The Classics Circuit

Hi everybody. I just wanted to spread the news about a new Classics Circuit. The idea was hatched on the Rebecca Reads blog. The first classics tour is coming up starting next Monday. The first author is going to be Wilkie Collins. Click the link for the tour list. Overlapping in November and December will also be Elizabeth Gaskell. I myself have read and reviewed two of Gaskell's novels: North and South; and Wives and Daughters. You can read those reviews on The Joy of Reading book blog.

I haven't read any from Wilkie Collins, but I did check out The Moonstone from the library. I'll be starting that shortly. If you are interested in the classics then this could be fun. Also, soon there will be a sign-up for the tour in January and February. There is a list of American authors to vote on. The choices are Mark Twain, Willa Cather, John Steinbeck, and Edith Wharton. Go to the Classics Circuit blog to vote.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Genre: Children's Classic
My Goodreads rating: 5 of 5 

I simply love The Scarlet Pimpernel. This was my first time reading the book, but I have been a long time lover of the movie version with Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen. I also very recently was able to see the musical version. It was put on by the local high school. They did a pretty good job with it.

 

The Scarlet Pimpernel is set during the French Revolution. The French Aristocracy are all being executed by Madame Guillotine, but one Englishman and his band of followers are sneaking aristocrats out of the country to safety. That man is only known as the Scarlet Pimpernel, and his real identity is a mystery. The Committee of Public Safety, represented by a character named Chauvelin, would love nothing more than to see the Scarlet Pimpernel put to death by Madame Guillotine. Chauvelin uses all his wit, resources, and even blackmail to try to catch the Pimpernel. Here is a quote from the book that I found pretty well descriptive of Chauvelin's character:

He paused a moment, like a cat which sees a mouse running heedlessly by, ready to spring, yet waiting with that feline sense of enjoyment of mischief about to be done. Then he said quietly--
'Your brother, St Just, is in peril.'

This interaction takes place between Chauvelin and Marguerite Blakeney, whose brother Armand St Just is being used as a bargaining piece. Armand's safety is promised in return for the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Marguerite is a Frenchwoman who married an English dandy, Sir Percy Blakeney, who is generally viewed as the richest fool in England. Though Marguerite swears she has no idea who the Pimpernel is let alone discovering his identity, Chauvelin believes with her popularity as the most fashionable in England, as well as her connections to the Prince of Wales that she can find the information he needs. Little does Marguerite know, the Scarlet Pimpernel may be closer to her than she thinks.

This is possibly the most recognizable quote in the book. I am so glad it was actually in the book, because it is in the movie, and absolutely the funniest thing when recited at a party by Percy Blakeney.

"We seek him here, we seek him there,
Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven? - Is he in hell?
That demmed, elusive Pimpernel."

Note that I didn't make a spelling error; that is really how they spell damned in the copy of the book I read.
I read this book as part of a Classics Challenge. It is the last book I am reading for the challenge. It won't be the last classic I read this year, however. So stay tuned for more Classic reviews.

Reader Questions: Are you a Pimpernel fan? If so which is your favorite adaption of the book: one of the multiple movie versions or the musical? Who is your favorite character. Without a doubt, my favorite character is Percy!

Looking for more information on the Scarlet Pimpernel? Check out the Scarlet Pimpernel website.

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

The Three Musketeers
by Alexandre Dumas
My Goodreads rating: 4 of 5Looking for adventure? This book is for you!

The Three Musketeers follows the adventures of a young Gascon named D'Artagnan who dreams of becoming a King's Musketeer. The road to this title is wrought with peril. D'Artagnan starts out rather headstrong and impetuous. Before he even makes it to Musketeer headquarters he finds himself in a duel with an infamous man dressed all in black. This mysterious man is later known to be one of the Cardinal's henchmen.

Not much later in the story, D'Artangnan gets himself into more trouble by contracting himself to three duels in one day: one with Athos, one with Porthos, and one with Aramis, or as they are known throughout the land, the three musketeers. This is our first introduction to this illustrious trio, but they very soon become a foursome as D'Artagnan joins them in a fight against the Cardinal's guards. From that moment on they are bonded together.

Many of the adventures in this book revolve around D'Artagnan's desire to help his mistress, Constance Bonacieux, who is somehow tangled up with the affairs of the Cardinal. Inadvertantly, the foursome serve the Queen, Anne of Austria, and the Duke of Buckingham. Through many of these trials, we come face to face with one of the Cardinal's most deadly mercenaries: Milady deWinter. She is pure venom with an angel's face. She easily attracts and ensnares men, and D'Artagnan is not altogether resistant to her charms. It is funny to me how D'Artagnan's journey is spurred on in pusuit of a woman's love.

I started out listening to this book on my iPod, but I had to finish by reading due to problems with retreiving the files from my computer. I have to say that I had a much better understanding of the end of the book than the beginning. I think while I'm listening my mind tends to focus on doing other things at the same time. Much of the time I listened while sewing, so that may have been a bit of a distraction. The nice thing about listening was that I had no problem pronouncing all the French names and words. So that was a major plus. The other nice thing was the narrator wasn't annoying to listen to. That always helps when listening to an audiobook. If you are looking to listen to the audio version of this book, then I would recommend it.

I read this book as part of a Classics Challenge. The challenge is almost over, but please feel free to visit the site and see what everyone else is reading. I'm sure once this challenge is over another one will quickly take it's place.

Othe books by this author: The Count of Monte Cristo; Twenty Years After (Three Musketeers Sequel); The Man in the Iron Mask (Three Musketeers Book 3)

Reader Question: Do you parlez vous francais, or do you find it difficult to pronounce French words or phrases?

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Genre: Children's Classic/Adventure

My Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars

Argh me mateys! Make ready the sails, and swab the poop deck. The Hispaniola is about to set sail in search of the infamous treasure on Treasure Island. Join Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver, Captain Smollett and the rest of the crew in a tale of high adventure, piracy, danger, and coming of age. Whether you be a landlubber or a seafaring lad or lass, this story is sure to fill your lust for buried treasure.

This story begins in Bristol, England, where young Jim Hawkins lives and works in his parent's inn, The Admiral Benbow. There they lodge a pirate named Billy Bones who is continually on the look out for the feared one-legged man. When some former shipmates have a run in with Billy Bones, he receives a fatal wound. Upon searching  Billy Bones' chest, Jim finds a treasure map, but ends up running for his life when the aforementioned pirates ransack the inn looking for it. Jim takes the map to some respected men in town, Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney. The three form a secret pact to find the treasure. Squire Trelawney funds the trip, and so doing finds a ship and crew. Despite their pact to keep their knowledge about the treasure a secret, it seems the whole crew knows what the quest is about. They soon set sail for Treasure Island, but Jim Hawkins discovers that most of the crew, led by the ship's cook, Long John Silver, are planning a mutiny so they can keep the treasure for themselves. Jim now realizes that an adventurous trip for treasure has just turned deadly. Will he make it off Treasure Island alive?

Who doesn't like a story about pirates? I really enjoyed this book, even though I got a little bit lost with the nautical terms. I found myself comparing Jim Hawkins to William Turner, and Long John Silver to Captain Jack Sparrow. What can I say? I am a Pirates of the Caribbean fan.

Something I liked about this book was even though the pirates were despicable people, they still had that admirable quality of charisma. Long John Silver was such an intriguing man. As a reader, I really had no idea what his next play was going to be. Jim mentions towards the end of the book that Silver kept switching sides according to who might come out on top. It kind of reminds me of a quote from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Jack Sparrow says,

"Me, I'm dishonest, and you can always trust a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you want to watch out for, 'cause you can never predict if they're going to do something incredibly stupid."

I think that quote perfectly describes the characters in this book. Jim Hawkins is the honest man who throughout the story keeps doing incredibly stupid things. Long John Silver is obviously the dishonest man, but amazingly still manages to fool some or all of them at various points of the story.

I thought this was a great read as part of my Classics Challenge. I am glad I picked it up and want to recommend it to those who love adventure and pirate stories. Which leads to this question: Do you side with the Pirates or the Honest Men?

Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jo's Boys is the final story of the March family that began with Little Women. I don't know why it took me so long to read this book, but I renewed it three times, took it back to the library, checked it out again a few weeks later, and renewed it again before finally finishing. I am ashamed.

I did enjoy the book. It was fun to see how all the orginal students from Plumfield School ended up. This book also had some very apparent themes. A big one was women's rights. In her time, Louisa May Alcott was a big supporter of women's right to vote, and was the first woman in her county to register to vote. One can tell from her writing that she viewed women as capable as men and supported the idea that women become educated and do something meaningful with their lives. In our day that is the standard, but in her day it was pretty forward thinking. There are many parts throughout this book that exemplefies this thought. There is one part in particular where Nan, a girl aspiring to become a doctor, is trying to get the boys onto her side for woman's suffrage. One boy replies,

"I should be the most ungrateful fellow alive if I did not love, honor, and serve women with all my heart and might, for to them I owe everything I am or ever shall be."

I thought that quote very touching.

Another theme in the book is redemption. The book (and trilogy) as a whole is very Christian in nature. This book dealt a lot with coming of age, and learning through trials how to be a better person. There were stories of three boys in particular that each went through different struggles, but eventually redeemed themselves to become better men. Each of them stated that their education and times at Plumfield was their saving grace.

I believe a third theme was the importance of a good education, especially for females. I think that is pretty apparent, since the main setting of the book is the Laurence College (previously Plumfield school).

If you have read Little Women, I would fully encourage you to finish the trilogy and read Little Men and Jo's Boys. I daresay you won't be disappointed. I wanted to share the last line of Jo's Boys, because it does a nice job of ending the trilogy.

"And now, having endeavored to suit every one by many weddings, few deaths, and as much prosperity as the eternal fitness of things will permit, let the music stop, the lights die out, and the curtain fall forever on the March family."

I read this book as part of a Classic's Challenge.

Shakespeare - To Read or Not to Read

Recently my hubby and I have been playing a fun game at a friend's house called Shakespeare The Bard Game. It is really fun, but also time consuming. Fun features of the game include trivia questions about Shakespeare and his plays, and performance cards that have excerpts from the plays to perform for the group. While this game doesn't require a vast knowledge of Shakespeare to win, it sure has peaked my interest in reading more of Shakespeare's works.

Now I have a teeny tiny confession to make. I took two Shakespeare courses as part of my Bachelor's degree, and I totally bluffed my way through them. I don't exactly remember every play we were required to read, but I recall more than one that I didn't finish. Oops, my only excuse is I had the complex of not wanting to read something I was being forced to read. Has that happened to anyone else, and if so what books?

Here is a list of Shakespeare plays I've read starting with my favorites:

1. Twelfth Night, or What You Will (comedy) My absolute favorite, and love the movie version. Favorite character: Viola
2. Much Ado About Nothing (comedy) I love this one, and love the movie version. Favorite character: Benedick
3. King Lear (tragedy) Favorite character: Cordelia
4. A Midsummer Night's Dream (comedy) Favorite character: Bottom
5. Romeo and Juliet (tragedy) Favorite character: Juliet
   
6. MacBeth (tragedy) Favorite character: Lady MacBeth
7. The Merchant of Venice (comedy) I can't remember much of this one, which leads me to believe I never finished it. Oops.
8. Othello (tragedy) I never finished this one, but watched the movie version.
9. Hamlet (tragedy) I didn't finish this either, but want to watch the Mel Gibson movie version.
10. The Tempest (romance) I may have read snippets from this one.

So I guess I can only say I've read 6. It's time to brush up on my Shakespeare. What is your favorite Shakespeare play? For a reading challenge go to the Biblioshakespeare blog.