By Tessa Posted on

#BookBloggerHop | Classic Club Challenge – Are You In?

The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books in March 2010 and ended on December 31, 2012. With Jennifer’s permission, Billy @ Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer relaunched the hop on February 15, 2013. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blog.

Have you ever done the Classics Club challenge? If not, would you want to?

(submitted by Julie @ JadeSky)

Ummm…hmmm…to be honest, not officially and no.

BUT that’s because my Bachelor of Arts degree is in English Literature. So, basically, I spent 4 years unofficially in the Classics Club and read well over the 50 or 100 number I’ve seen as challenge numbers. I’ve enjoyed books from medieval times all the way through to current day – all different cultures, such as Asian, Hispanic, African, African American and European. I think I still have most of my Norton’s Anthologies and my lovely Riverside Edition of Shakespeare. I’ve pondered the classics, discussed them, written essays on them and research papers, and even taught them. So, I still remember almost everything about them.

My favorite writers are in the Victorian period of the US and England. I love Jane Austin, the Bronte sisters, Mark Twain, and Kate Chopin, in particular. I am also a big fan of Shakespeare and the playwrights that came before him and at the same time as him. It always has astounded me that the truths they put in their works from way back then still hold true today. And the plays from Ancient Greece – they are so incredibly beautiful and tragic.

I do think that if you haven’t had an extensive background in the classics, though, it is truly a noble goal to do this challenge. There are so many wonderful writers in history and so many different styles and cultures to explore. You quickly learn what you do like and what you just “appreciate the talents of the writer.” My dear blog friend Jessica did a recent post on the Classics Club with good links to help you get started at The Bookworm Chronicles.

Have you participated in the Classic Club challenge, or do you want to?

28 Replies to “#BookBloggerHop | Classic Club Challenge – Are You In?”

  1. Louise H says:

    I don’t enjoy the classics at all. I’ve tried lots of different authors and the only books I ever finished were the ones I read in secondary (high) school.

    Liked by 2 people

  2. Davida Chazan says:

    I really want to join in on this spin, but I want to make sure first that I have 20 books that I can put on my list which I can put into the spin without worrying about when or where I’ll get the book. So it has to be something I downloaded from the Gutenberg Project, or a classic eBook I purchased (not many of those), or one that is already on my shelves. I’ve got 16 so far, and I think I have two more on my kindle which I stopped reading in the middle, but maybe I should give them another try.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. nickimags @ Secret Library Book Blog says:

    Wow you definitely know your classic s then Tessa! I haven’t joined in with this challenge as I’m not that keen on classics, although I do love Dickens, just not keen on Jane Austen or the Brontes. I’m definitely going to check out your link though.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I wonder if you’d like some classic mysteries of which there are so many. My brain just exploded with author names – lol. Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes) – Dorothy Sayers – the incomparable Agatha Christie- Raymond Chandler, to name a few. I think it might be interesting to pick a genre and find 20-50 classics within that genre. 🤔

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Mischenko says:

    I would like to do the challenge because there are so many classics I haven’t read. That’s awesome that you’ve read and studied so many! If I were in your shoes I’d likely skip the challenge as well. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      Right? That kind of study lasts a lifetime ❤️. That would be great if you did. I think it might be interesting to focus on a genre, or women writers, or some kind of topic that interests you – so many possibilities 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Page~Turners says:

        I love everything Jane Austen but my most favorite, loved and read over and over again is Little Women Louisa May Alcott. What’s yours?

        Liked by 1 person

        1. Lady Tessa says:

          Any Victorian literature from the UK or US like Austen and the Brontes, Alcott, Twain, Chopin AND early works like Shakespeare and earlier. I also enjoy the plays from Ancient Greece.

          Like

  6. Teri Polen says:

    I haven’t participated and doubt I’d have time to squeeze in anymore books. I used to have a personal rule about reading at least one classic per year, but that’s fallen to the wayside for at least the last 3-4. I don’t blame you for skipping the challenge, Tessa – you’ve done your time, lol.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      That’s kind of how I feel. I don’t know whether that’s bad or not. I can see many of my professors wondering where they failed me if they were to read this. Lol 😝

      Liked by 1 person

  7. jessicabookworm says:

    Thank you for the mention, Tessa and this actually my second time taking part in The Classics Club, as I enjoyed it so much the first time!😊

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      I had finding links on my mind when I ran across your latest post on it, so it made sense to send people who are interested in your direction ❤️. I love that you do so much with classics!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. D. Wallace Peach says:

    I was a Theater and English major, Tessa, so I read plays and classics galore in college too. I loved Austen and the Brontes and Hardy and that whole era of writers. But, I’m also with you that I wouldn’t want to join a classics club. I would like to read a few that I somehow missed though!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      The only works that I know I missed are the Russian classics and Proust, and I’m not rushing to correct that anytime soon. 😇.

      Victorian writers created such approachable works, didn’t they? ❤️. The first classic I ever read on my own was Pride and Prejudice. I was a young teen and didn’t have any issue understanding it. I’ve loved that time ever since.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. WendyW says:

    My goal for classics is to read one or two a year, and I think I’ll stick with that. I don’t want to turn reading into a “chore” and I definitely prefer lighter books.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Mae Clair says:

    Ugh! I guess, despite being a voracious reader, classics are not high on my list. I’ve only read 12 on all those that the club lists (although I’ve read a lot of others that weren’t included, such as London, Bradbury and Steinbeck).There are some classics I would like to spend time with, and this post is a good reminder to revisit old works.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lady Tessa says:

      London, Bradbury and Steinbeck definitely are classic authors. The lists I’ve seen mostly are Victorian British lit. But there is so much more out there. So much ❤️.

      Like

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