Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

This thread is for dropping ideas, questions, resources, comments, and discussion about Task 22: A Book Published Before 1850.

Pride and Prejudice for me, I've never read it (gasp).

My contenders:
Oliver Twist by Dickens
Three Musketeers by Dumas
Mansfield Park by Austen
Vanity Fair by Thakeray
Dead Souls by Gogol
The Red and the Black by Stendhal

I've got lots of classics on my tbr to choose from.

I'll read Sense and Sensibility

I have a copy of The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling I've owned forever and never read.

For all you posting books by Jane Austen know that 2015 is the 200th publication anniversary for Emma so that might be a good idea to read. I'll be rereading it at some point this year.

Amelia wrote: "For all you posting books by Jane Austen know that 2015 is the 200th publication anniversary for Emma so that might be a good idea to read. I'll be rereading it at some point this year."

Awww Emma is my fave Jane Austen novel. Mr Knightly is my fictional boyfriend.

As someone who has read Beowulf in the original Old English, and Chaucer in the original Middle English, I would recommend either of these in the original with a good side by side translation or glossary. I may go back and re-read Chaucer; it's been a while. If I dig through my apartment, I may also be able to find my original unglossed Beowulf....

Amelia wrote: "For all you posting books by Jane Austen know that 2015 is the 200th publication anniversary for Emma so that might be a good idea to read. I'll be rereading it at some point this year."

Good to know! I just bought a copy of Emma not too long ago, so that will have to be my choice for this

Currently reading Don Quixote, and I'll probably still be reading it in January, so I guess I'll start with that!

For me, it will be either Sense & Sensibility or Vanity Fair.

The Vicar of Wakefield(1830) - in my radar.

I will also join those reading Jane Austen: I've had Emma on my shelf for some time.

I will join those reading Austen for the challenge and will read Emma.

Gullivers travels for me.

Hmm, think I'm going to tackle some early Dickens for this one. Any suggestions? Loved Bleak House, bored by Nicholas Nickleby. Dombey and Son and Oliver Twist are pre-1850 Dickens that I already own.

More options from my owned shelf: Père Goriot, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, and a few pre-printing press titles if I'm feeling really ambitious.

I'm envious of you guys that still have Austen left to read! I love almost of all of her novels (admittedly not a huge Mansfield fan). My fiance and I briefly considered Knightley as a middle name for the son we're expecting in a few weeks :).

Threemoons wrote: "As someone who has read Beowulf in the original Old English, and Chaucer in the original Middle English, I would recommend either of these in the original with a good side by side translation or g..."

Does Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary by J.R.R. Tolkein count? The original was written a little before 1850. Or should I move that into the book that was originally published in another language category?

I'm thinking one of Austen's or Don Quixote. Probably an Austen, though.

I'm going to read Sense & Sensibility.

Ivanhoe or the Three Musketeers... as I have not read either one... or The Pickwick Papers as it is already in my library and I have not read it... clearly slacking...

Sininenkuu wrote: "Threemoons wrote: "As someone who has read Beowulf in the original Old English, and Chaucer in the original Middle English, I would recommend either of these in the original with a good side by si..."

I think Beowulf counts, no matter the translation :)

Book Riot wrote: "I think Beowulf counts, no matter the translation :)"

Awesome! I'm still deciding between Beowulf and The Kalevala. Or perhaps both.

Northanger Abbey-Austen

Angela wrote: "Hmm, think I'm going to tackle some early Dickens for this one. Any suggestions? Loved Bleak House, bored by Nicholas Nickleby. Dombey and Son and Oliv..."</i>

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
is brilliant. Probably my favorite book by a Bronte sister.

Going with Mansfield Park!

I'll probably go with either The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, which was on some list of "must-read" books I found somewhere, or The Last of the Mohicans.

I am planning to reread The Iliad and The Odyssey. However, I am also reading two novellas written in 1843: A Christmas Carol by Dickens and The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen.

A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe, published 1722.

I'm going for The Aeneid, I've been working on it in Latin class in high school, it's about time I finish it !

Either going for emma by jane austen or pere goriot by honore de balzac

I have The Last of the Mohicans planned for this task, but I am thinking of changing that to A Journal of the Plague Year, which I have sitting as one of my unfinished books.

After reading The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (in which the main character is named Gogol), I'm curious to read some Gogol...

Going for something by the Bronte sisters-- either Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte or Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I have long wanted to read "The Count of Monte Christo" Bonuses: it is a translation (#19) and a romance (#13).

I was going to read Lady Audley's Secret....then realized it was pubbed 1861/2. Darn.

Off to go root through my Penguin Black Spines/Oxford World's Classics collection again :p

Carrie wrote: "I've always wanted to read Dante's Inferno, so I think that will be my pick."

Oooh, forgot I have a copy of that...grrr...so many books, so little time...

Sininenkuu wrote: "Threemoons wrote: "As someone who has read Beowulf in the original Old English, and Chaucer in the original Middle English, I would recommend either of these in the original with a good side by si..."

I would go with a good side-by-side translation and count it as "before 1850." Can't speak to Tolkien's edition but it can't be bad. :D

Going to read Emma! I have never read it before so this should be fun. :)

Janet wrote: "I have long wanted to read "The Count of Monte Christo" Bonuses: it is a translation (#19) and a romance (#13)."

Yes, but I think the idea is to have a different book for each of the 24 challenges. Or maybe you meant it gives you more flexibility, you can count it for any of those, depending what else you read later in the year. On the other hand, I am in 2 other challenges from other groups and in that case I am gong to use one book for 2 or 3 different challenges if it qualifies (and if I can keep everything straight!)

Melissa wrote: "Going for something by the Bronte sisters-- either Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte or Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte"

I am reading Jane Eyre right now and I am thoroughly enjoying it! It is fabulous!

Janet wrote: "I have long wanted to read "The Count of Monte Christo" Bonuses: it is a translation (#19) and a romance (#13)."

The Count of Monte Cristo is my FAVORITE book ever. Please do read it. I hope you enjoy it!

I think Persuasion was my favorite Austen novel but I loved Jane Eyre. I'm hoping to read Wuthering Heights for this task.

Evelina by Fanny Burney has been on my "to read" list for a while. It will most likely be the choice for my pre-1850 book.

I just read Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron so I'm going to read Emma by Jane Austen as my pre-1850 book.

I'm reading Uncle Tom's Cabin for school. It was published in 1852. Will y'all let me count it? LOL!

I just finished pride and prejudice

I just finished Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and was deeply in love with the characters in this book. I found myself highlighting so many good love quotes that were scattered throughout and though it is a romance AND from prior to the 1850's, it easily transcends the ages and was very readable.

If you loved Jane Eyre you should also read Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. It is the story of 'the wife' and her roots in the Caribbean. Don't know if this would work for the category of retelling of a classic story, it's actually a prelude to Jane Eyre.

You know, I think this is an excellent opportunity for me to finally read Shakespeare's comedies. Not sure which one to start with, though. Midsummer or Tempest, maybe.

I've read Jane Eyre several times, it was my favorite childhood book however I've never read Wuthering Heights. Thinking that will be my choice.