I found Mishima's four-volume "Sea of Fertility" last year at a local library sale (Vintage Classics edition). I've never read him before but it's one of the endless list of things I want to get to eventually. For some reason, I never end up picking up historical fiction, which I should really change. Still haven't gotten around to the Hillary Mantel Cromwell trilogy (which everyone but me seems to have already read). Off to check out your historical fiction video now! Keep up the excellent content, Karla!
Thank you so much, that’s so kind. I haven’t read the Cromwell series either but really want to! I might do a slow read of Wolf Hall next year if I don’t get to it earlier. I have the Sea of Fertility series too but I haven’t gotten to it yet. The other Mishima book I’ve read was The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea and that was very interesting too. He writes so beautifully I do really want to try the series at some point.
@@karlalikestoread The one thing that has given me a little bit of hesitation about the Mishima is that the East/West divide might make it harder to appreciate the themes. I read some Kawabata a few years ago and had this issue. It was like reading a haiku. I was like, "What am I supposed to be looking for here?" I felt so lost, lol. On the other hand, I've read Kobo Abe and Kenzaburo Oe and loved them both.
@@NicholasOfAutrecourt I haven't read Kawabata yet but I didn't feel that The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea's themes were hard to grasp. And especially in Confessions of a Mask everything is very straightforward. The writing is descriptive and beautiful but at least in those two books not abstruse.
Absolutely! It really depends on what you might be interested in genre- or theme-wise. I've mostly read 19th century and early 20th century classics so those are the ones I can recommend. If you want to try something Victorian then Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is great, gothic, proto-feminist coming-of-age story and the language reads modern, for something shorter The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is about a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty, gothic and horror-ish. You could try The Awakening by Kate Chopin about a married woman's sexual and feminist awakening from 1899. Or, moving into the 20th century, if you haven't tried Passing by Nella Larsen is about two black women in America who were friends growing up but then don't meet again until they're adults at which point one is living passing as white. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a great one too, about a black woman's life in the south in the early 20th century, has a lot of feminist themes. Or try Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier which is about a young woman who marries an older, wealthy man whose wife died mysteriously and her memory seems to haunt her new home, if you feel like something mystery-leaning. Hopefully something in there sounds interesting!
@@karlalikestoread thank you for the suggestions! I’ve read Their Eyes Were Watching God and Rebecca. I enjoyed both. I read some Brontë in school and was just sort of meh about it. Passing sounds really good though!
I always wondered about the books by Virginia Woolf. I do have two biographies about her (one by Quentin Bell and one by John Lehmann) and The Letters of Vita Sackville-West to Virginia Woolf. I haven't read any of them yet though.
Oh nice, good to know about those biographies! I'll have to look into them. Her feminist nonfiction book A Room of One's Own is also great, easier than her fiction and short.
Nice to see Mishima’s work discussed - not a common occurrence on Booktube. I adore his novel Spring Snow.
Yes, I don’t see him mentioned often. I’d really like to try Spring Snow!
I found Mishima's four-volume "Sea of Fertility" last year at a local library sale (Vintage Classics edition). I've never read him before but it's one of the endless list of things I want to get to eventually. For some reason, I never end up picking up historical fiction, which I should really change. Still haven't gotten around to the Hillary Mantel Cromwell trilogy (which everyone but me seems to have already read). Off to check out your historical fiction video now! Keep up the excellent content, Karla!
Thank you so much, that’s so kind. I haven’t read the Cromwell series either but really want to! I might do a slow read of Wolf Hall next year if I don’t get to it earlier. I have the Sea of Fertility series too but I haven’t gotten to it yet. The other Mishima book I’ve read was The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea and that was very interesting too. He writes so beautifully I do really want to try the series at some point.
@@karlalikestoread The one thing that has given me a little bit of hesitation about the Mishima is that the East/West divide might make it harder to appreciate the themes. I read some Kawabata a few years ago and had this issue. It was like reading a haiku. I was like, "What am I supposed to be looking for here?" I felt so lost, lol. On the other hand, I've read Kobo Abe and Kenzaburo Oe and loved them both.
@@NicholasOfAutrecourt I haven't read Kawabata yet but I didn't feel that The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea's themes were hard to grasp. And especially in Confessions of a Mask everything is very straightforward. The writing is descriptive and beautiful but at least in those two books not abstruse.
Confessions of a Mask sounds very intriguing!! They all do, of course but that’s a stand-out🙂
I recommend giving it a try. Mishima is fascinating!
Sounds like a great month of reading! I really enjoyed The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Would definitely recommend giving it a go 😊
Thank you! I definitely want to read The Age of Innocence!
I just finished House of Mirth in May as well and I really really liked it. I loved the societal commentary and the story!
Me too! Absolutely a new favorite for me! 😄
I have been wanting to finish some classics for the longest time so this video came at the perfect time ☺️📚
Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!!!
Thank you! Hope it helps! 😊
You should read her 'A room of one's own' essay. Glad you're a Virginia Woolf fan now
I loved A Room of One's Own! It was her fiction that I struggled a little bit with to begin with but I'm a convert!
Good wrap up! Classics are an area that I'm really weak. Would you be able to suggest a couple of classics to dip my toes in the water?
Absolutely! It really depends on what you might be interested in genre- or theme-wise. I've mostly read 19th century and early 20th century classics so those are the ones I can recommend. If you want to try something Victorian then Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is great, gothic, proto-feminist coming-of-age story and the language reads modern, for something shorter The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is about a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty, gothic and horror-ish. You could try The Awakening by Kate Chopin about a married woman's sexual and feminist awakening from 1899. Or, moving into the 20th century, if you haven't tried Passing by Nella Larsen is about two black women in America who were friends growing up but then don't meet again until they're adults at which point one is living passing as white. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a great one too, about a black woman's life in the south in the early 20th century, has a lot of feminist themes. Or try Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier which is about a young woman who marries an older, wealthy man whose wife died mysteriously and her memory seems to haunt her new home, if you feel like something mystery-leaning. Hopefully something in there sounds interesting!
@@karlalikestoread thank you for the suggestions! I’ve read Their Eyes Were Watching God and Rebecca. I enjoyed both. I read some Brontë in school and was just sort of meh about it. Passing sounds really good though!
@@BandysBooks Have you tried My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier? I ended up liking it more than Rebecca, though most people feel the opposite.
I always wondered about the books by Virginia Woolf. I do have two biographies about her (one by Quentin Bell and one by John Lehmann) and The Letters of Vita Sackville-West to Virginia Woolf. I haven't read any of them yet though.
Oh nice, good to know about those biographies! I'll have to look into them. Her feminist nonfiction book A Room of One's Own is also great, easier than her fiction and short.