I was just thinking that it had been a long time since the last Classics Club Spin and then one was announced yesterday! I feel that I’ve read very few classics so far this year (apart from classic crime), so I’m hoping that this spin will motivate me to start making some progress with my Classics Club list again.
If you’re not sure what a Classics Spin is, here’s a reminder:
The rules for Spin #21:
* List any twenty books you have left to read from your Classics Club list.
* Number them from 1 to 20.
* On Monday 23rd September the Classics Club will announce a number.
* This is the book you need to read by 31st October.
And here is my list:
1. Daniel Deronda by George Eliot
2. La Reine Margot by Alexandre Dumas
3. Castle Dor by Daphne du Maurier
4. Moonfleet by John Meade Falkner
5. Two on a Tower by Thomas Hardy
6. I Will Repay by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
7. Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym
8. Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault
9. Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem by Emilio Salgari
10. The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson
11. The Chrysalids by John Wyndham
12. The Cloister and the Hearth by Charles Reade
13. In a Dark Wood Wandering by Hella S Haasse
14. Claudius the God by Robert Graves
15. The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov
16. Germinal by Emile Zola
17. The Long Ships by Frans G Bengtsson
18. The Black Sheep by Honoré de Balzac
19. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
20. Goodbye Mr Chips by James Hilton
Which of these do you think I should be hoping for on Monday?
She Reads Novels 
Nice list! I would of course approve of the Russians… ;D
I would be happy with either of the Russians, particularly Bulgakov!
Plenty on there I wouldn’t mind – Moonfleet (haven’t read that since I was at school…so a long time ago!), Castle Dor (a du Maurier I haven’t read), Claudius the God (love Robert Graves’ novels) or Goodbye Mr. Chips (haven’t read it but remember seeing the film version with Robert Donat one Sunday afternoon and getting a bit tearful).
I would love to get any of the four you’ve mentioned!
I’m rooting for Two on a Tower or Jane and Prudence just because I really liked both of those books. 🙂
I would be happy with either of those as it’s been a while since I’ve read anything by either Hardy or Pym.
Another great list. I found Daniel Deronda a rather long read, but ultimately worth sticking with. Two on a Tower is not among my favorite Hardy novels, but still worth a read. Personally, I would probably plump for Pym, as her name has come up quite a lot recently, or Du Morier, as I have never read a book by her I disliked.
I have read most of Hardy’s better known books so am working through the more obscure ones now. I’m glad you think Two on a Tower is worth reading and Daniel Deronda too, although I’m secretly hoping for one of the shorter books on my list!
Love the Karamazov brothers, and I am intrigued about Sandokan. There was a series when I was a teen that we all loved and watched in the summer afternoons in Spain.
I don’t know much about Sandokan, but I thought it sounded fun – I’m glad you enjoyed watching the series.
I’ve only read three – The Chrysalids, The White Guard and Goodbye, Mr Chips. I loved the first two and liked the third, but I think you might love it. So I hope you get any one of those. Whatever you get, I hope it’s a goodie!
I would be happy with any of those, although I have to admit I’m particularly hoping for Goodbye Mr Chips – I think I deserve a short book this time after my last few spin results!
You’ve got some good ones on that list! Hope you get one you’re looking forward to.
Thanks. I think I would be happy with any of the books on my list, but I would prefer to avoid the really long ones this time!
That’s certainly something to be hoped for!
I just finished reading Barbara Pym’s autobiography (edited journal and letters) so I’m voting for Jane and Prudence.
I would love to get Jane and Prudence. It’s been a while since I last read anything by Pym and I do usually enjoy her books.
Oh Daniel Deronda without a doubt. I think it is a remarkable novel and far and away my favourite Eliot.
I’m glad to hear that. I would prefer one of the shorter books on my list, but if I do get Daniel Deronda I’ll still be quite happy as I’ve enjoyed everything else I’ve read by Eliot so far.
I do hope you get Germinal, my absolute favourite Zola
It’s been a few years since I last read anything by Zola, so I would love to get Germinal.
The only one I’ve read is Sandokan: The Tigers of Mompracem by Emilio Salgari – I thought it was really good fun, so I hope you get that one. 🙂
I know you’ve been enjoying the Sandokan books, Jessica, so I would really like to get that one.
I’ve read I Will Repay, Fire from Heaven, The Chrysalids and Claudius the God – long time ago all of them. If I were you I would avoid La Reine Margot – saw a film adaptation and it had a very French ending. Can’t say more without a spoiler but I hated it for that. Of the ones I’ve read, I’d hope you get The Chrysalids. It’s a must read from Wyndham, I think.
That’s a shame. I still want to read La Reine Margot as I love Dumas, but thanks for the warning. And yes, The Chrysalids would be a good result – I’ve enjoyed everything else I’ve read by Wyndham so far.
I hope you get one you really want to read. Doesn’t seem you could go too wrong with this list though The Brothers K would scare me to death!
Thank you. I would be happy to get any of the books on my list, but Dostoevsky’s books certainly aren’t easy reads! I have heard good things about The Brothers K though, so I’m looking forward to it.
Jane and Prudence would be great, I haven’t read number 13 but love the title, very good for Halloween!
Yes, Jane and Prudence would be a good result! I love the title of number 13 too, so I’m hoping the book itself lives up to it.
That’s a good list, I’ve read ten of them. The only one I will have on mine is The Black Arrow so I’ll put it at number 10 so that we can compare thoughts if that number comes up.
It will be interesting to see what we both think of number 10 if it comes up. Otherwise I don’t really mind which book I get – I’ve been looking forward to reading all of these.