Kelly's Thoughts & Ramblings

This questionnaire was posted at The Classics Club site. It’s long, so I don’t expect my non-bookish followers to read it. Actually my bookish followers don’t have to, either 😂, but it’s here for those who might be interested!

26 Questions in 2026: 

1. When did you join The Classics Club? How many titles have you read for the club so far? Share a link to your latest classics club list.
   I began my first Classics Club list in January 2022. I completed it last month, so that means I’ve read 65 books for the club. My new list (HERE) begins this month. Click HERE for the list I just completed.
2. What classic are you planning to read next? Why? Is there a book first published in 1926 that you plan to read this year?
   It’s such a treat to have a new list of 50 books from which to choose.! I think I’m going to begin my second list with The Sunny Side by A.A. Milne. I don’t have any books from 1926 on my new list, so maybe I need to seek one out just for fun.
3. Best book you’ve read so far with the club? Why? 
   This is impossible for me to answer. I read too much of a variety to be able to narrow it down. I don’t even attempt to list favorites in my yearly wrap-ups anymore.
4. Classic author who has the most works on your club list? Or, classic author you’ve read the most works by?
   Looking at the list I just completed, I think there are more by C.S. Lewis than anyone else. There are several authors I read two books by, but I read one non-fiction by Lewis along with his “space trilogy”. Outside of the club I guess it might be Agatha Christie or maybe E.C.R. Lorac.
5. If you could explore one author’s literary career from first publication to last — meaning you have never read this author and want to explore him or her by reading what s/he wrote in order of publication — who would you explore? Obviously this should be an author you haven’t yet read, since you can’t do this experiment on an author you’re already familiar with. Or, which author’s work you are familiar with might it have been fun to approach this way?
   Hmm. This is something I’ve never considered doing before, but could be very interesting. I believe I’ll have to give it some thought! As for the latter question, it would have been fun to read Dickens from start to finish.
6. First classic you ever read?
   For pleasure, not for school? We had a number of classics on our bookshelves when I was growing up. I remember reading The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy, The Last Days of Pompeii by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone, but feel sure there were others.
7. Favorite children’s classic?
   This is another of those “impossible to answer” questions. I loved all of E.B. White’s novels, I was a big fan of Nancy Drew mysteries, Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter, and so many more!
8. Which classic is your most memorable classic to date? Why?
   I guess this can depend on what is meant by memorable. There are a couple of classics that I read in school (50+ years ago) that made a big impression on me at the time. I re-read both of them this year and was amazed at just how much I remembered about them and how relevant they still are in today’s world. Animal Farm by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.
9. Least favorite classic? Why?
   From those on my first list, there were only a handful that I really didn’t enjoy. The one that first comes to mind is Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote. I loved his book In Cold Blood and wanted to try something else by him. I knew it was going to be a different style of book, but I didn’t realize how much I would dislike it. It’s one of those that has gotten worse in my mind the more time has passed. Unlikable/unmemorable characters and totally boring.
10. Favorite movie or TV adaption of a classic?
    This is tough since I rarely watch adaptations. I did see Gone With the Wind numerous times before reading the novel, so maybe that one. I like both, but the book is much darker. Another that comes to mind is the 1972 movie Deliverance. The author of the 1970 book, James Dickey, wrote the screenplay himself and it sticks right with his novel. Interestingly enough, he was the US Poet Laureate from 1966-68. Two more areTrue Grit by Charles Portis (I love the book and both adaptations) and Forrest Gump by Winston Groom. Published in 1986 it’s not really a classic, but I love both the book and the film. They’re totally different, but equally good.
11. Favorite biography about a classic author you’ve read, or the biography on a classic author you most want to read, if any?
    If we can consider James Herriot (pen name for James Alfred Wight) a classic author, it would be The Real James Herriot: a Memoir of My Father by Jim Wight. I put off reading the Herriot books for years, fearing there would be too many animal deaths. I finally tried the first one and was hooked, which led to reading his son’s book about him. I’ve never watched any of the adaptations.
12. Favorite classic author in translation? Do you have a favorite classics translator? What do you look for in a classic translations?
    I don’t feel qualified to answer this question in any way.
13. Do you have a favorite classic poet/poem, playwright/play? Why do you love it?
    I’ve only learned to appreciate poetry in my adult life and I’m quite picky about it. My favorite poet, if she can be considered classic, is Mary Oliver.
14. Which classic character most reminds you of yourself? Which classic character do you most wish you could be like?
    There have been many characters I could relate to in books, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt any reminded me of myself.
15. What is the oldest classic you have read or plan to read? Why?
    My first list stuck with books from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but my new list has two earlier books on it. (1516)  Utopia by Thomas More and (1666) The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish. I saw the former reviewed on another blog (click HERE to see Anca’s review) and immediately got myself the same edition. I’m not positive about the latter, but I think it was mentioned by Mike Ashley in one of the British Library “Classic Sci-Fi” anthologies as an example of an early fantasy/science fiction story. Turns out Anca reviewed it, too, (click HERE) before I began reading her book blog!
16. If a sudden announcement was made that 500 more pages had been discovered after the original “THE END” on a classic title you read and loved, which title would you be happiest to see continued?
    This is a wonderful question, but I’m drawing a blank!  
17. Favorite edition (or series) of a classic you own, or wished you owned, if any?
    Two of the childhood classics on my shelf, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, have illustrations by Tasha Tudor. They were given to me by a dear friend and I’ve always loved them. I re-read both of them for my first classics list.
18. Do you reread classics? Why, or why not?
    It’s only been in recent years that I’ve re-read any books at all. (other than children’s book, of course) I always had the opinion there were too many books I haven’t read to waste time reading anything again. Also, I had a fear they wouldn’t live up the second time around. The latter has proven to be true with some, and a few have actually ended up being better than I remembered. Clearly one’s age, stage in life, and other factors can make a difference. So… I’m no longer opposed to re-reads, but don’t do a lot of them.
19. Has there been a classic title you simply could not finish?
    There have been very few DNFs for me, but long before I joined The Classics Club I tried to read Le Morte d’Authur by Sir Thomas Mallory. Click HERE for my review of it.
20. Has there been a classic title you expected to dislike and ended up loving?
    Not really since I’m probably not even going to try something I expect to dislike. There were a number on my first list that I wondered how I’d get on with. Happily I can say I enjoyed them far more than I expected to! (examples: Bleak House, The Fair Maid of Perth, Vanity Fair)
21. List five fellow Classic Clubbers whose blogs you frequent. What makes you love their blogs?
    Taking a different approach to this question, I’m listing the two bloggers who were the most influential in causing me to join The Classics Club. FictionFan and Jessica. I’ve read their blogs for quite a few years and I was always fascinated by their “spin” posts. Of course to “spin”, you have to belong! Funny thing is, I have no recollection of how I found their blogs in the first place. One thing leads to another (in the blogosphere) so I want to give a shout out to Rose and Tracy, whose blogs I also frequent on a regular basis and I enjoy interacting with. Other “clubbers” I have on my blog roll include Gail, Jane, Silvia, Paula, and Frances and I recommend all their blogs. (I hope I haven’t missed anyone!)
22. If you’ve ever participated in a readalong on a classic, tell us about the experience? If you’ve participated in more than one, what’s the very best experience? the best title you’ve completed? a fond memory? a good friend made?
    I have never done a buddy-read or read-along, but I have participated in several review-alongs at FictionFan’s blog. It’s always fun to see what others think! Her next event is for an author rather than a specific book. It’s scheduled for March and the author is Henrik Pontoppidan.
23. If you could appeal for a readalong with others for any classic title, which title would you name? Why?
    I love a review-along, but I’m not sure I would do as well with a read-along, so I’ll pass on this.
24. What are your favourite bits about being a part of The Classics Club?
    There’s a lot to like about The Classics Club, but my favorite thing is when there’s a Spin. I’ve only missed one since I joined and that was the last one. I only had two books left, so there wasn’t really any point in doing it. I knew I’d read both of them in the allotted time.
25. What would like to see more of (or less of) on The Classics Club?
    I like things just the way they are! 🙂
26. Question you wish was on this questionnaire? (Ask and answer it!)
    I think these question pretty well cover it all! Thanks so much to ALL the moderators (past and present) who make The Classics Club such a fun experience!