RandomClassic

Christy | Catherine Marshall

#WhereAreYouMonday I fell behind in the chapter a day pace with the rest of the #RandomClassic BR so I‘m still trudging in the snow on the way to Cutter Gap, Tennessee. I‘ll catch up soon. I‘m enjoying my first read of Christy.

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ChaoticMissAdventures

The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas

pick

"My compliments to Satan!"

Well. This was a wild ride. I have never really thought about classics being historical fiction of their time. This book was written about 200 years after some of the true events told. I think this is classified as an adventure book, honestly I found it more of a long winded book about soldiers run amuck. I didn't particularly like anyone and found most all of the characters immature.
#randomclassic @TheAromaofBooks

ChaoticMissAdventures I did finish, and found the book easy enough to read once I got into the cadence of it all. I do wish the humor of the first couple of chapters had continued, it seemed to be replaced with misogyny and ridiculousness. I am glad I read it. 3.5/5 1w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Thanks for reading with me!!! 1w

40 likes2 comments

ChaoticMissAdventures

Men Who Hate Women: From Incels to Pickup Artists: The Truth about Extreme Misogyny and How it Affects Us All | Laura Bates

Feeling very lucky since I have already started both!

#Bookspin - Men Who Hate Women part of my #NFNovember with @Bookwormjillk
and
#DoubleSpin is my #RandomClassic which I will be completing this month! with @thearomaofbooks

Bookwormjillk That‘s always a bonus! I‘m looking forward to your review. 3w

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 3w

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TheAromaofBooks

The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas

Getting ready to start this #RandomClassic !! I'm curious to know what translations everyone is reading? @janeycanuck shared an article yesterday with some fantastic information on the various English choices - https://welovetranslations.com/2022/07/13/whats-the-best-translation-of-the-thre... - and reading it made me purchase a different copy! I really wanted to read the two volume hardcovers that I have had on my shelf for so ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont\'d) long, but there isn\'t any copyright/translation info listed and I\'m afraid they are abridged - and now that I have a definitely-not-abridged copy to compare the sheer volume of pages, I\'m pretty sure my hardcovers don\'t have the full story!! So far I\'ve only read one page, and I\'m delighted to see a shoutout to another #RandomClassic hero, our old friend Don Quixote 😂 Looking forward to reading with you all!! 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @CatLass007 @ChaoticMissAdventures @Clare-Dragonfly @Cuilin @curiouserandcurioser @Deblovestoread @Jadams89 @janeycanuck @julieclair @Librarybelle @Read4life @TheBookHippie @wordslinger42 2mo

TheBookHippie So….. I got many editions coming from the library, because I was this days old when I realized I have a junior edition 🫣🤪😅 2mo

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BarkingMadRead I have the comic book cover edition pictured here! And I was so excited to see our good friend Don mentioned 🤣 2mo

Librarybelle I found a cheap Kindle edition! But, the translation so far flows well, so that‘s good. And yes to Don Quixote! 😂 2mo

CatLass007 I‘m listening to the one that‘s free on Audible. It doesn‘t say in the listing who is the translator. Six buddy reads this month and most of them are free. I guess I‘m a glutton for punishment. And I‘m already behind… 2mo

Jadams89 I have the Bantam Classic edition translated by Lowell Bair — it says it‘s complete and unabridged 2mo

ChaoticMissAdventures Goodness Paper Mill Press doesn't want to give any credit to their translator! I had to Google a bit but it looks like Richard Pevear translated this pretty copy 2mo

Clare-Dragonfly The edition I got from the library was translated by Eleanor Hoffman. 2mo

julieclair I‘m reading on Serial Reader, and have no idea what edition I‘m reading! 🤷‍♀️ 2mo

Read4life With so much back & forth traveling coming up this month, I decided Serial Reader would make the most sense as far as portability. 2mo

Bklover Whose version are you reading? I have an anonymous version but was thinking of ordering Ellsworth. 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @Bklover - Apparently I asked everyone else but forgot to actually mention which translation I am using 😂 Richard Pevear is the translator for this Penguin edition. 2mo

SamAnne I love that a Tom Gauld cartoon is the cover. 2mo

wordslinger42 My translation is by Eleanor Hochman! It‘s the Signet Classics edition; I‘m enjoying it so far 😊 2mo

AnishaInkspill this one\'s on my wishlist 2mo

53 likes16 comments

TheAromaofBooks

The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas

Hey friends!! We'll be starting this #RandomClassic on Tuesday!! I am here to take a poll: do we want to stick with one chapter a day, which means it will take us a little over two months to read this; or go with two chapters a day and finish in early November? I'm slightly inclined to stick with the single chapter because I have a lot of buddy reads for October, but I also understand if we don't want it to drag out so long haha ⬇

TheAromaofBooks Let me know your thoughts!!

@BarkingMadRead @Bklover @CatLass007 @ChaoticMissAdventures @Clare-Dragonfly @Cuilin @janeycanuck @julieclair @Librarybelle @Read4life @TheBookHippie @wordslinger42 2mo

Librarybelle Single chapter would work better for me, but I am open to either option. 2mo

wordslinger42 A single chapter would be a lot more manageable for me! 2mo

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BarkingMadRead Single chapter would be amazing 2mo

Clare-Dragonfly I also have enough other reading commitments in October that I don‘t think I could manage two chapters a day! I also find one chapter a day a lot easier to keep track of, so that‘s my vote. 2mo

curiouserandcurioser @TheAromaofBooks could i be added to this please? One vhapter a day works best for me:) thanks! 2mo

TheBookHippie Single! 2mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I am up for either! I started chapter 1 and they seem like I could get through one a lunch time which is nice. 2mo

CatLass007 I‘m voting for one chapter a day. 2mo

Deblovestoread I‘d love to jump into this one with you all. Chapter a day would be perfect. 2mo

janeycanuck It makes no difference to me. I‘ll be behind in 4 days no matter how many chapters we do 🤪 2mo

Read4life I prefer one chapter a day. 2mo

TheAromaofBooks Okay, we seem to be pretty unanimous - one chapter a day it is!! Looking forward to reading with you all!! 😁 @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @CatLass007 @ChaoticMissAdventures @Clare-Dragonfly @Cuilin @curiouserandcurioser @Deblovestoread @janeycanuck @julieclair @Librarybelle @Read4life @TheBookHippie @wordslinger42 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @curiouserandcurioser @Deblovestoread - I have you both added to the tag list for this one!! If either of you would like to be added to my master list, which I tag each month so people can decide whether or not they want to read that month\'s book, just let me know!! 2mo

Bklover So glad you‘re sticking to one chapter a day! 2mo

Jadams89 Can I be added to the tag list? I‘ve had this book on my shelf for probably 15 years waiting to be read 2mo

curiouserandcurioser @TheAromaofBooks yes, please add me to master list! Thanks❤ 2mo

julieclair I‘m going to try! Glad it‘s one chapter a day. 😎 2mo

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LitsyEvents

The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas

https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2778074
Via @TheAromaofBooks

Hey friends!! Time to start thinking about our October #RandomClassic - The Three Musketeers!! I've never read this book or any other book by Dumas, but I have had a lovely two-volume edition sitting on my shelf since... 2003 k Let me know if you want to read along!! Wel'll be tackling one chapter a day, which means it will take us over 2 months to finish this 65-chapter story.

TheAromaofBooks Thank you!!! 2mo

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TheAromaofBooks

The Three Musketeers | Alexandre Dumas

Hey friends!! Time to start thinking about our October #RandomClassic - The Three Musketeers!! I've never read this book or any other book by Dumas, but I have had a lovely two-volume edition sitting on my shelf since... 2003 😂 Let me know if you want to read along!! We'll be tackling one chapter a day, which means it will take us over 2 months to finish this 65-chapter story.

I'm planning to post The Red Pony discussion this weekend. Hopefully⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) the Musketeers are at least moderately less depressing! 😅

As always, tagging the entire master list and you can let me know if you're interested in October's book specifically. I'll be posting weekly(ish) check-ins for the Musketeers as we go!!
2mo

TheAromaofBooks @AnneCecilie @BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Bklover @BookingitwithSandra @Bookwormjillk @catiewithac @CatLass007 @ChaoticMissAdventures @ChelseaM6010 @Clare-Dragonfly @CoverToCoverGirl @Cuilin @eeclayton @janeycanuck @julieclair @Lcsmcat @Librarybelle @LitsyEvents @Meshell1313 @nanuska_153 @Read4life @SamAnne @StayCurious @TheBookHippie @wordslinger42 2mo

Lcsmcat I‘ll skip this one as I‘ve already read it. 2mo

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janeycanuck Well, I still haven‘t finished Don Quixote OR Evelina so I should not add a third unfinished classic to my list! But uh… tag me for Three Musketeers anyway 🤪 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @janeycanuck - I like your can-do attitude 😂 2mo

BarkingMadRead Never read this, but I‘ve got it, I‘m ready! 2mo

Cuilin I‘ve read it and loved it!! Very fun. Tag me anyway. If I remember enough I may join the discussion. 2mo

janeycanuck @TheAromaofBooks I am nothing if not unwarrantedly optimistic! 2mo

TheBookHippie Never read it -have my copy!! 2mo

Librarybelle I‘m ready for it! 2mo

Bklover I‘m ready!!! I‘m with @janeycanuck - my track record is NOT good, but will never give up!😉 2mo

Read4life I‘ve never read it. I‘m ready with my copy. 2mo

janeycanuck @Bklover we can stand on the sidelines and cheer everyone else on while holding our own unopened copies. 2mo

wordslinger42 I‘ll jump in for October 😊 2mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I have a copy!! This sounds daunting but I believe in us! 2mo

julieclair I‘m going to try…. Have never read this and would like to. 🤞 2mo

CatLass007 I have my free-on-Audible copy and I‘m ready. If it‘s going to take us over two months for the October selection, does that mean that the November selection is cancelled or moved? 2mo

Clare-Dragonfly Yeah, I‘ll join in for this one! 2mo

Bklover @janeycanuck That sounds perfect! 🧡 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @CatLass007 - No, I start a new book on the first even if a previous book is still in progress. Keeps things lively 😂 However, I will take a poll from the group before we start next week to see if everyone would prefer to stick with one chapter or try two chapters a day so we can get through it in about a month instead of two. 2mo

CatLass007 I don‘t think I‘ll be participating in the Christy buddy read. 2mo

janeycanuck Before I end up down a rabbit hole on this... Is there any particular translation that is considered to be the standard or particularly good? 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @janeycanuck - I haven\'t done any translation research, so let me know if you find out anything interesting 😂 I know there was a lot of variation with Don Quixote. 2mo

janeycanuck @TheAromaofBooks I‘m settling on Richard Pevear. This website was helpful in deciding! https://welovetranslations.com/2022/07/13/whats-the-best-translation-of-the-thre... 2mo

TheAromaofBooks @janeycanuck - Oooo thank you!!! That is SO interesting! I have a two-volume hardcover edition that has no copyright date but I am guessing printed c1950. I just clicked through and compared the first line to all the ones that this article provided and still couldn\'t find a match!!! My concern is that it\'s abridged since so many translations are. So this was very helpful to find an unabridged edition - I am going with Pevear as well - Amazon ⬇ 2mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont\'d) can have it here tomorrow, just in time! 😂 2mo

janeycanuck @TheAromaofBooks oh, that‘s so weird none of the translations match!! That‘s awesome you‘ll be able to get a Pevear quickly. The whole abridgement to turn it into a kid‘s story in English is so bizarre. I‘m glad there are some truer versions that keep the spirit of the writing. 2mo

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CogsOfEncouragement

The Red Pony | John Steinbeck

pick

I‘ve read a few Steinbeck through the years, but not this. Now I‘m ready for the #RandomClassic discussion later this month.

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TheAromaofBooks

Fahrenheit 451 | Ray Bradbury

so-so

Hey friends!! Things got a lil busy last week and then I just honestly didn't feel like like being online much this weekend haha But I'm back for the final section of our #RandomClassic

In the end, this book was just okay for me. It felt like a weird fever dream a lot of the time. Not a lot of explanations, not a lot of character development or background, just people drifting from place to place. I was confused by some things (why did no one ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) call the authorities when Guy had a book on the train??). Part of my ambivalent attitude is probably because I actually love info-dumping world-building 😂

To me, this book felt like a warning about what happens when we, as a society, stop valuing learning and books, more than it did a warning about government overreach, like 1984 and others. While the gov't did sanction the destruction of books in this story, it was the people who ⬇ 3mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) originally lost interest in them. I feel like this story reflected the leaps and bounds of new tech that was becoming much more widespread at the time, TV and telephones, vacuum cleaners and washing machines, faster cars and more spare time. Things can be good until they're bad.

However, as a story I just never really connected. I didn't particularly care about Guy or any of the other characters. Although I weirdly did like the odd ⬇ 3mo

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) ending.

So tell me your thoughts!! Did you enjoy this one? Did it go places you expected? Did you have any take-away thoughts? Did you feel like the ending was optimistic or pessimistic?

@BarbaraJean @BarkingMadRead @Catsandbooks @ChelseaM6010 @Clare-Dragonfly @Daisey @julieclair @Librarybelle @nanuska_153 @StayCurious 3mo

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Librarybelle I agree that it felt like it was the people who lost interest initially and then the government sanctioned the destruction of them. I gave it a soft pick—there are parts I‘m still not sure I fully understand—but it just hits too close to the modern debate of banning books. It‘s eerie to see the parallels between a group‘s fear of books‘ contents and the eventual signing into law of book bans and punishment for providing said books to others. 3mo

Clare-Dragonfly I agree, the worldbuilding is surprisingly thin! I don‘t think Bradbury took any time to consider the economics of his world, which makes sense when you think of it more as a warning than immersive storytelling. I think it‘s a pretty effective one. Obviously it‘s enduring. My thoughts on the ending below a spoiler tag… 3mo

Clare-Dragonfly I was surprised by the ending—even though I‘ve read this before! I remembered the group of Book People, but not the city-flattening bombs. It felt both too optimistic (the bad civilization is ended, now the good guys can restart it with the books in their head) and too pessimistic (not reading leads directly to WWIII), as well as too pat—like, Montag is the only important person, so now that he understands the world, it can be destroyed. 3mo

Clare-Dragonfly The declaration of war probably served as foreshadowing for Bradbury‘s 1950s readers, but it didn‘t for me. Montag makes a comment to Faber about the war seeming far away, like something that is going to happen to someone else. Well, as a USAmerican born in the 1980s, that *is* my experience of war. I honestly didn‘t expect it to mean anything to the characters, especially after all the bombers flying past meant nothing to them. 3mo

Susanita I wonder if I would have gotten more out of it if I‘d read it for a class, but then again maybe not. I‘m glad I read it though and can check it off my list. 3mo

julieclair Didn‘t get to it, and since it‘s a re-read, based on the comments, I probably won‘t. 😎 3mo

TheAromaofBooks @julieclair - I still think it's a worthwhile read (and it's less than 200pgs so not a huge commitment). I'm wondering if it's a book I would get more from reading it a second time, because it just wasn't at all what I was expecting. 3mo

julieclair @TheAromaofBooks Oh… interesting! I‘ll keep it on my list, then. And of course I can follow the discussion at any time, due to the magic of Litsy! 3mo

Catsandbooks I wonder why I liked this when I was younger because I find it kind of strange now. I do wish there was more world building. And also the ending seemed too simple. Like oh a bomb hits the city now things are all better to go back??? I am glad I read it though. I might check out the HBO movie version of it they made a few years ago. 3mo

BarbaraJean Popping in late—it‘s been a necessary introverting week for me! Fever dream is such a good description. I read this in the early 2000s, and re-reading it, I couldn‘t believe how little I remembered. Maybe that's because so much of the story feels like just vibes. 😆 The ideas are intriguing, but it‘s sketched out rather than fleshed out. I did enjoy it—the ideas & concerns it raises are still so relevant, both the lack of value for books or ⬇ 3mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) ...real ideas and the book-banning side of it. The only part I really remember is the ending and the idea of “being” a book—I loved that so much!! Like you @Clare-Dragonfly I remembered the group of people but not the rest of it. I did feel like it was an optimistic ending, in a weird, apocalyptic, wipe-it-out-and-start-again-but-also-carry-the-torch kind of way. 3mo

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