I have not read many classics as a kid or a teenager as I was not even aware of any. My native language is not English and there were not many English language readers in my family. My father read English novels but mostly espionage, crime fiction or thrillers (which are not what I like). He has studied some classics in college like Somerset Maugham or Charles Dickens. We did not even have English courses in college so I did not get any opportunity to read classics.
I tried reading Jane Austen when I was in high school I think but I found it boring. After that, I never even tried reading classics which had romance in them – until this year. I finally tried reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte this year and actually liked it. That was when I realized that a well written novel can be enjoyed even by an unromantic person like me, if it was written well.
I then went on to read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and absolutely loved it. It is now one of my favorite novels. That gave me the courage to try The tenant of Windfell Hall by Anne Bronte. I read some 100 pages and I am loving it so far. I plan to finish it by June (my India trip might make it difficult for me to complete before that).
Once I am done with the Brontes, I am hoping to tackle some Russian classics. I have never read a single book by a Russian author. I heard that Russian novels are dark and grim which is what I have been liking these days. As you can see, Wuthering Heights which is the darkest of the three Bronte sisters’ books is my favorite. So I have a feeling I am going to like these classics even more than the English classics. *Fingers crossed*
I got three Russian classics by three different authors that I hope to finish this year or at the most by next year.
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
- The Master and the Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
I am planning to start reading these classics after June or July once I am back and settled. Hoping to tackle one of these every few months. I am giving myself around 2 months time for each of these books as they are pretty chunky. Wish me luck.
Let me know if you would like to join me in reading these classics.
Bookish Muggle 
For a great Russian novel, I recommend Notes from the Underground by Dostoyevsky.
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Thanks added it to my TBR.
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I have The Master and the Margarita on my TBR list, too! The only classic I’ve read by a Russian author was Lolita, but I didn’t finish it (nor am I sure if I will). I’d like to one day just to say I did, but ugh, the subject matter.
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I do not have the courage to pick up Lolita because of the topic. But hearing so many people praise makes me want to atleast give it a try some day. Will probably try these books before that.
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I don’t blame you. I didn’t finish it, and I’m not even sure I’ll go back to it. I’ve heard that the way Nabokov wrote it, you’re supposed to realize Humbert Humbert is an unreliable narrator, but he’s still talk about…that subject matter. I might read some examinations on it, and then possibly go back to the actual text.
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Wish you all the best. I like Anna Karenina. I am sure you will love reading this book.
Just curious. There are lot of Indian classics, Why don’t you try some of them. I assume you are Kannada. (I may be wrong.) There are some lovely Kannada classics. Did I read any of the Kannada classics. No. I cannot read Kannada. I am Tamil. But would love to read the translations.
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Thanks SG. Hoping that I will like Anna Karenina. Planning to start with that book first.
I cannot read and write Kannada well. My reading speed is too slow to enjoy a book. Need to learn actually. The only language I can read and write in is English 😦 😦
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I loved one Jane Austen’s book. I tried Anna Karenina – although the writing is good, the book is too long and I lost my patience. Thanks to your review, Wuthering Heights will be my next book 🙂
Destination Infinity
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I hope you like Wuthering Heights like I did 🙂 Yeah Anna Karenina is tooo huge. Don’t know if I will have the patience to finish the giant.
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I have always read classics, not extensively but I still managed to sneak in a classic between reads. This year I have a huge list of classics I need to finish for my American Fiction class.
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Oh I haven’t read many American classics. Please do a review of the books you read.
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Oh hooray, I remember loving Tenant of Wildfell Hall! I haven’t reread any Brontes in years (and I’ve never read Jane Eyre). I’ve never had the courage to tackle the Russian classics…
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Oh you loved Tenant of Windfell hall too? I feel it is a great book – even though I have not finished it.
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I love classics! In Russian lit., I once read Eugine Onegin by Alexender Pushkin. It is a novel in verse and is very beautifully penned 🙂
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Thanks Ankita. added it to my TBR. Thanks for visiting my blog 🙂
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You blog design is so happy! 🙂 VERY best wishes on your classics challenge.
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Thank you Jillian 🙂
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I am not a fan of the classics in the slightest, but it may have something to do with how boring they sounded to me when I picked them in school. The only classics that stuck with me then were Shakespeare’s works, of which we did stage plays and I had to rote learn a bunch of lines. Since then, I have read and enjoyed only a couple of classics – Anna Karenina, The Great Gatsby and To Kill a Mockingbird.
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We did not study classics in school, at least not the English ones so I am interested in reading them. I can understand – reading them for school would turn off any one from reading them.
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I landed here while browsing through some of your posts, and this reminded me that I haven’t yet picked up Wuthering Heights. I am not a big fan of darker novels, but I know this one gets high praise, so will make an exception. Who knows I might surprise myself!
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I actually liked Wuthering Heights more than Jane Eyre but some people don’t like it since every single character is horrible – not a single character you will like. I like such books actually 🙂
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Hahaha I get what you mean, but I loved how you put it. 😀 And though normally I need atleast one person to root for (in a book), this might be an interesting experiment.
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Hahaha I get what you mean, but I loved how you put it. 😀 And though normally I need atleast one person to root for (in a book), this might be an interesting experiment. 😀
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