About a year and a half ago I signed up for The Classics Club and accepted the challenge to read 50 classics in five years. Piece of cake, I thought. I read a lot of classics and my list contains only books I have in my house. Ten books a year; not even one book a month. How could I fail? Yet here I am, 16 months into the challenge and I've read four books. Just four. So when I found out that Delaisse was hosting the 18th Century English Literature event, I knew I needed to join to give me a little push.
My plans are to read Daniel DeFoe's (pictured above in the badge I'll be using) Moll Flanders and Voltaire's Candide. Neither is too long so it shouldn't be too hard to get through both of them easily. Although I did get about half way through Candide a couple of years ago and couldn't finish it. If I'm really feeling it, I'll add Henry Fielding's The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling. We'll see how many bright and shiny new books distract me in June. I do seem to be easily distracted these days!
This sounds like a great challenge. I read Moll Flanders in college forever ago, and remember liking it, though it is definitely in need of rereading. Candide intimidates me, so I'll be interested to hear how you do the second time round. Tom Jones is great fun--I read it decades ago and thought about rereading it this year, but I already have several chunksters on the list.
ReplyDeleteI just decided this morning to read Vicar of Wakefield as my 18th century offering in the Back to the Classics challenge. It's been on my shelf for years!
Good luck with staying focused!
18th century. Ick. ;) Let me know when you read Moll Flanders and I'll maybe read it with you. But mostly my thought on 18th Century novel is "Thank goodness we've progressed!"
ReplyDeleteI knew signing up for the Classics Club that I wouldn't able to do 10 classics in a year, but how can we resist making a list??
The Classics Challenge sounds like a good motivational way to read some classics. All the best as you continue with the challenge - only 40 odd to go in the time you've allotted!
ReplyDeleteHave fun!! I'm sure I would be easily distracted by the bright and shiny new books!!
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