What classics are on your 2023 tbr?

We have similar reading buckets! I'm going to focus on English classics, Shakespeare and Greek (and Roman) stuff too. Looking forward to watching your videos!

Oh I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on Villette! I’m also planning to read a lot of Victorian classics this year - just finished The Warden by Anthony Trollope and just started a re-read of Shirley. Hope you have a lovely reading year 😊

I studied the Greek tragedies at university. I'd recommend Euripides to start.x

Sounds like a doable TBR. Happy reading!

Yes! I support your reading plans for To the Lighthouse! Can't wait to hear you talk about it. I think you'll love Villette, it's so good.

happy new year 🥰 hope you enjoy the books on your list, and thank you so much for joining us in a few Brontëlong liveshows, it was lovely having you ✨

Your assorted reading tastes and willingness to venture uncharted territory made this video delightful. The Bronte’s are, without a doubt, one of the pinnacles of Victorian literature. Based on your comments about Wuthering Heights I bought a used copy and can hardly put it down-this novel yanks my emotions inside out-the raw imagery Emily Bronte employs is right in your face. It’s so different from Jane Eyre, and Agnes Grey, her sister’s novels. I finished Oliver Twist, halfway through David Copperfield, and almost done with Nicholas Nickleby-Dickens is wonderful! Finally, I again recommend Bleak House as one of the best blends of romance, intrigue, and skullduggery ever crafted; is it my Dickens favorite? Not sure, because Little Dorrit and Our Mutual Friend are superb, too. Happy New Year to you, Valerie, and thanks for visiting me on KZfaq!

Reading classics for fun is so good. It's my favourite. I am super excited to read The Tenant of Wildfell Hill (I do the same thing with Passed It Classics, with going back when I've finished the books they've covered). I am looking forward to rereading Macbeth, I haven't read it since high school. I have read most of Shakespeare but no histories but Richard III. I am a 20th century classic reader, I am just starting to dive into Victorian world so if you want modern classic recs let me know. I personally love Shirley Jackson.

I read Grapes of Wrath and Bleak House and loved them both! Dickens is without a doubt my favorite author. I just started Shakespeare last year and am enjoying also. I’ve read King Lear and A Midsummer Nights Dream. My next one will be Macbeth. I read Vilette last year also but my main difficulty was that much of the text was in French and not knowing the language it was time consuming and distracting to look up the translations.. I still enjoyed it though. Happy reading and good luck on your goals.

rip john steinbeck writing grapes of wrath you would have loved the "stop stealing our dam water" signs on the 5

No suggestions for Greek Tragedies but if I think of any, I'll get back to you. I'm currently reading a chapter a day of War & Peace. I'd also like to read Great Expectations.

I love the idea of having goal "buckets" that way you're not limiting yourself to said number of specific books... that being said, in January I'm reading Virginia Woolf, I'm 1/2 through Mrs. Dalloway and am preparing for the massive 900 + page biography of Virginia Woolf by author Hermione Lee that I ordered for myself. I've never read anything by Steinbeck either... my excuse is that I'm Canadian so I didn't have American Classics as any assigned reading

I expected to read more classics in my degree, too. It's amazing how few courses there are for them! I love Steinbeck, which makes me think you'll probably love him, since our taste is pretty similar. Grapes of Wrath was the first book of his I read, and it kind of made me think I wouldn't like him, but I think the deep dark of the Depression just wasn't my jam at the time. Bleak House!!! IMO it's objectively his best writing, yes. I think even people who don't personally like it can agree on that. The Greek tragedies... I think Medea by Euripides is a great place to start. It has a clear, easy-to-follow plot, themes that are still relatable today, very Shakespeare-esque vibes, anddddd I won't say any more because spoilers, but I think you'd like it!

shakespearean histories (laughs nervously)

Ernest Hemingway? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Not _Grapes of Wrath_ but rather _East of Eden_ is much better. A short Steinbeck I read in 2022 that I really enjoyed is _Cannery Row._