The Classics Club started in March 2012 and I’ve been an on-and-off participant since August 2012.
The original moderators of the group recently retired their posts and four new moderators were chosen to guide the group. If you’re at all interested in reading classics — either reading more classics or getting started reading classics — I can’t recommend this group enough. They’re a fantastically supportive group and there’s never any elitism or judgment, just joy (or sometimes not) of reading literary classics.
How it works: You choose 50 or more classics that you’d like to read over the next five years and that’s about it. I’ve revised my list several times, as have other participants, and my initial five-year “deadline” went whooshing by last year. There are no rules set in stone and no competition. The point is to challenge yourself to read those classics you’ve always wanted to get to.
Learn more about how to join here.
This “New Beginning” for the four moderators has inspired me to revise my own Classics Club reading list, which needed a bit of a reboot. Check out my list here: chriswolak.com/classics-club
My current Classics Club read is Middlemarch by George Eliot. I’m reading it in both paper and audio. Several friends recommended Juliet Stevenson’s narration, which I’m enjoying very much.
You have some seriously big and meaty books on your list. The Count of Monte Cristo and Les Miserables are ones I decided not to tackle because they are so big and a wimp.
Haha! Some of those big books are the ones that have been on my mind for the longest time so I can’t help myself. I did drop War & Peace this time around. I’m sure if ever make a second list that will be on it.
Your new list looks great & I’ve got the new date and URL updated on this Member page! So what’s that first book you want to tackle?
Thanks for updating my info! I’ve been eyeing Ship of Fools on my shelf for some time now. Or maybe Giovanni’s room. The next CC Spin will decide for me. 🙂
[…] just revised my Classics Club list last week, so this spin is coming at the perfect time for me. As I’m currently reading Middlemarch, […]
I’m still trekking along on my list. I visited the CC site recently and saw that I projected finishing in March of this year and my list has remained stagnant for over nearly two years at this point. I’ll get back to it eventually.
I decided to revamp my CC list recently, too. It’s such a great group and a really worthwhile challenge — but it really *is* a challenge sometimes, isn’t it? I’m glad you added ‘The Color Purple’ to your list and I’m looking forward to seeing your thoughts on it (if you choose to blog about it).