Top Ten Tuesday – Classics I’ve Read and Liked

Today’s Topic: Books Written Before I Was Born (These can be books you’ve read or want to read!)

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

Let’s be honest, how many of us read books written before we were born, other than classics? I know I don’t.  And aside from the required reading in high school and university, I hadn’t even read that many classics until recent years.  I’ve written of my prejudice against the classics before, but I am working to change that. Here are a few that I’ve read (mostly recently) and enjoyed.

Phantom of the Opera – Well. My expectations of this one were way off. Probably, because I’m much more familiar with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s more romanticized version of the tale. But, I did find it interesting and I did get the giggles over the antics of the theater owners. My review

North and South – As you’ll notice, most of the classics on my list have film adaptations that I was first exposed to. This is no exception. I enjoyed the book, but I liked the series slightly better. I mean, Richard Armitage!!

Gone With the Wind – I’ve long loved the movie and wanted to read the book. But the size intimidated me. I finally tackled it and loved how it utterly transported me to the South in a way that made history come alive for me.

The Scarlet Pimpernel – My high school teacher introduced me to the glory of Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour as the Scarlet Pimpernel and Marguerite. I finally read the book and felt the adaptation was pretty close to the original story. My review

Daddy Long Legs – This is simply one of the cutest, most adorable stories I’ve read in a long time. The fact that it is in epistolary form is just a bonus.

Little Women – For most of my life I’ve been upset with Alcott for the Laurie and Amy pairing. But that is because I had only seen the various film adaptations. When I finally read the book, it made more sense. My review

Christy –  I watched the television series years ago and finally got around to reading this last year. Now I wish I could find the series again to re-watch it.

The Blue Castle – For years, I heard people rave about this quiet little beauty. I wish I had listened to those recommendations sooner. Valancy is my hero(ine)! My review

Pride and Prejudice – This may have the honor of being the first classic I ever read. I grew up on Austen film adaptations and I remember finding a particularly beautiful hardback copy as a child.

These Old Shades – I went through a phase where I was obsessed with Heyer’s stories, but this one was always my favorite.

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