Your FIVE FAVE CLASSICS!!

[AnnaMarie]

Jane Eyre
Gone With The Wind
Clan of the Cave Bear
The Mirror (by Marlys Millhiser)
Lord of the Flies

Quite an eclectic collection.

 

[Kurben]

Some mention Austen and Charlotte Bronte Which was perhaps expected but i never took to them. The only brontesister i return to is Emily whose only novel is great. Pity she died so young in TBC. Her sisters output i find tame in comparison though wellwritten tales. And Austen.... My mothers fave but i find her repetitive. Still they are classics. Many modern classics on peoples lists here iike Lord of The Flies and Catcher in the Rye and 1984. I didn't give a date but think Doc Creeds suggestion of before 1930 is a good guiding mark. Oh, and i see some mentioned Robinson Crusoe and Gullivers Travels. Forgot about them i must shamefully admit. They are absolutely contenders for my list as is another classic I forgot Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. On the eastern front there are The Brothers Karamazov and War and Peace to consider. I find it interesting to see others fave classics.

 

[Doc Creed]

Kurben (and/or anyone who has read Moby Dick), I have a question. First, allow me to say that I am not one of those people who try to label any display of male intimacy as gay, but the alarm bells have been going off pretty much the entire time I'm reading. Putting aside the brow-raising sleeping arrangements and subsequent confessions of Queegueg and Ishmael, there is a scene I just happened upon. I'll post it in spoiler. I genuinely would like to understand it, I'm not sure I get it. You be the judge.

Spoiler

"...and I found myself unwittingly squeezing my co-laborers' hands in it, mistaking their hands for the gentle globules. Such an abounding, affectionate, friendly, loving feeling did this avocation beget; that at last I was continually squeezing their hands, and looking up into their eyes sentimentally; as much as to say, -Oh! my dear fellow beings, why should we longer cherish any social acerbities, or know the slightest ill-humor or envy! Come; let us squeeze hands all round; nay, let us all squeeze ourselves into each other; let us squeeze ourselves universally into the very milk and sperm of kindness.
"Would that I could keep squeezing that sperm forever! For now, since by many prolonged, repeated experiences, I have perceived that in all cases man must eventually lower, or at least shift, his conceit of attainable felicity; not placing it anywhere in the intellect or the fancy; but in the wife, the heart, the bed, the table, the saddle, the fire-side, the country; now that I have perceived all this, I am ready to squeeze case eternally."

I am not trying to be immature or funny; I'm serious. Ishmael says he must lower his conceit of "attainable felicity, not placing it anywhere in the intellect or fancy, but in the wife". It's as if he's saying leaving his comrades, shipmates, and days on the crew for a wife (marriage) is less than he hopes for. He's happiest where he is. Having combined all these separate passages into one context, I'm leaning toward the possibility of Ishmael being gay. Am I off base?
Thanks.
(The scene I shared is only a drop in the bucket (no pun intended) and must leave modern readers puzzled. I hope I'm not the only one. This chapter is entitled "The Squeeze of the Hand".)

 

[Kurben]

Kurben (and/or anyone who has read Moby Dick), I have a question. First, allow me to say that I am not one of those people who try to label any display of male intimacy as gay, but the alarm bells have been going off pretty much the entire time I'm reading. Putting aside the brow-raising sleeping arrangements and subsequent confessions of Queegueg and Ishmael, there is a scene I just happened upon. I'll post it in spoiler. I genuinely would like to understand it, I'm not sure I get it. You be the judge.

Spoiler

"...and I found myself unwittingly squeezing my co-laborers' hands in it, mistaking their hands for the gentle globules. Such an abounding, affectionate, friendly, loving feeling did this avocation beget; that at last I was continually squeezing their hands, and looking up into their eyes sentimentally; as much as to say, -Oh! my dear fellow beings, why should we longer cherish any social acerbities, or know the slightest ill-humor or envy! Come; let us squeeze hands all round; nay, let us all squeeze ourselves into each other; let us squeeze ourselves universally into the very milk and sperm of kindness.
"Would that I could keep squeezing that sperm forever! For now, since by many prolonged, repeated experiences, I have perceived that in all cases man must eventually lower, or at least shift, his conceit of attainable felicity; not placing it anywhere in the intellect or the fancy; but in the wife, the heart, the bed, the table, the saddle, the fire-side, the country; now that I have perceived all this, I am ready to squeeze case eternally."

I am not trying to be immature or funny; I'm serious. Ishmael says he must lower his conceit of "attainable felicity, not placing it anywhere in the intellect or fancy, but in the wife". It's as if he's saying leaving his comrades, shipmates, and days on the crew for a wife (marriage) is less than he hopes for. He's happiest where he is. Having combined all these separate passages into one context, I'm leaning toward the possibility of Ishmael being gay. Am I off base?
Thanks.
(The scene I shared is only a drop in the bucket (no pun intended) and must leave modern readers puzzled. I hope I'm not the only one. This chapter is entitled "The Squeeze of the Hand".)

Doc, i must admit that Moby Dick is one classic i havent read. I have heard very different opinions of it but since i have not read it cant really utter an opinion on your question. Do i remember totally wrong here? i think DJ said once she had read it (not to favourable opinions if my memory is correct).

 

[Doc Creed]

Doc, i must admit that Moby Dick is one classic i havent read. I have heard very different opinions of it but since i have not read it cant really utter an opinion on your question. Do i remember totally wrong here? i think DJ said once she had read it (not to favourable opinions if my memory is correct).

Ok, thanks, Kurb. I will tag Dana Jean

 

[Dana Jean]

Kurben (and/or anyone who has read Moby Dick), I have a question. First, allow me to say that I am not one of those people who try to label any display of male intimacy as gay, but the alarm bells have been going off pretty much the entire time I'm reading. Putting aside the brow-raising sleeping arrangements and subsequent confessions of Queegueg and Ishmael, there is a scene I just happened upon. I'll post it in spoiler. I genuinely would like to understand it, I'm not sure I get it. You be the judge.

Spoiler

"...and I found myself unwittingly squeezing my co-laborers' hands in it, mistaking their hands for the gentle globules. Such an abounding, affectionate, friendly, loving feeling did this avocation beget; that at last I was continually squeezing their hands, and looking up into their eyes sentimentally; as much as to say, -Oh! my dear fellow beings, why should we longer cherish any social acerbities, or know the slightest ill-humor or envy! Come; let us squeeze hands all round; nay, let us all squeeze ourselves into each other; let us squeeze ourselves universally into the very milk and sperm of kindness.
"Would that I could keep squeezing that sperm forever! For now, since by many prolonged, repeated experiences, I have perceived that in all cases man must eventually lower, or at least shift, his conceit of attainable felicity; not placing it anywhere in the intellect or the fancy; but in the wife, the heart, the bed, the table, the saddle, the fire-side, the country; now that I have perceived all this, I am ready to squeeze case eternally."

I am not trying to be immature or funny; I'm serious. Ishmael says he must lower his conceit of "attainable felicity, not placing it anywhere in the intellect or fancy, but in the wife". It's as if he's saying leaving his comrades, shipmates, and days on the crew for a wife (marriage) is less than he hopes for. He's happiest where he is. Having combined all these separate passages into one context, I'm leaning toward the possibility of Ishmael being gay. Am I off base?
Thanks.
(The scene I shared is only a drop in the bucket (no pun intended) and must leave modern readers puzzled. I hope I'm not the only one. This chapter is entitled "The Squeeze of the Hand".)

It's been a while since I read it. I will borrow a word that Kurben used with Austen -- it was repetitive. I just did not enjoy it at all. And I do believe homoeroticism is a theme throughout the book. Which is fine. That didn't bother me whatsoever.

The story about the whale was boring and tedious at the time I read it. Maybe today I would feel different.

Also, when I felt this way, I had read a string of depressing and bloated classics, so it might have gotten caught up in my wave of feelings towards the group of books as a whole that I was reading at the time.

I think half these authors had brains riddled with syphilis, fogged with opium and drowned in mercury.

 

[Neesy]

Kurben (and/or anyone who has read Moby Dick), I have a question. First, allow me to say that I am not one of those people who try to label any display of male intimacy as gay, but the alarm bells have been going off pretty much the entire time I'm reading. Putting aside the brow-raising sleeping arrangements and subsequent confessions of Queegueg and Ishmael, there is a scene I just happened upon. I'll post it in spoiler. I genuinely would like to understand it, I'm not sure I get it. You be the judge.

Spoiler

"...and I found myself unwittingly squeezing my co-laborers' hands in it, mistaking their hands for the gentle globules. Such an abounding, affectionate, friendly, loving feeling did this avocation beget; that at last I was continually squeezing their hands, and looking up into their eyes sentimentally; as much as to say, -Oh! my dear fellow beings, why should we longer cherish any social acerbities, or know the slightest ill-humor or envy! Come; let us squeeze hands all round; nay, let us all squeeze ourselves into each other; let us squeeze ourselves universally into the very milk and sperm of kindness.
"Would that I could keep squeezing that sperm forever! For now, since by many prolonged, repeated experiences, I have perceived that in all cases man must eventually lower, or at least shift, his conceit of attainable felicity; not placing it anywhere in the intellect or the fancy; but in the wife, the heart, the bed, the table, the saddle, the fire-side, the country; now that I have perceived all this, I am ready to squeeze case eternally."

I am not trying to be immature or funny; I'm serious. Ishmael says he must lower his conceit of "attainable felicity, not placing it anywhere in the intellect or fancy, but in the wife". It's as if he's saying leaving his comrades, shipmates, and days on the crew for a wife (marriage) is less than he hopes for. He's happiest where he is. Having combined all these separate passages into one context, I'm leaning toward the possibility of Ishmael being gay. Am I off base?
Thanks.
(The scene I shared is only a drop in the bucket (no pun intended) and must leave modern readers puzzled. I hope I'm not the only one. This chapter is entitled "The Squeeze of the Hand".)

I found this:

http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=2202833&fileOId=2204704

Page 20 seems to delve into this aspect of the book - hope it helps!

 

[Doc Creed]

It's been a while since I read it. I will borrow a word that Kurben used with Austen -- it was repetitive. I just did not enjoy it at all. And I do believe homoeroticism is a theme throughout the book. Which is fine. That didn't bother me whatsoever.

The story about the whale was boring and tedious at the time I read it. Maybe today I would feel different.

Also, when I felt this way, I had read a string of depressing and bloated classics, so it might have gotten caught up in my wave of feelings towards the group of books as a whole that I was reading at the time.

I think half these authors had brains riddled with syphilis, fogged with opium and drowned in mercury.

Thanks, I have a hundred more pages and maybe then I will have a better understanding of the book as a whole. So much of it is side-stories, sermons, and an encyclopedic detailing of whaling and whales. I knew this scene was Ishmael's desire to be one with humanity (and maybe one with his maker, although Melville does not shed a positive light on Christianity) but the homoeroticism was hard to ignore.

 

[Doc Creed]

I found this:

http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=2202833&fileOId=2204704

Page 20 seems to delve into this aspect of the book - hope it helps!

Thank you, Neesy. I can't read it yet because I am not quite done with the book but at a glance it appears to be what I'm looking for.

 

[Doc Creed]

It's been a while since I read it. I will borrow a word that Kurben used with Austen -- it was repetitive. I just did not enjoy it at all. And I do believe homoeroticism is a theme throughout the book. Which is fine. That didn't bother me whatsoever.

The story about the whale was boring and tedious at the time I read it. Maybe today I would feel different.

Also, when I felt this way, I had read a string of depressing and bloated classics, so it might have gotten caught up in my wave of feelings towards the group of books as a whole that I was reading at the time.

I think half these authors had brains riddled with syphilis, fogged with opium and drowned in mercury.

I should add that I wasn't the slightest bit offended, either. Just surprised. This book was written in 1859, but surely readers must have put two and two together.

 

[Dana Jean]

Thanks, I have a hundred more pages and maybe I will have a better understanding of the book as a whole when I finish. So much of it is side-stories, sermons, and an encyclopedic detailing of whaling and whales. I knew this scene was Ishmael's desire to be one with humanity (and maybe one with his maker, although Melville does not shed a positive light on Christianity) but the homoeroticism was hard to ignore.

Even though "I think half these authors had brains riddled with syphilis, fogged with opium and drowned in mercury," they are still creative artists.

Moby Dick had enough great writing to keep me moving forward. Reading it was a testament to my ability to leap from island to island of good writing over the muddied slog of WTF.

 

[Dana Jean]

I should add that I wasn't the slightest bit offended, either. Just surprised. This book was written in 1859, but surely readers must have put two and two together.

Oh absolutely. Authors, even then, were pushing the boundaries of their times.

 

[Dana Jean]

Some mention Austen and Charlotte Bronte Which was perhaps expected but i never took to them. The only brontesister i return to is Emily whose only novel is great. Pity she died so young in TBC. Her sisters output i find tame in comparison though wellwritten tales. And Austen.... My mothers fave but i find her repetitive. Still they are classics. Many modern classics on peoples lists here iike Lord of The Flies and Catcher in the Rye and 1984. I didn't give a date but think Doc Creeds suggestion of before 1930 is a good guiding mark. Oh, and i see some mentioned Robinson Crusoe and Gullivers Travels. Forgot about them i must shamefully admit. They are absolutely contenders for my list as is another classic I forgot Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. On the eastern front there are The Brothers Karamazov and War and Peace to consider. I find it interesting to see others fave classics.

I haven't read any Austen and have no desire to. Except when they added the zombies. Then I read it. That was somewhat enjoyable if I recall.

 

[Kurben]

I haven't read any Austen and have no desire to. Except when they added the zombies. Then I read it. That was somewhat enjoyable if I recall.

They are typical of their time but i must admit she could write. However her books are, to me, rather similar to eachother. The social codes of the time is often a theme. What you are expected to do as a woman and so on. But welltold stories they are, just not my flavor so to speak.

 

[Dana Jean]

They are typical of their time but i must admit she could write. However her books are, to me, rather similar to eachother. The social codes of the time is often a theme. What you are expected to do as a woman and so on. But welltold stories they are, just not my flavor so to speak.

Any time I don't like a classic, it very rarely has to do with the talent of the author. It is more just the story didn't click with me. I find most of these writers skilled wordsmiths and ninja punctuationalists. Yes. my own word.

This is why I am not a writer.

 

[Kurben]

Any time I don't like a classic, it very rarely has to do with the talent of the author. It is more just the story didn't click with me. I find most of these writers skilled wordsmiths and ninja punctuationalists. Yes. my own word.

This is why I am not a writer.

That word alone makes you a creative writer!!!!!

 

[Dana Jean]

That word alone makes you a creative writer!!!!!

 

[Dana Jean]

The classic I think I'm going to tackle this year is Don Quixote. Anyone read this one?

 

[Doc Creed]

The classic I think I'm going to tackle this year is Don Quixote. Anyone read this one?

Not yet.

 

[Alizesmom]

A Christmas Carol
Lord of the Rings
The Hobbit
The Chronicles of Narnia
Quo Vadis
Exodus
Dr Zhivago