My Favourite Classics of 2023

My favourite classics read in 2023
Books Mentioned:
Metamorphosis
The Ballad of Reading Gaol
North and South
Whose Names Are Unknown
New Grub Street
Can You Forgive Her?
A Room With A View
The Small House At Allington
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
The Forbidden Notebook
Oliver Twist
A Christmas Carol
The Light Princess
Doctor Thorne
Mary Barton
A Woman of No Importance
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[@christinaalvarez332]

I totally agree - there is something so satisfying and enjoyable about reading classics. Now that I'm primarily focused on reading classics and non-fiction, I am rarely disappointed with my reads. Happy reading!

[@KierTheScrivener]

I find the aame to be true! Even books I don't fully like the style, I am still drawn in by the story and history.

[@christinaalvarez332]

Yes absolutely! Even if I don't like the story, the prose, character development, and/or dialogue are usually wonderful.@@KierTheScrivener

[@KierTheScrivener]

It truly is!

[@TheWordN3rd]

💜💜💜

[@KierTheScrivener]

❤️❤️❤️

[@shiningyoonie]

The Small House At Allington sounds great. I'm just scared of how thick Trollope's books usually are 😂

[@KierTheScrivener]

I was too! I had my first Trollope on my shelf in 2017 and didn't pick up his books until 2022. But his books aren't dense. They are funny and they carry you along. It is not considered good advice in the classics community but I really suggest in starting at Doctor Thorne (the third book in the Barsetshire) it is in the same county as the previous two books but doesn't follow the same characters. The previous characters are only cameos you can easily miss. I think it's a good entry because The Warden and Barchester Towers are both vary focused on church politics (following clergyman and their families) when Dr Thorne is a more typical love story about social class. Also if you like audiobooks Simon Vance does a brilliant version of them (and all of them are available with a free trial on audible that's how I got them) and now reading the next series through my library.

[@LiteraryGladiators]

I would be interested to know how you define "classics?" People define them differently, but I feel that it is much broader than what we have seen between what is taught in schools and the publishing industry. I believe we should be exploring many more writers and the cutoff is very vague. A lot also has to do with the quality of the writing. Franz Kafka is brilliant! I saw The Metamorphosis as being heavily influenced by Kafka's own internal struggles of insecurity and I would classify it among his stories that were written as part of his father-fearing works. My American Literature instructor referred to this short novel in both American Literature I and II and how Kafka did not want Gregor Samsa to be illustrated, thus while illustrations in the graphic novel and from what we base on his description is that of a beetle, the actual appearance is complicated. Some translations deem Gregor to be described as "vermin" rather than a bug. The Metamorphosis is a brilliant, heartbreaking piece. It is also the only long work that Kafka approved for publication. His novels were all unfinished and he asked that they be burned at his death, but Max Brod went ahead with finishing and publishing them anyway. They do, however, bear the Kafka-esque attributes that he has become well known. I like his short stories that he is known, such as The Judgment, which is also a father-fearing piece, and A Hunger Artist, which is one of his last pieces released during his lifetime and inspired by his struggle with tuberculosis and embracing his Judaism and makes an art out of one man's starving... literally. Oscar Wilde is also brilliant! I want to read more of his works, but The Picture of Dorian Gray was outstanding and The Importance of Being Earnest is my favorite play! I feel like he liked to mock the upper class of his environment and wrote about the absurdity that was Victorian England during the late 19th century. The Importance of Being Earnest especially captures these absurdities. It was unfortunate that it was only performed a few times because it was during its showing that a retaliation resulted in his exposure for sodomy. I own his complete works and would like to work my way toward The Ballad of Reading Gaol. What he had to go through was incredibly unacceptable. I will have to look into Anthony Trollope some. From what you are saying, his work is more reflective of fellow female writers of the 19th century than of the male writers. It sounds like his works are like something Jane Austen would write. I own a book or so by Thomas Hardy, but am not too well versed on British literature of the 19th century. Gentleman Prefer Blondes is the book I am most inclined to check out after watching your video! I read The Great Gatsby and felt it was merely okay. Very overrated and hyped up because of the era that it depicts. A lot of people turn to it when they think about the 1920s, but I think it was pumped up and is a myth within itself. I am now more curious about Gentleman Prefer Blondes. 1925 was also the year that American Literature developed an official identity and became recognized as scholarly enough to teach in an academic setting. It is great that you are giving attention to translated classic literature as well, which I find to be incredibly important when examining written works. I have a complete collection of Charles Dickens' books that I got as a graduation gift and really need to read them. Thank you for sharing and I hope 2024 is filled with even more outstanding classics that you read and enjoy! -Josh

[@apocalypsereading7117]

a lovely list ~ have you read De Profundis by Wilde? i think it's the only one i haven't read by him but you reminded me i have to get to it when you talked so well about his writing in relation to his imprisonment.

[@KierTheScrivener]

I just looked it up and it's a letter to his lover written from prison that is incredibly interesting. I will definitely be interested in reading it.

[@hasteyebooks]

You're reminding me that I need to read more Oscar Wilde! And yay for North & South, love it so much! I found The Way We Live Now soooo long, but I think I need to give another chance to Anthony Trollope! Which is your favourite?

[@KierTheScrivener]

I didn't love The Way We Live Now. It's hard because I've been reading his two big series. So my two favourites are Doctor Thorne (book 3) and The Small House At Allington (book 5). I would say you can read Doctor Thorne seperately (as long as you go back before you continue on the series).

[@evaantoniia]

Never read Metomorphisi but I read "The Trial" by Kafka for school and to be honest, I couldn`t get through it because my brain was constantly searching for the meaning of all of it or some kind of line and I couldn`t find one so I eventually gave up on it... :D But maybe Metomophisi is better?

[@KierTheScrivener]

Metamorphosis is nice and short which is lovely when you are reading classics. Sometimes the books they give us in school are the worst choices though

[@evaantoniia]

@@KierTheScrivener that's true I just had one book which I liked which was picked by my teacher 😊

[@KierTheScrivener]

Which one?

[@evaantoniia]

@@KierTheScrivener I just know the German title "Die Insel der blauen Delfine"" and I don't know if it's available in English. It's not a classic and more for children.