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Edith Wharton - not a cheerful person, that's for sure. Speaking of depressing authors, the Russian greats are great, but boy can they put an end to your good mood fast.
I'd say Jane Eyre and then Wuthering Heights for language accessibility -
P&P is one of my favorites though. I love Austen. They translate so beautifully to film/audio books that I must admit I prefer to get my Jane fix that way.
I tried to read The Woman in White and I got bored. I'll try again sometime.
I do like Louisa May Alcott, but she is so heavily moralistic in tone that I don't know I'd put her too high on the readability index based on what you've said so far, Dawn.
I definitely agree that usually the books are better than the movie, but with some of these classics, there are movies and miniseries that are just wonderful. Pride and Prejudice and Middlemarch were done back in the 90s as joint ventures with BBC and A&E. There are several versions of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights that are very good. And sometimes, it helps that you already know the story a bit when you try to tackle the book.
Totally agree!
Dawn, you might want to relax your rule a little when it comes to these classics. It's not either/or with the movie and the book, but they sort of complement each other and add to your experience and understanding.
The BBC Pride & Prejudice miniseries with Colin Firth--I can watch that at least 2-3 times a year! I just saw the newest movie version of Jane Eyre, and after seeing the old black & white version and reading the book, I still enjoyed the new movie, and even appreciated the memory of the older movie and the book even more.
I'd start with Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility. Although the times are different, the human behavior is the same, which I think makes it fun. Also, the stories move fairly rapidly.
Having said that, I also really like The Count of Monte Cristo, but it's very long. And one of my favorite books ever was The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but it's very dense. There was a whole chapter on French cathedral architecture that I pretty much skipped, but the story resonates today just as much as I imagine it did when it was written. But I probably wouldn't start with that one.
As someone else said, on your Kindle with the built-in dictionary it's easy to keep up with what's going on. I read Jane Eyre on my husband's Kindle recently and was surprised that all of the old words were in there.
Having said that, I also really like The Count of Monte Cristo, but it's very long. And one of my favorite books ever was The Hunchback of Notre Dame, but it's very dense. There was a whole chapter on French cathedral architecture that I pretty much skipped, but the story resonates today just as much as I imagine it did when it was written. But I probably wouldn't start with that one.
I really enjoyed both of these. I also really liked Vanity Fair, but it's kind of a brick.
Aaaand, I just discovered that I have another classic -- in my night table drawer, not on my Kindle.
House of Mirth (Edith Wharton)
Quote:
Originally Posted by toosie
With House of Mirth I'd still follow my closest to farthest from home formula...Probably still start with Little Women but House of Mirth would bump down The Scarlet Letter for me.
I love Edith Wharton, and House of Mirth is one of my all time favorites. The character Lily Bart is unforgettable and a really tragic heroine.
If you want to call it a classic "Gone With With Wind" is one of the most readable books - hard to put down.
"Moby Dick" is a great book ... one I highly recommend.
I would say that Little Women is definitely the easiest on the list, but not necessarily the most enjoyable.
PandP is a great read and if you make it through, I would suggest carrying on with a few of Austen's others such as Sense and Sensibility. Once you are in the groove of the writing style and language, they all become much more digestible.
Another suggestion is to channel your inner high school student and get Spark Notes or Cliff Notes to accompany (not replace as I remind my daughter!!!) your reading.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TracySam
Wilkie Collins stories also don't drag on or get boring. He orginally wrote all his novels in serial form, so people would get to read a chapter each week in one of Charles Dickens' magazines. So the stories move along pretty quickly, as he had to keep people interested week after week after week.
He was also quite a whack-job (that's an old victorian term ). He was a heavy-duty drug addict but immensely intelligent and talented (think Robert Downey Jr.) who had two separate families with women he lived with but didn't marry.
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Originally Posted by Debsi
I do like Louisa May Alcott, but she is so heavily moralistic in tonethat I don't know I'd put her too high on the readability index based on what you've said so far, Dawn.
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Thanks, everyone. You've given me some food for thought here, in terms of where to start and also about the film as a complement, rather than a replacement.
In the meantime, I'm going to also download Sense and Sensibility. Might as well add to the growing list...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Clark Park
I love Edith Wharton, and House of Mirth is one of my all time favorites. The character Lily Bart is unforgettable and a really tragic heroine.
If you want to call it a classic "Gone With With Wind" is one of the most readable books - hard to put down.
"Moby Dick" is a great book ... one I highly recommend.
I read Gone With the Wind many moons ago. I enjoyed it a lot, if I recall.
As for House of Mirth, I've always wanted to read it and then, recently, it was mentioned in one of the (new) books that I was reading -- I don't remember which -- and my desire to read it was re-awakened.
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). He was a heavy-duty drug addict but immensely intelligent and talented (think Robert Downey Jr.) who had two separate families with women he lived with but didn't marry.
