The Women’s Classic Literature Event

October 14, 2015October 14, 201520 Comments

The Classics Club have announced an exciting new reading event: The Women’s Classic Literature Event! Between now and December 2016 we will be reading and writing about classic works by female authors. There are no other rules and there’s no upper or lower limit to the number of books we need to read – as long as a book is written by a woman and (preferably) published before 1960, it counts towards this event. By ‘book’ I don’t just mean novels, because letters, poetry, plays, essays, journals, short stories and biographies all count too.

I will definitely be participating, but I’m not sure how I want to approach this event. I still have a lot of classics by women left to read on my Classics Club list, which I’m listing below:

Shirley by Charlotte Brontë
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (re-read)
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (re-read)
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (re-read)
Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier
Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier
The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
The Heir of Redclyffe by Charlotte M. Yonge

I’ll take this list as a starting point and read some of these books for the event, but I would like to do more than that. I would like to also read books by women who are not on my list, by women who are new to me, by women I’ve never thought about reading before – and maybe some children’s classics by women too.

The Classics Club have also posted an introductory survey. Here are my answers to the questions:

1. Introduce yourself. Tell us what you are most looking forward to in this event.
I’m Helen and I joined the Classics Club in 2012. I’m looking forward to discovering some new female authors through this event and I’m also hoping it will encourage me to pick up some of the books on my existing list that I’ve been putting off reading.

2. Have you read many classics by women? Why or why not?
Yes, I’ve read quite a lot of classics by women (including some of my absolute favourite classics) – but probably not as many as I’ve read by men.

3. Pick a classic female writer you can’t wait to read for the event, & list her date of birth, her place of birth, and the title of one of her most famous works.
I’m looking forward to finally reading Charlotte M. Yonge. I’ve been meaning to read The Heir of Redclyffe for such a long time, but for some reason have never got round to doing it. Yonge was born in Otterbourne, Hampshire, England on August 11, 1823. As well as the title I’ve already mentioned, her other works include The Daisy Chain and The Clever Woman of the Family.

4. Think of a female character who was represented in classic literature by a male writer. Does she seem to be a whole or complete woman? Why or why not? Tell us about her. (Without spoilers, please!)
I’ve chosen a character from a classic I read earlier this year and who I certainly didn’t consider to be a whole or complete woman: Dora Spenlow from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. I often find Dickens’ female characters irritating (although there are a few exceptions) and Dora is probably the worst – a woman who is happy to describe herself as ‘a silly little thing’.

5. Favorite classic heroine? (Why? Who wrote her?)
I can think of lots of great heroines in classic literature, but one of my favourites is the wonderful Marian Halcombe from The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I know Collins has been criticised for making Marian unattractive and unfeminine while the beautiful but much less interesting Laura Fairlie is the romantic interest of the novel, but I still think it’s great to see a male Victorian author create such a strong, intelligent, courageous heroine.

6. We’d love to help clubbers find great titles by classic female authors. Can you recommend any sources for building a list? (Just skip this question if you don’t have any at this point.)
This list of Virago Modern Classics should be a good place to start (be careful as there are a few male authors on there too).
http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/User:Christiguc

7. Recommend three books by classic female writers to get people started in this event. (Again, skip over this if you prefer not to answer.)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

8. Will you be joining us for this event immediately, or will you wait until the new year starts?
I’ll be joining immediately. I’m sure I’ll be reading some classics by women during the remainder of this year and I would like those to count.

9. Do you plan to read as inspiration pulls, or will you make out a preset list?
Apart from reading some of the remaining books on my current Classics Club list, I’m not planning to make any other preset lists. I never stick to them anyway, so I’m just going to read whatever I feel like reading.

10. Are you pulling to any particular genres? (Letters, journals, biographies, short stories, novels, poems, essays, etc?)
I expect that I’ll be reading mostly novels (there’s a reason why I didn’t call my blog She Reads Letters or She Reads Journals) but I would like to be adventurous and read some other formats as well, particularly short stories and poetry.

11. Are you pulling to a particular era or location in literature by women?
No, not really. I’ve already read a lot of classics from the Victorian era, though, so I’m going to try to read more books from the twentieth century for this event.

12. Do you hope to host an event or readalong for the group? No worries if you don’t have details. We’re just curious!
I don’t think so, but I haven’t ruled it out.

13. Is there an author or title you’d love to read with a group or a buddy for this event? Sharing may inspire someone to offer.
Nothing in particular, but I’ll look out for any group reads that interest me.

14. Share a quote you love by a classic female author — even if you haven’t read the book yet.
“And certainly, the mistakes that we male and female mortals make when we have our own way might fairly raise some wonder that we are so fond of it.” – George Eliot, Middlemarch

Will you be taking part in the Women’s Classic Literature Event?

Upcoming reading events

October 4, 201521 Comments

Beginning today, Aarti of BookLust is hosting A More Diverse Universe, her annual reading event designed to encourage people to read more diversely. There’s still plenty of time to join in – the sign-up post is here and you’ll find lots of suggestions and recommendations on Aarti’s blog.

I’m currently reading A God in Every Stone by Kamila Shamsie, which I chose because it was also on the shortlist for the Walter Scott Prize this year (I am slowly working my way through all of the shortlisted titles since the prize began). Two other books I’ve been considering reading are Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh and The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende. I haven’t read anything by Allende before but received a review copy of The Japanese Lover through NetGalley and am looking forward to trying it. Flood of Fire is the third book in Ghosh’s Ibis Trilogy and I enjoyed the previous two when I read them earlier this year.

The 1924 Club is being hosted by Karen of Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings and Simon of Stuck in a Book and the idea is for everyone to read and review books originally published in 1924. I was sure I must have something on my shelves from that year, so I had a look and found two books: Precious Bane by Mary Webb and Beau Geste by P.C. Wren. I’m going to try to read both of those for the club – I think I’ll probably enjoy Beau Geste and I’m curious about Precious Bane, having seen very mixed opinions of it!

Simon and Karen (and others) have provided plenty of other suggestions: it seems that a lot of great books were published in 1924 and I’ll look forward to seeing what everyone chooses to read.

From October 31 to November 6, Lory of The Emerald City Book Review will be celebrating Witch Week. Her theme this year is New Tales from Old, which involves reading fiction based on fairy tales, folklore, myths and legends – not necessarily including witches! I’m thinking of reading The Last Enchantment, the third of Mary Stewart’s Arthurian novels. Lory will also be hosting a readalong of The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter, though I won’t be taking part as I’ve already read it.

November is also German Literature Month at Beauty is a Sleeping Cat and Lizzy’s Literary Life. This event is now in its fifth year but it will be the first time I’ve participated. I haven’t decided what to read yet, but I do have two Hans Fallada books on my TBR (Wolf Among Wolves and Once a Jailbird) as well as Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. There will also be some themed weeks and readalongs throughout the month of November.

Will you be taking part in any of these events? Do you know what you’ll be reading?

It’s time for R.I.P. X

August 31, 201510 Comments

Banner by Abigail Larson

R.I.P. (R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril) is one of my favourite reading events. I have taken part in it every year since 2010, with varying levels of success, and it’s now something I automatically associate with the beginning of September and the shortening of the days. The challenge has previously been hosted by Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings but this year (the 10th anniversary) it is being hosted by someone else: Andi and Heather of The Estella Society.

As usual, the idea of R.I.P. is that during the months of September and October we will be reading books that fit one or more of the following categories:

Mystery
Suspense
Thriller
Dark Fantasy
Gothic
Horror
Supernatural

There are different levels of participation to choose from, but I am signing up for this one:

Peril the First: Read four books, any length, that you feel fit (the very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature. It could be King or Conan Doyle, Penny or Poe, Chandler or Collins, Lovecraft or Leroux…or anyone in between.

Part of the fun of R.I.P. is making a list of books you could read. I don’t expect to read all of these – and I usually find that once I’ve made a list I end up wanting to read something else entirely – but here are a few possibilities.

From my Classics Club list:
The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe

For my TBR Project:
The Bones of Avalon by Phil Rickman

Next in a series:
The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters
Sovereign by CJ Sansom
The Lady of Sorrows by Anne Zouroudi
The Dead in their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley

First in a series:
What Angels Fear by CS Harris
The Queen’s Man by Sharon Penman

Books left over from previous R.I.P. lists:
Blood Harvest by Sharon Bolton
Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor
Ten Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler
Savage Magic by Lloyd Shepherd

Are you taking part in R.I.P. this year? What will you be reading?

R.I.P. IX is here!

August 30, 2014August 30, 201420 Comments

It’s the first day of September on Monday and that can only mean one thing…the start of R.I.P. (R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril), my favourite reading challenge! R.I.P. is now in its ninth year and is again hosted by Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings.

If you need a reminder, the idea of R.I.P. is to read books that fit one or more of the following categories during the months of September and October:

Mystery
Suspense
Thriller
Dark Fantasy
Gothic
Horror
Supernatural

As usual, there are different levels of participation to choose from – and I have chosen this one:

“Peril the First:

Read four books, any length, that you feel fit (the very broad definitions) of R.I.P. literature. It could be King or Conan Doyle, Penny or Poe, Chandler or Collins, Lovecraft or Leroux…or anyone in between.”

I’m hoping to read some of the books below. I know I won’t have time to read all of these, but part of the fun of R.I.P. is compiling a list of possibilities! I find it difficult to stick to lists, though, so I might change my mind and decide to read something entirely different.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (The Estella Society are hosting a R.I.P. readalong)
The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters
The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe
Savage Magic by Lloyd Shepherd
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Dark Fire by C.J. Sansom
The House by the Churchyard by Sheridan Le Fanu
Vlad: The Last Confession by C.C. Humphreys
What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris
Blood Harvest by Sharon Bolton
Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor
The Dead in their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley

Will you be taking part in R.I.P. this year?

It’s time for R.I.P. VIII

August 27, 2013August 27, 201324 Comments

September is rapidly approaching, the nights are starting to get darker again, and that means it’s time for R.I.P. (R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril), the annual reading event hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings.

For those of you who are new to R.I.P. the idea is to read books that could fit one of the following categories:

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

As always, there are different levels of participation to choose from and I am signing up for Peril the First, which means reading at least four books between now and the end of October.

I’ve listed below some of the books I’m thinking about reading for R.I.P. this year. I don’t expect to read all of them, of course, but I like to have lots of books to choose from!

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe
These first three books are all taken from my Classics Club list so I’m hoping to read at least one of them.

Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley – I loved the first four Flavia de Luce books and can’t wait to read this one.

What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris – These books have been recommended to me a few times and I’ve finally managed to get a copy of the first one in the series.

Blood Harvest by S.J. Bolton – The only Bolton novel I still haven’t read.

Ten Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler – It’s been too long since I last read a Bryant & May book and this is the next in the series.

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill – This was on my R.I.P list last year but I didn’t have time for it so will try again this year.

Dragonwyck by Anya Seton – Another one I was hoping to read last year and never got round to.

The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters – Hearing about Elizabeth Peters’ death a few weeks ago reminded me that I really want to continue the Amelia Peabody series!

A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King – I’ve also been meaning to continue this series since reading The Beekeeper’s Apprentice more than a year ago.

The Asylum by John Harwood – I loved both of John Harwood’s two previous books so I’m looking forward to this one.

Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield – I requested this book from Netgalley and can’t wait to start reading it. I’m sure it will be a perfect R.I.P. book!

I’m also planning to take part in the Mary Stewart Reading Week so will be reading one of Mary Stewart’s suspense novels in September too – I still haven’t decided which one yet!

Are you going to join in with R.I.P this year? What are you planning to read?

After the Sunday Papers #11

June 2, 20138 Comments

“She had read novels while other people perused the Sunday papers”
~ Mary Elizabeth Braddon, The Doctor’s Wife

Time for one of my (very) occasional Sunday posts, I think!

War and Peace Readalong – May update

I’ll start with some brief thoughts on May’s reading for the War and Peace Readalong I’m participating in this year. In May, we read Book 2, Parts 3 and 4. I’m finding the book much easier to read now that we’re further into it and have had the opportunity to get to know the characters. However, I’ve also found that for some reason I have very little to say about this section of the book. I was pleased that there was no ‘war’ – though instead, we get a very long and detailed description of a hunt, which made me think I might actually have preferred a battle scene after all! It was good to spend more time with some of the female characters, especially Natasha and Sonya, whose storylines are starting to move forward now. And I still feel sorry for poor Princess Marya. I’m looking forward to reading Part 5 in June – and being halfway through the book!

Barbara Pym Reading Week

Are you taking part in Barbara Pym Reading Week? I’ve never read anything by Pym before but so many of the bloggers I follow love her books that I knew it was time to try one. I’m reading Less Than Angels, which is maybe not the one I would ideally have chosen to begin with (I really wanted to read Excellent Women first) but it’s the only one I actually own. Anyway, I’m enjoying it so far and will post my thoughts on it later in the week.

New book arrivals

I haven’t bought any new books for a while, but I’ve received a few review copies. Paris is the one I’m most looking forward to reading as I love Edward Rutherfurd and have read all of his previous books. I don’t know much about the others (The Son by Michel Rostain, The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout and The Orchard of Lost Souls by Nadifa Mohamed) though I’ve read some very positive reviews of the first two.

I hope you’ve all had a good weekend! What are you planning to read this week?

War and Peace Readalong: March and April

May 1, 20133 Comments

This year I’m taking part in a year-long group read of War and Peace, hosted by Amy and Iris. I had fallen behind with the reading in March (which is why I didn’t post an update for that month) but I managed to catch up again in April.

After struggling with February’s very war-dominated section I’m now enjoying the book again and I’m pleased that there does seem to be more balance between the war scenes and domestic scenes than I had feared at first! I also made things easier for myself this month by doing what I should probably have done from the beginning and printing off a character list to keep beside me while I read – although as I get further into the book I’m finding the number of characters less overwhelming and easier to keep track of anyway.

Book 1 Part 3

This was the section I really should have read in March. In the first half of this section we return to Russian society and rejoin some of the female characters we haven’t seen since Part 1, including Princess Helene, who marries Pierre, and poor Princess Marya, who turns down the chance of happiness for the sake of her father. In the second half we are with the army again, before and during the Battle of Austerlitz. Although I still don’t think the ‘war’ scenes of War and Peace are ever going to be my favourites, I found these easier to follow and understand than the battle scenes in Part 2 (see my comments from February). They still feel a bit chaotic and confusing, but that’s probably the point!

The most memorable parts of this section for me were Nikolai Rostov getting his first glimpse of Tsar Alexander, and Andrei Bolkonsky meeting his hero, Napoleon. The scene with Napoleon shows how we can build people up in our minds to be something they’re not, which can lead to disillusionment when we finally meet them and discover they are ordinary human beings like ourselves. In Rostov’s case the fact that he idolises the Tsar so much means that when he finally gets the chance to speak to him he is too awestruck to approach him and ends up regretting a missed opportunity.

Book 2 Parts 1 & 2

And this was April’s reading. There was a lot happening this month, including a birth, a death and a duel! With Nikolai Rostov coming home on leave, we are also reacquainted with the members of the Rostov household, including Natasha and Sonya.

From these two sections, I thought some of the scenes that stood out the most were the ones where Pierre, after leaving his wife, meets a mysterious stranger at the station and makes the decision to become a Freemason. There are a few chapters devoted to this part of the story and they had a slightly surreal, otherworldly feel in comparison to what we’ve read so far. I also thought Pierre’s discussions with Andrei were interesting, with Pierre explaining how much happier he has been since he stopped being selfish and started considering other people, and Andrei arguing that his actions could actually be making things worse rather than better.

Towards the end of this month’s reading we return to the ‘war’ when Rostov rejoins the army and feels the same joy on being welcomed back to his regiment that he felt on being welcomed home by his family. But this time, rather than facing chapter after chapter of military tactics and strategies (the reason I wasn’t enjoying the book in February) we are shown more of the human side of war, as the men begin to suffer from starvation and illness. Rostov experiences more of the disillusionment I mentioned earlier when he visits the wounded Denisov in a military hospital and is shocked by the way the patients are being treated.

I really enjoyed April’s two sections and found them surprisingly quick to get through. And we’re now 33% into the book, which is very encouraging!