I honestly thought, more than once, “Hmmmm. Maybe I should revisit that novel after all.”

Then Emma referred to Wuthering Heights quite a bit, and I had to wonder if I hadn’t given Catherine and Heathcliff the proper attention when I was in high school. I began to feel like there was something to all that calling out over the moors (I think that another mention of the novel elsewhere had already perked me up to this possibility).

THEN when I sat in on the conference call with David Nicholls, author and screenwriter of One Day, he talked about Tess of the D’Urbervilles being one of his favorite novels, and there was a reference to that book within One Day as well. Thomas Hardy is known for being thick dense fiction, but yes, because I like Nicholls’ storytelling, what he said had weight. In spite of always being a little afraid or put off by Thomas Hardy, I put it on my “lifetime classics to read” list!

What’s funny is that One Day is not a high-brow literary fiction sort of novel. Yes, it’s well-written, and yes it’s thought-provoking and rather grand in scope, but it’s basically a very relatable coming of age adult love story. Maybe that made it speak even more loudly? Because it isn’t high-brow?

I wonder why my feelings about certain books — specifically classics — would change based on them being featured within a book or a movie? I guess it’s because I come to think of characters as friends who I can trust, and if they are excited about a book, I wonder why and give it a second chance. I suppose that the same is true when I hear a real-life friend mention a book that impacted her, either back when it was an assignment, or as an adult, and it’s certainly true that if a like-minded book blogger reviews a classic work that I thought I had forgotten, I might reconsider.

So is it just me? Or have you been moved to look into a certain book or author — classics or contemporary — after another book featured it?

Jennifer appreciates the classics, but is okay sticking with contemporary fare in movies and books. She blogs at Snapshot.

Last December we announced the New Classics Bookclub. Instead of selecting a book each month and reading it together, we invited you to keep reading classics, but at your own pace — 1 or 2 a quarter, 1 a month, or whatever you chose. You made a plan and linked up your initial reviews.

At the end of the first quarter, quite a few of of you linked up some reviews of books you had read.

In the 2nd quarter, Lisa reviewed a children’s classic she read using Nintendo’s 100 Classic Books program that all of the contributors got to try out, and again, quite a few of you linked up your own reviews.

In the 3rd quarter, knowing that I myself had lagged behind on my goal of reading 1 classic a quarter, I asked “How are you doing?” You all linked up once again, proving that you were doing better than I was!

And now we come to the last quarterly linkup. In addition to your reviews from this last quarter, I’d love to see a wrap-up post reflecting on what reading the classics has meant to you. I hope that if you enjoy classics, you’ll go back and revisit some of the linked reviews to give yourself some ideas of where to go next, but this is the end of the Classics Bookclub. We are paring down our Tuesday linkups so that we can focus on reviews.

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Now the lovely ladies here at 5 Minutes for Books were each given an opportunity to read from this 100 Classic Books game on the new Nintendo DSi XL. As any of you who know me through my book reviews, you know that I like reading with an actual book on my hand. Reading a book on a game console is typically not my cup of tea. However, I was willing to give it a go after traveling to New York in May (for BEA.) My affinity for words on a printed page kind of got the better of me as I discovered that I didn’t have very much space in my carry-on luggage to cart a lot of books around! On that trip, and at that time, I wished I had some small, portable system on which to read books, simply to save space! Honestly, the only time I’d be tempted to read a book on a screen would be when traveling. I have to be in space-saving mode. Otherwise, I really prefer the feel and the smell of an actual book.

That said, I enjoyed the opportunity granted by Nintendo to give this 100 Classic Books game a whirl.

Here are my positives from the experience:

* I actually appreciate the fact that this is a game on a game console. When I travel, I typically travel with children. When traveling with children, I like having something with which to distract them. Hand held games are attractive to my three year old. I like the fact that I can be reading a book on the console on minute, but then switch it over to SeaWorld Adventure Parks Shamu’s Deep Sea Adventure (which I picked up locally, upon receiving our game console.) (Have I ever mentioned that I am also a big fan of Tetris?)

* I desperately liked the fact the game console gives you three bookmarks to use per book you read. As a book reader/reviewer, I find myself marking multiple passages in books that I want to come back to and think more about. I appreciated that I could mark up to three spots in the books I was reading on the Nintendo DSi XL. (Usually, when I’m reading a book, I allow myself to mark 3-4 spots for thought/discussion purposes so this was a handy and very perfect number of bookmarks for me!)

* I like the fact that there are 100 titles to choose from, some short and some long. I personally chose to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on the console because a.) it was short and b.) I wanted to get a feel for how reading a book on screen would be for me.

The negatives:

* I don’t really like reading books on screen.

It’s just not the same. I being able to feel a book and turn the pages myself. That said, I know that when traveling, this can be a convenient game to have on hand that is not only useful to Mommy when she’s bored, but for the little children when they become antsy and squeamish.

I definitely plan to add games to our Nintendo DSi XL collection – strictly for traveling (to keep the novelty of it alive!) And when we’re traveling, I know that I WILL make use of the fact that there is a 100 Classic Books game. I can absolutely see myself utilizing that when traveling space is limited. This game is a fun idea and much more convenient to families at large, which I think gives it special appeal. It’s small, convenient, (and did I mention it takes pictures? Bookworm1 and I got a bit distracted with that feature…) A solid book in hand isn’t quite so distracting. But then your typical book doesn’t offer Tetris. So there’s your trade off!

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Disclosure: Nintendo sent a DS game system and a copy of the 100 Classic Books, for review purposes.

Carrie very much enjoys reading good books. She reads and blogs regularly at Reading to Know and at Reading My Library

Yes, indeed, it’s true. Thanks to the 100 Classic Books “game” for Nintendo DSiXL, we who love all things classic can not only be hip but I have to tell you: I’ve also been the envy of at least two young gamers in my circle of acquaintance (who also happen to live with me). I’ll freely confess that I’m pretty much old school, like most fans of classic literature, but I really enjoyed the convenience of having so many great novels at the tip of the fingers (or my stylus, as the case may be).

Since I was branching out and reading a book in an electronic format, I decided to also choose something a little different for my reading selection for this quarter’s Classics Book Club. Yes, dear Jane (Austen) has a couple of spots in the 100 (as rightly she should), and so do other favorite authors of mine like Dumas and Dickens but I chose instead a fairy tale, The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald.

The Princess and the Goblin is the delightful story of the young, precocious princess Irene and the courageous, quick-witted miner Curdie. All of the elements that make fairy tales so much fun are present: evil goblins, dark dungeons, a sinister plan, a kindly king and a mysterious grandmother. There are spells and mysteries, a beautiful ring, and a nearly invisible thread that leads to home. MacDonald writes in an easy, conversational style, almost as if the reader were enjoying story time with a doting grandfather. The Princess and the Goblin is great fun and a good story, as all good fairy tales should be. It is a classic that deserves to be read by both young and old(er) lovers of literature.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Princess and the Goblin as well as the handiness of the Nintendo DSi XL. I mean, I could finish The Princess and the Goblin and, without even leaving my chair, immediately turn (tap) to The Princess and Curdie, the next installment in MacDonald’s series. Or to a Sherlock Holmes novel. Or to my beloved Pride and Prejudice. Or to one of the other 100 Classic Books, some that I’ve been eager to read, some that are new to me. It’s fun to see old friends in an electronic format; it’s also fun to discover new titles and genres.

Hip to be square, you better believe it!

Did you read any classics this quarter, electronically or otherwise? Link up your reviews and let us know!

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Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes…. Lisa would like to thank Nintendo for providing the DSiXL and the 100 Classic Books software for review purposes.

As a Jane Austen fanatic, I’ve never thought her novels could be improved. The wonderful folks at Bethany House proved me wrong with the Insight Edition of Sense and Sensibility. Packed full of wonderful tidbits of pop culture trivia from the film versions, Austen’s life, and the historical & cultural details of the era, this book made me feel like I was reading alongside an old friend.

The editors did an outstanding job of compiling fun and educational information. I particularly enjoyed the ongoing ranking of the novel’s most frustrating characters, as well as the comments on the characters and plots.

If you’re not familiar with Sense and Sensibility, it’s the story of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. As different as night and day, each sister seeks love and handles rejection in ways that completely confound the other. Yet through all the heartache and uncertainty, they are, above all, faithful and loyal to each other.

Whether you’re a long time Austen fan or looking for a place to start, I highly recommend Insight Edition of Sense and Sensibility. The book even includes a “Questions for Conversation” section, making a great choice for a spring or summer book club.

Thanks to the kind folks at Bethany House for allowing me to revisit the Dashwood sisters!

If you’ve thought about joining our Classics Bookclub, this might be a good book to start with.

Melissa has been captivated by books for as long as she can remember. She resides in Virginia and blogs at Breath of Life.

I have always been a reader, but reading challenges and my work with 5 Minutes for Books have helped me to expand my horizons in a very specific way: I now read classics—for fun. I first joined the classics scene by reading all of Jane Austen’s books (it seemed that everyone in Blogland adored Jane), and since then, I have read many other classic titles.

Last year, however, I read very few classics. I was sick for much of the year, and I was just too tired to do the work that reading classics involves. I specifically remember trying to read Jane Eyre for the Classics Bookclub. I didn’t make it past the first two chapters because I kept falling asleep! I hated to put it down because I knew it was a well-loved story, but I just couldn’t muster the energy.

Not long after that, I learned about the Readable Classics version of Jane Eyre….

Read my full review of Readable Classics on 5 Minutes for Mom, and enter to win one of the three published Readable Classics titles!

Comments are closed here to remind you to check out the full review over at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Book blogger Lauren is a wife, a mother of two, an avid reader. She blogs at Baseballs and Bows. Thanks to the author for the review copy of the book.

Have you been reading the classics? Have you read any since we announced our “pick-your-own” sort of bookclub? I set some goals, loosely hoping to read one per quarter, or at least four over the year, and here we are at the end of the first quarter, and I’m cramming. I have not finished my book, but I am reading it. I’m fairly sure I’ll be able to link up a review by sometime tomorrow.

And though the traffic will probably slow down, there’s no time limit. I would say if we get too far into April you should save that review to link up the next 5th Tuesday (June 29).

This is our first quarterly posting of the linky that invites you to post up all your reviews from the last quarter (from January 1 on). The idea is not only that you will tell us what you’ve read and what you thought of it, but that it will still be like a bookclub of sorts, as those who have also read the book, or who are curious, surf around to your link, and join in the conversation (and for that matter, check out last quarter’s links as well).

For ease in surfing, please include the name of the title(s) that you read. You are welcome to post the review for any book you read between the end of December and now.

If you are still cramming, or didn’t even get to that point, just mark your calendars for June and share what you have then.

Find out about our upcoming community events at our Join In page. Coming soon:

• April 6: I Read It!
• April 13: Children’s Classic Mystery Challenge
• April 20: Kids’ Picks
• April 27: What’s on Your Nightstand

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Link up:

But last year, something happened to change all that. Maybe being firmly ensconced in middle age and acutely aware of my own mortality, I began to consider the things in life that I had missed out on. Reading Great Literature topped the list.

I knew there must be a reason the Classics have stood the test of time. If only I could lift the fog of verbosity, repetition, and arcane words, something of value certainly lurked there.

After all, I thought, I’m not an ignorant person. I have a Masters degree, and although it’s in business, not literature, I still believed that, if I set my mind to it, I could get through one of these books and plumb a few gems of brilliance.

And so I bought Jane Eyre. Why did I start with this particular classic? Because Jane Eyre has everything–it is a novel of stunning power, romance and suspense. Imagine the reaction in Victorian England when Jane Eyre was published in 1847. It was a scathing critique of Victorian assumptions about gender and social class–but it became an instant bestseller and was critically acclaimed.

So I began reading Jane Eyre. But every time I hit an odd word, I was stopped cold. I had to re-read sentences, paragraphs, and pages. It became tedious and ponderous. Once again, I couldn’t do it.

I was frustrated, but determined. And so I decided to rewrite Jane Eyre so that I could finally enjoy it. I gently edited each page, retaining its essence, spirit, and as much of the original text as possible. I replaced arcane words with more updated ones.

Months later, I had my own version of Jane Eyre. I read it with immense pleasure. Aha! Now I saw what everyone has raved about for the past 160 years–the spellbinding journey of a poor orphan girl who overcomes cruelty, loneliness, starvation and heartbreak on her quest for independence. Her passionate romance with Mr. Rochester, and her discovery of his devastating secret, forces her to choose between love and self-respect.

I finally realized that Jane Eyre is the story of every woman who struggles for equality and dignity in a society that wants to deny her those rights. It is a true today as it was in Victorian England.

Long story short, my version of Jane Eyre has been published under the imprint Readable Classics.

This modicum of success inspired me to tackle my nemesis–The Scarlet Letter. I thought that rewriting this novel, being much shorter, would be easier. It wasn’t. But I persevered, and I was amply rewarded with a belated appreciation of the power and beauty of this classic.

When Nathaniel Hawthorne published his masterpiece in 1850, American authors were trying to establish their legitimacy in the eyes of the English literary world. Until then, we were still viewed as the ignorant colonies.

In the novel, beautiful, defiant Hester Prynne commits adultery, refuses to name the father of her illegitimate child, and is condemned to wear a scarlet A on her breast for the rest of her life. She became the first true heroine of American fiction.

The Scarlet Letter was the first American novel to explore the moral struggle with sin, guilt, and pride; the conflict between the heart and the mind; and the deadly consequences of not being able to forgive ourselves and others.

My Readable Classics version of The Scarlet Letter has just been published. While the manuscript was still in galleys, my son, a high school junior, was assigned the book in English Literature class.

He came whining to me. “Dad, can I read your version?” On one condition, I replied. First read the original. He did. Then I gave him my version. He earned his own scarlet letter–an A on the exam. Revenge is sweet!

Finally, dear reader, I tackled the ultimate challenge–the White Whale. The Readable Classics version of Moby Dick will be published in February. This achievement will exonerate me from having read only the Cliffnotes version in high school. By the time I finished Chapter 135, I felt like Ahab, being dragged through the sea by the whale. But at least I can go to my watery grave in peace.

Wayne Josephson is the author of two Readable Classics books, Jane Eyre and The Scarlet Letter. Now an avid reader of the classics, he lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife, three kids, two dogs, and a fat guinea pig.

Note from Jennifer — If you sign up for our new Classics Bookclub by the end of January, you will be entered to win a copy of Jane Eyre Readable Classics.