I’ve completed A Classics Challenge 2012, hosted by Katherine Cox at November’s Autumn. The aim was to read seven works of Classic Literature in 2012, but only three of the seven could be re-reads. I’ve really enjoyed taking part in this because it’s more than just read a book. Katherine’s monthly prompts provided a new way of thinking about the books and the authors. I’ve also enjoyed reading the views of the other participants.

Each month Katherine posted a prompt, which was general enough that no matter which Classic you were reading or how far into it you were, you would be able to answer it.

This is the final Prompt:

Link to your favorite Classic Literature post you’ve written this year, it doesn’t have to be related to this challenge. Just something you’d enjoy sharing.

Make a list of what you read for the challenge, you could compare it to your original list drawn up late 2011 when you were planning what to read, link to the posts you’ve written for the challenge, how many authors you’ve read or any little stat or detail you’d like to share.

My original list:

• Emma by Jane Austen
• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.
• Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome
• Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell.
• Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.
• Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens.
• The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf.

What I actually read:

• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins see also this post about the author and this post about characters
• Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens and this post with a few quotations
• The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (a re-read)
• Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte and also see this post
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• The War of the Worlds by H G Wells
• The Warden by Anthony Trollope – post to follow
• The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles – in progress. See this post about the opening chapter.

I think my favourite prompt was June’s prompt, which was to create a visual tour using quotes from the book you are reading; a series of images that closely represents how you see the scene or description. It doesn’t have to absolutely follow the text but it must reflect the mood. For this I used A Tale of Two Cities, in which I concentrated on London scenes – where Doctor Manette lived in Soho.

Now I look forward to next year and taking part in Katherine’s Turn of the Century Literary Salon.