On August 1st, 2012, I signed up for the Classics Club, in which you challenge yourself to read at least fifty classic titles in the next five years. I decided to go for a bit more than fifty books, and my final list was seventy-two books long. As a year has passed since I started, I thought it might be a good time to write an update post and see how much progress I have made.
In the first year, I have read 13 out of 72 books, and reviewed them all. The books I have read are the following (links go to my reviews):
I'm happy with my progress so far. If I read one book a month for five years, that would be sixty books read so I'm aiming to read just over twelve books a year. Thirteen isn't bad for year one. Year two should be getting off to a good start as I'm already half-way through Emma, for the Austen in August event and plan to read Northanger Abbey too this month. Slow and steady wins the race!
What I'm most pleased to report is that I've enjoyed each of the books I have read, although some more than others. None of them have felt like an absolute slog to get through. I'm glad I made such a good start on the Dickens titles this year, as I have now completed two out of the five I selected. Dickens was one of those authors I really wasn't looking forward to reading, so I was pleasantly surprised by A Tale of Two Cities in particular, which has become a favourite. Great Expectations I didn't love as much, but I liked it enough to be almost looking forward to reading the other three. Of course I haven't started the one title I'm scared of on my list (Moby Dick) or the mammoth one (Les Miserables), but learning to like Dickens was enough of an achievement for the first year.
My favourite read so far has to be Tender is the Night, by F.Scott Fitzgerald. I read it in just over a day for the Classics Club readathon and it completely ripped my heart out, it was so beautiful and devastating at the same time. I'm saving Beautiful and the Damned, as I know I'm going to love it. Similarly, I'm saving The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, the Anne Bronte I have yet to read.
Out of the thirteen books I read this year, six were rereads. It sounds like a lot, but then a lot of my classics club list is made up of rereads. Classics tend to be the only type of book that I want to pick up again and again and they usually improve each time. I deliberately added some books that I didn't love first time round and typically on the second, they were much improved. The award for the most surprising reread would definitely go to Around the World in Eighty Days, which I hated in secondary school. Turns out I was missing out on all of the humour.
I'm glad that I joined the Classics Club. I had some reservations as I don't participate in reading challenges as a rule. I'm a fickle reader and I don't make lists of books to read, but I think taking part has given me the push I needed to read more classics, more regularly. Hopefully I'll enjoy the next four years just as much!
Well Done! I'm getting ready to start my Austen in August book... I was thinking of Emma too. Or maybe S&S. But I love how your opinion of Around the World in 80 Days has changed!
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying Emma, it's the second time I have read it. I'm noticing lots of little things that I completely missed the first time round!
DeleteOf that list, I must confess Daisy Miller is my favorite. Such a fantastic little novel.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy Daisy Miller, I'm looking forward to reading more by James.
DeleteWow! I'm impressed not only because you've already read 13 of your titles, but also because you committed to 72! Nice progress! I'm coming up on my one-year anniversary and should be at 10/50 by then, so I'm also on track, though I've also been putting off my difficult reads (not necessarily behemoths but books I've failed to read in the past). Good luck!
ReplyDelete10/50 is great progress :)
DeleteI am putting off Moby Dick something rotten. It will probably be number 72!
You're doing a great job! I know I need to read more classics, but I tend to get overwhelmed by all of the new releases. I need to find a better balance between the two, I think.
ReplyDeleteThere's just too many books, too little time :P
DeleteGood idea for a check-in :) I just counted that I've read 9 out of 100 for my Classics Club picks (I still haven't reviewed One Hundred Years of Solitude), and I joined in the beginning of February so it's also pretty good result. Would be a lot better of course if those new shiny books didn't get on the way all the time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I got excited about Tender is the Night, it was one of the first books I bought for this Classics Club project and it has been sitting on the shelf for quite a while now.
That's great progress from Feb :)
DeleteIt's great that you're going for 100 too. There are lots more classics I want to read so I know I'll be doing classics club #2 once I finish the first one.
Enjoy Tender is the Night, it's such an excellent book.
Congrats! You must feel proud of the progress you are making and what a great list of books. I'm not surprised you enjoyed all of them.
ReplyDeleteI am proud, hope I can keep it up for the next four years...
DeleteHoly smokes, that is AWESOME! It's a great idea to do an update like this. I should go look at my list...I'm a bit scared to, lol.
ReplyDeleteNo, go on, look at your list, then let me know how you're doing :)
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ReplyDeleteWhat brilliant progress! I think the best thing about the Classics Club is the way it makes you discover new authors and new favourite authors. Reading Anna Karenina has been my biggest achievement so far and makes me very pleased I joined the club. I think with this I was a bit like you and Dickens!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, I'm glad I added a few authors that I had to push myself to read on my list, rather than playing it safe. I love Anna K, so I'm glad you liked it :)
DeleteSorry for millions of comments! Blogger kept saying there was an error - all lies, clearly :)
ReplyDeleteWell done Sam you've made some great progress. I too read Little Women and Great Expectations in my first year for the club too. I'm glad to hear you loved Tender is the Night as I have that on my list. Good luck with the next year!
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