Back to the Classics Challenge--Wrapup Post

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I have finished Sarah's Back to the Classics Challenge!  This year, there were 6 required categories and 5 optional categories.  I did all of them:


The Required Categories:
  1. A 19th Century Classic--The Red and the Black, by Stendhal
  2. A 20th Century Classic-- Botchan, by Natsume Soseki 
  3. A Pre-18th or 18th Century Classic-- Pamela, by Samuel Richardson
  4. A Classic that relates to the African-American Experience - The Souls of Black Folk, by W. E. B. DuBois
  5. A Classic Adventure--Last of the Mohicans, by James Fenimore Cooper
  6. A Classic that prominently features an Animal - My Family and Other Animals, by Gerald Durrell
Optional Categories:

    A.  Re-read a Classic--Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
   C.  A Classic Non-Fiction title--The Life of Olaudah Equiano, by Himself
   D.  A Classic Children's/Young Adult title--The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
   E.  Classic Short Stories - The Black Monk and Other Stories, by Anton Chekhov (11 stories read if you don't count the title story, which I read last year)
 
Some of these books were really great!   I loved most of them.  A couple of them kind of stank, though--Pamela and Last of the Mohicans, I'm looking at you.  Recently I've been seeing (in several places!) James Fenimore Cooper touted as one of the greats of American literature, that any sensible kid would love.  I'm going to have to disagree with that opinion!

This was a fun challenge and helped me to get to some of the books I've been wanting to read.  Thanks for hosting, Sarah!  (Business detail: I get three entries.)

Comments

  1. Ruby ScarlettAugust 21, 2013 at 10:25 PM

    Well done! I've only read (and reread numerous times) Sense and Sensibility on that list, as well as Huck Finn. It's always kind of ironic to talk about Twain and Austen in the same sentence since he hated her writing (which is also part of the reason why I'm staying away from any other of his books).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Melissa (Avid Reader)December 9, 2013 at 8:20 AM

    Great job! I just finished the challenge as well! I re-read Austen's Persuasion for the re-read category. I swear, her books get better with every re-read.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JeanDecember 10, 2013 at 4:36 PM

    I agree, Melissa. Funny, I just finished a re-read of Persuasion!

    ReplyDelete

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