Category: Classics (Page 1 of 2)

I was lucky to have a set of grandparents living in my college town, and I would often go over there for a night or more to study, relax, or just get away from my busy college scene. This was waaaaay before any of the electronic distractions we have now, and I remember reading one book from their collection multiple times while lounging on their living room couch:

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

When the movie came out last year (and was nominated for best picture!) I was reminded how that book absorbed me decades ago. I didn’t remember the specific details so much as the feeling of the book, which is written from a German’s perspective during WWI, that this war was horrible for all. I also remember the book being a quick read, possible in a weekend.

Before our recent trip to St. Augustine, Florida, America’s oldest city, I searched for historical fiction set there. One of my favorite books of all time kept coming up:

The Age Of Innocence by Edith Wharton

It has been several years since I first read this (in my early 20s?) so I was happy to have an excuse for a re-read.

I forgot my hard copy but was able to download on Libby, which is tied to my local library. If you aren’t using this app, check it out!

This post contains spoilers. If you haven’t read this book, please do and come back to my post later!

My thesis advisor told me that even professors of literature have at least one book they are embarrassed to admit they have never read (she wouldn’t even tell me hers!!) so I am not too embarrassed to admit: This is the first time I have read Jane Eyre. (This is of course not the only classic I have not read, but I’m not going to admit to the others right now!!)

Intrigued by the recently released Mr. Rochester, which I put on my summer reading list,  I knew I finally needed to read Jane Eyre first.

Because this is a book many of you have already read, my forthcoming discussion will contain spoilers. I hope you will join me in discussion about Jane Eyre & Mr. Rochester.

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In High School English class a couple of shorter books were very popular for book reports. I remember hearing SOOOO MANY oral book reports on The Old Man and The Sea and The Call of the Wild.

I heard about these books sooo many times, I never needed to read them myself at the time, and I didn’t until years later.

But when Call of the Wild was recently featured as a “literary cameo” in a show I was hooked on, I decided to read this book for myself, finally.

RELATED POST: Literary Cameos in The Night Of

And I now have to admit that these classmates who were being efficient were still getting quality reading in fewer pages than I might have been!