Mr.Duck on 3/7/2006 at 22:44

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*Grumbles*

Dang it all...I want to participate, but will have a hard-ish time procuring myself with, possibly, most of the books selected here since Mexico's not amongst the most culture-filled countries (i.e. people read next to nothing) so bookstores aren't that beefy on the imports section (at least not in Monterrey). Then again, there's always ordering, but tat may take up reading time. Still, better than nothing. All in all, a great idea homes and igs :). Cheers!

I'm about to finish myself The Count of MonteCristo, FINALLY.*














*Fuck you Dumas and your pay-by-the-word salary...still, very descriptive environments and people.

scumble on 4/7/2006 at 07:51

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I doubt it would get many votes. Often the trouble with classics is finding something that isn't a load of romantic arse, like Scarlet and Black say. Also some people can find the language a bit heavy going (including me, with Dickens usually). Still, as the aim is to stimulate discussion it may not be such a bad thing. Vocabularies may even be expanded.

hopper on 4/7/2006 at 09:41

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Very, very bad example of not romantic overblown shite. Don't know about The Phantom of the Opera, though.

Kyloe on 4/7/2006 at 09:55

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If you take Romantic as a literary genus, then Jane Austen is not, while Frankenstein certainly is. Gothic novels are a subset of Romantic novels.

If you take Romantic as in Rosamunde Pilcher or Jackie Collins, then you're right. Although I think Jane Austen deserves a little more credit.

Fingernail on 4/7/2006 at 10:10

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I think the thing about books such as the Austen novels is that they don't quite provoke as much varied discussion; you either like them or not, because pretty much every time Austen steps in herself to tell you what she thinks of the characters and situations.

So we'd have whole threads full of "oh god isn't character X a slimey bastard" or "ffs Mrs Bennett just shut up".

They stir up very few wider issues; exceptions include the discussion of female vs male affection and constancy in Persuasion, but really, as she said herself, she only wrote about what she knew, so it doesn't have hugely wide implications.

At least, I can imagine books that give more of a "discussion" type response. Possibly Dickens would be a better bet.