52 new things: 11 - Read a book for a book club

[zebra363]

Tess of the D'Urbervilles, to be specific.

This was the first time I'd voluntarily (*) read a "classic" in a long, long time.  Will save my comments, such as they are, for emma_in_oz's scheduled discussion, but

Comments

[emma_in_oz]

You are doing better than I am! Still wading through 'Maiden no more'. I just keep thinking what a different book it would be with:

a, sexual harassment laws
b, birth control.

[zebra363]

I was so worried that I wouldn't get through it in time that I read every chance I got!

what a different book it would be with

Or even just some words of advice from her mother before sending her off alone.

Have you decided what Dumas book it will be for April? I might try getting a head start.

[sarren]

In my entire school career there were only two books I didn't devour immediately.

Z for Zachariah in year 8, where I for the only time only, fudged my school report from the crib notes.

and Tess of the D'Urbervilles year 11 or 12 where my Dad sat me in a chair, put the book in my hands and forbade me to move til I'd finished. Hated it.

Gee, I wonder what the common theme there was.

[zebra363]

I haven't read Z for Zachariah, but have just found a summary of the plot. Yuck!

The only thing I liked about Tess of the D'Urbervilles was the portrayal of rural life at the time, especially the part where she was a milkmaid at a diary. It's really interesting to think of living such a socially and geographically limited life. The actual sequence of events was mostly awful!

[mcicioni]

In my book group we decided (under pressure from self and a Canadian woman) that we would only read contemporary Australian books every other month, alternating them with "classics". Two months ago we read George Eliot's Middlemarch, long and complex, but fantastic. Highly recommended (just in case). In 2 weeks' time we will be discussing Flaubert's Madame Bovary.

I read Tess of the D'Urbervilles at uni and found it heavy-going. Agree about the interesting representation of rural life and its hardships, but the blood through the ceiling at the end struck me as totally far-fetched. Also I could not empathise with any of the characters.

[zebra363]

Middlemarch was our book for last month! However, I didn't get a chance to reread it between work and my trip. I did enjoy it when I read it 10 or so years ago. Haven't read Madame Bovary.

Tess was quite independent there for a while in the middle, and then went completely off the rails at the end!

One of the things I was thinking of when I mentioned agreeable mild duress was your telling me to visit the sculpture park in Oslo!

[zebra363]

Not that you were putting me under any duress, of course, just that I felt pleasantly compelled to raise my sights to encompass sculpture parks at your suggestion. It's a good thing!