The Classics Club is revisiting some of their previous meme's and for the month of August the question to answer is by BookerTalk, "Have you made changes to your list since you first created it? If you added any new titles or removed some, why did you make those changes?”I have not added any to my list, but of course added books to my overall bookcases that I want to read in the future. So far I haven't removed any as of yet, although perhaps there is one that I might end up doing. I have tried to read this book a few times and just can't get into it, The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I was previously reading the books in the order that it is on my list, but have given up on that. The last two years or less I haven't read as much as I would like, but recently did finish reading Persuasion, so far since August 2012 I have finished 11 books out of 67. I of course have quite a ways to go. Currently, I have started reading Little Dorrit for the spin that is due in October. What are you currently reading? Have you changed your list? If your not already a member you can join at anytime.
The Jane Austen book Persuasion is the shortest out of all of her works, however it is also the most unique writing style as well. There is very little dialogue at all in this book, which may bother some people, but I found it to be interesting. The book is told in a background story and the views of the main character Anne Elliot. She happens to be in her late 20's and in previous years was in love with Frederick Wentworth, however at the time this occurred a relationship was out of the question. Anne's father is a Baron and known as Sir Walter Elliot and puts great stock in the nobility. However, he only has daughters and is currently in bad financial circumstances. On the other hand Frederick Wentworth has returned and is now a Navy Captain that has made his fortune. We meet several different characters in this book friends or in-laws of young people a few are shallow or vain, while others are quiet or overlooked. Anne Elliot was a quiet character who seemed to keep most of her opinions to herself, perhaps this is why her family often takes her for granted or they seem not to notice her at all. I wasn't a fan of most of her relatives. I am sure though that in writing the characters of the sisters that status and money were mostly all that was thought of at the time, especially in real life, women in the nobility/aristocracy needed to uphold or further advance themselves or their family by both status and financially. This book takes place in several locations including Bath in England, which from the previous Jane Austen books I have read is unusual. I did like the writing style but did wish this book was a little more in-depth in some instances and that the ending of it wasn't so rushed (this maybe because Jane Austen died and this book was actually published after her death). I was a little surprised though that for quite a while Frederick was nowhere around physically.
