I read Lolita for a book club several years ago and we had the most amazing discussion. I think it lasted for over 3 hours (and it was all about the book!)
About war literature I always recommend Storm of Steel (Ernst Junger), All Quiet in the Western Front Erich Maria Remarque) ,both set in the I World War , For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway ( set in the Spanish Civil War) and The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, about a young conscript fighting in the US Civil War.
I love Paradise Lost! You don’t really need any background before going in, but you could read the first couple of chapters of Genesis in the Bible if you wanted. Happy reading!
It took me 3 months to get through The Magic Mountain but I was determined. Mann is a wonderful writer and there are humorous parts and amusing characters. If it intimidates you, you could start with Buddenbrooks which is a family saga, easier reading. War and Peace intimidates me too, I've heard there are too many characters to keep track of. The Karamazov Brothers is also an intimidating prospect. I read Crime and Punishment for high school and really liked it. I agree about Lolita, people should read it for the language alone if necessary, which is exquisite. I've had "Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter" by de Beauvoir on my shelf forever, one of these days I'll read it. Same goes for "Letters Written during a Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark" by Mary Wollstonecraft.
I'm very glad to hear The Magic Mountain was worthwhile! I especially love an author with a comic touch, so thank you for sharing. I'm also intrigued by Doctor Faustus, that one sounds excellent. Sounds like you've got some great books waiting for you. Hope you enjoy de Beauvoir and Wollstonecraft!
You are charming! It’s hard to believe that English isn’t your first language. I have the Jane Austen book Letters to Cassandra, too. I’ll have to dig it out and go through it again. My memory is that it was a little light on content.
Thank you! Jane Austen's sister notoriously burned any letters that contained anything that might be considered scandalous. Such a shame for all of us who are nosy!
I have never seen that edition of War and Peace - who is the translator? I recently finished all ten books in Stephen R Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series - I am in no mood for that Joe Abercrombie or any other giant epic fantasy series!! Medieval Bodies looks very interesting! Don’t be mad at your two translations of Marcus Aurelius - comparing different translations is sometimes very interesting! Bill Bryson’s Short History of Everything is what I call a ‘Bathroom Book’ - you can just pick it up, open to a random page, and read an interesting page or two while you take your comfort break. I really like that idea of illustrating letters of Victorian authors like that! For some reason, lots of letters compilations come in that shape - I recently purchased a book of soldiers’ letters from the Spanish American War - exact same shape as your book!! I have never read Foucault’s Pendulum, but I am currently reading the same author’s Baudolino and I am just loving it - yeah a bit of a knowledge of medival Christian legends and history would help with this novel, but fortunately that is right up my alley! Of all the books you showed off, I have only read Brothers Karamazov - I found it to be OK but just OK. Get ready to log all the names and characters to keep track of everybody. I recently read that same author’s The Devils and absolutely loved it. Thank you for the very interesting book discussion video.
My War & Peace is the Anthony Briggs translation from 2005 (the book itself is a 2006 publication). Fair enough on the long fantasy series! I try not to get in the middle of too many at once, they do feel like a big commitment. Oh how interesting that you have a book of letters in the same shape! I have some other letter collections but they all seem to be, you know, normally shaped. I wonder whether it might have been a little fad for a while. Glad to hear you really enjoy Eco! I've heard so many excellent things about him, so I'm really looking forward to diving in. I'm also really interested in his Name of the Rose - I really thought I had a copy of it, but apparently not. Thank you for your lovely comment!
Highly recommend the revised Maude translation from Oxford world classics ! The war bits that got more extended were a bit of a slog for me - but overall still an amazing epic that needs to be read ! Accompanied with the thandie Newton version for audiobook really made the experience great !
Oh man the translator thing would bug the hell out of me too. I hate when they make it difficult to identify the translator. It's so annoying when the audiobook translator and hard copy's translator are different. It's not just you, I pause books all the time, I even have a shelf on Goodreads called "hiatus"
It's so frustrating! At least let me know what translation it is, so I can find one that matches. That's really smart regarding the Goodreads shelf, I only have one labelled 'unfinished', but that includes both permanent DNFs and books on hiatus. Glad I'm not the only one though, haha
Just discovered your channel and I'm really enjoying your videos! Always exciting to come across discussions on classic literature.
I'm so glad you're enjoying them!
I read Lolita for a book club several years ago and we had the most amazing discussion. I think it lasted for over 3 hours (and it was all about the book!)
Reading it with a book club sounds perfect! It's a book that really lends itself to wildly different interpretations
Recently discovered your channel and I'm so so happy. Your videos are so soothing and informative🤎🤎🤎
Thank you so much! I'm really glad you're enjoying them ☺️
About war literature I always recommend Storm of Steel (Ernst Junger), All Quiet in the Western Front Erich Maria Remarque) ,both set in the I World War , For Whom the Bell Tolls by Hemingway ( set in the Spanish Civil War) and The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, about a young conscript fighting in the US Civil War.
Oh, I forgot! If you like the Napoleonic period you have Story of a Conscript of 1813 by Erckmann- Chatrian.
I love Paradise Lost! You don’t really need any background before going in, but you could read the first couple of chapters of Genesis in the Bible if you wanted. Happy reading!
Thank you! I might refresh myself on Genesis, it's been a very long time since I last read it
It took me 3 months to get through The Magic Mountain but I was determined. Mann is a wonderful writer and there are humorous parts and amusing characters. If it intimidates you, you could start with Buddenbrooks which is a family saga, easier reading. War and Peace intimidates me too, I've heard there are too many characters to keep track of. The Karamazov Brothers is also an intimidating prospect. I read Crime and Punishment for high school and really liked it.
I agree about Lolita, people should read it for the language alone if necessary, which is exquisite. I've had "Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter" by de Beauvoir on my shelf forever, one of these days I'll read it. Same goes for "Letters Written during a Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark" by Mary Wollstonecraft.
I'm very glad to hear The Magic Mountain was worthwhile! I especially love an author with a comic touch, so thank you for sharing. I'm also intrigued by Doctor Faustus, that one sounds excellent.
Sounds like you've got some great books waiting for you. Hope you enjoy de Beauvoir and Wollstonecraft!
You are charming! It’s hard to believe that English isn’t your first language. I have the Jane Austen book Letters to Cassandra, too. I’ll have to dig it out and go through it again. My memory is that it was a little light on content.
Thank you! Jane Austen's sister notoriously burned any letters that contained anything that might be considered scandalous. Such a shame for all of us who are nosy!
I have never seen that edition of War and Peace - who is the translator?
I recently finished all ten books in Stephen R Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series - I am in no mood for that Joe Abercrombie or any other giant epic fantasy series!!
Medieval Bodies looks very interesting!
Don’t be mad at your two translations of Marcus Aurelius - comparing different translations is sometimes very interesting!
Bill Bryson’s Short History of Everything is what I call a ‘Bathroom Book’ - you can just pick it up, open to a random page, and read an interesting page or two while you take your comfort break.
I really like that idea of illustrating letters of Victorian authors like that! For some reason, lots of letters compilations come in that shape - I recently purchased a book of soldiers’ letters from the Spanish American War - exact same shape as your book!!
I have never read Foucault’s Pendulum, but I am currently reading the same author’s Baudolino and I am just loving it - yeah a bit of a knowledge of medival Christian legends and history would help with this novel, but fortunately that is right up my alley!
Of all the books you showed off, I have only read Brothers Karamazov - I found it to be OK but just OK. Get ready to log all the names and characters to keep track of everybody. I recently read that same author’s The Devils and absolutely loved it.
Thank you for the very interesting book discussion video.
My War & Peace is the Anthony Briggs translation from 2005 (the book itself is a 2006 publication).
Fair enough on the long fantasy series! I try not to get in the middle of too many at once, they do feel like a big commitment.
Oh how interesting that you have a book of letters in the same shape! I have some other letter collections but they all seem to be, you know, normally shaped. I wonder whether it might have been a little fad for a while.
Glad to hear you really enjoy Eco! I've heard so many excellent things about him, so I'm really looking forward to diving in. I'm also really interested in his Name of the Rose - I really thought I had a copy of it, but apparently not.
Thank you for your lovely comment!
Highly recommend the revised Maude translation from Oxford world classics ! The war bits that got more extended were a bit of a slog for me - but overall still an amazing epic that needs to be read ! Accompanied with the thandie Newton version for audiobook really made the experience great !
❤📖📚🔖
Oh man the translator thing would bug the hell out of me too. I hate when they make it difficult to identify the translator. It's so annoying when the audiobook translator and hard copy's translator are different. It's not just you, I pause books all the time, I even have a shelf on Goodreads called "hiatus"
It's so frustrating! At least let me know what translation it is, so I can find one that matches. That's really smart regarding the Goodreads shelf, I only have one labelled 'unfinished', but that includes both permanent DNFs and books on hiatus. Glad I'm not the only one though, haha
😉
Newer is not necessarily better.
Agreed!