Tuesday, June 12, 2012

30 Day Book Challenge! Day 10: The Classics

Day 10: What is your favorite classic book?

When I think "classic" I think, without fail, "Charles Dickens." To date, I have only read two books by this fabulous author, and I love both of them. However, I do think this one is my favorite.


It could be because I've read it the most recently, or because I love the BBC miniseries, or because it is simply a wonderfully-woven, complex tale told by a master-storyteller - but Bleak House is a total and complete favorite of mine. Following several different characters and plots which intertwine and fit together like a puzzle around the tedious, slow-working case of Jarndyce and. Jarndyce, Charles Dickens brings to us a story of pride, selfishness, and willfulness contrasted with humility, sacrifice, and love. A story of characters who are either broken or made more beautiful in the face of turmoil, trials, and suffering. A story that cries out for the opening of eyes to see and the opening of the heart to love the poor among us - whether it be a starving crossing-sweeper like Jo, or a cold, unmoving, broken-hearted socialite like Lady Deadlock. Within these 800+ pages, you come to know such a large circle of friends and enemies that you truly feel as though you have stepped out of your life and into the world of Esther, Rick, Dr. Woodcourt, "Guardian" Mr. Jarndyce, Mr. Guppy, Inspector Bucket, Miss Flite, Charley, Captain George and many, many, more dear characters whom you come to intimately throughout the tale. You love them, relate to them, cheer them on, mourn when they make the wrong decision, and downright miss them when the book is over - that's the sort of book Bleak House is.

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"The one great principle of the English law is, to make business for itself. There is no other principle distinctly, certainly, and consistently maintained through all its narrow turnings. Viewed by this light it becomes a coherent scheme, and not the monstrous maze the laity are apt to think it. Let them but once clearly perceive that its grand principle is to make business for itself at their expense, and surely they will cease to grumble."

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Which author comes to your mind when you think of a "classic" book?
 


1 comment:

Mikaela said...

You probably love it so much because we watched the miniseries together. ;-) I only have ten more chapters to go, and I'm loving it.

For some reason, I think of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books...one of the first "big" books that I cut my teeth on, at the ripe old age of 5, and books that EVERYONE has read. And how brilliant was she, really, to write so vividly about pioneer life in a way that both young and old can follow? But it's not nearly as sophisticated as Dickens, I'll give you that. ;-)