Classic Books Tag

I join in with the Classics Book Tag and answer questions about classic literature and my reading goals.
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You can find me on instagram at: @mirandasnotebook, @mirandasbookcase and @teaandtattlepodcast
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BOOKS MENTIONED IN VIDEO -

CLASSIC BOOK TAG QUESTIONS:
1. What's an overhyped classic you really didn't like?
2. Favourite time period to read about?
3. Favourite fairy-tale?
4. What is the most embarrassing classic you haven't read yet?
5. Top 5 classics you would like to read (soon):
6. Favourite modern book/series based on a classic?
7. Favourite movie version/tv-series based on a classic?
8. Worst classic to movie adaptation?
9. Favourite edition(s) you'd like to collect more classics from:
10. What's an under-hyped classic you'd recommend to everyone?

OTHER MENTIONS:
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[WandaBurnside]

I was 12 years old when I read War And Peace. I loved it as much as I understood it. I am now 71 and I believe I need to reread it. Haha. Love your channel

[dharmaable]

When I was in Grade 7 our teacher read Wuthering Heights to us on Friday afternoons. This was my introduction to classics. That had me hooked to classical literature for which I shall be forever grateful.. We played Heathcliff and Catherine at recesses. What fun it was to play Heathcliff. Of course we added all our own developments and made it our own story.We were in the woods of Canada pretending to be on the English moors. Just another perspective.😊

[DaisyDreamer]

On my goodness, I thought it was just me who thought that about Wuthering Heights!

[sonjaortiz]

Thank you! Someone finally said it. I truly struggled with Wuthering Heights. Please don’t get me wrong, Emily Brontë is brilliant and I’d love to understand how she was able to produce such a scathing novel in her time. If it makes sense, I appreciate the writing style, but not the actual story, which I found too dark, cold, and violent with no relief. The book still dawns my shelf and always will. I do love my Brontë sisters and if one of my 3 sons had been a girl, her name would have been Brontë.

[maryfilippou]

I'm exactly with you about Wuthering Heights. I tried my copy twice. I share your sentiments. I found an Angela Thirkell last week I'd not heard of: Cheerfulness Breaks In. It's a lovely old red cover, London in early WWII days. That particular Little Free Library box-they're all unique design-and many delights in Berkeley area.

[amilydudley]

My favourite fairytale is the red shoes by hans christian Anderson.

[leoniealastair]

I can't believe that you know and love that tale too!!! I have a beautiful book just fir tgat fairy tale and has the most beautiful illustrations as well!

[SangoKSJ]

Hello Miranda, I’ve found your channel a couple of weeks ago among my YouTube recommendations and I subscribed after watching one video, as we share many interests and I really loved the way you conduct your videos. I’ve been watching many of them in this stretch of time and always find them so interesting! I also really like your mom Donna, she’s adorable! I’ve just watched this video and I was so happy and relieved to find I’m not the only one on the planet who doesn’t like Wuthering Heights🤩 it was comforting to know. I’ve also taken note of some of the titles you mentioned in the video for further reading. Looking forward to your new videos and say hello to your lovely mom as well. Greeting from Italy, Simona.

[BooksandRadioPlays]

I was in a Bronte class, that discussed the whole family and we read all their books, and Branwell's and Emily's poetry. I love Emily's poetry but I agree with your Wuthering Heights assessment, i just find it too violent and cruel. There doesn't seem to be a single redeeming figure in the story. I have to say it led to a lively debate, there were 4 of us against 16 of our classmates and our professor. What I found annoying was that they kept saying we must not have understood the text, instead of giving a good explanation or why they were in favor of the book, they kept saying we were not sophisticated enough to understand it. My professor did not agree with that at all and said point blank it was unfair, she did give a reasoned argument. But I was so upset by the reaction, I just stop taking part. (I did very well in the class and my professor liked me and didn't blame me for shutting down, in fact she took the four of us to lunch after class, She was very nice, )

[olivewritesblog]

Such a fun video! Love the chair setup too (and of course your book suggestions).

[helenrichards]

Agree totally I missed the memo on Heathcliff

[Missfrankiecat]

I totally agree with your assessment of the characters in Wuthering Heights - none of them are remotely sympathetic (maybe Cathy Linton is bearable but that's about it). Heathcliff is a monster (but so is Mr Rochester as far as I'm concerned). And yet I do think this is about the only novel I can think of that transcends that defect, and the lack of any moral centre, through the sheer power of the imaginative flights and creation of atmosphere by writing. The famous ghost scene where Lockwood encounters Cathy Earnshaw terrified me when I first read it and still does.

[lucyprim]

I didn’t like Wuthering Heights either! I was so surprised that I didn’t because so many people really loved it. So I reread it a couple of years later, and still, I didn’t like it. I remember reading that in the Victorian period it wasn’t liked by certain people and one of them said she felt like throwing the book across the room. I must say, I felt just like that myself!

[maslina]

Wow...I absolutely got lost in your video! Our reading tastes are incredibly similar. That fairy tale would have fascinated me as a little girl, too.

Wuthering Heights isn't one of my favourite Classics (thoroughly loathe Heathcliff!) but the writing is so beautiful.

Lady Audley's Secret is one of my top 10 books ever, possibly even top 5. I absolutely adore it.

And then there's Trollope...aaahhhh...he's a favourite of mine. One of my life goals is to find the remaining ten books of his I don't own. I haven't read all 37 I do own as I'm saving them as special treats.

Wives and Daughters is also one of my top 10 ever. Such a stunning read. Difficult to even find the words for it.

Am currently reading Collins' Armadale and plan to read Dickens' Pickwick Papers next. Another of my goals is to read all his works. Plus I hope to re-read a few this year.

Thank you for such a stunning video!

[mariat.]

I totally agree with you on WH, a tough read. But I do love Emily Bronte's poetry.

[lilapen]

Dear Miranda I really enjoyed this video and I am very glad to hear your literature preferences ! It is very interesting and useful having all those information about English Classic literature ! Thank you very much for sharing 😀

[jimgordon]

This is amazing! I recently read Wuthering Heights after many years and was astounded how bad it was! Emily Brontë was a very talented writer—her poetry is underrated— but the novel is very awkwardly structured and Heathcliff is nothing but a sociopath—in fact, she seems to be hinting that he has a demonic origin. The great movie with Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh completely changed the novel and made Heathcliff a more complicated and sympathetic figure.

This was very well done. I am reading this two years later, and I’ll certainly look up your more recent postings.

[areadersnotebook]

I just came across your video. Thank you for sharing your insights and impressions. It is always facinating to learn about other readers' preferences!

[jamielynnphillips]

Miranda, I feel validated now to know someone else who does not see the grandeur of Heathcliff and Wuthering Heights. I thought that I was missing something! Lol. Heathcliff is one of the most miserable male characters I’ve read. It’s quite sad really to watch him. Cathy is actually a very sad character as well. As I now consider Jane Austen’s relationships in comparison, I wonder if the entire point of Heathcliff and Cathy is love and misery bound together. In reality there are relationships like this now, as I’m sure there were in Brontë’s time. Thank you so very much for your fabulous videos. You are so lovely and charming. We have the same tastes in books and my “to be read” pile grows with each of your videos and IG posts! 💕

[ingaurban]

Dear Miranda, I am totally with you on that one. I could never understand the fascination with this horrible Heathcliff. I think men should be kind before anything else. Thank you for your lovely video. Have a lovely rest of your week!