Dead souls is on my bedside table I didn’t realise it was supposed to be funny! The overcoat my Gogol is devastating and I think about it weekly despite reading it many years ago
I love Gogol's Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka I read a tale Christmas Eve each december, and I adore the Gogol's turn of phrase, that's so wonderfully written. I also watched the BBC adaptation of North and South and I felt in love with it, now I'm craving to read the novel.
I think it ok to read the first paragraph...just not the last 😊. You can hear the passion you have for classical literature in your reading...I also enjoyed your reading if The 39 Steps.
I loved the first paragraph reading, and the inclusion of the Brazilian and Russian writers. Americentrism/Eurocentrism or the general dominance of native english speakers unfortunately does hold the monopoly in literature as much as it does anywhere else, and I like to think that starting at home by diversifying my reading is a good start against that. Great haul as well! This month I got Emma by Jane Austen, Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney and some poetry by Mary Ruefle.
Hi Tee, so good to read you again. Agree about the diversified reading. One of the main reasons of course, is the printing press began in Europe and so there was a greater volume of works preserved from the "Western Nations." However, there are plenty of diverse works out there that do not get recognised. I love Emma. Some people aren't as keen, but I think it is a really well developed work. As for Conversation with Friends, you'll have to share your thoughts when you have finished. I know that it has been highly acclaimed but also seems to have split opinion dramatically. Actually, that is the holy grail for an author, I think.
Look Homeward Angel is something I recently hauled. Haven’t read it. Looks interesting. There is a film about the author starring Colin Firth and Jude Law.
I do like you're reading the first paragraph. Very interesting book haul. I only read North and South and simply loved it. Actually it was my first classic I have ever read and fell in love with it. I love Elizabeth Gaskell's writing and the way she deal with the exploitation during the Industrial Revolution. Another novel I read by her was Mary Barton and I really enjoyed it. Mary Barton reminded me of North and South but it is dealt in a gentle way, if that makes sense 😊. I took note to the others classics all sound interesting. Thanks for sharing with us
Hey Charmaine, great to hear from you again. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Elizabeth Gaskell. I know quite a number of people who adore her style of writing. Now you have made me very excited to read it.😀❤
Great video! This month (so far, ha) I’ve acquired the Canterbury Classics box set of Jane Austen, which are beautiful editions, and also the rest of the Faithful & The Fallen Series by John Gwynne. I’ve read the first book, Malice, and I’m hoping to get through the other three soonish, and a Jane Austen novel of course.
Thanks Chris! The Canterbury Classics are GORGEOUS. Have you read any of the Austens already? As for John Gwynne, I've never read him, although I reckon that I'd enjoy his books as I do love a bit of historical fiction.😀
War has its issues. 😂 There’s going to be a readalong of the Dead Souls with @The Codex Cantina, I think it’s in May. Ok, I hadn’t decided which next play to read (I’m reading all of them). You convinced me to choose Richard III.
😂As regards 'War has its issues', I'm English and we excel at understatement. Thanks for the heads up about Codex Cantina, I look forwards to their coverage. Richard III is so beautifully crafted. There are so many subtleties. I hope that you enjoy it.😀❤
Please do continue reading the first paragraphs! This month I bought Our Mutual Friend and 2 books by Isaac Bashevis Singer. Loved your thoughts on Nickelby. I read that for the first time last year and found it charming and comical.
Our Mutual Friend has been staring at me from the bookshelf for too long. I have a friend that thinks it is Dickens best book. We'll have to compare notes when we've both read it. Thanks for the Bashevis Singer mention. I have just put one of his books in my shopping cart.
I read half of Dead souls and stopped. Your video has made me want to pick it up again. There is an interesting movie called ‘Namesake’ where the protagonist is named after Gogol. You might enjoy it.
I don’t know if you have ever read Cranford by Gaskell, but it has one of the best opening paragraphs that I have ever read in a classic! It is absolutely hilarious and brilliant!
"In short, whatever does become of the man, he is not in Cranford."😂😂😂 Have you seen the BBC adaptation of Cranford. One of my favourite programmes of all time.
I absolutely love Gogol's short stories but somehow couldn't get on with 'Dead Souls' - it seemed rambling and drawn out to me. Perhaps his brain was better suited to the short narrative or perhaps I misunderstood his writing.
Hello Tristan, a quick and serious question. Is To Kill A Mockingbird considered a classic? Second question, What makes a classic? How thick does the Novel have to be to be considered a classic? Jk on the last question. Have a great day bud!
Whatho Nicholas, I hope that you are well. As to your first question, I think that the majority would accept Mockingbird as a Classic work. As to the second question, 'What makes a Classic?' that's a tricky question without a definitive answer. The difficulty lies in the subjective nature of the criteria for calling a book a classic. How long does it need to be in print before it is called a classic? Style is another issue. Who gets to define what is good or bad style? Most would agree that a classic has an enduring message beyond its time of writing. Can a book be a classic simply because of being the first of its kind? Trying to define a Classic work of literature is akin to answering the question, 'What is Art?' It defies a tidy explanation and yet, one often recognizes a classic when one reads it. There appears to be something intrinsically immaterial about the riddle. For a long while I have been wondering whether to do a video on this question. It has long been a topic of fascination for me. As to your last question. A classic can be any size, but a truly great classic must, at the very least, be large enough to serve as a footstool or half a coffee table.😂👍
Hello, I know that this may be weird but I want to ask you did you read The Fortress and/or Death and The Dervish by Mesa Selimovic. If you have not a huge recommendation.
No, I want ideas for what to get next. Also it would spoil it for us. I want to open the book for the first time and read that first paragraph for myself .
Love the first paragraph idea. Lee it going!
Dead souls is on my bedside table I didn’t realise it was supposed to be funny! The overcoat my Gogol is devastating and I think about it weekly despite reading it many years ago
I do like you're reading the first paragraph of each book. A cool idea!
Thanks for the feedback Suzanne.
Oh yes! I can’t wait until check out Dead Souls next month! His short stories are superb!!
Awesome! I know that you guys are covering it next month. Can't wait to see your coverage.
I love Gogol's Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka I read a tale Christmas Eve each december, and I adore the Gogol's turn of phrase, that's so wonderfully written.
I also watched the BBC adaptation of North and South and I felt in love with it, now I'm craving to read the novel.
I think it ok to read the first paragraph...just not the last 😊. You can hear the passion you have for classical literature in your reading...I also enjoyed your reading if The 39 Steps.
God I love your channel, what an amazing quality content. Greetings from Belgium!
Wow, thank you! Naomi that is so kind of you and I really appreciate it. It makes the effort worth it. I hope that you have an amazing year.😀
I loved the first paragraph reading, and the inclusion of the Brazilian and Russian writers. Americentrism/Eurocentrism or the general dominance of native english speakers unfortunately does hold the monopoly in literature as much as it does anywhere else, and I like to think that starting at home by diversifying my reading is a good start against that.
Great haul as well! This month I got Emma by Jane Austen, Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney and some poetry by Mary Ruefle.
Hi Tee, so good to read you again. Agree about the diversified reading. One of the main reasons of course, is the printing press began in Europe and so there was a greater volume of works preserved from the "Western Nations." However, there are plenty of diverse works out there that do not get recognised.
I love Emma. Some people aren't as keen, but I think it is a really well developed work.
As for Conversation with Friends, you'll have to share your thoughts when you have finished. I know that it has been highly acclaimed but also seems to have split opinion dramatically. Actually, that is the holy grail for an author, I think.
Look Homeward Angel is something I recently hauled. Haven’t read it. Looks interesting. There is a film about the author starring Colin Firth and Jude Law.
Thanks for the recommendation, I like both actors a lot so i'll check it out.
I do like you're reading the first paragraph. Very interesting book haul. I only read North and South and simply loved it. Actually it was my first classic I have ever read and fell in love with it. I love Elizabeth Gaskell's writing and the way she deal with the exploitation during the Industrial Revolution. Another novel I read by her was Mary Barton and I really enjoyed it. Mary Barton reminded me of North and South but it is dealt in a gentle way, if that makes sense 😊.
I took note to the others classics all sound interesting.
Thanks for sharing with us
Hey Charmaine, great to hear from you again. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Elizabeth Gaskell. I know quite a number of people who adore her style of writing. Now you have made me very excited to read it.😀❤
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Thanks Tristan 😊. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about North and South 😊 hope you enjoy it
Great video! This month (so far, ha) I’ve acquired the Canterbury Classics box set of Jane Austen, which are beautiful editions, and also the rest of the Faithful & The Fallen Series by John Gwynne. I’ve read the first book, Malice, and I’m hoping to get through the other three soonish, and a Jane Austen novel of course.
Thanks Chris! The Canterbury Classics are GORGEOUS. Have you read any of the Austens already? As for John Gwynne, I've never read him, although I reckon that I'd enjoy his books as I do love a bit of historical fiction.😀
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 I am new to Austen. I think you mentioned, in a previous video, that P&P was a good place to start.
War has its issues. 😂
There’s going to be a readalong of the Dead Souls with @The Codex Cantina, I think it’s in May.
Ok, I hadn’t decided which next play to read (I’m reading all of them). You convinced me to choose Richard III.
😂As regards 'War has its issues', I'm English and we excel at understatement.
Thanks for the heads up about Codex Cantina, I look forwards to their coverage.
Richard III is so beautifully crafted. There are so many subtleties. I hope that you enjoy it.😀❤
Love your channel! Thank you!
Please do continue reading the first paragraphs!
This month I bought Our Mutual Friend and 2 books by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
Loved your thoughts on Nickelby. I read that for the first time last year and found it charming and comical.
Our Mutual Friend has been staring at me from the bookshelf for too long. I have a friend that thinks it is Dickens best book. We'll have to compare notes when we've both read it.
Thanks for the Bashevis Singer mention. I have just put one of his books in my shopping cart.
I read half of Dead souls and stopped. Your video has made me want to pick it up again. There is an interesting movie called ‘Namesake’ where the protagonist is named after Gogol. You might enjoy it.
Hi Indrajit, thanks for commenting. I'm pleased that you enjoyed the video. And thanks for the movie recommendation. I'll see if I can find it.
Nicholas Nickleby was also the first (and so far the only) Dickens novel I read (and I am halfway through it, as I have a version in two volumes)
I don’t know if you have ever read Cranford by Gaskell, but it has one of the best opening paragraphs that I have ever read in a classic! It is absolutely hilarious and brilliant!
"In short, whatever does become of the man, he is not in Cranford."😂😂😂
Have you seen the BBC adaptation of Cranford. One of my favourite programmes of all time.
I’ve read the short story The Nose by Gogol and quite enjoyed it. Very humorous. I also recently bought Dead Souls because I liked The Nose so much.
That's great to know. I think that I'm going to read it next month. My current reading for the month has got a bit congested.
I absolutely love Gogol's short stories but somehow couldn't get on with 'Dead Souls' - it seemed rambling and drawn out to me. Perhaps his brain was better suited to the short narrative or perhaps I misunderstood his writing.
Hello Tristan, a quick and serious question. Is To Kill A Mockingbird considered a classic? Second question, What makes a classic? How thick does the Novel have to be to be considered a classic? Jk on the last question. Have a great day bud!
Whatho Nicholas, I hope that you are well. As to your first question, I think that the majority would accept Mockingbird as a Classic work. As to the second question, 'What makes a Classic?' that's a tricky question without a definitive answer. The difficulty lies in the subjective nature of the criteria for calling a book a classic.
How long does it need to be in print before it is called a classic?
Style is another issue. Who gets to define what is good or bad style?
Most would agree that a classic has an enduring message beyond its time of writing.
Can a book be a classic simply because of being the first of its kind?
Trying to define a Classic work of literature is akin to answering the question, 'What is Art?' It defies a tidy explanation and yet, one often recognizes a classic when one reads it. There appears to be something intrinsically immaterial about the riddle.
For a long while I have been wondering whether to do a video on this question. It has long been a topic of fascination for me.
As to your last question. A classic can be any size, but a truly great classic must, at the very least, be large enough to serve as a footstool or half a coffee table.😂👍
Hello, I know that this may be weird but I want to ask you did you read The Fortress and/or Death and The Dervish by Mesa Selimovic. If you have not a huge recommendation.
I have not read anything by Mesa Salimovic, but I have now added one of his books to my shopping cart. Thanks so much for the recommendation.
I have not read anything by Mesa Salimovic, but I have now added one of his books to my shopping cart. Thanks so much for the recommendation.
No, I want ideas for what to get next. Also it would spoil it for us. I want to open the book for the first time and read that first paragraph for myself .
Thanks for the feedback Rachel, you make a very good point.👍