I came back to the Back to the Classics Challenge after taking a few years off. I initially thought that I would only do the most basic level (six categories), but I wound up going all in and have completed my last of the twelve categories.
Here are the categories for the 2018 Back to the Classics Challenge and my final list:
1. A 19th century classic - any book published between 1800 and 1899.
The Wrong Box by Robert Louis Stevenson & Lloyd Osbourne [1889] (4/3/18)
2. A 20th century classic - any book published between 1900 and 1968. Just like last year, all books MUST have been published at least 50 years ago to qualify. The only exception is books written at least 50 years ago, but published later, such as posthumous publications.
Go Down, Moses by William Faulkner [1942] (3/30/18)
3. A classic by a woman author.
Enter a Murderer by Ngaio Marsh [Golden Age Mystery; 1935] (2/7/18)
4. A classic in translation. Any book originally written published in a language other than your native language. Feel free to read the book in your language or the original language. (You can also read books in translation for any of the other categories). Modern translations are acceptable as long as the original work fits the guidelines for publications as explained in the challenge rules.
The Love Songs of Sappho by Sappho; Trans by Paul Roche [circa 7th century BCE] (5/23/18)
5. A children's classic. Indulge your inner child and read that classic that you somehow missed years ago. Short stories are fine, but it must be a complete volume. Picture books don't count!
The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver by Thornton W. Burgess [1917] (2/8/18)
6. A classic crime story, fiction or non-fiction. This can be a true crime story, mystery, detective novel, spy novel, etc., as long as a crime is an integral part of the story and it was published at least 50 years ago. Examples include The 39 Steps, Strangers on a Train, In Cold Blood, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, etc. The Haycraft-Queen Cornerstones list is an excellent source for suggestions.
Death in Ecstasy by Ngaio Marsh (1936)
7. A classic travel or journey narrative, fiction or non-fiction. A journey should be a major plot point, i.e., The Hobbit, Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, Kon-Tiki, Travels with Charley, etc.
Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain (1883) [3/10/18]
8. A classic with a single-word title. No articles please! Proper names are fine -- Emma, Germinal, Middlemarch, Kidnapped, etc.).
She by H. Rider Haggard (1886) [7/17/18]
9. A classic with a color in the title. The Woman in White; Anne of Green Gables; The Red and the Black, and so on.
The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang (1894) [7/25/18]
10. A classic by an author that's new to you. Choose an author you've never read before.
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (1948) [8/5/18]
11. A classic that scares you. Is there a classic you've been putting off forever? A really long book which intimidates you because of its sheer length? Now's the time to read it, and hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised!
Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin (1820) [7/22/18]
12. Re-read a favorite classic. Like me, you probably have a lot of favorites -- choose one and read it again, then tell us why you love it so much.
Good work! I have not read any of these except Pride and Prejudice. You've given me some ideas for next year! I finished up my list for this challenge a few weeks ago but hadn't thought to write a wrap-up post yet. I should do that soon instead of waiting til the end of the year.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on finishing the challenge. I have one more to read myself, and am amazed to be that close to the end this early in the year. I would like to reread I Capture the Castle again—it’s been quite awhile since I read that one. I also like Robert Louis Stevenson and The Wrong Box sounds like a fun read.
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