Visit http://www.alident.org to join.I’ve decided to join Ali Dent in celebrating classic literature. Ali discovered a love of classics after many years of being convinced she couldn’t enjoy them. Many people feel an aversion to literature as a result of being force-fed literary works in compulsory educational settings. That’s too bad. The classics are rife with intrigue and drama and all that titillating stuff that gets us gossiping.
In order to share her enjoyment and appreciation, Ali is offering everyone everywhere the opportunity to discover classic literature too. Join the Literary Classics Reading Challenge with me! I’ve read a lot of the classics but during the next year I plan to read some of the ones I’ve missed. There are many wonderful stories that span centuries, even millennia. That appeals to me.
When it comes to the classics, there’s something for everyone. Not every tome is covered with dust. Some are filled with exciting action and others poke at ponderous philosophical ideas. I bet you can find one that interests you.
The challenge details are easy:
1. Decide how many books you’ll read.
2. Post a list of the books you’ve selected (Ali has helpful suggestions).
3. Enter the challenge and check in (however often works for you).
Join us in celebrating the classics. The Literary Classics Reading Challenge lasts an entire year. You can hop on anytime you like. Life is busy and you may not always have time to participate…that’s okay too. Visit Ali’s website for more information. There’s a reason people are still talking about these stories decades and centuries after they were written. They still resonate.
I’ve decided to start with one classic a month. I may add more if I find the time. To keep track, I’m adding the list right here but I probably won’t read them in this order:
On the Nature of Things by Lucretius
Metamorphoses by Ovid
Medea by Euripides
Ivanhoe by Walter Scott
Divine Comedy: The Inferno by Dante Alighieri
Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
Paradise Lost by John Milton
Candide by Voltaire
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
The Interpretation of Dreams by Sigmund Freud
Don’t you want to know who was the Witch of Blackbird Pond? You might discover Paradise Lost or hear the Call of the Wild. Do you know what the Long Day’s Journey into Night is really about? Me either – let’s go find out.
Lesann Berry 