Classic Books

[axisoftime]

So whats everyones favorite classic books?Funny how some books u read as a child turn out to be the best books u ever read.Classics really transcend age!

1)Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson-Long John Silver-Billybones-buried treasure,pieces of eight,pieces of eight,Jim Hawkins.yohoho and a bottle of rum.
2)The Time Machine by H.G.Wells-A great story of nuclear war and how 1 man from the year 1900 helps save mankind in the future.
3)Life on the Mississippi-by Mark Twain-The true story of what it was like growing up in the 1800s and how Mark Twain became what every boy dreamed of-a steamboat captain.
4)The Hobbit by J.R.R..Tolkien-Dwarves,Elfs,Hobbits,the wizard Gandalf,and the great dragon Smaug the Magnificent,not to mention the very cool land of Middle Earth.
5)Peter Pan by J.M.Barrie-Neverland,the Lost Boys,Captain Hook-every kids fantasy.

[TMLS' BROTHER]

Mines "Around the wolrd in 80 days" because its the only classic book i've read... so far, I'm planning to read another 20 classics before the end of the year.

[MBCorp]

Anything by Dickens and Jane Austen.

Oh, and also anything by Charlotte Bronte and also Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

[VersesBatman]

Little Women by Louisa may Alcott

Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchelle

Of mice and men by John Steinbeck

Grapes of wrath by John Steinbeck

[4EverSmallville]

To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas

[MBCorp]

Originally posted by VersesBatman
Little Women by Louisa may Alcott

Gone with the wind by Margaret Mitchelle

Those are two others I would add.

[Summers]

Little Women
Gone With The Wind
To Kill A Mocking Bird
Hamlet
All Quiet On The Western Front
Grapes of Wrath
Peter Pan
Anne of Green Gables
The Hobbit
The Chronicles of Narnia

[TMLS]

In no particular order...

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The War of the Worlds by HG Wells
The Time Machine by HG Wells
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

[yellowqueen22]

I would say my four all time favorite books are:

1984 - Orwell
Crime & Punishment - Doestevsky
The Stand - Stephen King (modern classic)
Stranger in a Strange Land - Heinlein (modern classics)

As for other classics...

Vanity Fair - Thackeray
Middlemarch - Elliot
Much Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare (play)
Two Towers - Tolkein
Fairy Queen - Spenser
Guliver's Travels - Swift
Jude the Obscure - Hardy
Moonstone - Collins
Pride and Prejudice - Austen
Odyssey - Homer
A Doll's House - Ibsen (play)
The Misanthrope - Moliere (play)
Peer Gynt - Ibsen (play)
Howard's End - Forster

[VersesBatman]

Anne of Green Gables series

[Kal-L, The Original]

Atlas Shrugged, as well as a few others by Rand

War of the Worlds, someone already mentioned The Time Machine

Portrait of Dorian Gray

I Am Legend

[VersesBatman]

LIttle House on the prairie series

[Summers]

Oooo..good one VB. Totally forget about the Three Musketeers.

[VersesBatman]

The man in the iron mask

[MBCorp]

People keep mentioning other books that I love...Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, Middlemarch, Picture of Dorian Grey, Narnia, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc. Ahhh classic books, it's hard to pick just one!:p

I also want to add One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

[VersesBatman]

The prince and the pauper

[MBCorp]

Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass.

[VersesBatman]

I liked those too.

[Summers]

d'oh I could we forget those.

[TMLS' BROTHER]

Does the Harry Potter series count?

[Summers]

I dont think so. Maybe in 20 years, but I guess it depends on the context of what a "classic book" is.

[TMLS' BROTHER]

But isn't it a Modern Classic?

[VersesBatman]

Is there such thing as a modern classic?

[Summers]

Its the first thing I heard of the term until today actually.

[sparkle18]

Here are 5 of my favorites.

Gone With the Wind- Margaret Mitchell (My all time favorite book.) :)
Little Women- Louisa May Alcott
The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee
The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald

[MBCorp]

Isn't the term "modern classic" an oxymoron?

[TMLS' BROTHER]

oxymoron?

[yellowqueen22]

Modern classic is anything in the post-modern period (Henry James, James Joyce, Virgina Woolf) although now they could be considered classics... and has to some extent been extended to anything in the post-war/postcolonialism period (pretty much anything from after WWII until the late 1970's... of course that is critically aclaimed and such).

For example... a lot of the books you've indicated are actually modern classics. On Sparkle's list the only non-modern classic is actually the Wilde work. But now as the modern classics are becoming more classically acclaimed they become classics. The problem is that there are two applications of classic in literature. The first being the "classics" which divides books by time period. The second being a term for any piece of literature that has stood the test of time.

I think I've given too much information... sorry.

[Summers]

Okay, I think I'm confused.

Modern classics are basically time periods novels up to 1970s?

[TMLS' BROTHER]

I'm confused aswell.

I thought a modern classic very a very popular book. i.e. Harry Potter

[MBCorp]

I'm a wee bit confused as well. This is what I get for majoring in history instead of english.:lol:

But let me get this straight: Okay, there are books which have stood the test of time, and these can be called classics.

Then there are books that are distinguished classics because of the time period they were written in.

[TMLS' BROTHER]

What does oxymoron mean then?

[yellowqueen22]

Originally posted by TMLS' BROTHER
I'm confused aswell.

I thought a modern classic very a very popular book. i.e. Harry Potter

That's only because of really bad marketing campaigns on the part of publishers.

[TMLS' BROTHER]

Oh. Thanks

[MBCorp]

Oxymoron: A combination of contradictory terms.

[TMLS' BROTHER]

Oh. Thanks. Is that a common word?

[yellowqueen22]

Originally posted by MBCorp
I'm a wee bit confused as well. This is what I get for majoring in history instead of english.:lol:

But let me get this straight: Okay, there are books which have stood the test of time, and these can be called classics.

Then there are books that are distinguished classics because of the time period they were written in.

You got it....

1) Classics = stood test of time as work of literature
a) Modern Classic = a more recent classic... probably anything in the 1900's or maybe even after WWII... depends on who you ask.

2) Classics = divided by the specific movement or time-period they were a part of
a) Modern
b) Post-Modern
c) Romantic
d) Post-colonial
e) The list is long... so I will stop

[VersesBatman]

Originally posted by TMLS' BROTHER
Oh. Thanks. Is that a common word?
Yes.

[TMLS' BROTHER]

Originally posted by VersesBatman
Yes.

:eek: really? I've never heard it before.

[VersesBatman]

I hear it all the time.

[axisoftime]

Id say a classic is something that stands the test of time and stands out as well.Harry Potter would be a modern classic IMO.
Couple others I liked ;
Robin Hood
King Arthur
Tom Sawyer

BTW in Alice trough the Looking Glass,did u know the poem on the last page-the 1st letter of each line spells out ALICE PLEASANCE LIDDELL-the girl that Lewis Carroll used as the main character.She was the middle daughter of the dean of literature at Oxford university where Carroll was a professor of literature.

[VersesBatman]

The raven by Edgar Allan Poe

[TMLS' BROTHER]

Isn't that a poem not a book?

[VersesBatman]

Yes, but I like it.

I also like TS Elliot's poems for Practical cats. It's what the musical Cats is based on.

[TMLS' BROTHER]

I like it too.

Wouldn't "Selected tales" by Edger Allen Poe be a bit better?

[VersesBatman]

I only know The raven.

[TMLS' BROTHER]

So do I but thats one of the books I'm planing on reading later in the year.

[axisoftime]

The Raven is awesome-probably the best poem ive ever read;

'Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

The Simpsons had a great takeoff of this with Homer as Poe and Bart as the Raven!

[TMLS' BROTHER]

Yes one of the treehouse of horror episodes.

[VersesBatman]

I loved that one.

[TMLS]

Originally posted by VersesBatman
Is there such thing as a modern classic?

Bit of a blinkered PoV isn't it? You can't just discount a book from being a "classic" because it's new. The dictionary meaning of "classic" is "Having lasting significance or worth; enduring. " - a book can be seen as enduring after any period of time if it's popular enough, surely?

Otherwise, how can you say 19th Century publications are classic when they've not been around as long as Ancient Greece etc.

Potter is a classic, as it re-introduced a generation of children to reading and bridged the gap to older generations too.

Otherwise what's the point of reading any book that's not 'old'...

[yellowqueen22]

Being a CLASSIC does not necessarily define the worth of the work. The term classic is a term of art in the literary world... all it does is imply that the work is from a certain time period and has stood the test of time either by popularity or critical acclaim.

Harry Potter may very well be a classic in another 20yrs... but you can't really use the term classic to describe Harry Potter... it hasn't been around that long. "Classic" is just a term of art, which relates (in part) to how long a work has been around. I wouldn't worry about Harry Potter not being on the list as of yet... there are lots of books called "classic" that are rubbish.

Here's an example of definitions of "Classic":
- a creation of the highest excellence; belonging to the highest rank or class
- characteristic of the classical artistic and literary traditions
- adhering to established standards and principles
- serving as the established model or standard
- having lasting significance or worth; enduring
- Of or characteristic of the literature, art, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome

***** once again sorry for the english lit lesson************

I forgot one on my list:

Inferno - Dante

[MBCorp]

Originally posted by yellowqueen22
I wouldn't worry about Harry Potter not being on the list as of yet... there are lots of books called "classic" that are rubbish.

Like Finnegan's Wake. :p

[yellowqueen22]

I haven't read "Finnegan's Wake"... but I'm not a James Joyce... I know sacrilege for an English Literature major... Joyce is only important to read to see his odd style of writing and the things he is able to do...

[VersesBatman]

I had to read "Lord of the flies" and I didn't like it. It was too twisted.

[axisoftime]

'On The Road' by Jack Keroauc-cool story about growing up in the 50s.

[lucky 12]

'Gone With the Wind' and 'Catcher in the Rye' are my two favorite classics. It's not the coolest book ever or anything but I really liked 'War of the Worlds' by H.G. Wells. I tried reading both 'On the Road' and 'Lord of the Flies' but couldn't get into them for whatever reason.

[FOG]

I like Sherlock Holmes.

[dexterfan]

Pride and Prejudice

Is Catcher in the Rye considered a classic yet? I love that book

POST 650!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[axisoftime]

Id say Catcher in the Rye is a classic.
Id love to read a Sherlock Holmes book too.

[shadowcat20x]

I fell in love with Macbeth in 12th grade, but for some reason I don't like reading other Shakesphere novels...hmmm....

[scottpaul6]

I just re-read "The Hound of the Baskervilles" recently. That's my favorite full length Sherlock Holmes novel. All the short stories are great too.

[enamored]

You guys have forgotten Victor Hugo.

Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame are both great books.

[shadowcat20x]

Yes!! I loved Les Miserables!!

And I thought of another - Alexander Dumas - I loved 'The Count of Monte Cristo' - it has to be one of the most exciting books I've ever read!!

[enamored]

Shadowcat, have you seen the movie Count of Monte Cristo with Jim Caveziel and Guy Pierce? It isn't totally true to the book (are they ever) but is a great film.

[shadowcat20x]

Yes, I did see it! I thought it was very good, not as good as the book, it was lighter, but still a great movie. The movie ended happier then the novel, and that was a neat twist.

[axisoftime]

The original Moby Dick with Gregory Peck as Capt. Ahab was a great film-Ive heard sum say better then the book.

[amberdawn]

Id say The Chronicles of Narnia are great classic books.

[rae19780625]

1. Pride And Prejudice
2. Sense And Sensibility
3. Uncle Tom's Cabin
4. Of Mice And Men
5. To Kill A Mockingbird
6. Their Eyes Were Watching God
7. Catcher In The Rye
8. Slaughterhouse Five

[seraphim]

Nancy Drew Mysteries are definitely a fav of mine!

[Another-One]

I love Julius Ceasar and Macbeth from Shakespear.

I like To Kill a Mockingbird. I like The Jungle.

One of my all time favorite "classics" is Milton's "Paradise Lost".

[CeeJ]

I can't believe no one has mentioned The Scarlet Pimpernel!!
I loved that book as well as A Tale of Two Cities.
I read The Count of Monte Cristo a few years ago and really enjoyed it. I had no idea I had read the abridged version (I never do that!) until my brother found the original unabridged. He said it made so much more sense. It's 1300 pages as opposed to 850 pages of the abridged (which is why I didn't know it was abridged!) I plan on reading that one some time. :-)

[Dyanara]

Pride and Prejudice-i can read that book over and over again and i dont know how many copies of the movies I have brought/taped
Great Expectations-I saw the 90's version of the movie and it was boring and I didnt get it. I always thought Charles Dickens was a bore, but this book really made me love him. I havent been able to finish Oliver Twist and Im no where near finishing David Copperfield, but GE really impressed me.
As I Lay Dying-I loved how this book was written and I loved, loathed some of the characters. My favorite line is definetely "My mother is a fish":rotfl: oh gosh when I read that in my class i busted out laughing and everyone looked at me like I was crazy.
Hamlet-classic Shakespeare, classic literature, classic tragedy. that story has so many levels its imposible to describe it.
The Color Purple,The Wind Blows Backwards
No disrespect to those who loved Wuthering Heights, but I hated that book! My gosh the Heathcliffe character made me want to kill some random man for no reason. Gosh I hated him, and his idiot son! I was just praying someone would push him downa flight of stairs or feed him to some pigs!
Night by Elie Weisel was a terrific book, I thought it was a more impressive holocaust book than The Diary of Anne Frank Then again I dont know when exactly night was written so Im not sure if it should be labled a classic.
As for Harry Potter, those books might have no relevance in the next few decades so you cant label them classics yet.