The meme question for this month is:
What is your favorite classic book? Why?
There are so many that I love that it’s hard to restrict myself to just one. My favorite classics are those that are also my favorite genre of novels aka horror/adventure/suspense. Think The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, which is an awesome suspense story and a classic.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson has got to be the 1st classic adventure story I read and re-read multiple times. I remember whole dialogues and sequences from that book.
My favorite horror (gothic is a better term for it, I guess) is probably The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, which I have also re-read multiple times. In spite of that, I still do not understand what exactly went down in the novel. But, not knowing does not reduce the fun of reading it one whit.
So, here you go…you asked me for one favorite classic novel and you got three.
What are your favorite classics?
Oh, The Turn of the Screw! I love that story. My absolute favorite classic is The Ambassadors by Henry James.
@Lit Hitchiker: The Turn of the Screw and some other short stories are the only Henry James books I have read. I like his writing style and must try his larger novels.
Wuthering Heights is my clear favorite but after that I can’t narrow it down to a second runner-up. I am looking forward to reading The Woman in White…it’s on my list for this year! And on an unrelated note, I am starting my first technical writing job in a week! I don’t know anyone in the field, so it’s nice to “meet” someone in the same profession through The Classics Club. 🙂
I love how you chose three instead of one! I’d probably do the same thing, although maybe it wouldn’t be “just” three! So hard to choose with so many wonderful titles. The only one from your list which I haven’t read is The Turn of The Screw. Might need to get to that sooner vs. later since I, too, loved A Woman in White and Treasure Island. I read the later to my class this year, which went around chanting, “Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest; ho, ho, ho and a bottle of rum!”
Not sure the principal or parents were thrilled with me… 😉
@Bellezza: Oh, but how much fun the kids would have had. I still remember the excitement I felt at that time while reading this book.
It is an impossible question – I settled for one childhood favourite. The Woman in White would be high on an adult list along with many others.
My absolute favorite is Gone With the Wind. 🙂
I can pinpint one single one, but if pressed then I would say Wuthering Heights since I was attracted to Heathcliff all those years ago that I read it. I liked Treasure Island too and I remember loving the song ‘fifteen men on a dead man’s chest, yo hoo and a bottle of rum’ so much. All in all it would be fun re-reading all these and more.
You’re not the only one who could limit themselves to just one favorite! I like that you chose favorites from your favorite genres. I know some of these are on my list; I wonder if they’ll become my favorites too! – Sarah
That is such a hard question! What comes to mind first: “Around the World in 80 Days,” “Frankenstein,” anything by Jane Austen…and “Lolita” was disturbingly beautiful.