“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” — Italo Calvino
I signed up for Classics Club some time ago, and asked myself the question, “What is a classic?” In my book it’s a title that has stood the test of time — however long that is — and will include children’s fiction, classical and foreign texts in translation as well as those deemed modern classics (mostly 20th century).
The List
Included on this list — an aide-memoire really — are the classics I have yet to read (or reread: RR).
- Petronius Arbiter: The Satyricon RR
- Frances Hodgson Burnett: A Little Princess Read
- Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist RR
- George Eliot: Middlemarch
- Hermann Hesse: The Glass Bead Game RR
- Charles Kingsley: Hypatia
- Rudyard Kipling: Kim RR
- D H Lawrence: The Princess and other stories
- Niccolò Machiavelli: The Prince
- L M Montgomery: Anne of Green Gables
- Mervyn Peake: Gormenghast
- Mark Twain: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer RR
- Horace Walpole: The Castle of Otranto RR
I shall attempt to make a start on reading these with the help of Karen’s Back to the Classics meme for 2022 (though I shan’t officially sign up to participating). Here’s her category list, which I know at least some of my remaining classics-to-read will fit.
1. A 19th century classic. Any book first published from 1800 to 1899. Hypatia?
2. A 20th century classic. Any book first published from 1900 to 1972. All books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only exceptions are books which were written by 1972 and posthumously published. The Glass Bead Game?
3. A classic by a woman author. A Little Princess? Anne of Green Gables?
4. A classic in translation. Any book first published in a language that is not your primary language. You may read it in translation or in its original language, if you prefer. The Satyricon?
5. A classic by BIPOC author. Any book published by a non-white author.
6. Mystery/Detective/Crime classic. It can be fiction or non-fiction (true crime).
7. A classic short story collection. Any single volume that contains at least six short stories. The book can have a single author or can be an anthology of multiple authors. The Princess and Other Stories?
8. Pre-1800 classic. Anything written before 1800. Plays and epic poems, such as the Odyssey, are acceptable in this category. The Castle of Otranto?
9. A nonfiction classic. Travel, memoirs, and biographies are great choices for this category. The Prince?
10. Classic that’s been on your TBR list the longest. Kim?
11. Classic set in a place you’d like to visit. Can be real or imaginary — Paris, Tokyo, the moon, Middle Earth, etc. Gormenghast?
12. Wild card classic. Any classic book you like, any category, as long as it’s at least 50 years old!
Calmgrove 
Let me know via The Classics Club email if you’d like me to update your completion date for your Classics Club list. TCC email: theclassicsclubblog AT gmail DOT com
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