prompts. I only missed out two months mind you but it feels like longer.

So this months prompt we could choose any book that we have read for the challenge so far. The prompt is to write about a part of the book (whether it is a moment, quote or character) which will stay with you for a long time even after the details of the book itself has left. I could have chosen any of the books I have read so far. For example I would have chosen A Tale of Two Cities for its ending. Or any number for their character (Jean Brodie, Huckleberry Finn, D'Artagnan and Dora Greenfield to name but a few). However, I have decided to go with this months read. It seems only fair.

I don't do quotes and the characters aren't particularly memorable to be honest. Not even the grand old Prince of Salina. What will stay with me is the atmosphere of the book itself. The golden years of the Prince and his family is told at the height of summer and it steadily declines as change takes place through out the winter. Despite the years that pass the summer described at the start of the book never seems to return. It gives it a feeling of sadness. I can almost imagine the garden at the start of the book filled with flowers and bees. I think this is what I will remember most as it sets up the book well.

This is a challenge organised by Katherine of November's Autumn. You can see what others have chosen for the prompt here. You can also see my review of this book here.

The Leopard - Tomasi Di Lampedusa

The Prince of Salina in Sicily loves his family and his home. He is loved by both his family and his people. There he isn't just a prince but a King. His way of life is threatened though by the invasion of the red shirts. Sicily must become part of Italy. As he tries to accept it and go with the times he is aware that to do so means that what he loves very well may be lost.

Again it was my classics loving friend who recommended this one. It's set in the 1860's and was published after the death of the author. I do believe that Di Lampedusa could almost have been telling the tale of his own family.

The book is well written. It starts with the Prince during his golden age. His family may irritate him at times but he loves them and they listen to him. His people also look up to him. It then follows on with Garibaldi landing on Sicily and his way of life begins to change. It means the end for the line of the Prince of Salina. The book is able to portray this through the decline of the Prince himself. As he accepts it and doesn't fight it he watches slowly as the things he loves ebbs away. Things begin to happen that would never have happened before. Such as the marriage of his beloved nephew to a beautiful but common girl. As these two are courting and play games round the grounds and home of the Salina we also see the decline of the times. Many of these rooms are much forgotten and lost to time.

As a result of this the book has an air of sadness almost from the start. These are people of privilege residing over villages of commoners. Despite that you can't help but feel for the Prince. The change is inevitable and the Prince accepts that without a fight so there isn't that edge of action. Had there been that it would have changed the entire tone of the book. I think this is one that will stay with me for a long time.

Another Vintage cover but not my favourite this time although it does fit with the book. The symbol of the house of Salina is the Leopard. It's found throughout the book. The Prince often compares himself to the leopard even in his decline.

I read this as part of the classics challenge hosted by Katherine of November's Autumn. I've still to do the prompt for it and I will actually do it this month. No excuses this time. I quite like the sound of this months prompt so it will be a shame if I don't take part.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - Muriel Spark

Miss Jean Brodie is a teacher at an all girls school in Edinburgh. She believes in teaching her girls about art and culture and literature. The curriculum is an inconvenience to her and she tends to ignore it. Only her style of teaching will make her girls the creme de la creme. As a result she is considered a rogue element in the school and the head mistress would love nothing more than to be rid of her. Her girls however, are fiercely loyal to her even after they move on to the high school. They become known as the Brodie set, each famous for something. Miss Jean Brodie continues to have prominence in their lives as she teaches them her own personal beliefs and involves them in her personal life.

I have been putting off writing this review. Every time I have sat down to do it I have set the computer aside. Basically, I don't think that I could do this book justice. From the first page I was in love with the book. Miss Jean Brodie is seen through the eyes of one of the set years later. This girl is a rather strong character who has quite and impact on Brodie's life. Yet the strength of Jean Brodie's character still shines through.

We also learn about each of the girls as the book continues. In reality none of them are actually that special or outstanding. What really makes them special is their association with Jean Brodie as they move through school. As school nears it's end that association becomes less important to each of them. Sandy is the one girl we learn the most about as she is the one reflecting back on those years. Sandy is the most dedicated to Brodie but the one who is more aware of her flaws. I have to be honest that I'm not sure I liked Sandy but then I don't think I was really meant to.

It is wonderfully written. I have the advantage of living near Edinburgh and have been there many times. So I suppose it is easy for me to get lost in those pages and imagine myself there. However, I do think the writing has a big part to play in it. I believe that I would be able to imagine just as easily had I never visited the city. Jean Brodie comes across as one of those teachers we would all love to have so long as we are one of her chosen girls. In a short space of time the book is able to show how much she is loved by the girls for that reason to showing all her flaws. It was certainly well done.

I haven't seen the film version but after this I do want to. I love Maggie Smith and I would like to see how she portray's Jean Brodie.

I read this book mainly because as a Scot I feel I should have done so already. I always meant to but it was actually a review by Sophia of Page Plucker that got me to finally pick it up. Thank you Sophia, it was a wonderful read. I also read it for the classics challenge which is hosted by Katherine of November's Autumn.  The prompt for this one is a visual tour. As it relies on quotes (and I hate quotes) I am unsure whether I will take part in it or not.

Oh, and you will notice that for once my classic choice does not have a vintage cover. Instead it is by Penguin Essentials and I have to say I quite like it.

Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf

Clarissa Dalloway is throwing a party in her home. First though she has a day of errands to prepare. As she goes about her day she bumps into friends from her past and even old flames. This causes her to reflect on her past and wonder what would have been or whether she made the right decisions in life.

That wee blurb really doesn't do this fantastic book justice but that is essentially what happens. Except as she goes about her day the book also enters the minds of others that she comes across. It's done so fluidly that it can surprise you that you are reading someone else's thoughts and experiences. It's the 1920s and everyone is supposed to be celebrating the end of the war. It is the roaring 20's after all. The atmosphere at the start of the book does reflect that somewhat but as we delve further and further in we see that not everyone has a reason to celebrate.

Perhaps the most obvious is the thread of Septimus Smith who is traumatised after returning from the war. However, he isn't the only one. Dalloway's old flame, Peter Smith, has hit hard times himself and must rely on friends to find him work. Then there is her daughter's tutor who is angry that life hasn't given her the freedom she expected. Instead she lives in poverty and has to make do tutoring.

There is more of course which shows that the book really isn't about a lady of class holding a party to help her husband socialise with those who can help him in his career. Each of these characters had their dreams and none of them realised them in a way. Or if they did it turned out not what they expected. Dalloway's daughter is the only one who still dreams of her future and this makes her the perfect contrast.

Such a short book and yet it managed all this and managed to give everyone of these characters great depth.  I felt that I came away knowing every single one of these characters. What I loved the most was how easily the book flowed from one character to the next without having to break. Look forward to reading more books by Woolf in the future.

I read this as part of the classics month challenge hosted by Katherine of November's Autumn. I haven't done the prompt yet which is about the period of the book. I think it would be fairly interesting to discuss but not sure if I will manage it this month. See what my schedule is like when I get it tomorrow. Otherwise, I highly recommend this classic. Don't be fooled by the frivolous sound of the blurb. Oh, and yes, this is another Vintage classics cover.

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

More than anything Huck Finn just wants a quiet life. Sadly everyone is going out of his way to ensure that he doesn't get it. Going from town loser to town hero he has been adopted by a widow and her sister. Both are determined that he will become a gentleman whether he likes it or not. Huck is just getting used to the idea when his dad comes along and Huck is determined to get away from him. So he makes his way down river on a raft with runaway slave, Jim. He is in trouble enough and is just trying to keep out of but sure enough more comes along his way as he is caught up in family feuds, cons, murder and more.

It's not quite as good as Tom Sawyer. Poor Huck doesn't have the mind for mischief that Tom has. He doesn't actually want to do wrong as he has a conscience that bothers him quite a bit. He just wants to be left alone and to spend his days fishing. He is actually a very sweet character and as a reader I just wanted him to get his dream. Whether that was the best thing for him or not. Every time he seemed to settle just a little something would come along and spoil things for him.

I loved the character Jim too. I wanted him to get free and to find his family. I loved how superstitious he was. Saw bad luck in everything. The only mischievous thing about Huck was that he would play on poor Jim's superstitions. In the end though he would tell him the truth and occasionally he would be caught up in the superstitions too. One example is that Huck picking up a snake skin is given the blame for every bad thing that happens to them.

I did get a little bored with the con artists at one point. I was actually quite glad when they eventually left the scene. It's my only criticism of the book and even then it's only miner since I did find them amusing most of the time. I loved the ending too. Seemed apt that Tom would end up buddying with his best friend again.

I read this as part of the classics challenge hosted by Katherine on November Moon. I used the challenge as an excuse to read it after re-reading Tom Sawyer for another challenge. Shocking that I had read one and not the other. 

Classics Challenge - April Prompt

This months prompt is all about one of my favourite topics - the book cover. Why is it my favourite? Well it means that I get to rave about how fantastic the covers of the Vintage classics are. I mean it, I have yet to find one that I didn't like. When other publisher print special editions of books I will sometimes go for those first. Like the Penguin cloth editions (how can you not). Otherwise I always hunt out the Vintage edition. If the shop doesn't have it I check to see if it maybe doesn't exist in that edition before buying a different one.

When I first saw this edition of Huckleberry Finn I fell immediately in love with it. I was buying Tom Sawyer at the time for another challenge. I couldn't leave this behind and so used the classics challenge as an excuse to purchase it. I love the freshness of it. It screams innocence. Which is what Huckleberry is, innocent.

From the cover of the book it's easy to see that Huck just wants a quiet life. He wants to spend his days lazing and fishing. In that sense it does reflect the book very well. I also mentioned innocence. Huck is actually quite a soft hearted character whose conscience is always bothering him (unlike Tom Sawyer). So in that way it's also a true reflection. It also depicts a scene of tranquility which is far from what actually happens to Huck but it's what he wishes for.

I'm not sure I would design the cover any differently from that. I suppose one of Huck and Jim on the raft would have been a good one but I am happy with the cover of this one.

Here is something else I love about the Vintage covers. They design themes around them. So that all the books by the same author are similar. That way if you just want the books of one author they are a matching set. This is the Tom Sawyer book and you can see how they match. The boys are out fishing when really they should be in school (well, I am guessing it's from that particular scene). You can see why I couldn't pick up one and not the other. I think most of the books I have picked out for this challenge are by vintage so you can look out for those covers if you are interested.

This challenge is organised my Katherine of November's Autumn. If you want to see what everyone else is saying about the covers of their books you can do so here. 

I've finished Huckleberry Finn and will try to review the book itself tomorrow.

The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

D'Artagnan leaves his home town for Paris where he hopes to prove himself as one of the Kings famous Musketeers. He has almost nothing but an odd looking horse, a few coins and a letter of recommendation. However, along the way the letter goes missing and he clashes with a man he soon comes to think of as his genius enemy. On reaching Paris he is a little disheartened to discover he must prove himself before he can become a Musketeer. He soon makes friends in the form of Porthos, Aramis and Athos. Together they help defend the Queen from the evil plots of the Cardinal.

This small paragraph doesn't actually do justice to what this book contains. The book is long but the chapters are short and it's just one adventure after another. One reason why it took me so long to read.

Here is the main reason - d'Artagnan! He is young, impetuous, eager, easy to work up and well (again) just young. He requires a lot of energy just to read. He's like one of those puppies that are cute and fun but sometimes you just need a little time out. Which is why I was constantly reminded of this;

Does anyone remember the cartoon Dogtanian? Dogtanian was played by a puppy (or close to a puppy compared to the others) and now I can actually see how apt that was. Basically, whilst he was good fun he was also hard work.

Once I got to the half way point though things seemed to change. D'Artagnan himself seemed to grow up a little. It wasn't obvious until near the end that the events of the book actually occur over a few years (not obvious to me anyway). I don't think I can pinpoint the exact moment when that seemed to happen. Possibly during the war with France but certainly at the end of the book d'Artagnan was no longer a boy. It actually made the ending a little sad in a way. In fact I wasn't expecting to feel quite so sad when I got to the end of the book. It certainly felt like the end of an era and not just with d'Artagnan. For this reason I think I don't just see it as a tale of adventure but a coming of age story too.

I read this as part of the Classics Challenge hosted by Katherine of November Autumn. You can see my answer to this months prompt here and you can read what others have been reading for it here.

Classics Challenge - March Prompt

I am a little behind on my challenge reads just now. Mainly because the classics one took me almost a month to read. I have never taken so long to read a book. It was a good one though so despite how it sounds I don't actually begrudge the time. As a result I am also a bit late with this prompt. I just managed to complete it within the month.

This challenge was set up by Katherine of November's Autumn. This months questions are about setting. You can see what others have posted here. In case you don't know I was reading The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. I'll post a review of the book tomorrow hopefully.

I think it's safe to say that anyone who has heard of this book knows that it is set in Paris and the book describes it well (well enough for someone who has never been there). There are some obvious buildings I could choose for setting such as the famous Louvre Palace or the Bastille. However, the building that really set the book for me was the home of M. de Tréville. He is the Captain of the famed Musketeers and it is at his home that d'Artanagn met his soon to be friends. It sets the scene and feeling of the book well. The Musketeers are clearly a close group and they all spend a lot of their time hanging around the Captain's home (when they aren't getting themselves into bother). The home was described only to show how the Musketeers spent their time whilst waiting  for the Captain. One scene particularly stands out and that was three Musketeers fencing on the stairway as d'Artagnan tried to make his way past.

I got this image from a travel blog but it doesn't actually say what the building is (just that it's a typical French Mansion). I actually imagined the building to be a little longer than this and that it was surrounded by other buildings. Picture Musketeers standing around the steps and possibly even calling out from some of the windows. It was a great place for the setting as it brought d'Artagnan together with his friends. It also gave the reader an idea of what the Musketeers are like in general. It was also brought in again and again as the Musketeers regularly went to M. de Tréville for advice.


It would depend on how the setting was changed if it would have an effect on the story. Possibly if it was set in a pokey little office it would change the atmosphere of the book. It would also change the meeting of D'Artagnan, Porthos, Athos and Aramis (although Aramis is only mentioned in that first visit and d'Artagnan meets him after he leaves). In that case it would change greatly. Plus, it would take away that view of rich and luxurious Paris.

Classics Challenge - February Prompt

This month prompt is about the character and we can choose any we want from the classics book we read. I decided to go with Dora Greenfield who was one of the main characters from Iris Murdoch's "The Bell". I can't think of anyone who looks like how I envisioned her but Brittany Murphy in brunette days is as close as I can get. Dora would have more curves though. I know the book describes her as having golden brown hair and blue eyes but I just couldn't picture her like that. Actually I found her description of her hair a bit odd. Described as growing in 'flat strips'.

Anyway, the author immediately begins describing what life is like for Dora. She is young and unhappy in her marriage. Her much older husband scares her which makes her want to run away which she does in the first chapter. She also regularly goes back to him for the same reason which again she does in the first chapter. The first two sentences of the book tell you this. Murdoch describes how Dora thinks and feels and from that we get the impression she is rather flighty and probably too young to have married. She hasn't experience much of life yet and married life didn't quite meet her expectations. It's clear that her husband loves her but she feels repressed by him which encourages her to push away from him. It doesn't seem to occur to her that moving in with another man is wrong.

My opinion of Dora changed as soon as we seen her from another characters perspective. From hers I liked her. I didn't approve of how she dealt with her problems but I put that down to age and her naivety. She came across as almost an innocent. When through the eyes of others though I disliked her. She was callous of her husbands feelings and came across as a tease. Instead of being innocent she was selfish with no thought of others. That feeling would change again as soon as I was reading from Dora's view. Dora herself didn't change until the end of the book. Even then she didn't change all that much. It was just that circumstances meant she had to change. She began to take charge of her own life and become independent which was what she really wanted at the start but just didn't know it. Her character was certainly believable. She wasn't this perfect individual and neither was she a bad person. She was human and Murdoch was fantastic at showing the different sides of people. Seeing her through others eyes certainly helped with that. Would I want to know her? I'm sure she would be a lot of fun but I wouldn't expect much out of her as a friend. She's too flighty and unreliable.

This prompt was for the Classics Challenge hosted by Katherine of November's Autumn. If you want to see what other characters are being written about you can do so here. You can also see my review of The Bell here.

The Bell - Iris Murdoch

Imber is a small religious community which has sprung up around an Abbey. The community seems peaceful and spiritual but all it takes is the arrival of Dora Greenfield and the excitement of a new bell for the Abbey to realise it's not. Instead it is more like a community for lost souls. People who need to find themselves. Dora is afraid of her husband. Too scared to stay away and so she returns to him at Imber causing mayhem. Nick seems to be the most troubled and the community are conflicted as to what to do with him. Meanwhile leader Michael is the probably the biggest lost soul of them all. Too scared to face his past in case it destroys his future. Young Toby is probably the only one among them who is there for the right reasons but even he starts to doubt himself.

Have you ever come across a character that you at one minute like and pity and the next find irritating? I'm sure most people have but the difference with Dora is that I liked her when the story was told from her point of view. Then found her irritating when she was seen through the eyes of others. She really is afraid of her husband who's passions and jealousy scares her and yet she gives him every reason to be jealous. She teases him without realising she  is doing it. Yet she has an innocence about her because she has no idea of what she is doing. It doesn't occur to her that she could hurt anyone and as a result instead of coming across as malicious or a bitch (as one character suggested) she does seem a little naive. I thought that was very well done on Murdoch's part and definitely made Dora seem like a whole character. She was one of my favourites despite her irritating qualities.

The story line which was really central wasn't the bell or Dora although they did have their part to play in the end. It was really Michael. The leader of the group who is trying to deny who he is. He is trying to escape his homosexuality through his religion. Life doesn't work like that though and his trying to hide his passions and loves have a disastrous effect. Not just on him but on those around him. I liked Michael too. He was so confused about what he really wanted. I felt so sorry for him but at the same time I couldn't help but think that letting his emotions get the better of him was wrong (the two people involved may have been of consenting age but were under his care as a teacher and then as a spiritual leader). Again Murdoch did very well in this story line.

The book actually doesn't have that much dialogue. It doesn't have some but it relies quite a lot on description and the thoughts of Toby, Michael and Dora more than anything else. It means that we got to see so much more of the community and so many different aspects of it. For example through Toby it was a wonderful adventure. It was a place that he loved and he greatly admired those within the community for being a part of it. Dora saw it as quite restricting and she felt she was being judged. Michael saw it as an escape, a new start and at times a bit of a chore.

Once again my classics loving friend has steered me right with a new author (new to me). This is supposed to be one of her best but I have nothing to compare it to. All I can say is that I very much enjoyed it and look forward to reading more. As Ellie rightly said this cover is by Vintage classics. Another reason why I love them.

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights - John Steinbeck

King Uther falls in love with the beautiful Igraine who is married to one of his Dukes. Merlin has the power of insight and does everything he can to ensure that Uther and Igraine come together. From their first coupling they produce a baby boy who will one day become the greatest King and bring peace to the land. Merlin has him taken away and brought up in Wales though. When Uther dies Chaos rules the land until Arthur is of age to come forward and take on his rightful role as King of England.

I think I have been raving about this book for a while now but in case you have missed all that Steinbeck re-wrote Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. This was the first book he read and loved and it gave him a new insight into reading. Before that he hated books (thank you Steinbeck's Aunty). He wanted his sons to read and enjoy it and so wrote this version. I haven't read Malory so I honestly couldn't compare how good a job he did. I can only say that I liked it. The book was published after he died. Despite starting it in the 1930's he never did finish it and didn't edit any of what he did write. No one quite knows why he gave up on it. For me the editing part didn't really matter as I enjoyed it regardless. It just seems such a shame that he didn't finish re-writing the other tales. Instead it finishes with the first tale of Sir Lancelot.

As to the stories themselves, I loved them. Full of chivalrous knights, damsels in distress, noble quests, fellowship and of course magic here and there. The Knights are oath bound to protect all ladies and if a lady should ask a favour of the Knight he must do it or face dishonor. Poor Lancelot was irritated greatly by this as everyone always wanted his help, being the greatest Knight in the world you can see why. He even voices his irritation to one fair maiden but still does his duty. They must also accept all challenges or face dishonor. In a lot of instances the Knights joust, one wins and the other admires him for his strength and ability. The start of a very beautiful friendship. It did seem that many Knights set up pavilions all over the place just to have the chance to fight someone. Quests are a way for the Knights to prove their honor, especially if they need to clean their name or prove themselves to their King. Arthur's nephew did this to prove he wasn't as treacherous as his mother Morgan Le Fay. So much sexism in there but I couldn't help but love it.

As for King Arthur himself he proves himself in battle over and over as he tries to prevent uprisings. He relies on Merlin quite a bit in his decision making (foresight is a wonderful thing) and becomes a little bit lost when Merlin is no longer there. I liked Arthur and I would have liked more stories of him and his infamous sister. However, I enjoyed reading about the exploits of his Knights more as they battle giants and evil. Morgan Le Fay could easily become one of my favourite characters. She isn't mentioned much at the start but she quickly grows to hate Arthur and is jealous of his right to rule. Although she is happy for a man to rule she wants to be the one pulling the strings.

The only character I didn't like was the fickle Igraine. She says no to Uther and lets her husband know that he is after her and that they had better run off. Not knowing that her husband is dead she then sleeps with Uther who is disguised as her husband. When she realises her husband is dead she marries Uther and when she discovers the truth of that night she is relieved and then moves on with her life. I can't imagine anyone else being happy with Uther's antics.

I've read that although Steinbeck hadn't planned to he did flesh out the tales quite a bit. He humanised them and made the characters rounder. As I said I haven't read the original so can't compare but it seems to me to be a good thing. I enjoyed the characters and maybe I wouldn't have quite so much if Steinbeck hadn't added his magic touch. I very much enjoyed the book and I will definitely be reading more Arthurian tales in the future (Mark Twain's looks interesting).

I read this as part of the classics challenge which is hosted by Katherine of November's Autumn.
I did this months prompt so if you want to learn a wee bit more about Steinbeck you can see my post here.

Lastly a wee reminder that I am giving away a copy of one of my favourite books, The Eyre Affair, to sign up for it all you have to do is leave a comment here.

The Classics Challenge January Prompt

Every month Katherine, who is running the classics challenge, is posting a prompt. We don't have to answer them all but it is suggested that we answer at least a few of them. It turns the challenge into more of a blog hop. Makes it more fun too. This months prompt is about the author.

The book I chose for the first month is John Steinbeck's "The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights". This is probably his least well known book but I had to read it as soon as I heard that it existed.

Steinbeck was born in California in 1902. His place of birth can easily be recognised from some of his more famous books. You can see his handwriting here;

He is probably more famous for Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath and, my personal favourite, East of Eden. He attended Stanford University in 1919 and was there off and on until 1925. He had taken many courses in writing and literature but didn't actually complete a degree. He had many jobs in New York before selling his first story. One of those jobs included journalist. In 1962 he won the Nobel Prize for literature. He also won the Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath.

For me Steinbecks strength is in his characters. They are among the most memorable I have come across. He manages to make you feel such sympathy with them even when they go down the wrong path. The only character I was never able to sympathise with was that of Cathy Ames from East of Eden. She was one of the most horrible people I have ever seen in print. One of those that you love to hate and hope from page one that she gets what's coming to her. Whilst I enjoyed his shorter books it's his larger novels I love best as they draw you in from the first page and you never want them to end. Steinbeck loved to try new things and so his books cover many things such as his California books, family sagas, war, travel. He even tried his hand at film and had an interest in marine biology. I think he would have been a fascinating person to talk to.

According to the introduction, The Acts of King Arthur was written for his sons. Steinbeck says that he struggled with learning to read and feels the pain when watching others learning. He believes it's one of the more difficult things children learn to do. He resented books as a result until his aunt bought him a copy of Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Despite the archaic language he loved it and was a fan of those tales from that day on. He decided to re-write the stories for his son. He wanted them to enjoy them as much as he did.

I know little of what Steinbeck's peers thought about the book I'm afraid. I get the impression that it is thought highly of. He manages to keep the tone of the stories whilst fleshing them out. Sadly he never finished it and what he did finish was published only after his death. Whilst winning prizes is not the be all I think he must have been highly thought of to have won two highly prestigious prizes.

This challenge was set by Katherine of November Autumn. To see some of the other authors highlighted those taking part just click here.

Edit - I have since finished the book and I have posted my review here. 

Oh, and if you want the chance to win a copy of The Eyre Affair, a book which highlights many fantastic classics, just leave a comment here.

Just One More Challenge - Classics

So I have decided to take on just one more challenge. A bit of a cheat since it coincides with one of my personal challenges and that's to read one classic each month of the year. For this one I just have to read 7 and take part in the prompts. I am arriving to this quite late and haven't yet started the first book I plan on reading. So it will be a while before I respond to this months prompt. It looks to be quite an interesting way to get to know more about various books and authors and other bloggers.

The challenge was put together by Katherine of Novembers Autumn. If you are interested in signing up you can do so here.  The rules are;

Write a post on your blog with a list of the seven works you hope to read in 2012 and why you chose them-- but don't feel bound by the list. 

Please include a link back to this page in your post, so others can learn about the challenge and join us. 

Fill out the form at the bottom, linking to your post.

Check back on the 4th of each month.

One extra rule is that only 3 of the 7 can be re-reads. I have more than 7 classics in my tbr pile and have picked out the ones I want to do for this challenge. Here they are although not necessarily in order;

The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights - John Steinbeck
The Three Musketeers - Alexander Dumas
Villette  - Charlotte Bronte
Spring Snow - Yukio Mishima
The Leopard - Tomasi di Lampedusa
The Bell - Iris Murdoch
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

All books that I am very much looking forward to so it will be difficult choosing which one comes first.