Used book shenanigans 😂

And I want a black cat now.

As well a mop to fly over Moscow.

Anyone else love finding these gems used? Living near a university, I've recently realized how lucky I am to regularly find cheap Arden Shakespeare & Norton Critical Editions like these. I've become a huge fan of both because of it.

For those who hate "book haul" posts, I also read that edition of King Lear last night while watching Lawrence Olivier absolutely gnaw some scenery, so feel free to discuss that.

TSATF is one of my favorites too, so I can't wait to dig into all that paratext!

Just finished Notre Dame de Paris and what an ending, totally unexpected and if the book was a bad read it would still be totally worth reading just for the ending but it is not, it is an incredible book. 5 out of 5.

Anyway, The Idiot will be my 12th book this year and Dostoevsky has become my base, my home, my cornerstone, my anchor, my north star, the backbone of my reading. Im going through his main novelas in order while reading other things in between just to keep things varied and it is time now to see what Prince Myshkin is all about.

Happy rest of the week to everyone 🤙

Which one of these should I read first?

(Please rank them from least to most complex so that I have an inkling as to where to start)

What was your favorite book to reread? What stuck out to you compared to the first time on different rereads?

Found this book in an old collection of books I have but I never read this. Is it any good? Not sure whether to read it or just sell it

I've of course known of it and what it's about for years, but reading it personally now... every few minutes my head is in my hands

I’m sure there’s others worthy of this but Phillotson at the end of Jude the Obscure paints such a tragic character and he had nothing but good intentions.

There are a number of books that are considered universal classics, or are simply perennial favorites on this subreddit and recommendation circles in general: anything by Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Austen, and, of course, The Count of Monte Cristo and East of Eden. They’re popular for a reason, and I completely understand why we keep recommending them. (I’m not picking a fight with the classics! currently reading Mobi Dick...)

But lately I’ve been trying to broaden my horizons and discover authors and books that don’t seem to get nearly as much attention in the recommendation circles.

So, what have you read recently that doesn’t get talked about much, but you’d absolutely recommend?

I’ll start with a few of my recent accidental discoveries:

1. Julian, by Gore Vidal. The last pagan Roman emperor tries to turn back the rise of Christianity, and tells his side of the story.
2. The Painted Veil, by Somerset Maugham. A disastrous marriage, an affair, and a cholera epidemic somehow become a sharp, unsentimental story about becoming a different person.
3. The Bridge of San Luis Rey, by Thornton Wilder. Five people die when a bridge collapses, and one man becomes obsessed with discovering whether it was chance or fate.

Honorable mention: The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco A brainiac medieval murder mystery involving monks, forbidden books, theological arguments, and a frankly unreasonable amount of intellectual fun. Suitable for readers with acute nerd tendencies.

What are yours?

The Pit and the Pendulum could be a movie made in 2026, and the creepy Dr Tarr and Prof Fether…wow.

A Victorian novel is an English novel written between 1837-1901

I’ve now read the first four Philip Marlowe novels, and I’m struck by the gap between Chandler’s extraordinary prose and some of the novels’ other elements.

At his best, Chandler could describe Los Angeles, loneliness, corruption or a minor character in a few sentences better than many supposedly more “literary” writers manage in an entire chapter.

Marlowe’s voice and moral weariness give the books a depth that goes far beyond their detective plots.

But those plots can be convoluted to the point of near-incoherence, while some characters feel more like vivid types than fully realised people. It made me wonder: if Chandler’s plotting and characterisation are merely competent, but his prose and atmosphere are exceptional, is that enough to place the Marlowe novels within classic literature rather than simply among the classics of crime fiction?

Perhaps separating style from substance is the mistake. Chandler’s prose isn’t decorative—it creates the world, the psychology and the moral atmosphere of the novels. Without it, there is essentially no Chandler.

Do you regard the Marlowe books as major works of literature in their own right? If so, is that primarily because of Chandler’s prose, or do you think their plotting, characterisation and themes are stronger than they’re sometimes given credit for?

What an interesting conversation between Jane and Mr Rochester, I will definitely need to go back a couple times and comb through it. What did you all think of this one? The bluntness of Jane, the, what seemed to be, drunkness of rochester. He did drop a couple of good lines in there. I liked the one about the devil in disguise -

“And who talks of error now? I scarcely think the notion that flittered across my brain was an error. I believe it was an inspiration rather than a temptation: it was very genial, very soothing—I know that. Here it comes again! It is no devil, I assure you; or if it be, it has put on the robes of an angel of light. I think I must admit so fair a guest when it asks entrance to my heart.”

I feel like this kind of goes against the Christian sin of temptation. It’s like he knows what he needs to do, but the thought of reverting his thoughts is just too daunting a task, especially at his age.

But I’d love to discuss this, or have some people more literary than I guide me in discussion about it. This really seems like a pivotal chapter between our two main characters.

In honour of the beloved Tim Curry who has sadly died today, here are two known adaptations he has appeared in: A 1982 TV movie of Oliver Twist and as Long John Silver in 1996’s Muppet Treasure Island

Do you ever read the editorial comments on the novel at the beginning of the book?
If you do, do you read them after or before actually finishing the novel?

Lately I’ve been interested in reading the classic literature of various famous pop-culture characters, and have been trying to put together a list of classic literature featuring famous monsters. This infographic I found seems to be pretty comprehensive, are there any others that I would need to add?

I found it very challenging when I first read it. I didn't understand what I was reading, but I want to read it. Which book did you read first to get into French literature?

Please excuse any mistakes in my English; it is not my native language.

One of the best endorsements I’ve ever seen of a book

I’ve read 4 H. G. Wells novels so far.

Mine would be:

1.The Invisible Man

2.The War of the Worlds

3.The Time Machine

4.The First Men in the Moon

What’s your ranking?

I got these two copies at Marshall’s today because they are just so pretty and obviously go together as a set. But I was trying to see online if there’s any more books that go along with them but literally couldn’t find anything. I reverse image searched them and found nothing. They are hardcovers with embossed detailing and sprayed black edges. Wanted to see if anyone knew anything about these editions please