CLASSIC BOOKS READING LIST FOR 2024

Here is the reading list of Classic Books for my Patreon community's Great Literary Adventure.
First there will be an overview of the books to be considered from January through June, and then I share the reason behind the selection.
0:00 - Intro
1:27 - Book for January
3:11 - Book for February
5:13 - Book for March
7:14 - Book for April
9:10 - Book for May
11:42 - Book for June
13:49 - Reasons for the Book Choices
If you would like to join my Patreon Community and help to support my channel, then please follow the link below:
patreon.com/user?u=84761803

[@dianepocock2982]

As a librarian who hosts a classic literature book group l can appreciate how difficult it is to choose titles . Great list. 😊

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Yes, it can be quite the thorny nodus.😅

My mum and I watch your videos because we love reading and because listening to them improves our English 🖤🖤🖤 so Thank u so much. Kisses from Italy

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

That's wonderful! I'm very glad to have made your acquaintance. Love from the UK ❤️😀

[@apiitg]

Jan: The house of the dead Feb: Wuthering heights Mar: Cold Comfort Farm Mar: Sherlock Holmes Apr: The way of all flesh May: A movable feast May: Three Men in a Boat May: Down and Out in Paris and London Jun: Madame Bovary

[@bdwon]

House of the Dead, Dostoevsky; Wuthering Heights, E. Bronte; Cold Comfort Farm, and Study in Scarlet; The Way of All Flesh, Samuel Butler; Movable Feast, Ernest Hemingway; Three Men in a Boat, Jerome K. Jerome; Down and Out in Paris and London, George Orwell; Madame Bovary, Flaubert;

[@NadineTouzet]

I reread Madame Bovary on Flaubert’s 200th anniversary and was amazed by how extraordinarily he captured the local mindset, that of the countryside north of Rouen. I’m French and in recent years happened to move to the very area where the novel is set. Now I can say I understand Emma Bovary much better. Really looking forward to your videos!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

That's fascinating. It does add depth to a novel when you can experience the area in which it was written. I enjoy visiting the areas that authors lived in and wrote about whenever I can.😀

[@RolledLs]

I couldn’t put it down. Superb in every way - Lydia Davis translation is the one.

[@lenkajf7816]

Wow, what channel growth. 500 people in 1.5 days 🎉 wonderful and I’m wishing you many more

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

You are very observant. Yes, there has been a rather surprising flurry of subscribers. It's very nice, but I'm not sure if it will last, though I hope it does. Thank you for your support and encouragement 🙏

[@kandywestmoreland5164]

I want to read every book on this list. I’ve only read Withering Heights but I am excited for a reread. Bravo Tristan. You’ve hit it out of the park on this list. 🎉

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thanks, Kandy! It's taken plenty of thought putting this list together. I have other things to share soon with the community on Patreon, very soon

[@Erancalmag]

Just found your videos and joined your Patreon book club. I need more fiction in my life. I got an undergrad degree in English Lit decades ago, then went to law school and slowly lost the fiction in my life. I love Dickens and can see that you do too. Thank you for the work it takes to do this. I'm excited to join you. Your enthusiasm is infectious. I'm really enjoying your videos.

[@pippajennings5856]

Madame Bovary had a big impact on me, I've never forgotten it. Or Anna Karenina for the same reasons, and the scarlet letter, all focusing on life from a female POV. All amazing books 📚❤

[@kjasper931]

You and your videos are a joy! I'm learning so much. Thank you for this book list and helping us understand various aspects of classic writing. I'm delighted to be part of your Patreon group. 2024 will be another great reading year!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you, Kathryn. I am so appreciative of you support. I have some additional plans for our community which I will be sharing soon over on Patreon. Can't wait to get your thoughts.😀❤️

[@krzysamm7095]

Three men in a boat was great. To me the best character was the dog 😂

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Montmorency! 😂 "He got in amongst the lemons and killed 3 of them." ... and ... "a woman knocked at my door, presented me with a dead cat, and called me a murderer." 😂😂😂😂😂 (or words to that effect.)

[@kurtfox4944]

There is a sci-fi novel, a Hugo Award winner actually, called _To Say Nothing of the Dog_ by Connie Willis. I wish to read both but have yet to find either at my local used book stores.

[@krzysamm7095]

@@kurtfox4944 I believe you can get Three Men in a Boat from project Gutenberg for free online.

[@ainwena7595]

I am looking forward to this list. I have read Wuthering Heights and A Moveable Feast but I have always said I wanted to read them again with annotations. The rest you have talked about in previous videos and you make them sound pretty interesting. I also plan on re-reading the Scarlet Pimpernel and My Antonia. I am also going to finish all of Willa Cather's books next year.

[@maryforster1417]

The selections are brilliant! Can’t wait to delve into these with your excellent guidance. It’s so inspiring to have someone as passionate and knowledgeable as you are as our mentor! Thank you Tristan! ❤

[@masterprocrastinator7078]

Thank you Tristan! Knowing the rationale for your choices makes the project so much more meaningful:) You're the best!!

[@Kimberton149]

This sounds a fantastic list! You definitely won me over when you said Emily was the most powerful of the Brontes 😂 I look forward to hearing your takes on these

[@sayona6239]

I'm really excited and intrigued about the Patreon books for next year! I've wanted to join the Patreon book club since it started last year but was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep up with the reading pace (can barely finish a non-classic book within a month let alone a classic that takes me longer). However, with such a great selection of books for next year, I think I'm going to take the plunge. Any tips on how I can keep up and catch up? I'm thinking of catching up on some of the reads from last year first before delving into the new ones next year. Always love the time and dedication you put into this!

[@pithygrapefruit]

I’m so excited to have found you again!

[@Kite562bookishreviews]

Goodness I'm glad I discovered your channel all that while ago. So many classic authors I never heard of in this video that I'd like to read. Got them wrote down on a list. As of now, I'm reading what I own on my shelf; I'm still enjoying and making my way through the complete canon of Sherlock Holmes(I'm going to be reviewing the short story collections and novels). A long with still documenting my audio journey through the complete works of H.P. Lovecraft. Both Doyle and Lovecraft are becoming constant favorite authors of mine. So, my project plans going into 2024 are stocked up. 🙂❤📚

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

It's delightful to find authors whose works are a constant source of pleasure. I love that you have a plan for your reading. 😀👍

[@bumbuelias7489]

my twelve novels 2024: Brothers Kharamazov(read again) don quixote the count of monte cristo notre dame de paris russel banks richard wurmbrand(underrated) Dracula Bible Crime and punishment Marin Preda's books David Copperfield and pribably les miserables!

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

That is quite the list! Very rich indeed. Richard Wurmbrand is a new one Tom. I'm off to look him up.😀👍

[@bumbuelias7489]

With God in Underground is a book about Richard's autobiography(he has a great life) and also that book give you context about 1950s and 1960 geopilitical situation, a lot of rafinate philosophy about freedom and god. It was the first book of 2023 and would be the first book of 2024!!

[@user-sf3fe4bh2q]

Notre Dame de Paris-👍👍👍🥰❤️

[@mtnshelby7059]

I was just thinking today, I cant believe I havent yet read The Way of All Flesh 😂. Looks like I will be. What an eclectic list! I sure hope people read and sit with The House of the Dead. Thank you for selecting it. ❤

[@Katia656]

Thank you Tristan. The list is excellent. Gostei muito do critério utilizado. 👏🏼👏🏼🇧🇷

[@PricelessAudiobooks]

00:01 This is a fascinating episode for fellow literary adventurers in the Patreon community. I will give you the first set of books the patron Community will go through in the first 6 months. 00:51 I've spent a lot of time thinking through the books I want to read with the Um Community, and I will explain why I've picked those books specifically. Book for January 01:27 Theodore Doki's semi-autobiographical work, The House of the Dead, was acclaimed by Leo Tolstoy and other great classic writers. It follows the experiences of a man who changes his attitude toward people and his understanding of life. 02:36 Dovi finds insight into life in this book and starts the year with a great book to elevate our sense of being alive. Book for February 03:20 A book that leaves people divided in what they think at the end, but you can't deny that it is passion personified. Emily Bronte's writing power is extraordinary; you can only stop and think about what she would have accomplished had she lived longer. 04:37 Emily Bronte's Withering Heights is a remarkable work that will leave you scratching your head in places. The characters themselves threaten to come out of the pages and terrorize real Humanity. Book for March 05:13 In March, we're reading two books. One of them is Stella Given's Old Comfort Farm, one of the funniest books ever. It's about a girl who travels from London to live with her relatives in the country. 06:11 A small-minded, close-minded group of villagers with Flora at the center thinks she can better them, which leads to comedy and insanely clever acuteness of observation. 06:41 Following this book will be another book, Sherlock Holmes, which is only about 100 pages long. Another book, Sherlock Holmes, will be followed. We're heading into April with a classic amongst Classics. Book for April 07:19 The Way of All Flesh is a pivotal book where Samuel Butler shares something about the Victorian way of life with the world. 08:24 Samuel Butler's novel The Way of All Flesh is satire but with deep insight into Britain at the height of its Empire, its self-confidence, and yet the leprous peeling away and falling of its spiritual Soul. Book for May 09:15 In May, we will look at a trilogy of books by Ernest Hemingway, Jerome Cage, and Rome and Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell. These three books are relatively short and about different aspects of life. 10:30 Hemingway and Orwell inspired writers who came from deep within themselves and expressed a thought. 10:55 The third book, Three Men in a Boat, is hilarious. It contains accounts of three men traveling up the temps in a boat and the fiascos that ensue. Book for June 11:42 In June, we have just one book to read again: Gustav Flow Bear's Madame Bie. Madame Bie is credited as almost the beginning of the realist movement. Madame Bovy is not my favorite book, but as a work of literature, it is a Keystone classic, and I appreciate it very sincerely as a story. We will look at what flow Bear brought to the table that was new, almost to literature. Reasons for the Book Choices 13:53 There are nine books in total, and I'll reference some of them in my KZbin videos in the future. 14:14 Next year, we're going to do four terms, four quarters each, three months we want to devote to an idea of literature, and then the next three months, something else will be introduced. We'll acquire taste and discuss what real taste is regarding the arts. 15:23 The next three months will focus on the power of observation, involving Stella Gibbons's Cold Comfort Farm, Three Men in a Boat, Sherlock Holmes's Movable Feast Down in London and Paris, and Madame Berey. The second three months have come to March, and I've moved the Way of All Flesh to April. We'll still continue learning on those two main topics.

[@user-eh7dk8xv9e]

I would love to hear an in depth review of Little Dorrit!

[@susprime7018]

Love Cold Comfort Farm and Sherlock. I am reading A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr, which would work well as a comparison and contrast with The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West? Due on Thursday.😂

[@applejade]

I’m convinced that Wuthering Heights is actually science fiction. They’re all stuck in a causality loop. Emily Brontë (sp) would have been a sci fi author if she were born later, I’m pretty sure 😊

[@HannahGreendale]

Hi, Tristan! What time does your Patreon group meet? I'm tempted to join for at least one of the books, but since I live in the States, I'm not sure if I'll be able to join at the scheduled time. Thanks for making the classics sound so alluring. Cheers!

[@Whatever_Happy_People]

Down and out in Paris and London is brilliant.

[@apollonia6656]

I subscribed but how do I join the readers group for 2024,please ? Great choice of books and I would love to be part of discussions etc. All the Best from Cheshire.

[@monikahaftek2216]

I wish you could prepare one of your wonderful videos about literature but for student with upper intemade level of English . Your advices and tips are so good so maybue you could help us how to read better and more in English when oure level is not so high. One day I wrote a coment that its so borring to read books.with level 5. Yeaterday I starded to read a book in orginal version: A street Cat Named Bob. I was so happy to read page by page and could underseand the story. However read classical litretury is very difficult when we do not dominate English! So please, make one day a video for us who dreams to read english books but with level B2 etc. What kind of books we can anjoy and the same time fill that we start our adventure with English literatury.

[@moriahargall135]

Both here and on Patreon, I did not see a written list. It made it quite difficult for me to find out what the complete schedule was as I kept being interrupted and jostled by a puppy.

[@kirenireves]

Which translation of Bovary are you suggesting?

[@user-sf3fe4bh2q]

Another good book by Dostoevskiy, which very few people in the West know, is "Humiliated and insulted"- a very interesting book.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Thank you. I haven't read that one.😀

[@user-sf3fe4bh2q]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Read it by all means, I'm sure you'll like it!

[@kurtfox4944]

I have never heard of it either

[@user-sf3fe4bh2q]

@@kurtfox4944 " The humiliated and the insulted"- is the correct title. One of my favourite Dostoevskiy's books. Though I am not sure wether it was translated into English. It should have been. Ask in the library. It is very interesting.

[@Tommy-xy1eh]

What do we have to do to become a patreon ? Is it on Zoom or just watch video ? Please advise 🙏🏻

[@apollonia6656]

How do I join Patreon,please ? Thanks.

[@purplesprigs]

You can never go wrong with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Three Men in a Boat will mean much more to you if you are intimately familiar with the South of England. It is certainly laugh out loud funny, but reminded me, a bit too much, of A.A. Milne's cringe worthy attempts at satire ("Once a Week").

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

Jerome wrote some delightful articles too. A Miscellany of Nonsense is very diverting reading.

[@user-sf3fe4bh2q]

I recommend everybody to read a beautiful victorian novel "The Gadfly" by E. L. Voinich. A very good book.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

I have ordered it based upon your passion alone😀❤️

[@user-sf3fe4bh2q]

@@tristanandtheclassics6538 👍👍👍🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️❤️😊

[@AcidicDelusion]

Does your Patreon have an active message board/chat for each monthly read ?

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

I'm working on that. I've just recorded a video (literally minutes ago) and at the end I asked if that is something everyone wants. I hope to introduce it as soon as I figure out how it works. 😀😅

[@AcidicDelusion]

Please do. Or set up a discord channel . I will gladly join your Patreon then. And keep your price reasonable , unlike one of your fellow countryman’s askings(you know who 😊).

[@SirenaSpades]

@@AcidicDelusion Yes, discord seems good. Please not Facebook, I will not join that nonsense.

[@apollonia6656]

@Tristanandtheclassics, Made a comment below but forgot Tristan 😮 Please list the books because I have to make sure I have them a!l ! Thanks.

[@kurtfox4944]

um, just rewatch the video and write them down? just a thought

[@apollonia6656]

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit 😂 Plenty of other channels and so many books to read. Wondering if it is worth wasting time watching ! 😊

[@Yesica1993]

Wow, I had not even heard of, "The House of the Dead." Do you think it would ok for a first time Dostoevsky reader? I don't mind if it's difficult or whatever. His more well known works intimidate me not just for their length, but for their reputation.

[@mtnshelby7059]

IMO it is accessible, it is so vivid, well worth the reading time.

[@kurtfox4944]

Dostoevsky is deeply intellectual, philosophical and an acquired taste, I think. His writing style (at least the translations I have read) is different (not quite clunky, but brief or blunt and not flowery) and I think it rubs people the wrong way (they are expecting Tolstoy). Don't read Dostoevsky like a 'beach read'. It is written to make you think (another reason people seem to like Dostoevsky). I found both _Crime and Punishment_ and _The Brothers Karamazov_ easily accessible, more so than others I have read by him. Do not be alarmed by the length. Be prepared to take it slow. Be prepared to ponder. His works were often published in serial form: a suggestion is to read only one originally published segment of the serial in a given week. Use a journal and take notes. Last, but not least, enjoy!

[@Yesica1993]

Thank you.@@mtnshelby7059

[@Yesica1993]

I don't do beach reads anyway. Do you have any preferred translation? That's part of my problem. I am not sure which to choose. I prefer one closer to word for word, even if it's more difficult. @@kurtfox4944

[@mariaberjano5327]

Oh my God! Please don t read the house of the dead in january. Save it for the summer. It s a great work, but it s the most depressive book I ever read. There isn t a ray of light in that book.❤

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

You are right. It is terribly bleak. The reason for choosing it for January is because there is an important lesson in reading literature that I want to carry through all of the years' books. Though, you are right. I'm sure I'll get a few asking me why I put them through it. 😀❤️😂

[@ganderweather]

Might you consider the novels of Thomas Mann at some point? Not only Buddenbrooks, but The Magic Mountain, Joseph and His Brothers (a tetralogy), and Doctor Faustus. Two principal translations exist of each of these novels published by Alfred A Knopf, the originals in English done by Helen Lowe-Porter as well as newer versions, supposed to be more accurate, by John E Woods. Mann won the Nobel Prize in 1929, and his works are challenging on many levels, well worth one’s time. The newer translations by Woods are readily available.

[@ProseAndPetticoats]

1. I love Wuthering Heights, but I could only appreciate it on the second read while taking notes and using a family tree. Not an easy read. 🫢 2. Madame Bovary is one of my favourites when it comes to writing style. Not much going on, so many could find it boring, but the writing is beautiful. You can really notice that Flaubert was a perfectionist and it could take him hours to edit one sentence. Great list! 🤎 good luck.

[@tristanandtheclassics6538]

They are both excellent books, which, as you point out, stretch the reader somewhat.😀👍

[@michaelldennis]

I had to create a family tree also because of the cycle of repeated names.

[@Yesica1993]

WHY do authors do that? I can't ever follow stories like that. I loved, "East of Eden", but don't ask me who was who!@@michaelldennis

[@ProseAndPetticoats]

@@michaelldennis It gets so confusing!

[@kurtfox4944]

The worst book for following who was who has got to be _100 years of Solitude_ . Non-linear plot with multi-multi generations of the same sets of names all within the same family, and all with the same or similar traits. You need a whole set of secret decoder rings, one for each finger, to figure out who is who. _East of Eden_ is a child's picture book compared to that one