2.24.2012

the classics

for christmas i was lucky enough to recieve one of these:

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my goodness, it has been so fun to read again!  and wow!  there are quite a few books you can get for free on a kindle.  the first free books that i found that made me giddy with delight were some of what i would call 'the classics.' 

i have read pride and prejudice, the secret garden, gone with the wind and scarlett (sequel to gone with the wind).  and i just started reading the scarlet pimpernel-- one that i have not read previously. 

don't you just love the classics?  i love that they are generally 'cleaner'.  i don't enjoy reading books that have lots of swearing and other questionable activities.

i also just love the character development in each of these stories.  it feels like you truly KNOW the characters.  i think that is one of the things that defines a good book for me. 

for instance, gone with the wind is just one of the best books ever.  it just is.  margaret mitchell does an exquisite job of characterization.  when you finish gone with the wind and decide to read the sequel (written by a different author), the transition is a little like fingernails on a chalkboard.  now, don't get me wrong, i love scarlett too.  i love that it wraps up the story so well and it is intriguing in it's own way.  but the switch from one author to the other makes it very obvious why margaret mitchell is considered a great author. . .

have any of you read 'scarlett'?  did you enjoy it?

do the classics inspire you?  can i just tell you how hard i am trying to find an excuse to sew this dress:




how many yards of fabric do you think i would need?  and how much do you think i would have to weigh to have a 17 inch waist?  did you know that my three year old has a larger waist than that?  crazy!
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but don't be too suprised if next halloween you see all four of us girls in a four different scarlett costumes (assuming i lose about 100 pounds between now and then!).

and don't the words of the secret garden inspire the most darling vintage dresses for little girls?

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and maybe a cape, or coat to go with it?


are there any fabulous classics that i am missing out on? what is your favorite classic?

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14 comments:

  1. Lexie@BookBugFebruary 24, 2012 at 7:30 PM

    Did you get a Kindle for Christmas?! I got one for my birthday and downloaded all the classic books as well. I have yet to read anything on it though because I still just love to hold a real book! BTW I have read Scarlett and it is awesome! It kind of gives her character some redemption from being a spoiled whiny woman. And if you need an excuse to make that dress, you can make one for me!! (Or maybe Shyann--it wouldn't take so much fabric!)

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  2. christinaFebruary 24, 2012 at 8:06 PM

    those would be great halloween costumes! all those ruffles, yikes!

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  3. crafterhoursFebruary 24, 2012 at 9:20 PM

    I love The Scarlet Pimpernel! I almost got a little red flower tattoo in college because of that book :) But this is one of the rare cases when I think the movie is better - make sure you see the anthony andrews/jane seymour version though. it's the best! (it strays pretty far from the book, so you can love both as separate stories) Oh, I saw it on broadway too - hilarious!

    I'm reading war and peace right now. I go through periods of heavy kindle purchasing and then take a break with some free stuff. i can't say it's my favorite book, but i'm determined to finish it...eventually.

    -A

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  4. The Mid Life GuruFebruary 24, 2012 at 10:35 PM

    Gone with the Wind and Scarlett are my all time favorites. Margaret Mitchell's estate was very careful in choosing the author for the "official" sequel and I think they made the right pick.

    I read the classic Jane Eyre last year for the first time. It was FABULOUS. I highly recommend it.

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  5. SisterlyLoveFebruary 25, 2012 at 1:32 AM

    Oh my yes! I love classics. My favorite of all time would be Little Women by Alcott. My second favorite is probably Jane Eyre. It is brilliant.
    I'm also loving some Dickens right now.

    LOVED The Scarlet Pimpernel!
    Genevieve

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  6. Beth TwistFebruary 25, 2012 at 8:23 AM

    The Secret Garden is one of my best-loved stories of all time. But my stand out favorite authors are Charles Dickens, Charlotte and Emily Bronte, and Elizabeth Gaskell. I'm also quite fond of Tolkien and CS Lewis and Madeleine L'Engle.

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  7. LynnFebruary 25, 2012 at 10:48 AM

    Oooh! I just got a kindle last week and am LOVING it! Ordered the wrong cover, though, which I had to return. Grk. Classics? I've been reading ( not on the Kindle) Little Women with my daughter. So well written, you fall in love with the characters, and they're so goood!

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  8. Patty@inStitchesFebruary 25, 2012 at 4:17 PM

    you could make adorable costume dresses if you used tulle for all those ruffles. And since it comes pre cut in three, six, and nine inch rolls there wouldn't be lots of cutting! And it takes yards! My daughter's wedding dress was not unlike this, three deep flounces all around the train with underlayers of netting (support) and lace edging (25+ yards)... LOVE the classics - but prefer the books - they just feel right!

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  9. RachelFebruary 27, 2012 at 12:38 PM

    Love, love, love Gone with the Wind. I read Scarlett because I needed closure! :) I did not know you could get these on the Kindle for free! I will hae to check it out.

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  10. Simple Simon and CompanyFebruary 29, 2012 at 8:07 PM

    Gone With the WInd is like My all time favorite movie (yes movie not book--although I like the book as well). And I always wanted that white dress as well!

    As for the reading..I'm a total reading nerd...always have at least 3 books going at any one time. Right now it's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Peculiar Children, and Matched. I love the classics. ANd like everyone else said if you haven't read Jane Eyre read it and also Rebecca...oh I loved that one.

    hummmm...maybe I should have just sent and email instead of leaving a comment...sorry to be long winded

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  11. K-SueMarch 6, 2012 at 12:11 PM

    Ha! I just found out I have some things in common with Crafterhours - 1. I LOVED "the Scarlet Pimpernel" movie with Anthony Andrews/Jane Seumour - one of my favorites ever, and better than the book ('Last of the Mohicans' is another where I prefer the movie), and 2. I waded through 'War and Peace,' determined to finish it. I read it during my Doc-ordered downtime while pregnant.

    I got a Kindle for Christmas, too! Right now I am reading 'Emma.'

    ReplyDelete
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