Classics Challenge Wrap-Up

I'm happy to announce I have completed the last book challenge I signed up for this year!

As you my recall I finished another challenge earlier this month, the LitFlicks Challenge. You can read more about this challenge by clicking on the aforementioned link or by using the "LitFlicks" label on the right-hand sidebar of this blog.

The latest challenge I completed was the Classics Challenge 2008, which required me to read one classic each month starting in July and ending in December. I read a few more than six classics over the last six months, but I only chose one from each month to include in my entries for the challenge. To find out more about this challenge or to read my reviews click here: Classics Challenge or by use the "Classics Challenge" label on the right-hand side bar of this blog.

Completed classics include:

July: Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy
August: Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
September: Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
October: Rip Van Winkle And Other Stories by Washington Irving
November: Bleak House by Charles Dickens
December: Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

It has been a lot of fun to participate in these two book challenges. Both not only motivated my reading, but also linked me with other readers and bloggers.

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

My first encounter with Jules Verne was many years ago when my mother read aloud to my siblings and I the novel Around the World in Eighty Days. I remember enjoying the book, but for some reason have always steered clear from reading any of Verne’s works myself. But the recent adaptation of Journey to the Center of the Earth starring Brendan Fraser sparked interest. I wanted to see the movie, but felt I should first read the book. And it’s a good thing I did, I've since learned that the movie is a modern-day sequel of sorts and only loosely based off the novel.

The novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth, opens in 1863 Germany and is told through a first person narrative of Harry with the occasional journal entry and various conversations between Harry and his uncle, Professor Hardwigg, as well as other supporting characters. At the start of the book Harry and his uncle discover a secret manuscript hidden by the famous 13th century scientist, Arne Sknussemm. By a stroke of luck Harry solves the secret message in the manuscript which reveals directions for the journey of all journeys – an expedition to the center of the earth.

Professor Hardwigg, an impatient and very optimistic man, desires to set off on the journey immediately and begins packing his trunks, with or without Harry.

Harry, who tends toward the overly cautious and pessimistic view, is reluctant to join his uncle on what he considers an insane and impossible journey. In a way, Journey to the Center of the Earth is a "coming-of-age" story for Harry, albeit different than most because he is rather the reluctant hero. Harry does join his uncle, but spends the first half of the novel trying to convince his uncle that it is a fool’s journey and should be abandoned.

The two are joined by Hans, their Icelandic guide, who unlike both the Professor Hardwigg and Harry, is a quiet and steady character. In fact, he is described late in the novel as being both "patient and phlegmatic" –- a very accurate description as he speaks little more than a dozen words in the entire story and shows little to no emotion resulting in what I found to be a rather two-dimensional character.

Along the way the three men encounter many difficulties and dangers -- both mineral and animal -- and it is through these "adventures" that Harry grows and matures and transforms from a reluctant adventurer to a hero.

I was surprised to find the novel (written in the early 1860s) based heavily on evolution (the ice age, prehistoric animals and man, extinction through evolution, etc.) I've since learned that Jules Verne was inspired by Charles Lyell's Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man, a book supporting the anti-Biblical worldview of evolution and natural selection. This was a bit of disappointment to me as I feel Jules Verne could have made an even better novel had he stuck to a Biblical world-view of Creationism, but apparently not everyone feels as I do -- Journey to the Center of the Earth is considered a classic and is still in print nearly 150 years later.

Overall I found Journey to the Center of the Earth to be an interesting read. I admit, some of the scientific dialog went over my head, but I enjoyed the story as a "sci-fi adventure". And evolution aside, the very concept of a journey to the center of the earth at a time when little was known or understood about the earth makes for an exciting and fascinating tale, one that combined with good writing is sure to become a classic. Jules Verne was considered the King of Science Fiction and it is clear he had an amazing imagination. The only "dull" part of the book for me was towards the middle when it seemed the characters would forever follow the labyrinth of tunnels, but I pressed on and was rewarded as the story picked up in the last chapters.

I may pick up another of Verne's works, but for now I've satisfied my curiosity. On a scale of one to five, 1 being horrible and five being excellent, I would rate Journey to the Center of the Earth a 3.5. I liked the book, it was "ok" -- but it wasn't a favorite. I enjoyed it more than I anticipated, but don't plan to add it to my personal collection (I borrowed my copy from the library).

With that said, I would recommend this book to readers who have seen or plan to see the recent film adaptation and to fans of sci-fi literature, particularly those with an interest in earth science. But for those sharing my worldview of Biblical Creationism, I caution them to be prepared to find a story that holds a different worldview. As for the reader who is just looking for a Jule Verne novel to read I would suggest they consider first reading Around the World in Eighty Days.

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Bleak House is a masterpiece of a story. Like most of Charles Dickens' novels the book has a central plot, a lead cast, and many supporting characters that have their own stories carefully woven back and forth with the main plot. The result is a complex and very detailed story -- a classic. That being said, I will attempt to summarize the plot and characters of Bleak House in four points before closing with my overall thoughts of the book.

First, Bleak House is told by two narrators. The first is an unnamed person who relates the story in real time, though not what is thought or felt by the characters, just what is seen and heard. The second narrator is the sweet and lovable orphaned, Esther Summerson. Esther's story is told in the first person and generally in the past tense. Even though the story bounces back and forth between these two narrators there is little to no confusion. Dickens is successful in keeping the story fresh and allowing the reader to learn more than what would be possible with only one of these narrators.

Second, the plot centers around the interminable case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, which has been plodding on in the English court system for many years and will continue to do so until the end of time as many believe. But there are also some who believe the judgment is coming soon. But unfortunately this belief often leads to an unhappy end. The book’s subplots include love and romance, several mysteries, a murder and a critique of both society and the court system.

Third, the title -- Bleak House -- is also the name of John Jarndyce's home. John Jarndyce inherited the home from a relative who, despairing over his loss of wealth and the never ending court case, committed suicide some years earlier. At the beginning of the book Esther, along with Richard "Rick" Carstone and Ada Claire (both wards in the Jarndyce case) come to live at Bleak House where John Jarndyce is their kind and generous guardian.

Fourth, the "plot" thickens as the reader becomes acquainted with the rest of the lead cast and supporting characters. A few such people include: Sir Leicester and Lady Deadlock, who live at Chesney Wold, a country estate, and who are distantly connected with the Jarndyce case. Then there’s Tulkinghorn, the very loyal and yet menacing lawyer who serves Sir Leicster and inflicts trouble on others; Krook the landlord and keeper of a junk shop who meets with a bizarre death; Nemo, a poor law writer, who dies early in the story shrouded in mystery; Miss Flight, a slightly-crazy woman who keeps birds in cages to be set free on the "day of judgment"; Mr. Guppy, a silly law clerk in love with Esther; Harold Skimpole a "simple child"; Inspector Bucket, the detective who solves more than just a murder; and of course Dr. Alan Woodcourt, Mr. George, and Jo, each who play a special role in the story.

Not only is Bleak House complex, it is also at times wordy. But don’t let that stop you from reading this book, or any book by Charles Dickens. You may wonder how such writing could ever have been so popular, but it makes sense when you take in account the form of the book and the era in which it was written. Almost all of Dickens' books, including Bleak House, were written in serial form with two to three chapters published each month over the course of a year and a half. Read in such small segments and over such a long period of time Bleak House was easily digested and made for great entertainment in an era when there was no electricity or television and readers had longer attention spans and less to distract them.

I took my time reading Bleak House, although I often found myself plowing through chapter after chapter, eager to find out what was going to happen next. In the end, it took me a little over a month to read the book. This may sound daunting to some readers, but for the determined reader this book is worth the time. While I have not read every book by Charles Dickens, I do believe it is safe for me to say Bleak House is not just a masterpiece, it is likely his best work. There are so many elements to the story and the characters are rich both in description and conversation. I loved this story. It was a little work to get through it, but I am proud to have read the book and it will remain a life-long favorite.

For those of you who love classics, love Dickens, or love a good long read I highly recommend adding Bleak House to your personal library.

For those of you who are nervous about reading a 989 page book written in 1853 consider borrowing a copy from your library, or better yet, buy an inexpensive copy that will permit you to take your time reading. It’s ok if it takes you a couple months read, in the end you’ll be glad you did.

------------------
For further aide in reading checkout the following suggestions:

- Watch the movie first. Masterpiece Theatre (PBS and BBC) produced an excellent miniseries based off the book. I watched it last year and it was very well made. The actors, the costumes, the sets -- all where excellent! Having now read the book I can also say the film stayed very true to the book, albeit a few minor details. I normally read a book and then watch the film, but I confess, this is one that I am glad I did the opposite. Having seen the miniseries first helped me keep straight in my mind the numerous characters and their stories while I read the book.

- Another idea is to read a chapter and then read the Cliff Notes for that chapter. By reading them in this order you will not spoil the surprises in each chapter, but will be able to review what you’ve read and see if you’ve missed or misunderstood anything. There were a few times while reading that I did refer to the online Cliff Notes just to make sure I understood the previous chapter correctly.

- Last, a word of caution. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT read the summary on Wikipedia until after you have either seen the movie or read the book. Wikipedia's summary and description include numerous spoilers and it’s a surefire way to spoil the suspense of the book. If you are looking for a good place to find out "Who's who" and your book doesn't include a list, then check out Masterpiece Theater's listing. Not everyone in the book was included in the movie, but almost everyone was. It really helped me when I couldn't remember a name.

Rip Van Winkle And Other Stories by Washington Irving

The local library has a special book rack containing many of the most famous classics. The copies are available for borrowing with no return date. A patron may borrow the book for as long as they want without ever having to renew. This is where I picked up a copy containing five of Washington Irving's short stories.

I've always been curious to read Rip Van Winkle and as a child I enjoyed the Disney cartoon version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but again, I'd never read the story. As for the other three stories: The Spectre Bridegroom, The Pride of the Village, and Mountjoy -- I knew nothing of them.

Rip Van Winkle is the story of a lazy man who is henpecked by his wife. Rip is always willing to do what needs to be done.... so long as it is for someone else, some stranger. If a job has anything to do with work at home he has no interest. One afternoon Rip goes off into the woods of the Catskill Mountains (outside of New York City) and meets with a strange band of men bowling in a gully. After drinking a beverage offered to him he falls asleep. Rip awakens to what he believes is the next morning... only to discover he has slept away 20 years of his life. This story was clever and amusing and the sort of tale born from local legends and myths. It is a fun read aloud.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow tells the story of a rather nerdy schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, his courtship of the beautiful Katrina Van Tassel, his rival Abraham "Brom" Van Brunt, and his very spooky encounter one fateful night with the Headless Horseman. Next to Rip Van Winkle, this is probably the most famous of Irving's tales, perhaps it IS the most famous. The story has been made into various movies, include the aforementioned 1949 Disney cartoon. Another mostly altered version is the Tim Burton horror film Sleepy Hollow, which I have not seen. I have found the original to be plenty spooky enough and a wonderful read-aloud even if it isn't anywhere near All Hallows Eve.

The Spectre Bridegroom is a lesser-known tale of Irving's, but it is still a wonderful sample of his writing. It is the story of youth, love, romance, death, ghosts, and some witty moments. It has the spookiness of a ghost tale, the legend/myth of a Rip Van Winkle type story, a little humor and romance to round the story out. Although I still think Sleepy Hollow is my favorite of Irving's tales, The Spectre Bridegroom is a close second.

The Pride of the Village was a gloomier tale without being the least bit spooky. It opens with the narrator telling of a funeral train traveling through a small English town. You soon learn that one of the most beautiful and innocent maidens in the village has died. It is the story of this maiden and the disappointment of love that brings about her tragic and untimely death. I didn't like it as well as the others as I found the story a little confusing.

Mountjoy is the last and the longest short story included in this collection. Mr. Mountjoy is a young student in rural New England. Not unlike man young males of a certain age, Mountjoy has the tendency to display a rather macho arrogance about his large accumulation of knowledge. At a moment when he believes he has nothing more to learn... he takes up reading novels of romance, something of a surprise and horror to him at first. After all, up to this point Mountjoy viewed novels as beneath the attention of a philosopher such as himself. But soon he is swept up in the romance of the language and finds himself overflowing with poetry and romance. He sees beauty everywhere he looks, including in the small footsteps of an unseen maiden. A series of events leads him to the opportunity of not only meeting this maiden, but staying in her home where he is determined to impress her and her family with his vast knowledge. What he doesn't expect is to find himself the student. This story might be considered a romance, but it is even more so a humorous story complete with morals for the young. I really enjoyed this story and wished it had a sequel as the ending leads you to wonder if there might have been one.

Over all, this collection is a great introduction to the writings of a man considered the "Father of American Literature". I may be finished with these short stories by Washington Irving, but I am interested in finding and reading more in the future.

This particular collection titled, Rip Van Winkle And Other Stories is a Puffin Classics publication and was 175 pages. For some it might be a very fast read, but I chose to read one story at a time spreading them out over the course of a couple weeks -- a little reading here and a little there. Irving's writing is clear and humorous, but it was written in the early 1800s and as such is not as quick of a read as O. Henry's short stories were.

If you haven't taken time to read a little Irving, be sure to add him to your list of authors to investigate.

Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser

It has taken me a couple days to collect my thoughts on Theodore Dreiser’s first and notoriously controversial novel, Sister Carrie.

Sister Carrie is the story of Caroline “Carrie” Meeber, an 18-year old young woman who, as the story opens, is traveling from her home in the country to the bustling metropolis of Chicago where she is to live with her married sister and find a job. During her train ride the shy and naive Carrie meets a very handsome and attentive salesman, Charles Drouer. It is through Drouer that Carrie’s life changes. After little success finding steady work Carrie is forced to come to the realization she cannot stay in Chicago, she must return home... unless she makes a rather unconventional choice... Which she does. Carrie moves in with Drouer under the false pretense that they are married. And so with that one choice Carrie sets down a road that forever changes her life and eventually herself as a person.

Each choice, each decision takes Carrie further from her former life and her child-like innocence and each leads her closer to what she thinks will bring ultimate happiness. But as anyone who has a Christian worldview must guess, it does not. Carrie, her lovers, her friends and other side-line characters in the story do not demonstrate unconditional love. They have only self-love and the desire to find pleasure for themselves -- be it money, fashion, travel, attention, or travel.

Looking at Sister Carrie from the perspective of someone living in the 21st century nothing is surprising -- it's pretty normal to see people lead the life that Carrie does in this book, but for it's time at the dawn of the 20th century when social morality was at a higher level it must have been very scandalous and unthinkable. And apparently it was, for when Dreiser brought Sister Carrie to publishers no one would print it. And when one finally did it was a slightly altered ending and even then the publisher did little to advertise the book.

What was so scandalous? It was more than the fact that Carrie begins her life of style in Chicago as a “kept woman” (note: no details are included, mostly you get the gist if you read between the lines). The book begins with that but pretty soon Carrie's desire for fashion and attention lead her to an affair with a married man and eventually to a life that focuses only on what she wants to make herself happy regardless the cost to others. Also when confronted with something unpleasant it was quite common for the characters to justify their actions and make excuses rather than show humility and repentance. Apparently the greatest objection by readers over a hundred years ago was the lack of repentance by Carrie and those surrounding her. The author made an effort at the "poetic justice" which readers sought, but it was a half-hearted effort.

Eighty years after it's first publication Dreiser's original work was republished, this time without the "poetic justice" ending. Apparently society in the 1980s was at last ready to welcome such a book. Critics today believe Sister Carrie was a turning point in literature, not really surprising when you look at some of the supposed "great" books turned out during the 20th century.

From what I’ve read of Theodore Dreiser as a person, he had very a secular and socialistic worldview and yet I think in spite of this Dreiser was still able to portray a study of character in a way that often escapes modern writers, including Christians.

The story of Carrie, her lovers and friends was not depressing, but it was pitiful. And yet, I was compelled to finish this book. It is argued by critics whether Dreiser was a good writer. While he's certainly no Dickens or Austen, he's also no Steinbeck or Hemingway. I didn't hate the book, I never was attached enough to any of the characters to have any emotions. Instead I felt like an outside observer.

What I took from this book was this: In our lives we all make choices. For those who choose to reject God and set their own life-code, for those who choose to live for pleasure regardless of the consequences they may succeed in gaining material goods, but in the end they have only truly succeeded in hurting others and hurting themselves. There is no true happiness, no life-joy. There is no fulfillment.

This could be a story told today; the choices they made then are not very much unlike choices made every day by those around us. I would recommend Sister Carrie, but with some footnotes to that recommendation. First, this may be a great story for anyone interested in a story set in a different era, it's good for that. Second, it's a good story for those wanting a book that reflects character and lack of character in people. Third and last, I would remind the reader that this is not a happy story. It is not filled with heroes, heroines, true love and knights in shining armor. But it's still not a complete waste.

The copy I read was 557 pages, a copy I stumbled upon while browsing the shelves in my local library. My favorite aspect of this book was its age. Published in 1920 the book smelled deliciously its age. Call me strange, but whenever I picked up the book to commence reading I had to first take a whiff. I love the smell of old books.

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

A delightful reading... A wonderfully clever and romantic tale... on par with the best of 19th century classics... that's what comes to mind when I try to describe how I feel about Elizabeth Gaskell's final novel, Wives and Daughters.

Published in serial form from 1864 to 1866, Wives and Daughters is the story of Molly Gibson the seventeen-year old daughter of a widowed country doctor. Set in the English town of Hollingford, Mrs. Gaskell writes at her very best as she weaves a tale of romance, mystery, gossip and scandal, sorrow (including death), and just the day-t0-day life of the 1830s. Through the story the reader is introduced to so many unforgettably wonderful and varying characters.

The hardest part of this story is that at the very end... one chapter away from a beautiful "happily ever after" Austen-type ending, Mrs. Gaskell died. The last chapter (Chapter 60) leaves you with a hint of what was to come in the next chapter or conclusion, but sadly the reader doesn't have the joy of reading it in her words. Instead the conclusion is written by Gaskell's editor and he kindly lays out what the final chapter was to include as well as further insights into the characters in the story.

But even though you, the reader, are robbed the pleasure of reading the beautiful ending in Mrs. Gaskell's words, you do not lose the chance to find out exactly how the "happily ever after" was to play out, which as the editor said, "is what we are most concerned about."

I loved this story. It is a must read, especially for those fond of any 19th century classic. I first learned the story of Molly Gibson and her world when I watched the BBC adaptation last summer. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and decided that I must read the book. Unfortunately the length of the book (649 pages) and the fact that the story was published unfinished kept me from reading it. Of course only later did I discover that while "unfinished" the editor did include a conclusion (see above), which made me much happier at the thought of reading it.

And so when the mood struck I took Wives and Daughters from my bookshelf and dove in. I quickly found the story captivating and very difficult to put down, but of course due to its length it did take some time to read. Now that I've finished it I am only sorry I waited so long to read it! It is a delightful story and claims a top spot on my "Favorite Books" list.

Of course now that I've read it I must go back and re-watch the movie, which I am pleased to say was very true to the book. It was one of the best adaptations I've ever seen (on par with the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice). The only variation from the book is the ending -- the screenwriter kindly made a few alterations to the ending which allow the viewer to see what could have been included in the book had Mrs. Gaskell lived a few more weeks.

If you have not read this book add it to your list, you won't regret the time it takes to read it.

*As a postscript some may find it interesting -- I read that the title Wives and Daughters was a nod of sorts by Gaskell to the 1862 novel Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. I know little of the latter, but thought it an interesting little factoid.

Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

Last summer I went on a BBC/Masterpiece Theatre movie spree. I borrowed several of the films from our local library, one included Under the Greenwood Tree, which was loosely based off the novel by the same title. I say loosely because now having read the book I find little the same between the book and the film.

Under the Greenwood Tree follows the concerns of the Mellstock Quire and the romance between a young member of the choir, Richard "Dick" Dewy, and the beautiful new schoolmistress, Miss Fancy Day. Over the course of a year (divided into five parts within the book) Dick pursues Fancy... who also happens to be pursued by two other eligible men: a rich older farmer, Mr. Shiner, and the young vicar, Mr. Maybold.

That much, the framework of the story, is the same between the movie and the book, but when it comes to the details and specific scenes there is little the same. Until nearly the end of the movie you are left clueless as to how things will turn out -- who will win Fancy's love? Who will she choose, will it be the one she loves, or the one she's bound by duty to marry? The Mellstock Quire's story, a starring role at the beginning of the film and book, soon fades to a supporting role. The book is less surprising. Just a little past the half-way mark of the book a reader has a very good idea how it will end.

I found the book a pleasant and fairly quick read. It is only 198 pages and for the interested there are appendixes with notes regarding various statements or phrases or words used in the text that might be unfamiliar to readers today. Hardy's writing was easy to follow, though at times I felt some scenes with supporting characters seemed to drag on a little too long. The story is a glimpse of English country life in the 1800s, but it's not without its own humor. The text was ripe with quotes and I couldn't help jotting down a few of my favorites in my "Book of Books".

Comparing the movie and the book -- I did miss some of the scenes that the screenwriter created (by reading between the lines of the book text?) mostly because of the drama or intensity that they added to the story, but over all I still very much enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested or has seen the movie. One might find watching the movie first a little helpful before reading the book, but not entirely necessary.

Surprisingly Thomas Hardy was once considered as famous an author as Charles Dickens, though in all honesty before seeing the Masterpiece film version of this book I'd never heard of the man or any of his works. Under the Greenwood Tree was originally published anonymously in 1872, but later as Hardy's writing became more prolific and popular he began using his real name. Though UTGT is considered by many as one of Hardy's more "gentle and pastoral" novels, Hardy himself struggled with his faith and views of Christianity. If I stumble across another of Hardy's novels I might include it in my "To read" list, but I think I've read his best in this book.