Never too Late to Read Classics discussion

What are Buddy Reads?

Just as the name states, it's about people reading books together. You set your reading pace, create your thread and talk about the Classic as you read it together. :)

A Buddy Read is when one or more persons agree to read a Classic with you, but not enough interest for the whole group.

Rules are based between the Buddies like: when you start, how many chapters at a time, what is discussed, just comments or questions about how you feel about the book. There is 'NO' time limit on how long it will take.

Others will pop in and make comments that have read the book but do not want to reread the book.

Mechanics:

1) Anybody can initiate this
2) Two or more members to read a book at the same time. They set the rules (how many pages per day, etc)
3) One Member can request a thread be opened
4) First Member of the request will invite others who might be interested
5) Discuss the Rules if any

If you want to read a book with a buddy, just post a comment under this thread, and ask a Moderator: "I would like a "Buddy Read" set-up for ... by ..."

Rosemarie, Rafael, Patrick or I will set up the Thread and PM you to let you know it is there. Once you have several responses after a time, Discuss when you would like to start, what edition you may be reading and such.

HAPPY READING!!!

Another Way To Look At It!

That brings back memories of volunteering in my daughters' elementary school when they were small.

Can Buddy Reads be requested in this thread? Do we have a place where people can request a book and others can join in?

I can open a thread for a buddy read if you want .This is the place to ask if anyone else is interested. Just let me know the name of the book.

Rosemarie wrote: "I can open a thread for a buddy read if you want .This is the place to ask if anyone else is interested. Just let me know the name of the book."

No, I was wondering if there was a place for people to request a book a small group could read. It just shows "What Is A Buddy Reads" and the Sherlock Holmes discussion. I would have set up a thread for people to request a book but didn't know what Lesle thought. I wanted to ask her before I do anything.

I don’t remember how we did it last time, but you can ask here and then we can delete the unnecessary comments after.

Do you have a particular book in mind, Patrick?

No here is fine Patrick. I can change the title to represent that. It states in Comment 1 how to make your request in this thread.
Sometime Buddy Reads suggestions come up in other threads too.
Rosemarie can set up a Buddy Read thread for you but it does take a least one other person to agree to join in.

Lesle wrote: "No here is fine Patrick. I can change the title to represent that. It states in Comment 1 how to make your request in this thread.
Sometime Buddy Reads suggestions come up in other threads too.
Ro..."

Which ever. Just asking.

Good idea, Patrick. I have been in a couple of buddy reads and enjoyed them.

Hi, I was thinking of a thread to get a discussion going to see how many people would be interested to read a novel and a screenplay based on that novel.

Looking at what the group is reading, I have found screenplays to all three LOTR, Troy (so Iliad), and 2001.

Also, available online are Sense and Sensibility and A Scarlett Letter. There are probably more out there.

I'm pretty sure they are all shooting scripts rather than earlier drafts, but I'm getting ahead of myself. I thought first of all just to get a sense if this of interest and if so then how to make it work.

Thanks :)

Read the scripts of the movie or watch the movie? I will be watching the movie for Swallows and Amazons next month after reading for the group children's book read.

Blueberry wrote: "Read the scripts of the movie or watch the movie? I will be watching the movie for Swallows and Amazons next month after reading for the group children's book read."

I didn't think of that - and I don't mind

Watching the movie based on a novel, I think will be as an interesting discussion as reading the screenplay

Just not sure how to put it together

would it be easier to have one thread per title, but to avoid too many threads that will limit how many can be discussed

OR

just anything and everything discussed under one thread, but then the posts discussing a specific novel-film may not be easy to find. hmmm, but maybe this does not matter

Blueberry and Inkspill
When you both decide how you want to go forward let me know and I will set it up. I wouldn't do more than two threads under the Buddy Read at a time.

Just let me know.

Blueberry got me thinking

just thinking out loud

how about 3 threads that cover adaptation of a book can be (and there maybe a better way to do this) divided in the following way:

the first covers titles beginning with A - G
the second covers titles beginning with H - N
the third covers titles beginning with O - Z

and how about if it's any adaptation, not just screenplays, so maybe it can be:
-- radio plays
-- theatre /& stage plays
-- other stories that work is influenced by / based on
-- other adaptations that I can't think of right now

like I've just finished reading Shakespeare's Hamlet that is based on an older story (side note: and I've so far come across ten movies based on Shakespeare's Hamlet).

but would covering any adaptation be too broad?
and where to fit in titles that start with a number?

I think a good way to go about this is one work at a time. When you finish that, you go on to the next one, and so on.
I studied literature in university and many works are adaptations of something that came earlier.

In one of the most recent posts in our thread Today in Literature, in message 898, we learned that certain authors did screenplays of a different author's work.
That could be one way to go in comparing the two versions.

Just a suggestion. Always assuming that the screen plays are readily available, of course.

Just wondering if Time Periods would be better than Titles?

As you stated the screenplays might not be available for all.

I am in a Science Fiction group where they use time periods. It seems to work well and helps simplify things too.

I'm open to whatever you decide.

My dad died yesterday and I just want to be sad for awhile and be a group observer for a week or so then will be back to host Swallows and Amazons in August.

My sincere condolences, Blueberry.

That sucks, Blueberry. Sorry to hear it.

Blueberry wrote: "I'm open to whatever you decide.

My dad died yesterday and I just want to be sad for awhile and be a group observer for a week or so then will be back to host Swallows and Amazons i..."

Sorry to read this Blieberry - no worries and take your time

Rosemarie wrote: " ... to go about this is one work at a time"

that could work - but what if, as Blueberry made me realise, some people want to watch the movie rather than read the script.

I haven't read 2001 - only read the screenplay and now watched the movie - but they are very different

and I've been mulling over the idea about adaptations so all the posts are in one place, Rosemarie you mention Today in Literature, in message 898 what an interesting post - I did not know all that

so, maybe we have two things here - a set of threads for people to post interesting info about other adaptations & a buddy read of a novel and a screenplay based on it, where we start with one title and see where that goes ???

If there’s an interest to have a set of 3 or 4 threads to post info about adaptations then I think they should be elsewhere on this group’s page – just not sure where. They should be in a place where they are easy to find to post questions or discuss an adaptation or just post info of an adaptation watched, read or listened to. And then easy for other to find to see if anyone has posted any info about an adapatation

This could become a real neat informal database that collates info on adaptations that have been made right round the world. Example: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050613/... Japanese adaptation of Macbeth
Lesle, I like your idea about splitting up the threads into time periods – yeah that could work.
Having it split by the beginning letters of a title means the poster does not have to take that extra step to look into when that novel was published – and if the name has a different name from the text it has been adapted from, then what name do they post it under? And how many titles begin with ‘a’ and ‘the’ ?
So, I’m not sure which would be easier splitting it in time periods or letters and I’m happy to go with either

Summing up:

I think there are 2 ideas here.

One is maybe to have a set of threads for people to post / discuss adaptations

The second is novel – screenplay comparison. Rosemarie, if you or anyone is interested then maybe we can pick a novel, my suggestions are below (feel free to add your thoughts), and the month we want to do this. If anyone wants to join in and make suggestions that’s neat.

Then maybe we can trial it out and see where it goes.
I have seen screenplays for the following novels, when we have decided I will double check that, for now, my novel suggestions are:

Double Indemnity - Cain
Big Sleep - Chandler
Strangers on a Train - Highsmith
LOTR - Tolkien
Sense and Sensibility - Austen
Dracula (1980) - Stoker
Revolutionary Road – Yates
Iliad – Homer, the screenplay is titled Troy
Hitchhiker’s Guide – Adams
The Scarlet Letter - Hawthorne

(BTW - I've not listed 2001: A Space Odyssey - Clarke, as I'm sorry to say I don't have a copy of that novel, but I have all the ones listed above)

But please feel free to put forward other suggestions or thoughts

Blueberry I am so sorry for your loss.

Prayer and Hugs to you and your family.

Inkspill
I do not think any of these are already schedule except Iliad.

They should not cause any overlap problem but Iliad, Not unless you read it later on.

Blueberry wrote: "I'm open to whatever you decide. My dad died yesterday and I just want to be sad for a while....

Sorry to hear that Blueberry. May his soul rest in peace.

Lesle wrote: "Inkspill
I do not think any of these are already schedule except Iliad.

They should not cause any overlap problem but Iliad, Not unless you read it later on."

I tried to pick novels that were published before 1969, but see I made a mistake with HG - and see that's published in 1979.

I did not think of checking your bookshelves, but found Austen and Stoker are listed - I don't know if that helps.

And yes, Iliad is being read now but I think LOTR is coming up.

I'm happy to go with Troy or a screenplay for one of the three books that make up LOTR.

And on a separate issue, does several threads - located elsewhere - where adaptations are discussed sounds like a good idea ?

So sorry for your loss, Blueberry.

Thank you everyone for the condolences.

Your more than welcome Blueberry

Is anyone interested in doing a Buddy Read of Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman in 2019? Ideally we’d start in January or February, but at 800+ pages, I’m more interested in finding at least one reading partner to discuss and share it with than I am having my way on timing. We’d probably do well to tackle it 50 pages per week or so, but that’s subject to other readers’ preferences as well. Takers?

Carol, I’d be up for Life and Fate after the holidays. It has been sitting on my bookcase for far too long.

Kristen wrote: "Carol, I’d be up for Life and Fate after the holidays. It has been sitting on my bookcase for far too long."

Kristen, this is most excellent news! We’ll circle up in the new year, open a thread and figure out how we want to manage it.

All are welcome, if anyone wants to join us...

Carol wrote: "Kristen wrote: "Carol, I’d be up for Life and Fate after the holidays. It has been sitting on my bookcase for far too long."

Kristen, this is most excellent news! We’ll circle up in the new year, ..."
Wonderful!

Moderators: Please set up a thread for our Buddy Read of Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman.

Carol wrote: "Moderators: Please set up a thread for our Buddy Read of Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman."

Yay! Happy New Year, Carol, and to all the classics readers in this group. Looking forward to Life and Fate!

Kristen wrote: "Carol wrote: "Moderators: Please set up a thread for our Buddy Read of Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman."

Yay! Happy New Year, Carol, and to all the classics readers i..."

I bought it in hardbound to take advantage of the good quality paper and legible font. It is 7 - 8 pounds, to be sure, but I'm delighted to be looking forward to this read.

Happy New Year to you, Kristen!

I just looked up the publishing history of Life and Fate. Even though it was written in 1960, it took 20 years to get published, and then only because it was smuggled out.
It sounds like a fascinating book.

I will start a thread for you under Buddy Reads.

Rosemarie wrote: "I just looked up the publishing history of Life and Fate. Even though it was written in 1960, it took 20 years to get published, and then only because it was smuggled out.
It sounds li..."

Thank you, Rosemarie! Yes, Russia censored it and Grossman died before it was published. We are all most grateful to the smuggler/s.

Carol wrote: "Thank you, Rosemarie! Yes, Russia censored it and Grossman died before it was published. We are all most grateful to the smuggler/s. "

The great Russian nuclear physicist and dissident Andrei Sakharov was instrumental in smuggling Life and Fate out of the Soviet Union.

He made a microfilm of the samizdat manuscript Grossman had given him for safekeeping and that's how he (Sakharov) was able to get it out of the country.

Pillsonista wrote: "Carol wrote: "Thank you, Rosemarie! Yes, Russia censored it and Grossman died before it was published. We are all most grateful to the smuggler/s. "

The great Russian nuclear physicist and disside..."

I didn’t know that — thanks for the details.

This seems like a good-natured idea, though there are some books that I cannot see a group reading, such as the entirety of Don Quixote or Norton's Anthology of Eastern Literature. If anyone wants to read either, I would not mind reading them (and losing my eyesight)

[Evidently, I already am, as noted by the lack of punctuation. And I have not even done SATs yet. Dread the small print.]

Hi, Jordan. We read Don Quixote as a Hefty Book group read in 2018. If anyone wants to read along with you, you can continue your discussion using that thread.
Or feel free to post any of your own comments there.
Also, anyone can comment on any of the past reads at any time, because the threads stay open-- and other members do read and respond to any new comments.

Jordan
Rosemarie is very helpful in reminding us that our threads stay open just for Members just joining in or even Members that just didn't have time that month to read with the group or just didn't get finished at the end of the month.

When you make comments (I know for me) on any thread current or past that it will show up in my notifications and I will check out your comment!

Hi, I’m pencilling in to read the below in the remainder of the year.
If it appeals feel free to join me. Thanks.

In first half of July The Barretts of Wimpole Street play based on life of Elizabeth Barrett Browning
In second half of July Sonnets From the Portuguese

July - the odyssey Walter Shewring (Translator)
Sept - the odyssey translation Emily Wilson
Nov - Ulysses the short version


And I don't mind if you read different versions / translations of Odyssey or Joyce's Ulysses.

Inkspill, if you want to open the threads under Buddy Read as you go, your more than welcome to.

I think it would others wanting to join in!

Martin, I will check to see if we have read it as group first, or if we are planning to read it this year, before I set up a buddy read thread. Welcome to the group.
It is set up.

Welcome Martin!

If you dont mind in the thread Rosemarie set up for you
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

If you restate (or copy over) what you mentioned above would be helpful to gather Members that would like to join in with you!