The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

This month for the Classics Bookclub hosted by 5 Minutes for books.com I reread The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I studied it in high school but I really did not remember all the details. The writing is beautiful and there are several good quotations from it. I love this book cover. The main theme is the achieving the American Dream and the book proposed that was what Gatsby was after. Did he achieve it is one of the big questions? I think that may be where the title came from. Overall it is a good story and I think that is why it remains a classic. I love the last page especially the last lines of the book and they really stuck with me so I want to post them here.


Gatsby believed in the green light, The orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter -- tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . And one fine morning --

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.



Next month's book is Everyone Is Beautiful by Katherine Center. We will be alternating classics with contemporary from here on.

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

This month at 5 Minutes for Books the Classics Bookclub read Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. I was excited because I could not remember if I ever read it and I wanted to. FYI This was my first time reading it. It was great. I think it is a wonderful adventure story and I enjoyed all the places that they stopped at. The characters are interesting and to me Passepartout stands out the most. I highly recommend this book. :)
My favorite I also really liked is Journey to the Center of the Earth which I have reread several times.

The First Lines Which I loved:
Mr. Phileas Fogg lived, in 1872, at No. 7, Saville Row, Burlington Gardens, the house in which Sheridan died in 1814. He was one of the most noticeable members of the Reform Club, though he seemed always to avoid attracting attention; an enigmatical personage, about whom little was known, except that he was a polished man of the world.

Summary:
Phileas Fogg rashly bets his companions £20,000 that he can travel around the entire globe in just eighty days, and he is determined not to lose. Breaking the well-established routine of his daily life, the reserved Englishman immediately sets off for Dover, accompanied by his hot-blooded French manservant, Passepartout. Traveling by train, steamship, sailboat, sledge, and even elephant, they must overcome storms, kidnappings, natural disasters, Sioux attacks, and the dogged Inspector Fix of Scotland Yard to win the extraordinary wager. Combining exploration, adventure, and a thrilling race against time, Around the World in Eighty Days gripped audiences upon its publication and remains hugely popular to this day.

5 Mintues for Books Classics Bookclub-Hamlet

This month's selection was Hamlet by William Shakespeare.
Apparently I am not good at reading plays without a teacher. I did not finish Hamlet. I think I am going to rent one of the movies others are recommending and then try it again.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

I read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens for the 5 Mintues for Books Classics BookClub. I was actually supposed to have this post up last Tuesday but at least it is here is the way I have been going this week.



I am surprised that I have not read this classic before. I have read Great Expectations many times. I have read Hard Times, A Tale of Two Cities and I think one other. I am a fan of Charles Dickens. All that to say I did like the print version of A Christmas Carol. I have seen the stage version many times and of course the different movie variations. I kept hearing in my head the sound effects and seeing past performances. So that did distract some for me.



I felt like the book had details in it that I do not remember from the stage and movie productions. I really liked reading Dickens's famous words for myself like God Bless Us Everyone said by Tiny Tim. The language and different sayings in the book are interesting. I heard Dickens's version in his words. But I like the stage/movie version too. I don't think I can pick one version as a favorite. I think that is a testament to Charles Dickens and his original story. The characters are interesting and plot unique as in the original. I think everyone knows at least the basics of this timeless tale. It encourages us to see beyond ourselves and not be selfish. I think it is a long lasting classic and deserves it.


I highly recommend reading A Christmas Carol even if you have already seen another form of it. It is definitely worth it. :)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

For the month of October I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith as part of the Classics Bookclub at 5 Minutes for Books. I am amazed that I have not read this book before now. I read tons of books in school. I am very grateful that I read this book. This is the story of Francie Nolan who grows up in pre WWI Brooklyn. Her family and her are very poor but in the end she still looks upon her childhood with a certain fondness. The book is full of memorable characters like her aunts and grandmother. It is not a fast paced novel but a journey throughout the Nolans life. I was a little unhappy with the ending. I wanted to know what definitely happens to Francie. Over all even though it deals sometimes with difficult subject matter I do highly recommend this.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

As part of the Classics Book club at 5 Minutes for Books we are reviewing Pride and Prejudice this month. The first Tuesday of every month a new classic will be featured and readers will post their thoughts. By the first Tuesday in October Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte must be read and will be featured. I am looking forward to rereading this book.

Pride and Prejudice is one of my all time favorite books. I cannot count how many times I have read it. I highly recommend it. The center of the story revolves around the Bennetts and their five daughters. Mrs. Bennett's life revolves around her nerves and marrying her daughters to the richest men possible. Her husband is witty and sarcastic yet tolerant towards her. Elizabeth Bennett first meets Mr. Darcy at a neighborhood dance held by Mr. Bingley. Jane Bennett falls in love with Mr. Bingley but Mr. Darcy interferes. Elizabeth does not have a very good impression of Mr. Darcy. What follows is a timeless tale of romance set in England 1800s.

Classics Bookclub hosted by 5 Minutes for books

I am joining another somewhat reading challenge. This one is hosted by 5 Minutes for Books. With this challenge a different book considered to be a classic will be picked for every month and on the first Tuesday of that month a discussion will take place.

From their website:

So here's the challenge:

Read or re-read the book in question (this month it's Pride and Prejudice).

If you'd like write a "before" post stating why you are reading the book, or what your impressions are going into it, feel free.

Whether or not you write a before post, link up your after post on the day in question. Our host (this month it's Lisa) will give you some questions to ponder or address in your wrap-up post if you'd like.

If you'd like to visit and comment on other's wrap-up posts, you can truly enjoy the virtual book club.

So, grab the book and start reading! On September 2 you'll find us here waiting for you to share your thoughts. Lisa will post some questions sometime the week before if you'd like a little guidance.