Last year, I went through all the review links and found an astonishing number of bad links, closed-down blogs, and other problems with the links. Because several members had their blogs in private mode, I was unable to check those links and had to remove them. This didn't go over very well with the members … Continue reading Imminent Maintenance: First Notice
Haunted by Persuasion: When Old Books Become Old Friends | Guest Host: Dr Adam J. Smith
On 1 November, Rach left the following comment on my first Persuasion post: “I think there is such magic in going back to these books and reading them again.” Then, This Reading Life added: “I’ve actually lost count of how many times I’ve read Persuasion now... I’m curious to see what I think this time … Continue reading Haunted by Persuasion: When Old Books Become Old Friends | Guest Host: Dr Adam J. Smith
Classic Author Focus: Alice Munro
Alice Munro Alice Munro was a Canadian writer known for her exquisite short stories. Her beginnings in a difficult life of poverty are reflected in some of her stories, many of which are set in Huron County, Ontario. Although she wrote stories, they were nearly all published as integrated short story cycles, that is, novels … Continue reading Classic Author Focus: Alice Munro
Half Agony, Half Hope, Half Way: Persuasion’s Midpoint and theReappraisal of Firmness” | Guest Host: Dr Adam J Smith
As we hurtle into the second half of the novel, we find that Anne Elliot has become increasingly valued within the lively Musgrove family, who rely on her calm capability in contrast to the vanity and coldness of her own relatives. Captain Wentworth remains outwardly distant, seemingly more interested in the lively and high-spirited Louisa … Continue reading Half Agony, Half Hope, Half Way: Persuasion’s Midpoint and theReappraisal of Firmness” | Guest Host: Dr Adam J Smith
Reading Austen 2025 – Persuasion with Guest Host Adam S.
Hello and welcome to our November read-a-long of Jane Austen’s final completed novel, Persuasion, which first saw print six months after Austen’s death in 1817. My name is Adam James Smith, and I am an Associate Professor of Eighteenth-Century Literature at York St John University, where I also co-direct the York Research Unit for the … Continue reading Reading Austen 2025 – Persuasion with Guest Host Adam S.
Classic Author Focus: Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker I was thinking it would be nice to find an author who is suitable for the season. I have already profiled Mary Shelley, but I was surprised to find I hadn't written a profile of Bram Stoker. Who better to post about in October than the author of Dracula? This is the work … Continue reading Classic Author Focus: Bram Stoker
In Review…1925
Kaggsy @ Bookish Ramblings and Simon @Stuck in a Book are once again hosting their Read the Year Club. This time around they are celebrating books first published in 1925. The idea is simple - read and review books published in 1925 between the 20th - 26th October. To get things started, I thought we … Continue reading In Review…1925
Your Lucky Spin Number Is…
If you joined the game last week, find number 17 on your CC Spin #42 List! That's the CLASSIC you are challenged to read by 21st December 2025. We know it can be hard to stay on track and enthused about your Spin Book for the whole journey. If you're struggling with your book, let … Continue reading Your Lucky Spin Number Is…
CC Spin #42
Hello, Clubbers! It's time for another Classics Club Spin! Photo Source: Roman Kraft on Unsplash What is the spin? It's easy. At your blog, before next Sunday 19th October, 2025 create a post that lists twenty books of your choice that remain "to be read" on your Classics Club list. This is your Spin List. You have to … Continue reading CC Spin #42
Northanger Abbey – Wrap-up post
As September winds down, so too does our shared journey with Northanger Abbey. Reading this novel together has reminded me why I find Austen endlessly revisitable. She writes with a sly wink and a sharp pen, but always with a sense of humanity that allows her characters, even in their absurdities, to remain recognizable. One … Continue reading Northanger Abbey – Wrap-up post
Classic Author Focus: Jules Verne
Jules Verne Jules Verne was a French novelist, poet, and playwright who is mostly known for his adventure stories. Although he is known to English-speaking peoples as mostly a writer of children's fiction, he gained a much higher reputation in France and the rest of Europe as an influence on surrealism and the literary avant-garde. … Continue reading Classic Author Focus: Jules Verne
Northanger Abbey – the halfway post
Often Inattentive and Occasionally Stupid A Mid-Read Check-In: Volume 1 of Northanger Abbey We’re halfway through Northanger Abbey, and I have to admit, I’m having more fun than I expected. Catherine Morland, Austen’s would-be heroine, keeps insisting on not being one. No tragic backstory, no mysterious beauty, no secret intelligence. She’s “often inattentive and occasionally … Continue reading Northanger Abbey – the halfway post
Reading Austen 2025 – Northanger Abbey with Guest Host, Adam B.
“If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.” I am so pleased to be back here at The Classics Club to invite you all to step into the witty world of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, a novel that encourages us not just to read, but to … Continue reading Reading Austen 2025 – Northanger Abbey with Guest Host, Adam B.
Did You Finish Your Spin?
Today's the Day! On the 15th June we announced the latest Classic Club Spin, challenging you to read book 11 on your CC Spin #41 list by 24th August. Did you read your book? Did you write about it, or not? What's Next? In the comments below, tell us what book you read, and what you thought … Continue reading Did You Finish Your Spin?
Classic Author Focus: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
Ruth Prawer Jhabvala Here is an interesting insight into how search tools can set you wrong. When I look for writers to add to my list of possibles for profiles, I do it by country, because I'm trying to get a broad representation of times and ethnicities and countries over time. So, when I searched … Continue reading Classic Author Focus: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
In Review…Northanger Abbey
Ever since 2012 when The Classics Club was conceived, we have accumulated a HUGE data base of reviews from our members. To honour all your hard work, reading and reviewing throughout this time, we will celebrate with In Review - an occasional look back on what you’ve read and what you thought about it. It will … Continue reading In Review…Northanger Abbey
The Classics Club 