#ClassicsCommunity 2021 Reading Challenge discussion

I might have to get in on this. Looks like scary fun!

May: 1

June:4

July: 8

May: 1

June: 5

July: 8

Shannon wrote: "This month we return to mysteries and will discuss The Circular Staircase. I'm excited to read this cozy mystery and can't wait to discuss it with you guys!

We will open spoiler f..."

My picks are:

May: 1
June: 6
July: 8

So far the vote for May and July has been unanimous and June is the dividing pick. I'm excited to see which one ends up winning!

May: 3
June: 5
July: 8

May: 2
June: 5
July: 7

I think I guess who the winners are.
Well, well: this time all books I've never read and one that I've always wanted to!

Okay for May #2, for June #4, #5, #6, and for July #7, #9. Sorry not much help. :)

I vote for:

May: 2
June: 5
July: 7

Sounds like a perfect plan, Shannon:)

That's a great idea, Shannon :)

I agree.

At first I wasn't so eager to read again "The circular staircase", but then it hooked me up another time and I finished it quite soon.
I remembered something as who was the culprit and other things, but not everything.
Nice reading, though not as much as "Rebecca" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

I'm halfway through the book now and already thinking about starting over and rereading this from the beginning as I'm getting the more minor characters and various obscure details mixed up. This is what always happens to me when I read adult mystery books, lol! If I would just take notes as I go I could prevent the reread but I never end up doing that.

I plan on starting this book tomorrow as it just came into the library today. :)

Janice wrote: "I plan on starting this book tomorrow as it just came into the library today. :)"

Wonderful! :)

May: 2
June: 4
July: 7

Gia wrote: "Janice wrote: "I plan on starting this book tomorrow as it just came into the library today. :)"

Wonderful! :)"

I'm hoping to have it read in time for the discussion. :)

Shannon { Library Girl Reading } wrote: "Janice wrote: "I plan on starting this book tomorrow as it just came into the library today. :)"

Hope you like it!"

So far, so good. :)

Can't wait to discuss with you our third book.
I'm in a sort of lockdown and I can't stand it. I miss you all.

I think I'll be secluded till after Easter.
I'm down and I'm in a reading slump too.
Thank you guys for your support. Being in your society is helpful.

I think
1-5-8

Shannon { Library Girl Reading } wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I think
1-5-8"

Good picks they were all the winners! Here is the list through Sept. We will vote for October in August sometime.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..."Thanks, I saw I was too late after I posted and was trying to find where the winners were :)

@Shannon No worries at all, take all the time you need. Sending prayers, comfort and a hug:)

I'm so sorry, Shannon!
When I wrote that message about what happened to you I did it thoughtless.
Of course you can take your time!
I'm very very sorry.

Shannon { Library Girl Reading } wrote: "Okay so its time to discuss The Circular Staircase

Rachel gave me spunky Miss Marple vibes did you feel the same way?

Mary Roberts Rhinehart was described as America's Queen of My..."

1- Not really, she strikes me as a no-nonsense serious lady, something akin to the matriarchs you find in Victorian literature. Also, she seems the type to strongly disapprove of gossip, unlike dear Miss Marple who we all know loves tittle tattle

2- It doesn't nearly measure up to Agatha Christie's books. The breaking in / chase parts were atmospheric and fun enough to read about but I found the resolution to be very weak and underwhelming. Christie's resolutions, even when you've guessed the culprit, are always exciting and everything is neatly woven in.

3- I guessed about Armstrong Sr. not being dead about midway through, but not the rest.

4- Not in the foreseeable future




I hope you and your mom are doing better Shannon <3

I agree with you Shannon: Agatha Christie is the queen of detective novels.
I think I've read almost 50 books written by Dame Agatha.

Miss Marple is no doubt smarter than Miss Rachel: she would have surely understood from the start that Alex was Jack in disguise and I guessed myself a lot of the story: no starting revelation in the end.

I think if it happens I'll read some other novel by this author. It was nice.
I love country house mysteries!

Personally I guessed that Armstrong father wasn't really dead and who was Lucien' s father and of course who was the woman in black that visited the boy.

1 - I could see some similarities with Rachel and Miss Marple. They're both little old ladies and sharp as tacks. Rachel was more schoolmarmish than Miss Marple.

2 - This is the first book I've read by Mary Roberts Rinehart, so for me the answer isn't in yet. I need to read a few more of her books to answer this question. This book reminded me of themes in both Christie's books and the vintage Nancy Drew Mystery Stories.

3 - I did not guess how this story was going to wrap up and, to be honest, I didn't really try. I just enjoyed following the story line.

4 - Yes, I'm going to read more books by this author because I love reading old books like this set in the old-time settings in the countryside usually in old estates with secret passageways to uncover. There is also a different writing style and a different feel. The language is economical and crisp. Completely different from today. Fun to compare.

Some memorable highlights for me - First, I enjoyed the humorous interactions between Rachel and Liddie, they were complete opposites, and yet not able to be one without the other.

Also, I loved the scene when Rachel was asked to go on the twilight journey to the graveyard with the men: "Once, when through a miscalculation I jumped a little short over a ditch and landed above my shoe-tops in the water and ooze, I remember wondering if this were really I, and if I had ever tasted life until that summer." I love that quote because Rachel becomes as a young girl again.

And when the 4 or so detectives stayed in the lodge there was this quote that I thought was such a funny visual: "Out of deference to Liddie they washed their dishes once a day, and they concocted queer messes, according to their several abilities. They had one triumph that they ate regularly for breakfast, and that clung to their clothes and hair the rest of the day. It was bacon, hardtack and onions, fried together."

Oh my, I always write a novel in these buddy read discussions, lol! If you made it this far with me, thank you:)

@Shannon Thank you!! I love Nancy Drew! <3

Oh FUN!! I love Nancy Drew and have a good portion of the vintage books on my shelf, and still collecting the ones I'm missing. So, I have to vote for Nancy Drew:)

Hi, I hope you don't mind me joining your buddy read discussion :) Here are my thoughts on the book.

1. I agree that Rachel was quite similar to Miss Marple, and yes to Nancy Drew as well. I really liked her character.

2. Having only read this and The Man in Lower Ten, I feel I cannot really compare them fairly.

3. I don't think I even tried with this book to work out how it was going to end, I am not sure why because I liked the plot enough.

4. I am going to read a bit more from her as I am interested to see what other stories and characters she writes. I really enjoyed the characters of Rachel and Liddy, their relationship at times was funny to me. Also, Rachel was in general, was a strong, intelligent female character who didn't run away when the mysterious events were happening one after the other. It was really good to read in this respect. I have also heard that there is another of her books called The Bat which is very similar to the plot of this book. I am interested to read this for that reason but I also want there to be a bit of time between reading them for the same reason.

The language was a bit dated (which is to be expected from a book this old) but apart from that, I liked it. It was a nice little mystery to read with a lot going on.

I have to ask though what did you all think of Jack Bailey becoming Alex, the gardener? That felt strange to me could he really have had that much of a disguise by shaving and changing it to work clothes? Did I miss something? That didn't work for me, but that is typical from old mysteries I think.

Dear Heather (welcome!)
I've always found disguisments in mystery books not very realistics too, unless one is a professional actor.
I think is all a matter of "suspension of disbelief": you simply accept it.

Miriam wrote: "Dear Heather (welcome!)
I've always found disguisments in mystery books not very realistics too, unless one is a professional actor.
I think is all a matter of "suspension of disbelief": you simpl..."

Thanks for welcoming me :)

Yeah, don't get me wrong. I don't mind it, it just seems extremely unrealistic haha. I have been reading the Midwinter Murders short story collection by Agatha Christie with a family bookclub, there are a couple of disguises in those as well, that is just like wait, what? how did the other characters not realise? I don't know why but I find that an amusing aspect of mysteries like this.

Shannon { Library Girl Reading } wrote: "Heather wrote: "Hi, I hope you don't mind me joining your buddy read discussion :) Here are my thoughts on the book.

1. I agree that Rachel was quite similar to Miss Marple, and yes to Nancy Drew..."

Thanks, happy to join :)

And I agree at times when reading this I felt very shocked and uncomfortable with the language used. It kept throwing me out of the story a bit as it made me feel very uncomfortable. The mystery itself wasn't bad but at times the language spoilt it a bit for me and yes I understand that it was a different time but still it affected me whilst reading it.

Unfortunately Nancy Drew is not so popular here in Italy. I read something when I was twelve and I've watched the TV show with...I don't remember who portrayed Nancy Drew.
My favourite detectives are Nero Wolfe and Father Brown.

Miriam wrote: "Unfortunately Nancy Drew is not so popular here in Italy. I read something when I was twelve and I've watched the TV show with...I don't remember who portrayed Nancy Drew.
My favourite detectives a..."

I only read them because my mum still had her old copies in the attic :)
I have never heard of Nero Wolfe what time period is the detective from? I watched the BBC tv series adaption of Father Brown though and picked up the complete stories from a second-hand bookshop a few years ago. He seems like a fun detective, at least in the adaption. I have still have to read the book.

@Heather:

Nero Wolfe's mysteries were written by Rex Stout from '40s till '70s (the last novel is set at the time of Watergate's scandal) and they mix up classic detective novels and hardboiled.
Nero Wolfe is a genius that solves crimes but he's too fat and too lazy too go out.
So all the detection part is up to Archie Goodwin, a sort of Philip Marlowe ( but more funny) that works for Nero Wolfe and does everything but solving mysteries.
I've read all the novels and the short stories.
The interesting thing is that though years go by, Wolfe and Archie are always the same age from the first book till the last.

Shannon { Library Girl Reading } wrote: "Okay so its time to discuss The Circular Staircase

Rachel gave me spunky Miss Marple vibes did you feel the same way?

Mary Roberts Rhinehart was described as America's Queen of My..."

I'm not really sure if I can compare Rachel and Miss Marple as I have only read one book of each character. I think I liked Miss Marple better as she didn't seem to be so serious. She seemed like she was having fun solving a mystery.

I have read a few Agatha Christie books and so am more familiar with her writing. What I do love about Agatha Christie's book is I can never guess who done it. I do plan on reading more of Mary Roberts Rinehart's books, though.

I really had no idea how it was going to end, but I did think it kind of dragged on too long and that no one recognized the gardener, Alex, as Mr. Bailey. I don't know, maybe it had too many plot lines and people for me. Still a good read.

I've never read Trixie Belden and would love to and what a great idea to compare Nancy Drew to Trixie Belden. :)

Gia wrote: "1 - I could see some similarities with Rachel and Miss Marple. They're both little old ladies and sharp as tacks. Rachel was more schoolmarmish than Miss Marple.

2 - This is the first book I've re..."

Loved your discussion. :)

Janice wrote: "Gia wrote: "1 - I could see some similarities with Rachel and Miss Marple. They're both little old ladies and sharp as tacks. Rachel was more schoolmarmish than Miss Marple.

2 - This is the first ..."

Janice, thank you for telling me! :)