November Books: Classics Old and Newer

 As has been the case for the past several months, I find myself drawn to older fiction and not being interested in newer work. Fortunately, I have a lot of access to classic work and there is so much of it that I will never run out. Here's November's list of classics, both 19th and 20th century.

The Grey Woman and Other Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell

A short story collection that contains a mix of stories in different genres. I loved the Gaskell novels I’ve read and this is right up there, too. As with any short story collection, I liked some better than others, but overall, it’s a great collection. I got a digital copy at Project Gutenberg here.

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

I loved this book! I laughed out loud over and over again, sometimes until the tears started. This is Dickens’ first novel, which was originally published in a serial format. It is almost like a collection of linked short stories with a core group of main characters and other supporting characters moving in and out of the stories.

Mr Pickwick is the central character. He is an amateur scientist of means and founder of The Pickwick Club. At one meeting of the club, it is agreed that a few of them will embark on a journey going here and there to observe different aspects of life and they will report back. The book is a chronicle of some of the adventures they have, the people they encounter, the trouble they get into, and the ways of life they are introduced to. My edition runs to 900 pages, so I was able to spend a fair bit of time with the Pickwickians and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! I bought a paper copy, but it is also available on Project Gutenberg here

A Country Christmas by Miss Read (audiobook read by June Barrie)

The library added some Miss Read e-audiobooks to the website, including this one. It was a nice book to listen to although there were some things that were different from what I’d read/listened to in other Miss Read books. This book takes place in Fairacre, one of the settings for her books, the other being Thrush Green. This is the third reader of Miss Read books I have heard and all are good.

Friends at Thrush Green by Miss Read (audiobook read by Gwen Watford)

While the other Miss Read book I listened to this month was set in Fairacre, this one is part of the author’s Thrush Green series. As there are some similar kinds of characters in each series, I was glad for the way the author wove a brief backstory as each character was introduced. As with all the Miss Read books in either series, this was a pleasant experience. There were some serious themes introduced in this one. Gwen Watford, who played Dolly Bantry in the Miss Marple TV series starring Joan Hickson, is one of three readers of Miss Read books that I have listened to. I like them all.

The Inimitable Jeeves by PG Wodehouse (audiobook read by Jonathan Cecil)

I am listening to the Jeeves and Wooster books here and there in order as much as possible. These are books that I enjoy listening to once in a while, but I am not sure I would like reading them. The reader does a good job, and makes me laugh. I may try reading one sometime just to see how it strikes me, but I like the way Jonathan Cecil reads Jeeves especially. He really captures well the dry way of speaking on the part of Jeeves and that’s usually what makes me laugh.

Hope there's plenty of good reading in the month ahead!

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