Fiber Equations: Book List 2012 Part III: The Classics

In high school we had to define what a "classic" book meant. I think we decided it was a book with a message that could speak to many generations blah blah blah... To be honest, most of the time classics = old. This isn't to say that they're boring! I guess the first definition still applies. If they weren't great books, people wouldn't be reading them 100+ years later. Or maybe people just read them because they are free on the Kindle... Anyway, here are the classics, in the order I read them:

Classic Books I Read in 2012:

Emma, by Jane Austen

Goodness, these books make me laugh. The women decide in the blink of an eye that they are madly in love with Mr. Soandso, and then spend days swooning over them. It seems a little unrealistic, but I guess there wasn't much else to do back then. It's a cute love story though.

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen

More drama! I was familiar with this plot line from the Bollywood movie Bride and Prejudice. The book doesn't have nearly as much dancing :(

Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen

Yes, I went on a free Kindle book Jane Austen kick... Apparently this book is also a movie, which I don't understand. Because nothing happens. Nothing. It's a bunch of rich people living in the country, hanging out. They act out plays and walk around. Pretty boring. Oh, and people fall in love.

The Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

I had read one or two Sherlock mysteries in high school. But I loved reading all of them! Doyle must have been ridiculously clever. Reading this gave me a new appreciation for the British tv show about Sherlock!

The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde

This book goes back to my goal of reading all the books that have characters in A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. It's a little terrifying. Dorian is quite terrible. So, don't ever wish that you can be forever young, okay?

The Invisible Man, by H. G. Wells

This book also fits my League of Extraordinary Gentlemen goal. It's a short read, and you actually feel sympathetic towards the invisible man. Sometimes.

King Solomon's Mines, by Sir H. Rider Haggard

Another book from my League of Extraordinary Gentlemen quest. This turned out to be really interesting. Once you get past all the old African slang, it's a great adventure (and only a tiny bit racist for how old it is).

Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

I don't know how I missed this one growing up! It's a wonderful adventure. Seriously, if you haven't read it yet, GO. Now.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne

Somehow I always thought the 20,000 leagues referred to a depth. Once I got over that, this was a really fun adventure. I think part of why these old adventure books are so great is that there was a lot of unknowns back then. It allowed writers to create their own places and creatures, which is exciting!

A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Jules Verne

I really like Jules Verne.

The Mysterious Island, by Jules Verne

I realllllly like Jules Verne. This may actually be my favorite of his novels. Think Lost, but less confusing. And with no chicks (sorry dudes).