The Classics Club asked a question and we were not sure we'd be able to answer. The question should have been an easy one - What is your favorite classic book and why? - but then there's two of us and we both have a pile of favorite classic books (that you can admire in the sidebar of our pages).
Narrowing down our lists of favorites looked close to impossible, so we
figured we'd skip this meme. But then we remembered that there is one
classic that we both love and that is a fairly good representation of
what unites us at this point. That book is The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton.
As readers we are not very
similar. Not only that we have very different reading styles (Alexis -
slow and thorough, Claudia - fast and... less than thorough), but, beyond the loose label of "classics," we tend to appreciate different books. And yet we rank The House of Mirth
the same. We love it for its elegant writing. We love it for its
heroine, poor tragic Lily Bart. We love it for its depiction of 19th
century society. And we love it for the memory of that time when Claudia
unwittingly spoiled it for Alexis by saying, "Oh, you're reading The House of Mirth? I cried at the end."
Oh!!!!!! I love House of Mirth! Great choice for a favorite classic.
ReplyDeleteThanks :) It is an awesome book.
DeleteThis is one of my all-time favorite books, so I am really excited that both of you love it! It has been a couple of years since I've read it (since before I started blogging) and I used to read it every year just for a good cry-fest. I am saving it for near the end of my 250 project, but I feel myself caving! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, that's a dilemma. On one hand, we know we wouldn't be able to resist revisiting The House of Mirth. On the other, it would be a nice reward for when you're close to completing your list. Hmm, read it twice? :D
DeleteThis is a great choice! I need to read more Edith Wharton, but this was definitely a good one. I remember being one of few in my class to like it when we read it for a college lit class, and to this day I still don't know why people didn't enjoy it. Either way, you picked a good one! :)
ReplyDeleteThere are people out there who don't love this book? Pfft, now we're glad we don't go out more :P
DeleteYep, this is yet another one I left off my list somehow. Gotta fix that... love a good cry-fest! -Sarah
ReplyDeleteOh yes, do give it a try. It's quite wonderful :)
DeleteI haven't read Edith Wharton so far, but she has been on my list.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear your thoughts on it :)
DeleteI haven't read this yet, and am just doing a bit of revamping of my list and discovered that I had The Age of Innocence on it but not this. On it goes!
ReplyDeleteYay!
DeleteAaahhh (I seem to be writing that a lot this morning as I go through reading everyones favourite classic) Edith Wharton! It's lovely reading your post and being reminded of how much I love these books - House of Mirth and Age of Innocence in particular. I've tracked down a couple of her older, lesser known stories as e-books and put them on my list too.
ReplyDeleteHOW could I forget Edith Wharton when I made my list???? I LOVE House of Mirth and Ethan Frome.
ReplyDeleteShe's just so wonderfully tragic. And I love her short stories too.