The Classics Club - February Meme

It’s the second time I am trying to answer the Classics Club Meme. This months meme goes like this-

               

“What about Modern Classics? Pick a book published since 2000 and say why you think it will be considered as a classic in the future?”

A very interesting meme indeed! Classics have ordinarily stood the test of time. Classics have universal appeal. I recently read and enjoyed ‘ Life of pi’  by Yan Martel. It was published in 2001. I think Life of Pi definitely transcends time. It tells the story of Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi), the son of a zoo-keeper, who grows embracing all religions. When Pi was sixteen, his dad plans to settle in Canada and they board a Japanese freighter. In a shipwreck,  Pi is left adrift on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean in the company of zebra, orangutan, hyena and a Bengal tiger. In the fight for survival zebra, orangutan and hyena dies. Pi shares the lifeboat with the Bengal tiger named Richard Parker for nearly seven months. His adventurous survival  is portrayed beautifully by Martel. His courage, intelligence, hope, belief and above all his faith in God  helps him survive the difficult times. Yan Martel’s writing is beautiful and elegant. A compelling story with universally appealing theme, in my opinion makes Life of Pi a modern classic.

 

 

    

 

Le Morte D'Arthur - Thomas Malory

 

 

 

I read Le Morte D’Arthur for LMRC, Medieval period. I am glad that I managed to read Le Morte D’Arthur, a dense and heavy book. If not for LMRC, I confess I wouldn’t have read it in a months' time. Thankyou Fanda!

Medieval Literature

Medieval literature spans over a 1000 years, beginning with the fall of Roman Empire (450 CE) and ending with the invention of printing press in the 15^th century. Much of the first half of this period, prior to the 7^th century was oral literature. Most of the writings were religious in nature. Caedmon’s Hymn is the earliest recorded poem in old English. Beowulf, the works of Cynewulf and the works of period poets are some important works of Old English Literature (450-1066). As with the Old English period, much of the Middle English writings were religious in nature. However secular literature begin to rise from the 14^th century. There came a huge transition in the language, culture and lifestyle of England in the Middle English Period (1066-1500). Some of the notable works of this period are the Pearl Poet’s Pearl, patience, cleanness and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Langland’s political and religious allegory Piers Plowman, John Gower’s Confessio Amantis, Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur and the works of Geoffrey Chaucer. Geoffrey Chaucer is the most highly regarded English poet of the Middle Ages. He was seen by his contemporaries as an English successor to the great tradition of Virgil and Dante.

 

Le Morte D’Arthur

Thomas Malory wrote it while he was in prison between 1468 and 1470, but it was printed in 1485 by William Caxton. The stories about King Arthur were there for a long time. Malory collected them all and retold them with an epic unity, creating the Romantic Age of Chivalry. Le Morte D’Arthur is the first true novel written in English. Malory originally wrote Le Morte D’Arthur as eight books or tales. William Caxton divided it into 21 books and then printed it.

It centers on King Arthur and the knights of his round table. It tells the story of the birth of King Arthur to Igraine and Uther Pendragon by the sorcery of Merlin and how Arthur was brought up by Sir Ector, how Arthur was made the King of Britain after the death of Uther Pendragon by Merlin, Arthur’s wedding with Guenever and how he got roundtable as his wedding gift, how knights of the roundtable were ordained and their sieges blessed by the Bishop of Canterbury and numerous other adventures by the round table knights including the quest of the Sangreal, lovetale of Lancelot and Queen Guinevere and Tristan and Isolde and finally the death of King Arthur. It took a long time for me to read volume I and I thought it wouldn't be possible for me to complete it, but Volume II moved at a faster pace. I enjoyed reading all the tales of King Arthur and his knights' chivalry, peppered with mythology, medieval romance and the knights' numerous adventures including their quest of the Sangreal.

King Arthur Weds Guinevere

Tristan and Isolde

Sir Launcelot in pursuit of  Sir Melliagrance

Death of King Arthur

 

The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins

Book:      The Moonstone

Author:    Wilkie Collins

Country:   UK

Language: English

Genre:       Epistolary Novel, Mystery Novel

Publisher: Tinsley Brothers

Publication Date: 1868

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins was originally serialized in Charles Dickens magazine “All the Year Round”. T.S. Eliot called it “The first, the longest and the best of modern English detective novel in a genre invented by Collins and not by Poe.” (Source – Wikipedia)

I was first intimidated by the length of the novel. But it soon turned out to be an engaging read and the lengthiness did not intimidate me any longer. The story revolves around the Moonstone. In the prologue, Collins tells about the Moonstone. The moonstone, a yellow diamond decorated the idol of Moon God in a temple at Somnath, in the 11^th century AD. By the raids of Mohammadeans and later by the British, the moonstone finally gets into the hands of John Herncastle, a British soldier in India. In the aftermath of the storming of Seringapatam, John Herncastle kills three Indian soldiers guarding the moonstone and steals it. When Herncastle leaves to England, he takes the moonstone with him. It is said that the Moonstone was guarded by three Brahmins for many centuries and that a curse would befall on anyone who steals it. John Herncastle is shunned by his family members (may be the curse of the Moonstone) and lives a lonely life. On his deathbed, he leaves a will, which tells that the moonstone should be given as a birthday present to his nephew, Rachel Verinder on her 18^th birthday. Franklin Blake, a cousin of Rachel Verinder is the one to deliver the moonstone. Franklin who had heard about the story of moonstone suspects whether his uncle Herncastle had prepared such a will in order to take revenge on his sister and her family. His suspicion increases when he finds Indians following him to England. Nevertheless he delivers the Moonstone to Rachel Verinder on her birthday. Rachel wears the moonstone on her birthday party. Next day the moonstone is found missing. The local police and England’s best detective Sergeant Cuff are called in to investigate.

The story is actually narrated by many different characters who were present at the time, the moonstone went missing. This is interesting as it gives some depth to the characters. My favorite narrator is Gabriel Betteredge, the loyal Steward of Verinder family, whose Bible is Robinson Crusoe.  Each narrative aids in unravelling the mystery. There are many twists and turns before the thief and the moonstone is finally unveiled.

Having enjoyed the moonstone, I look forward to read ‘The woman in white’, which is considered to be the Collins best novel.

Happy New Year

                                                                                                                                                                     

Literary Movement Reading Challenge 2015 - My List

 

Literary Movement Reading Challenge is hosted by Fanda. I don’t have any literary background and to be frank I have not read many books. I have a passion for reading, especially classics. When I found this challenge, I thought this challenge would be an opportunity to explore and learn the different literary periods. So I am taking this challenge, and I am happy for I could pick the books for different literary period from my classicsclub list. Here comes my list for LMRC.

 

January:  Medieval (500 - 1500)

     Le Morte d’Arthur – Sir Thomas Malroy

February:  Renaissance (1500 – 1670)

     The Alchemist – Ben Jonson

March:  Enlightenment (1700 – 1800)

     Joseph Andrews – Henry Fielding

April:  Romanticism (1798 – 1870)

     The legend of Sleepy Hollow – Washington Irving

May:  Transcendentalism (1830 – 1860)

     Hospital Sketches – Louisa May Alcott

June:  Victorian (1837 – 1901)

     A pair of blue eyes – Thomas Hardy

July:  Realism (1820 – 1920)

     The Golden Bowl – Henry James

August:  Naturalism (1870 – 1920)

     Germinal – Emile Zola

September:  Existentialism (1850 – Today)

    The fall – Albert Camus

October:  Modernism (1910 – 1965)

     Women in Love – D.H. Lawrence

November:  Beat Generation (1945-1965) / Bloomsbury Group (1903-1964)

     Howard’s End – E.M. Forster

December:  Post Modernism (1965 – Today)

     Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

 

To know more about this challenge, visit Fanda @ klasikfanda

 

 

 

A Lost Lady by Willa Cather

Book – A Lost Lady

Author - Willa Cather

Country - United States

Language - English

Genre - Fiction

Publisher - Alfred A. Knopf

Publication Date - September 1923

This is my second book by Willa Cather. I read ‘My Antonia’  few years ago and I loved it. A lost lady is set in late 19^th century, in a small fictional town called Sweet water along the Burlington rail road on the Western Plains. The finest house in Sweet Water is the white winged house of Mr. and Mrs. Forrester. The Forrester’s spend only their summer in Sweet Water, yet they called it their home. Mr. Forrester is a rail road contractor and a generous man. He had loved this place as a young man and vowed to build a home. Twenty years later he had made his dream come true. Mrs. Forrester is twenty years younger than Mr. Forrester. She is beautiful, charming and an enchanting hostess. The main focus of the story is Mrs. Forrester. Niel Herbert is a boy of twelve years at the opening of the story. He is enchanted by Mrs. Forrester’s grace, charm, laugh and the way she manages her home. Most of the story is told from Niel’s perspective. As Forrester’s become financially weak, they tend to spend more time at Sweet Water. Niel is now nineteen years of age and spends more time at Forrester’s House. His admiration for Mrs. Forrester had grown more over the years. He is dismayed when he finds Mrs. Forrester’s affair with Frank Ellinger. He had lost one of the most beautiful things in his life. Mr. Forrester becomes totally broke financially and all that is left for them is their home at Sweet Water. Soon Mr. Forrester suffers a stroke, but survives. Mrs. Forrester is worn out, yet she maintains her elegance. After a second stroke, Mr. Forrester becomes totally invalid and Mrs. Forrester loses her elegance. After Mr. Forrester’s death, she prefers life on any terms. Niel finds her affair with Ivy Peters, a shyster lawyer, who at the beginning of the novel is portrayed as a bully and a cruel teenager. His illusion is finally unveiled and he leaves her and Sweet Water forever. 

This novella is a delight to read with vivid descriptions that bring Sweet Water and the white winged house at the foot of the hills and its inhabitants very much alive. Cather’s writing is elegant, yet simple and lucid.

The Classics Club - December Meme Question

The Classics Club December meme question is about Children's Classics and the question goes like this:

"Did you read any classic works as a child? What were your favorites? If not, have you or will you try any classic children's literature in the future?" (We're aware children often read at an adult level. Please feel free to share adult or children's classics that you treasured in childhood or children's work that you have recently fallen far.)

When I think of my childhood days, flood of precious memories overwhelms me. But, books I have not read many. Just a few fairy tales and fables and I have loved them all. One book which I adored most as a child was "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carrol. I was very much fascinated by the wonderland where Alice had drifted me. Even now I love fantasy fictions and of late I enjoyed Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.