2012 Challenges

Back to the Classics Challenge 2012

As mentioned on Monday – I’ve found two reading challenges for 2012. The first is the Mount TBR Reading Challenge which you can read about here.

The second challenge I found, also thanks to Heather at Between the Covers is the:

Back to the Classics Challenge 2012 is hosted by Sarah of Sarah Reads Too Much. The challenge is fairly simple: nine books, nine categories. The categories (and the books I plan to read are below. The books may change, but the categories won’t.

  1. Any 19th Century Classic – Villlette, Charlotte Bronte (also part of the Mount TBR Challenge)
  2. Any 20th Century Classic – 1984, George Orwell
  3. Reread a classic of your choice – Mansfield Park, Jane Austen
  4. A Classic Play – Lysistrata, The Acharnians and The Clouds, Aristophanes
  5. Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction – Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie (not sure it counts, but she made an impact – also part of the Mount TBR Challenge)
  6. Classic Romance – Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
  7. Read a Classic that has been translated from its original language to your language – Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
  8. Classic Award Winner – The Color Purple, Alice Walker (also part of the Mount TBR Challenge)
  9. Read a Classic set in a Country that you (realistically speaking) will not visit during your lifetime – Doctor Zhivago, Boris Pasternak

Aside from my own selection of two Russian novels – I’m quite excited for this challenge. Overall I think it has a wide variety, but I think it would be great to add a “pre 19th Century Classic” (or even older) to the list. I thought about the ancient epics (like ) but most people I looked into seem to have included at least one, mine is I’m happy with the list I’ve chosen, but books three and nine may change. (Two Russian books is a lot, especially the tomes those two are!)

If you think you might be interested check out the rules after the jump or check out Sarah’s blog.

The nitty gritty details:

  1. Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012. Books started before January 1st do not count, and all links/reviews/comments for each category must be posted in the correct place by December 31st. Feel free to join in at any time, but the end date is December 31.
  2. Please feel free to use books in this Challenge toward any other Challenge you may be participating in. However, you must read a different book for each category of this challenge. Audio and e-books are allowed.
  3. Please sign up for the Challenge using the linky list (or comment section if you do not have a blog/website). If you would be so kind, please spread the word about this challenge by creating a post on your blog/website and link back to this sign up page.
  4. Once the Challenge has begun, you will see a new bar on the left hand side of this blog. This will list the places for you to link/comment your reviews of the book you have read for each category as well as a “wrap up” page. I will not be doing monthly check-in posts this year. I will probably do a “Half Way” post in June. These will be important because….
  5. THERE IS A PRIZE THIS YEAR! People who complete the challenge (and I will check that all categories are completed!) will be entered into a random drawing for $30 worth of books (Book Depository will be used for an International Winner). I may have other prizes as well. Make sure you are following me via GFC, Email, Twitter, or Facebook/Networked Blogs so you are in the know!
Let me know if you have any questions, or if I need to make any clarifications.
Now that is all out of the way, want to see the categories? Sure you do! Here they are:
  • Any 19th Century Classic
  • Any 20th Century Classic
  • Reread a classic of your choice
  • A Classic Play
  • Classic Mystery/Horror/Crime Fiction
  • Classic Romance
  • Read a Classic that has been translated from its original language to your languange – To clarify, if your native language is NOT English, you may read any classic originally written in English that has been translated into your native language.
  • Classic Award Winner – To clarify, the book should be a classic which has won any established literary award.
  • Read a Classic set in a Country that you (realistically speaking) will not visit during your lifetime – To Clarify, this does not have to be a country that you hope to visit either. Countries that no longer exist or have never existed count.
Her interpretation of Classic seems to be pretty loose (which I appreciate!) but she’s talked about that here.

6 thoughts on “Back to the Classics Challenge 2012”

  1. Oh man you’ve picked some great ones. I can’t wait to see what you think of Villette. I read it for a class last semester and that narrator eventually just steals your heart.

    Murder on the Orient Express is great fun. Have you read it before?

    And I’m on page 711 of 976 of Anna Karenina (a book that has quite defeated me) so I’m wishing you much luck and perseverance as you read it (especially if you do choose to keep both Russian novels).

    You may have heard of this website (www.librivox.org) it saved my life during my 19th century British Lit class. It’s free audio books recorded by different people… Villette was quite entertaining to listen to. Especially when people would attempt snobby Belgian lady accents…

    1. I hope they’re great, a couple have been on my list for ages! I have not read Murder on the Orient Express and I must say it’s the only one I remember and it was actually Doctor Who which made me think of an Agatha Christie novel 😀

      I haven’t heard of librivox, but I’ll definitely have to check it out.

    1. What is it they say? Mimicry is the best form of flattery? I think your blog post just happened to catch me at the right time/I saved that post of yours for a week until I had time to actually look into the challenges 😀 It should be fun and has already introduced me to more new book/reading blogs!

  2. Thanks for joining in! I honestly wrestled with the idea of including a category of “Classic from 18th century or earlier”… and might do that in a future challenge. But I was hoping, and it seems to be happening, that those who really want to read from those time periods are making it work within the other categories.

    And I definitely think Agatha Christie counts – especially that one!

    1. Thanks for the comment and the welcome!

      It’s funny – I included the pre-19th century by habit in the Plays section (I’ve read a lot of the modern Classic Plays, so had to go back in time), but I also thought it would give a nice even 10 – but then nine is a nice number as well.

      I’m glad Agatha Christie counts – I’m probably most excited about that one!

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