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Monday 17 September 2012

The Classics Club September Meme



I'm sure I've mentioned how awesome The Classics Club is and how everybody should go and join it. One of the things that I love the most about it is the community aspect and the fact that the moderators are always pushing members to find each others' blogs and read reviews and offer support, and there are so many events and readalongs and things hosted by members. It's awesome to be able to read without pressure, but with kind of a cheer section I guess? Anyway, I love it. The question for this month is:
Pick a classic someone else in the club has read from our big review list. Link to their review and offer a quote from their post describing their reaction to the book. What about their post makes you excited to read that classic in particular?
I'm being predictable this month and picking a review by somebody whose blog I am continually going on about, but I swear I found the review through the review list and not through her blog! The reason I picked this review to start with is mostly that it was of a slightly different book which wouldn't necessarily be on everybody's list. Although I'm guilty of having a lot of the popular books on my list as well, it seems like loads of people are reviewing Jane Austen and the Brontes, so I went looking for something different, and I found Laura's review of The Hours by Michael Cunningham. This book isn't currently on my list, but I think I will be changing that as I've wanted to read it for quite a while and the review makes it sound awesome. This is the bit that convinced me:
even though I fear that it's another one of those things I like that other people might find pretentious (American Beauty, I'm looking at you) I just really couldn't care less. Because it's beautiful. 
American Beauty is pretty much one of my favourite films and I've been told before that it's hugely pretentious but I don't care, like Laura, because it's so beautiful. The fact that she compared this book to that film means that I must immediately get hold of a copy. Immediately. 

Because The Hours wasn't already on my list, I picked a second review of a book which already is. Honor's review of The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov convinced me that I should pick up this book sooner rather than later as it seems like it will be totally different from what I thought it would be. I'm actually not sure what I was expecting it to be about, but definitely not the Devil and talking cats! Honor says that
the 'fantasticality' was done in such a satirical and witty manner I actually found this book incredibly refreshing.
which is great, because sometimes when people stick fantastical elements into a novel it can either just turn into fantasy (which is great if that is what its' meant to be, but not so much if not...) or become slightly ridiculous. I'm really looking forward to reading this now, as the plot sounds really intriguing!

4 comments:

  1. *does a big old appreciated smile* Awww, I feels special (again!) And maaaan, American Beauty is not pretentious, it is WONDERFUL, and ignore anyone who says differently! (my parents watched it once, and they were just like 'nothing happens, it's well boring' and I'm just like YOU DO NOT HAVE BEAUTIFUL SOULS! It was annoying!) And yeah, The Hours is great! :)

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    1. I think I should probably just change September to 'Laura appreciation month' :-p I never understood people who don't think American Beauty is great. Seriously. And I already got a copy from Readitswapit :-)

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  2. I had never heard of The Hours until I mentioned Mrs Dalloway in my check-in post and a reply recommended it.
    I do find The Master and Margarita intimidating- will look forward to your thoughts.

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  3. People who call things "pretentious" are usually just upset that they don't understand it, and so get bored by it, and so can't appreciate what others are appreciating.

    There, that's my prejudices showing, a bit, but it's allowable because I'm right.

    American Beauty was brilliant. Haters 'gonna hate (meaning all you people who refuse to read Harry Potter just to be counter-culture "hipsters"!).

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