Wonderful advice. I love the idea of the beating heart bookshelf. Here in the United States we have public lending libraries. A public librarian gave me some wonderful advice when I was young. She said, "Buy the best and checkout the rest." Before I would ever buy a book, I would check it out from the library first. Thanks for everything. Greetings from Chicago!
I tend to buy books rather than use the library out of convenience at this busy stage of life. But if I don't like it, I donate it to the local library to use in their book sale as a fundraiser.
Tristan - your presentation actually “speaks to me”. Your enthusiasm is incredibly compelling - a phenomenal skill, persuading one for one’s OWN best interest. You are a personal blessing to me and my growth in reading!
I’ve been borrowing, buying, reading books for decades. At the beginning of the year I decided it was time to build that library. The top 100 in hardback. I don’t care if they are “classics” or modern. Genre is unimportant. I just want those 100 über greats that I want everyone to experience and love as much as I do. Right now the list is about 18 strong and I’ve bought around 12 of them. And already they look amazing on the shelf with their dust jackets thrown in the waste paper basket. I’ve found those 18 stand out because they are highly plot and character driven without the author trying to be clever. I like books that get to the point and weave a good yarn. Pages of flowery description where little happens bore me. (Lord of the Rings being the exception to the rule - Tolkien can take 30 pages to cross the street with no complaints). When I read new books I check Libby/Overdrive first, then the local lending library, then a cheap secondhand paperback, and then, if all else fails (or it’s cheaper than the paperback) I’ll get it on Kindle. If I find a book that makes the list I’ll happily rebuy in hardback.
"Expensive wallpaper" 😆 As always, Tristan, you have shared with us such nuggets of bookish wisdom. Many years ago, I was purchasing books for my library that I thought I should have rather than books I knew I would read. One day, I was looking at one of my bookshelves while trying to figure out what my next read would be and NONE of them appealed to me. I ended up donating about half of my library to my local library and started almost from scratch. Now, my bookshelves have only books that I've read and loved as well as books that I am excited to get to. Something that helped me with that was unsubscribing from Booktubers whose videos are nothing but hauls and tbrs and subbing to channels like yours, that actually provide me with tips that will help me be a better reader. I started a list of books that I've loved and notice so far that my favorite books are ones that completely broke me and made me depressed for weeks. (I'm looking at you, Hardy!) Ahhhh. Nice to know your wife is a Kindred Spirit! Anne of Green Gables as well as all of LM Montgomery's books are the only children's books I have read and loved as an adult. "Step three is so rewarding and exciting" - I suddenly lean in like you're going to tell us a secret lol I LOVE the idea of a "beating heart shelf". As for the start with your own language / culture - I am American and do not vibe with American authors. Authors from France, England, Russia, and a few other countries, make up my favorites. Thanks again for your fabulous content! Happy Reading! 💝
I should clarify- I am not anti-haul. I do love your hauls and wrap ups but What I love about your channel is that there is so much more that those types of videos.
It's funny how we buy books we think that we 'should read.' I'm not saying that there are not books which I feel are worth reading, but that it shouldn't be the motivation. I am as guilty as everybody else, but have changed my approach over time. Here's a fun experiment for you, Christina. Whenever a friend asks you what they should read next, ask them what is on their bookshelf that they haven't read. Try and convince them to read one of those books. It's so funny how hard it can be to get people to read books they already have. 😀 As for the beating heart shelf, it is lovely to have one. It's quite something to look at it from time to time and let it call you to it.
Don't worry, Christina, I know exactly what you mean. Hauls are fun, and exciting too. But like you I also prefer digging beneath the surface a little.
Such great advice. I see so many videos showing off fancy books. What good are these if you don’t enjoy them. I really enjoy your videos I get very excited when you post a new one. Your enthusiasm for reading and classics is so palpable. Keep up the great work.
Thank you, cnohero. That's such a kind thing to say. I must admit, I do get tempted by a good-looking book, but I try to resist buying them until I have read a cheaper version to weigh its value to my personal Canon. 😀
*Running to get my pen & paper as you speak * Seriously, I just found your TH-cam channel tonight & I'm hooked. Although I work in Iraqi Kurdistan, I can't bring myself to get a kindle/nook, etc. as I love the thought of hauling my library across continents & knowing my books made the journey with me brings me even more joy after I finish them. I find great pleasure in simply staring at my books! My newest edition: Frankenstein in Baghdad.
Hello, Michelle! You are so wonderful and encouraging. I hope something marvellous happens to you, like being given a new sports car or a yacht or something equally likely to make your day! 😀
I typed in "top classic adventure novels" in Google and WOW! All my favorite classic novels are there! Especially The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers! Now I'm gonna collect all the rest I don't have so far in the list. Thank you so much for this video!
Thank you Tristan! This would have helped me as a teenager but thankfully for me it was Jane Austen opening the door into classic literature. But I‘ll definitly will install a beating heart shelf I think because I love the idea!
I can’t remember the last time I felt so enthused about a list of advise. This is extremely helpful. I wish every middle schooler watched this video with the enthusiasm that you show for the classics.
Brilliant video! Your enthusiasm is infectious! I did get a pen and paper, and do the exercises, and now I'm off to start my narrowing down of classics that will suit me.
My favourites are historical fiction. I have learnt so much history from reading Phillippa Gregory and Ken Follett. I have decided to read Tolstoy's War and Peace. I know it's long but I'm going to read it 10 pages at a time like you suggested in your slow readers video. I don't know anything about the Napoleon war so it will be something new. Thanks
Did you read War and Peace? I just read it this year myself. A very good modern historical fiction novel you might enjoy is Amor Towles' A Gentleman in Moscow.
@traciebecker6669 hi, I am still reading it. I'm on volume 4. I am abs loving it, especially after I got halfway through. I listened to the audio book of a gentleman in Moscow. I really liked that one too. Thanks for replying.
I just have to comment again and say thank you. This video is so well put together, thoughtful and informative. I am an avid reader (50-70 books a year) but I've only read a handful of classics. I've decided to call 2023 the "year of the classic" for me. I want to read at least one classic book a month (probably more) but this video has helped me make a plan for 2023. I will be starting The Count of Monte Cristo January 1st, Moonstone will be book 2!
Wow! I couldn't think of 2 more exciting books than those. You are in for a treat. Not only are they great stories, but stylistically they are tremendous works. They play like a symphony in prose. Stretching and contracting with tension and languidity that makes the soul yearn for a release and thirst for more drama. So pleased that you are going on this journey. Let me know how you get on with these books. I'm excited for you.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 just an update I have finished The Moonstone and started The Count of Monte Cristo. While I have a good 10 days worth of reading ahead of me, any suggestions for my next classic? Honestly please don’t feel obligated. Love you channel and thank you for all the content!❤️👍😃
@Gwyndon Happy to help whenever I can, Gwyndon. Now, seeing as you read The Moonstone (and assuming you enjoyed it), Collins was close friends with Dickens and an admirer of his work. Great Expectations, then, might be a book you would enjoy. There is much to appreciate in that book and Dickens way of characterising people is very entertaining. 😀
This is such a beautiful video. I've just listened while cooking, but I'm going to think about it for a few days and then come back with pen and paper. Perfect for me as after years of house shares I'm finally in my own place. I've got into the habit of never buying physical books, which of course in many ways is a good thing. But now it's time to - while still borrowing most contemporary books from the library - start building a few shelves of special books. Thank you! My favourite classics I've read so far are North and South, and Frankenstein ❤
This is fantastic! I have just signed up for your book club for the 2024 year, after making it a goal to get back into the classics. But there are so many, and of course they're not all going to resonate. I love the idea of curating your own personal classic bookshelf. I am going to work on this for this year, and I think taking that philosophy into contemporary works also is a fantastic way to build my perfect home library :) Thank you for your perpetually helpful and upbeat content, I've been bingeing it a lot this week!
This is great advice. I love gothic literature, so I have many of the gothic classics on my shelves, but I think it's a good idea to go outside of your norm too and have someone pick a book that you wouldn't normally choose. Someone chose Blood Meridian for me. I would never have chosen that, but I loved it, and it then lead me to enjoy other genres. ☺️
Looking for the common thread that ties all the books together that have made my heart sing ❤ Some were decades ago and I still remember how much I loved them. Others within the last few years. What wisdom to look for what these books have in common 🧐
This is such great advice, and so true. It also goes for ALL books in your personal library; tailor it to you 🙂 I used to have 1,500 books (lots of secondhand), and had either grown out of love with them, or wasn't interested in reading them anymore, so donated 1/2 to my local Hospice. I had been overwhelmed and surrounded by a lot of 'wallpaper' books, so nowdays I only buy a physical copy of a book I know I'll either love and read immediately, or listen to books on Libby and then if I really loved the book and want to revisit it in future and reference it, I'll buy a physical copy of it. This process has saved me a lot of money, and then my library will have that 'beating heart'❤ 🙂 📚
I’ve just discovered your channel and I want to thank you for suggestions. Specifically I wanted to say I started reading the painted veil. It’s wonderful. I wish I could stay home and read it all day. I’m looking forward to watching all your videos and finding more delightful reads
I came across this video and was intrigued. As an English graduate who gave up reading for decades and now trying to start reading again this is absolutely PERFECT advice!!!
I really wish I would have seen this before I went crazy and bought a HUGE amount of books over the years. A lot of philosophy, history, and fiction. Luckily I only bought books that I knew for sure I am very excited to read because of a personal resonance or interest. I had to buy three bookshelves in a single year(that's a lie less than a year) I have plenty to do that's for sure! I had to cut myself off until I have read many, many, many books. My name is James and I am a bibliophile and a bookaholic. I am working on it.
All I can say is thank you very much. You bring such joy, encouragement, and a tremendous amount of helpful hints that I enjoy your videos very much. All my best wishes for your good health , happiness, and a peaceful life.
Thank you Tristan for another excellent video! The exercise was very useful for me. Now I know where to focus my attention going forward as I build my very own ‘beating heart bookshelf’. Like your wife, I love me some Trollope.
Thank you Angela, I'm pleased that you enjoyed it. Savour the journey that your books are going to lead you on as they introduce you to new works. Trollope is fabulous. I have just picked up one of his historical novels. Le Vendee. I bet it would really suit your tastes.😀
Where have you been all this while. I am 43 well educated Pharmaceutical Scientist but have never ever read a single classic and not only that but I have never read english literature. The reason being is no one instilled in me the love of reading fiction and bouy I am so upset at what I have missed in life. But I am on a mission now to change that. To read and experience what I missed. Thankyou Tristan.
Totally agree! I started looking into some of my favorite author’s inspirations. Doing that lead me to Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla and Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We, which are some new favorites of mine!
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 It’s incredible! Probably my new favorite of all time. There’s so much to unpack in such a short novel! I’d love to see you do a review of it one day!
Thank you Tristan for this video. I enjoyed it very much and am inspired (especially to read Great Expectations). I love Maugham, especially The Razors Edge. Take care ❤
I love "solar system in your heart". I must pass that on to a dear little girl who loves astronomy and is being nudged from books by examples. I bought her a great little Estonian book from the '70's, Rehe- Panga about nightmares with happy awakenings. A short story per page.
Tristan, you are the best. I have just started on my journey and following this I am going to get good, hard copies of Richard III and A Month In The Country. I am happy to keep good copy paperbacks of some of my others and on Kindle I will keep some for re-reading on holiday. Magnificent content, thanks and thanks again. ❤
hi tristan! hope you are well! i really enjoy your videos and the advice you give is golden; you are the lit teacher i hope to rely on through adulthood! please keep making videos like these
🎉this is superb advice Tristan, thank you very much! I will be taking on your advice, love your enthusiasm for classics and the way you present your information is just 10/10 🎉
This video can't describe better what i am doing the last year or so! i got a kindle as a gift and i am checking every genre out there, including the classic books. I want to thank you for all the recommendations, i build a library of 70+ free books on my kindle so far and i cant wait to read them all, to find out what i want to have as a physical book! Thank you for all the hard work on your videos and thank you for helping new readers like me, to dive into the amazing world of books!
Thank you. That was really useful. I have always had in my head a list of books that I should read and therefore haven't enjoyed every classic that I have read. I had never realised all of the books that I loved all had a common thread. The novels I've loved all have a political or social theme and challenge our world view. I've now got a list of books to explore. 👍👍
What excellent advice again Tristan! I lived for sometime in a neighborhood with 6 fine secondhand bookshops with two to three blocks. I Really could have used your advice 19-25 years ago. Especially the choose 2-3 bookshelves for favorites. Yet, I did always know where they were near me. I'll reorganize now. What an aid to GenYs and GenZs.
Wow! 6 book shops near you. I would have been so distracted 😀 The 2 or 3 especial shelves was something that just struck me one time when I was thinking about how books live with us and make us who we are. Seeing those select ones together is like seeing a group of intimate friends.
Thank you, Jill. I really appreciate your saying so. I sometimes wonder whether a video is all that useful. So, to get such positive feedback is reassuring. 😀
Another great video, thanks! I love your passion and great love of books. I have been reading for decades and up to now have not kept any books at home. I am a regular library user and have managed to source any book that interests me. I am now going to establish a small library at home, and will start with my top ten favourite books, this video has come to me at the perfect time. I particularly loved your term ' Beating Heart Shelf' 💞 this is where I plan to start. I also want my library to be aesthetically pleasing, so will need to put some extra effort when choosing the book covers 😊
Great video! I've heard it said that the key to being a good software engineer is knowing what to google, and I love the Idea that that applies to developing a taste for the classics as well :D Librivox is a great way to dip your toes into the public domain classics as well. I fell in love with Jane Austen in high school when I worked as a gardener for a summer and listened to all her books while I was working
Lovely, thank you! As I reflect on my first exposure to the Classics (A Tale of Two Cities that I adored!) back in my teens in the 1970s, that does reveal how even that brief exposure influenced some of my tastes over the decades (even though I do read and always have done quite broadly in many genres as well as non-fiction). To now have time to really indulge in the Classics, I’m grateful for your guidance! Oddly, or maybe not, I don’t really care for Austen but thoroughly enjoy the Brontë sisters. Hmmm. Also adore Frankenstein, another high-school influence. Anyway, I’m on my way now, so thanks again.
Encouraging and uplifting as always! I finally have the English teacher- or maybe book club leader- I always wanted. Thank you so much for your thoughtful approach. Saved me from putting another set of books in my cart. I suppose I'll just gaze at my current collection ( I have some really beautiful "wallpaper" :)- future choices will be more thoughtful ( not just " the best 100 books of all time")...
I'm so pleased to have saved you a little cash. Of course , there's nothing quite as exciting as the feel a smell and anticipation of new books. Of course, if you are happy to read anything then collecting the top 100 books is going to introduce you to some corkers. But the deliberate approach, I find, has some excellent benefits also. It is interesting to let the books lead you. You also get a more extensive grounding in one area, which is also very useful for reasons I hope to go through in a future video. Thanks for taking the time to be so encouraging and to share your thoughts. I really appreciate.
My library is stocked with books I want to return to again and again. Books I read that do not impress me enough to want re-read it generally don't make it. That's why my library card is so handy. Books that impress me there usual find themselves in MY library.
I am taking the Tristan Classic Literature course. This video is good advice. Don't like drinking tea... LOL. who doesn't love tea??? I would have used beer, whiskey or coffee as my example. I have not bought a new book in over 6 years. I buy mine at library book sales, often the equivalent of 4 for $1 (5 for 1 pound). I have so many I have not read (literally 100s), it is not longer expensive wallpaper, but expensive carpeting. LOL! One word of caution! When you are looking at translated works, oftentimes the "free one" is not necessarily the best edition to get and may discourage you from reading more works by that author when a different translator would have satisfied your desire.
Yes, my wife hates it when the books become the carpet😂 Thank you for the reminder about translations. It has been my biggest problem with reading the ancient Greek literature.
Just found your channel. You are so engaging and enthusiastic and your videos are so well done. I know want to watch all your videos-so much great advice here.
I like humor and suspence, Huckleberry Finn and other Twain, Jasper Fforde The Eyre Affair et al. Love internal dialogue of Updike (my favorite writer, followed by Larry McMurtry, I continue to mourn their passing, so looked forward to their new releases, Cormac McCarthy's new two volume set arrived yesterday), The Thirty-nine Steps and other Buchan, Sherlock Holmes, The Hunt for Red October. My Updike, McMurtry, Woiwode and Atwood have their own sections on the shelves. I did love The Posthumpus Memoirs of Bras Cubas by Assis that you recommended in a previous video.
Now that is an interesting list. I have an Updike on my shelf, beckoning me. There is a thread of the suspenseful permeating the books you have listed here. Very apt, considering your user tag, Sus. 😅
Great advices, thanks! I would just add Read literary criticism (ex Bloom) but AFTER having read the books. As reading requires a clean mind. And last but not least whenever possible read in the original language. What you loose in vocabulary you win in atmosphere. All the best!
I've just discovered your channel this week and I absolutely love it! Your tips and insights are genuine, applicable and enjoyable. As an English Lit Posgrad, and English teacher as well, you have provided me with fantastic ideas to approach the classics (for the students and myself!) Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Just found you this afternoon. This was an amazing explanation of how to start with the classics. I've watched several of your videos so far. Your knowledge, love and enthusiasm for literature is a joy to hear. Thanks. Watching from Los Angeles.
I loved your approach, Tristan. It is so much more nuanced than jumping to genres, as many different authors can write a story with a troubled protagonist, or with an unconventional narrator, or use a detached, technical language.
Thanks, Jessica. You're so right, there are many facets which affect how you connect with a book, though it's not always discernable at first glance. But the deeper one goes, the richer ones recognition, and the more delectable the journey into the labyrinthine corridors of literature.😀
Brilliant!! I've been reading through the eclectic and trying more classics (and finding new favs) because I reorganized and have a few favorites shelves. I backed up using your tips and can now move forward in building my library more.
There's nothing wrong with the eclectic approach, I do it myself as I realise that's who I am. One of my errors, though, was not reading more of an author whom I already enjoyed.
Love the advice about starting with your own language, in my case I despise Don Quijote, feels so far away not only in terms of time but culture, is important to understand the fact that even if we speak the same language we may not share the same culture, I resonate way more with Garcia or Quiroga, both in spanish, but in latinamerican settings I can relate too
Thank you for this, Tristan! 👏🏻 I paused your video and created a list, then made little notes beside each entry and it turns out - I'm all over the place! 😆 I seem to prefer: gothic, mysteries, witty, story-driven/rich character type books. 🤓 Now I'm off to _Google_ and am excited to see where it will lead me. 📚 You're the best - thanks again. ❤
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 I'm happy to share my favorites! Here's my list: To Kill A Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, Rebecca, Jane Eyre, The Way We Live Now, The Hound of the Baskervilles, 84 Charing Cross Road, The Importance of Being Earnest, Frankenstein, The Diary of a Nobody, A Tale of Two Cities, And Then There Were None, Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, Murder at the Vicarage, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, A Christmas Carol, Treasure Island, Charlotte's Web, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. 😬 Love Trollope, Austen, Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Christie and the Bröntes, especially. 🤓
@Lu G my my, what a beautiful collection! A lovey blend of human virtues and experience. Although there is a good mixture of humour and suspense in there, you have chosen works that wrap those elements in true sentiment and delicacy of touch. I really like this list, Lu. It would make a fine 'Beating Heart Shelf.' I've not read 84 Charing Cross Road, though I've heard it extolled a number of times.
Thank you Tristan for your many informative videos. I learn a lot from them. Just watched the one on the Regency period. Found your channel a few days back and working through the offerings. Keep them coming!
Yes. I do like Victorian literature. Thomas Hardy, the Brontes, Elizabeth Gaskell and Wilkie Collins are my favourites. This month I’ve finally come round to reading Dickens (always been rather intimidated by him, the size of those tomes!) Started off with Great Expectations and loving it. Want to complete all 16 of his novels by the end of next year.
Thanks for this one, Tristan. I'm still thinking on how my favorites connect, so I watched to the end, but I'll need to come back after I think on these connections a bit.
I'm pleased you mentioned this, Mitzi. Sometimes, a reader has a wide palette, and there are no completely unifying connections between all of the books. In that case, one can choose other classics from those different styles. What I especially love about this approach is how your own library begins to develop its own categories and niches. It is a physical map of one's own cultural development.
Tristan, just loved this video. You seem to hvae a very deep knowledge of literature. Definitely will satr looking for my books. This video was superb, very helpful feel so excited to start! 😊❤
this happened naturally with me and i did what you said long before i saw this video :D My two favorites are Frankenstein and Dune and digging into those loves. Great video and think this is a good guide for new readers.
I love this video. This is what I’ve been doing ever since I started my book collection at age 17. My library is full of the books I love, have loved and want to read 🤍
Thank you for this exercise, Tristan! I made the lists and googled and found some surprising authors as well as completely unknown ones. This makes a great 2024 reading list! However, one of my main reasons for liking a book is always the language. It's hard to put a finger on it and thus impossible to google for. What, e.g., is the common denominator of Trollope and Terry Pratchett?!
Someone, I don't remember who*, said it is better to read one book fifty times rather than fifty books one time. Since I heard that, I've been trying to figure out what that one book worthy of fifty reads should be. This video certainly helps answer that question. Thank you so much for your sage advice. (*If you said it, Tristan, apologies for not remembering. 😊)
That's not my quote, but the sentiment is a popular one among good readers. I always say that it is better to thoughtfully savour 10 books than race through a 1000 untasted. As for which book is worthy of those rereads, I would offer this suggestion, wholeheartedly. Find one of the books you love and read it again. Too often we want to keep going to new tales, imagining that, because we know what happens in the books we have already read, it is a waste of time reading them again. This is a mistake. The books you have loved will change with you and speak to you in new ways. Interestingly, the 'beating heart shelf' can change through time. It's rereading that does this. What three books would you say have you read that have delighted you?
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Your question is one that I have been thinking about since you did this lecture video on the beating heart bookshelf. I am in my mid 70s and have that 1000 or more tasted books buried in my memories along with dozens of cozy mysteries. Thanks to TH-cam recommendations, I have in the last few months realized the possibility of being swept away by a book as well as glimpsing some of life's great truths. Your videos have been especially insightful. This week I read Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, which took my breath away more than once, and I will reread it again soon. Last August I read Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata which I somehow identified with on a deeper level but will be rereading to try to understand why. A couple of weeks ago, I read A Wrinkle In The Skin by John Christopher which haunts me and I will reread that to try to figure out why. Looking back 60 to 70 years, there are books that I can recall bits of that I will read again to see if they have stayed around in my memories for a reason. Truth be told, even though I have been looking at words for over 70 years, I feel like I have only begun to see them and experience their magic. First for my rereading from my youth is The Princess and the Goblin by George McDonald. And the other rereadings from my younger years include Great Expectations, American Tragedy, Stranger in a Strange Land and On The Beach. I'll be interested to see why I remember them. I am currently reading Good Night Mr. Wodehouse by Faith Sullivan. Only a few pages in but I think I love it. It's a saga about woman though her life who believes books were her salvation. Thank you for your comment. It means a lot to me. 😊
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 I finished reading Good Night, Mr Wodehouse. I had high hopes for it but ended up quite disappointed and can't recommend it. Well, I have great expectations for an upcoming read. I'm sure it will be a better use of my time. Lol
Really interesting video. I'm a casual reader. I love fiction. I seem to be interested in light reads, slice of life, social comedies and romance. The first classic i read was the woman in white. I really enjoyed it. I'm currently reading three men in a boat. I've just read Barbara Pyms Crampton Hodnet I loved it. I also love James Herriot, Elizabeth Von Arnim, PG Wodehouse, Miss Read, Lucy Maud Montgomery.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 yeah he's hilarious. I havent read a lot of victorian novels yet. I find them to be quite dense. I have also read Silas Marner which was fairly accessible. I did find the writing style a bit hard going in the beginning.
Hi Tristan. This is an excellent video. It is very helpful. I really like Wordsworth classic and Collins classics I have serval of them. I buy them for "new" authors to me also use them to annotate them and don't feel guilty to "ruin ''an expensive book. I used to be very intimidating by classic until I read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell after watching the BBC adaptation and realised that classics can be accessible. Off course there are some classics that can intimidating me such as Middlemarch but hopefully one day I will find the "courage"to read it. I am going to save this video to come to it later. Thanks for sharing this video 😊
Hi Charmaine. Isn't it great when you realise how accessible many of the Classics are? You are right. Some are more intimidating, but remember that they were written to be pleasurable. That's why, with books like Middlemarch, I suggest just taking them slowly. Not to analyse, but to take the effort out of how long they are.
Amazing thank you so much. Looking through my list there is a theme around struggle, grief, loss transformed into a belief of I can still live. What sort of genre is this would you say?
I find it hard to get into fiction and so I mainly read self development and autobiography. I loved the book Lion’ by Saroo Brierley. I also loved the final scene in One day but not the whole drama! People like us is another one I found interesting - themes around class. Currently having a go at Pride and Prejudice and enjoying going slow with it ❤
Hi Tristan. I enjoyed your post. Thank you for the suggestion on how to identify my favourite stories. Mine turned out to be stories with the theme of second chance at life, like the movie The last samurai and the netflix series Violent Evergarden. I am starting my search into classics with similar theme. Any thoughts? Of course, Jane Austen's Persuasion is already up on my shelf. I agree with you that it's the more 'serious' of Austen's narratives. (reference to your other video) Best wishes to you for the upcoming 2024 and beyond.
Wonderful advice. I love the idea of the beating heart bookshelf. Here in the United States we have public lending libraries. A public librarian gave me some wonderful advice when I was young. She said, "Buy the best and checkout the rest." Before I would ever buy a book, I would check it out from the library first. Thanks for everything. Greetings from Chicago!
@@GuacamoleyNacho Yes.
I do the same
An absolutely sound piece of advice.
I tend to buy books rather than use the library out of convenience at this busy stage of life. But if I don't like it, I donate it to the local library to use in their book sale as a fundraiser.
Tristan - your presentation actually “speaks to me”. Your enthusiasm is incredibly compelling - a phenomenal skill, persuading one for one’s OWN best interest. You are a personal blessing to me and my growth in reading!
I’ve been borrowing, buying, reading books for decades. At the beginning of the year I decided it was time to build that library. The top 100 in hardback.
I don’t care if they are “classics” or modern. Genre is unimportant. I just want those 100 über greats that I want everyone to experience and love as much as I do.
Right now the list is about 18 strong and I’ve bought around 12 of them. And already they look amazing on the shelf with their dust jackets thrown in the waste paper basket.
I’ve found those 18 stand out because they are highly plot and character driven without the author trying to be clever. I like books that get to the point and weave a good yarn.
Pages of flowery description where little happens bore me. (Lord of the Rings being the exception to the rule - Tolkien can take 30 pages to cross the street with no complaints).
When I read new books I check Libby/Overdrive first, then the local lending library, then a cheap secondhand paperback, and then, if all else fails (or it’s cheaper than the paperback) I’ll get it on Kindle. If I find a book that makes the list I’ll happily rebuy in hardback.
"Expensive wallpaper" 😆 As always, Tristan, you have shared with us such nuggets of bookish wisdom. Many years ago, I was purchasing books for my library that I thought I should have rather than books I knew I would read. One day, I was looking at one of my bookshelves while trying to figure out what my next read would be and NONE of them appealed to me.
I ended up donating about half of my library to my local library and started almost from scratch.
Now, my bookshelves have only books that I've read and loved as well as books that I am excited to get to. Something that helped me with that was unsubscribing from Booktubers whose videos are nothing but hauls and tbrs and subbing to channels like yours, that actually provide me with tips that will help me be a better reader.
I started a list of books that I've loved and notice so far that my favorite books are ones that completely broke me and made me depressed for weeks. (I'm looking at you, Hardy!)
Ahhhh. Nice to know your wife is a Kindred Spirit! Anne of Green Gables as well as all of LM Montgomery's books are the only children's books I have read and loved as an adult.
"Step three is so rewarding and exciting" - I suddenly lean in like you're going to tell us a secret lol
I LOVE the idea of a "beating heart shelf".
As for the start with your own language / culture - I am American and do not vibe with American authors. Authors from France, England, Russia, and a few other countries, make up my favorites.
Thanks again for your fabulous content! Happy Reading! 💝
I should clarify- I am not anti-haul. I do love your hauls and wrap ups but What I love about your channel is that there is so much more that those types of videos.
It's funny how we buy books we think that we 'should read.' I'm not saying that there are not books which I feel are worth reading, but that it shouldn't be the motivation.
I am as guilty as everybody else, but have changed my approach over time. Here's a fun experiment for you, Christina. Whenever a friend asks you what they should read next, ask them what is on their bookshelf that they haven't read. Try and convince them to read one of those books. It's so funny how hard it can be to get people to read books they already have. 😀
As for the beating heart shelf, it is lovely to have one. It's quite something to look at it from time to time and let it call you to it.
Don't worry, Christina, I know exactly what you mean. Hauls are fun, and exciting too. But like you I also prefer digging beneath the surface a little.
I have dozens of free classic books on my kindle that I haven’t even touched. So many books.. so little time! 😮
Such great advice. I see so many videos showing off fancy books. What good are these if you don’t enjoy them.
I really enjoy your videos I get very excited when you post a new one. Your enthusiasm for reading and classics is so palpable. Keep up the great work.
Thank you, cnohero. That's such a kind thing to say. I must admit, I do get tempted by a good-looking book, but I try to resist buying them until I have read a cheaper version to weigh its value to my personal Canon. 😀
*Running to get my pen & paper as you speak * Seriously, I just found your TH-cam channel tonight & I'm hooked. Although I work in Iraqi Kurdistan, I can't bring myself to get a kindle/nook, etc. as I love the thought of hauling my library across continents & knowing my books made the journey with me brings me even more joy after I finish them. I find great pleasure in simply staring at my books! My newest edition: Frankenstein in Baghdad.
You are an absolute joy! I am always excited to get reading after spending time with you ❤
Hello, Michelle! You are so wonderful and encouraging. I hope something marvellous happens to you, like being given a new sports car or a yacht or something equally likely to make your day! 😀
I typed in "top classic adventure novels" in Google and WOW! All my favorite classic novels are there! Especially The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers! Now I'm gonna collect all the rest I don't have so far in the list. Thank you so much for this video!
The Count is fantastic
Thank you Tristan! This would have helped me as a teenager but thankfully for me it was Jane Austen opening the door into classic literature. But I‘ll definitly will install a beating heart shelf I think because I love the idea!
I can’t remember the last time I felt so enthused about a list of advise. This is extremely helpful. I wish every middle schooler watched this video with the enthusiasm that you show for the classics.
Read The Mayor of Casterbridge and fell in love with Hardy. I’ve been working my way through all his books.
I wish I would have had a teacher like you when at school.. Thank you you for passing on your great advise with such passion.
Literally the most realistic and valuable advice I've heard. LOVE your videos
Brilliant video! Your enthusiasm is infectious! I did get a pen and paper, and do the exercises, and now I'm off to start my narrowing down of classics that will suit me.
Fabulous! I hope you have great fun building your library.
A great idea. I would also add that you can get books from the library so you support libraries and don't end up buying books you don't like.
Tristan, thank you so very much for these videos. Your excitement is inspiring and contagious!
Thanks, Paula, that means a lot to me 😀
My favourites are historical fiction. I have learnt so much history from reading Phillippa Gregory and Ken Follett.
I have decided to read Tolstoy's War and Peace. I know it's long but I'm going to read it 10 pages at a time like you suggested in your slow readers video. I don't know anything about the Napoleon war so it will be something new.
Thanks
You are in for a treat with War and Peace. Lots of characters, but oh, so sweeping and vast a book.
Did you read War and Peace? I just read it this year myself.
A very good modern historical fiction novel you might enjoy is Amor Towles' A Gentleman in Moscow.
@traciebecker6669 hi, I am still reading it. I'm on volume 4. I am abs loving it, especially after I got halfway through.
I listened to the audio book of a gentleman in Moscow. I really liked that one too.
Thanks for replying.
I just have to comment again and say thank you. This video is so well put together, thoughtful and informative. I am an avid reader (50-70 books a year) but I've only read a handful of classics. I've decided to call 2023 the "year of the classic" for me. I want to read at least one classic book a month (probably more) but this video has helped me make a plan for 2023. I will be starting The Count of Monte Cristo January 1st, Moonstone will be book 2!
Wow! I couldn't think of 2 more exciting books than those. You are in for a treat. Not only are they great stories, but stylistically they are tremendous works. They play like a symphony in prose. Stretching and contracting with tension and languidity that makes the soul yearn for a release and thirst for more drama.
So pleased that you are going on this journey. Let me know how you get on with these books. I'm excited for you.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 just an update I have finished The Moonstone and started The Count of Monte Cristo. While I have a good 10 days worth of reading ahead of me, any suggestions for my next classic? Honestly please don’t feel obligated. Love you channel and thank you for all the content!❤️👍😃
@Gwyndon Happy to help whenever I can, Gwyndon.
Now, seeing as you read The Moonstone (and assuming you enjoyed it), Collins was close friends with Dickens and an admirer of his work. Great Expectations, then, might be a book you would enjoy. There is much to appreciate in that book and Dickens way of characterising people is very entertaining. 😀
This is such a beautiful video.
I've just listened while cooking, but I'm going to think about it for a few days and then come back with pen and paper. Perfect for me as after years of house shares I'm finally in my own place. I've got into the habit of never buying physical books, which of course in many ways is a good thing. But now it's time to - while still borrowing most contemporary books from the library - start building a few shelves of special books. Thank you!
My favourite classics I've read so far are North and South, and Frankenstein ❤
This is fantastic! I have just signed up for your book club for the 2024 year, after making it a goal to get back into the classics. But there are so many, and of course they're not all going to resonate. I love the idea of curating your own personal classic bookshelf. I am going to work on this for this year, and I think taking that philosophy into contemporary works also is a fantastic way to build my perfect home library :) Thank you for your perpetually helpful and upbeat content, I've been bingeing it a lot this week!
This is great advice. I love gothic literature, so I have many of the gothic classics on my shelves, but I think it's a good idea to go outside of your norm too and have someone pick a book that you wouldn't normally choose. Someone chose Blood Meridian for me. I would never have chosen that, but I loved it, and it then lead me to enjoy other genres. ☺️
Looking for the common thread that ties all the books together that have made my heart sing ❤ Some were decades ago and I still remember how much I loved them. Others within the last few years. What wisdom to look for what these books have in common 🧐
Magnificent analysis & advice. Finding these best personal books on the internet is brilliant! Thanks😊
Engaging, productive and inspiring. Thank you 2024 will be the year of the classic for me! And onwards of course.
Recently discovered your channel. Some very good content, and your delightful positivity is far too rare these days.
I needed this. I have bought a few classics and didn’t enjoy them and I needed you! Thank you
This is such great advice, and so true. It also goes for ALL books in your personal library; tailor it to you 🙂
I used to have 1,500 books (lots of secondhand), and had either grown out of love with them, or wasn't interested in reading them anymore, so donated 1/2 to my local Hospice. I had been overwhelmed and surrounded by a lot of 'wallpaper' books, so nowdays I only buy a physical copy of a book I know I'll either love and read immediately, or listen to books on Libby and then if I really loved the book and want to revisit it in future and reference it, I'll buy a physical copy of it.
This process has saved me a lot of money, and then my library will have that 'beating heart'❤ 🙂
📚
You're the best!
Thank you, Ralph! I have no idea how to respond to that. Dashed decent of you. And, I'm sure you are the best too. 😀
Thank you for making this video, Tristan. This is both practical and inspirational.
I’ve just discovered your channel and I want to thank you for suggestions. Specifically I wanted to say I started reading the painted veil. It’s wonderful. I wish I could stay home and read it all day. I’m looking forward to watching all your videos and finding more delightful reads
Yes! The Painted Veil is superb. I never get tired of reading it.
This is an amazing video. I will pass this to my children and grand children.
Oh, that's such a nice comment. Thanks 😀
I came across this video and was intrigued. As an English graduate who gave up reading for decades and now trying to start reading again this is absolutely PERFECT advice!!!
I really wish I would have seen this before I went crazy and bought a HUGE amount of books over the years. A lot of philosophy, history, and fiction. Luckily I only bought books that I knew for sure I am very excited to read because of a personal resonance or interest. I had to buy three bookshelves in a single year(that's a lie less than a year) I have plenty to do that's for sure! I had to cut myself off until I have read many, many, many books. My name is James and I am a bibliophile and a bookaholic. I am working on it.
All I can say is thank you very much. You bring such joy, encouragement, and a tremendous amount of helpful hints that I enjoy your videos very much. All my best wishes for your good health , happiness, and a peaceful life.
Thank you Tristan for another excellent video! The exercise was very useful for me. Now I know where to focus my attention going forward as I build my very own ‘beating heart bookshelf’. Like your wife, I love me some Trollope.
Thank you Angela, I'm pleased that you enjoyed it. Savour the journey that your books are going to lead you on as they introduce you to new works. Trollope is fabulous. I have just picked up one of his historical novels. Le Vendee. I bet it would really suit your tastes.😀
Where have you been all this while. I am 43 well educated Pharmaceutical Scientist but have never ever read a single classic and not only that but I have never read english literature. The reason being is no one instilled in me the love of reading fiction and bouy I am so upset at what I have missed in life. But I am on a mission now to change that. To read and experience what I missed. Thankyou Tristan.
You will love Frankenstein by Shelly
Totally agree! I started looking into some of my favorite author’s inspirations. Doing that lead me to Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla and Yevgeny Zamyatin’s We, which are some new favorites of mine!
Brilliant! Don't you justlove those discoveries. I keep intending to read We but haven't got around to it yet.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 It’s incredible! Probably my new favorite of all time. There’s so much to unpack in such a short novel! I’d love to see you do a review of it one day!
Yes great l x Dickens, and other writers of similar type keep reading. From Liverpool
Thank you Tristan for this video. I enjoyed it very much and am inspired (especially to read Great Expectations). I love Maugham, especially The Razors Edge. Take care ❤
I love "solar system in your heart". I must pass that on to a dear little girl who loves astronomy and is being nudged from books by examples. I bought her a great little Estonian book from the '70's, Rehe- Panga about nightmares with happy awakenings. A short story per page.
That sounds like a fantastic book. I wonder if I can find it.😀
Tristan, you are the best. I have just started on my journey and following this I am going to get good, hard copies of Richard III and A Month In The Country. I am happy to keep good copy paperbacks of some of my others and on Kindle I will keep some for re-reading on holiday. Magnificent content, thanks and thanks again. ❤
Thanks for the great video, Tristan. We need more booktubers like you.
Finally watching this video; it's really enjoyable and relaxing to look back at all the books I've read over the years. 🙂❤📚
hi tristan! hope you are well! i really enjoy your videos and the advice you give is golden; you are the lit teacher i hope to rely on through adulthood! please keep making videos like these
🎉this is superb advice Tristan, thank you very much! I will be taking on your advice, love your enthusiasm for classics and the way you present your information is just 10/10 🎉
Hoping to take this advice to heart.
This video can't describe better what i am doing the last year or so!
i got a kindle as a gift and i am checking every genre out there, including the classic books.
I want to thank you for all the recommendations, i build a library of 70+ free books on my kindle so far and i cant wait to read them all, to find out what i want to have as a physical book!
Thank you for all the hard work on your videos and thank you for helping new readers like me, to dive into the amazing world of books!
Thank you. That was really useful. I have always had in my head a list of books that I should read and therefore haven't enjoyed every classic that I have read. I had never realised all of the books that I loved all had a common thread. The novels I've loved all have a political or social theme and challenge our world view. I've now got a list of books to explore. 👍👍
What excellent advice again Tristan! I lived for sometime in a neighborhood with 6 fine secondhand bookshops with two to three blocks. I Really could have used your advice 19-25 years ago. Especially the choose 2-3 bookshelves for favorites. Yet, I did always know where they were near me. I'll reorganize now. What an aid to GenYs and GenZs.
Wow! 6 book shops near you. I would have been so distracted 😀 The 2 or 3 especial shelves was something that just struck me one time when I was thinking about how books live with us and make us who we are. Seeing those select ones together is like seeing a group of intimate friends.
Inspiring...heartfelt...passionate❤
This was great. Thanks for continuing to put out such high quality videos. It must be a ton of work but I really appreciate it!
Thank you, Jill. I really appreciate your saying so. I sometimes wonder whether a video is all that useful. So, to get such positive feedback is reassuring. 😀
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 I am new here. They are absolutely useful! Thank you!
Another great video, thanks! I love your passion and great love of books. I have been reading for decades and up to now have not kept any books at home. I am a regular library user and have managed to source any book that interests me. I am now going to establish a small library at home, and will start with my top ten favourite books, this video has come to me at the perfect time. I particularly loved your term ' Beating Heart Shelf' 💞 this is where I plan to start. I also want my library to be aesthetically pleasing, so will need to put some extra effort when choosing the book covers 😊
Love this video. My favorite books are my friends and I love to visit with them. Thank you for sharing with us your love of literature.
Muito grata Tristan por compartilhar seus conhecimentos conosco. Conteúdo indispensável p um leitor ávido por clássicos. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🇧🇷.
Great video! I've heard it said that the key to being a good software engineer is knowing what to google, and I love the Idea that that applies to developing a taste for the classics as well :D
Librivox is a great way to dip your toes into the public domain classics as well. I fell in love with Jane Austen in high school when I worked as a gardener for a summer and listened to all her books while I was working
Lovely, thank you! As I reflect on my first exposure to the Classics (A Tale of Two Cities that I adored!) back in my teens in the 1970s, that does reveal how even that brief exposure influenced some of my tastes over the decades (even though I do read and always have done quite broadly in many genres as well as non-fiction). To now have time to really indulge in the Classics, I’m grateful for your guidance! Oddly, or maybe not, I don’t really care for Austen but thoroughly enjoy the Brontë sisters. Hmmm. Also adore Frankenstein, another high-school influence. Anyway, I’m on my way now, so thanks again.
Encouraging and uplifting as always! I finally have the English teacher- or maybe book club leader- I always wanted. Thank you so much for your thoughtful approach. Saved me from putting another set of books in my cart. I suppose I'll just gaze at my current collection ( I have some really beautiful "wallpaper" :)- future choices will be more thoughtful ( not just " the best 100 books of all time")...
I'm so pleased to have saved you a little cash. Of course , there's nothing quite as exciting as the feel a smell and anticipation of new books. Of course, if you are happy to read anything then collecting the top 100 books is going to introduce you to some corkers. But the deliberate approach, I find, has some excellent benefits also. It is interesting to let the books lead you. You also get a more extensive grounding in one area, which is also very useful for reasons I hope to go through in a future video.
Thanks for taking the time to be so encouraging and to share your thoughts. I really appreciate.
My library is stocked with books I want to return to again and again. Books I read that do not impress me enough to want re-read it generally don't make it. That's why my library card is so handy. Books that impress me there usual find themselves in MY library.
I am taking the Tristan Classic Literature course. This video is good advice.
Don't like drinking tea... LOL. who doesn't love tea??? I would have used beer, whiskey or coffee as my example.
I have not bought a new book in over 6 years. I buy mine at library book sales, often the equivalent of 4 for $1 (5 for 1 pound). I have so many I have not read (literally 100s), it is not longer expensive wallpaper, but expensive carpeting. LOL!
One word of caution! When you are looking at translated works, oftentimes the "free one" is not necessarily the best edition to get and may discourage you from reading more works by that author when a different translator would have satisfied your desire.
Yes, my wife hates it when the books become the carpet😂 Thank you for the reminder about translations. It has been my biggest problem with reading the ancient Greek literature.
Just found your channel. You are so engaging and enthusiastic and your videos are so well done. I know want to watch all your videos-so much great advice here.
I like humor and suspence, Huckleberry Finn and other Twain, Jasper Fforde The Eyre Affair et al. Love internal dialogue of Updike (my favorite writer, followed by Larry McMurtry, I continue to mourn their passing, so looked forward to their new releases, Cormac McCarthy's new two volume set arrived yesterday), The Thirty-nine Steps and other Buchan, Sherlock Holmes, The Hunt for Red October. My Updike, McMurtry, Woiwode and Atwood have their own sections on the shelves. I did love The Posthumpus Memoirs of Bras Cubas by Assis that you recommended in a previous video.
Now that is an interesting list. I have an Updike on my shelf, beckoning me. There is a thread of the suspenseful permeating the books you have listed here. Very apt, considering your user tag, Sus. 😅
Yea it’s here! Thanks
😀
Great advices, thanks! I would just add Read literary criticism (ex Bloom) but AFTER having read the books. As reading requires a clean mind. And last but not least whenever possible read in the original language. What you loose in vocabulary you win in atmosphere. All the best!
I've just discovered your channel this week and I absolutely love it! Your tips and insights are genuine, applicable and enjoyable.
As an English Lit Posgrad, and English teacher as well, you have provided me with fantastic ideas to approach the classics (for the students and myself!)
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Just found you this afternoon. This was an amazing explanation of how to start with the classics. I've watched several of your videos so far. Your knowledge, love and enthusiasm for literature is a joy to hear. Thanks. Watching from Los Angeles.
I loved your approach, Tristan. It is so much more nuanced than jumping to genres, as many different authors can write a story with a troubled protagonist, or with an unconventional narrator, or use a detached, technical language.
Thanks, Jessica. You're so right, there are many facets which affect how you connect with a book, though it's not always discernable at first glance. But the deeper one goes, the richer ones recognition, and the more delectable the journey into the labyrinthine corridors of literature.😀
Brilliant!! I've been reading through the eclectic and trying more classics (and finding new favs) because I reorganized and have a few favorites shelves.
I backed up using your tips and can now move forward in building my library more.
There's nothing wrong with the eclectic approach, I do it myself as I realise that's who I am. One of my errors, though, was not reading more of an author whom I already enjoyed.
Love the advice about starting with your own language, in my case I despise Don Quijote, feels so far away not only in terms of time but culture, is important to understand the fact that even if we speak the same language we may not share the same culture, I resonate way more with Garcia or Quiroga, both in spanish, but in latinamerican settings I can relate too
Thank you for this, Tristan! 👏🏻 I paused your video and created a list, then made little notes beside each entry and it turns out - I'm all over the place! 😆 I seem to prefer: gothic, mysteries, witty, story-driven/rich character type books. 🤓 Now I'm off to _Google_ and am excited to see where it will lead me. 📚 You're the best - thanks again. ❤
Oh bravo for doing the exercise. You must let me know which authors and books come up on your shortlist. Which authors do you already love?
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 I'm happy to share my favorites! Here's my list: To Kill A Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, Rebecca, Jane Eyre, The Way We Live Now, The Hound of the Baskervilles, 84 Charing Cross Road, The Importance of Being Earnest, Frankenstein, The Diary of a Nobody, A Tale of Two Cities, And Then There Were None, Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, Murder at the Vicarage, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, A Christmas Carol, Treasure Island, Charlotte's Web, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. 😬 Love Trollope, Austen, Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Christie and the Bröntes, especially. 🤓
@Lu G my my, what a beautiful collection! A lovey blend of human virtues and experience. Although there is a good mixture of humour and suspense in there, you have chosen works that wrap those elements in true sentiment and delicacy of touch. I really like this list, Lu. It would make a fine 'Beating Heart Shelf.'
I've not read 84 Charing Cross Road, though I've heard it extolled a number of times.
Your enthusiasm is contagious. Great way to read what we love and not "what we're supposed to love".
Hullo Tristan I just finished the school for wife's and other plays by mollier he is brilliant . Peace.
That's great . I really need to get more familiar with Moliere.
This is brilliant, thank you so much. Love this line of thinking...and will apply this to my music collection as well. Cheers!
Thank you Tristan for your many informative videos. I learn a lot from them. Just watched the one on the Regency period. Found your channel a few days back and working through the offerings. Keep them coming!
Fantastic! So glad to have you here, Sumathi. Do you have any favourite authors, or time periods, that you like to read?
Yes. I do like Victorian literature. Thomas Hardy, the Brontes, Elizabeth Gaskell and Wilkie Collins are my favourites. This month I’ve finally come round to reading Dickens (always been rather intimidated by him, the size of those tomes!) Started off with Great Expectations and loving it. Want to complete all 16 of his novels by the end of next year.
Thanks this was helpful Tristan.
Pleased it was useful to you, Azunda. 😀 What kind of books are you drawn to?
Just found you via your gothic literature video, and love your stuff!
Would be great to see you do a bookshelf tour 😉
Nice to make your acquaintance. I will do a bookshelf tour at some point.
Tremendous. Thank you for the insights.
Such a great video! Thank you for sharing how to build a library of classic. Ours includes Jane Austen of course. :)
Thanks for this one, Tristan. I'm still thinking on how my favorites connect, so I watched to the end, but I'll need to come back after I think on these connections a bit.
I'm pleased you mentioned this, Mitzi. Sometimes, a reader has a wide palette, and there are no completely unifying connections between all of the books. In that case, one can choose other classics from those different styles.
What I especially love about this approach is how your own library begins to develop its own categories and niches. It is a physical map of one's own cultural development.
thank you so much. really, thank you. you’re amazing.
Thank you so much, that is extremely generous of you 😊 ❤️
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Do you maybe have a book reco for christmas time that is not the Scrooge tale? 😇
Fantastic video, and great advice!
Tristan, just loved this video. You seem to hvae a very deep knowledge of literature. Definitely will satr looking for my books. This video was superb, very helpful feel so excited to start! 😊❤
Thank you for this! Great advice!
Excellent advice!
this happened naturally with me and i did what you said long before i saw this video :D My two favorites are Frankenstein and Dune and digging into those loves. Great video and think this is a good guide for new readers.
I love this video. This is what I’ve been doing ever since I started my book collection at age 17. My library is full of the books I love, have loved and want to read 🤍
Thank you for this exercise, Tristan! I made the lists and googled and found some surprising authors as well as completely unknown ones. This makes a great 2024 reading list!
However, one of my main reasons for liking a book is always the language. It's hard to put a finger on it and thus impossible to google for. What, e.g., is the common denominator of Trollope and Terry Pratchett?!
Really enjoyed this video!! One I will come back to rewatch many times
Oh I am pleased, Lindsay. Glad you enjoyed it. I think I could have been a tad more concise, but, hey-ho, such is life.😀
Such a good video! Really insightful and helpful.
Thank you so much! Brilliant advice. I will be coming back for more.
Someone, I don't remember who*, said it is better to read one book fifty times rather than fifty books one time. Since I heard that, I've been trying to figure out what that one book worthy of fifty reads should be. This video certainly helps answer that question. Thank you so much for your sage advice. (*If you said it, Tristan, apologies for not remembering. 😊)
That's not my quote, but the sentiment is a popular one among good readers. I always say that it is better to thoughtfully savour 10 books than race through a 1000 untasted.
As for which book is worthy of those rereads, I would offer this suggestion, wholeheartedly. Find one of the books you love and read it again. Too often we want to keep going to new tales, imagining that, because we know what happens in the books we have already read, it is a waste of time reading them again. This is a mistake. The books you have loved will change with you and speak to you in new ways.
Interestingly, the 'beating heart shelf' can change through time. It's rereading that does this.
What three books would you say have you read that have delighted you?
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Your question is one that I have been thinking about since you did this lecture video on the beating heart bookshelf.
I am in my mid 70s and have that 1000 or more tasted books buried in my memories along with dozens of cozy mysteries.
Thanks to TH-cam recommendations, I have in the last few months realized the possibility of being swept away by a book as well as glimpsing some of life's great truths. Your videos have been especially insightful.
This week I read Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, which took my breath away more than once, and I will reread it again soon. Last August I read Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata which I somehow identified with on a deeper level but will be rereading to try to understand why. A couple of weeks ago, I read A Wrinkle In The Skin by John Christopher which haunts me and I will reread that to try to figure out why.
Looking back 60 to 70 years, there are books that I can recall bits of that I will read again to see if they have stayed around in my memories for a reason. Truth be told, even though I have been looking at words for over 70 years, I feel like I have only begun to see them and experience their magic.
First for my rereading from my youth is The Princess and the Goblin by George McDonald. And the other rereadings from my younger years include Great Expectations, American Tragedy, Stranger in a Strange Land and On The Beach. I'll be interested to see why I remember them.
I am currently reading Good Night Mr. Wodehouse by Faith Sullivan. Only a few pages in but I think I love it. It's a saga about woman though her life who believes books were her salvation.
Thank you for your comment. It means a lot to me. 😊
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 adding to my reply, I just remembered Lost Horizon and Waldon Two. 😊
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 I finished reading Good Night, Mr Wodehouse. I had high hopes for it but ended up quite disappointed and can't recommend it. Well, I have great expectations for an upcoming read. I'm sure it will be a better use of my time. Lol
Really interesting video. I'm a casual reader. I love fiction. I seem to be interested in light reads, slice of life, social comedies and romance. The first classic i read was the woman in white. I really enjoyed it. I'm currently reading three men in a boat. I've just read Barbara Pyms Crampton Hodnet I loved it. I also love James Herriot, Elizabeth Von Arnim, PG Wodehouse, Miss Read, Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Woman in White is just amazing! P G Wodehouse is amongst my all time favourite writers. Does anyone craft better sentences than him? I think not.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 yeah he's hilarious. I havent read a lot of victorian novels yet. I find them to be quite dense. I have also read Silas Marner which was fairly accessible. I did find the writing style a bit hard going in the beginning.
Wonderful advice! Thank you!
That was simply marvelous, so helpful thank you
Thank you for the excellent advice and another great video, Tristan!
Pleased you enjoyed it Gracie.
Your videos are all classics!
Here, here 👏👏
Tristan is a must from beginner to expert book lover.
My nephew thanked me and I told him " No, thank Tristan'".
aout time is really an underrated masterpicce
Hi Tristan. This is an excellent video. It is very helpful. I really like Wordsworth classic and Collins classics I have serval of them. I buy them for "new" authors to me also use them to annotate them and don't feel guilty to "ruin ''an expensive book.
I used to be very intimidating by classic until I read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell after watching the BBC adaptation and realised that classics can be accessible. Off course there are some classics that can intimidating me such as Middlemarch but hopefully one day I will find the "courage"to read it.
I am going to save this video to come to it later.
Thanks for sharing this video 😊
Hi Charmaine. Isn't it great when you realise how accessible many of the Classics are? You are right. Some are more intimidating, but remember that they were written to be pleasurable. That's why, with books like Middlemarch, I suggest just taking them slowly. Not to analyse, but to take the effort out of how long they are.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 Thanks Tristan, I will take your suggestion, hopefully one day I will read Middlemarch 😊
@@charmainesaliba5546 have you read any Eliot before, Charmaine? Mill on the Floss is wonderful.
@@tristanandtheclassics6538 No I haven't yet. You have recommended me to start with Mill on the floss and of course I will start with it. 😊
Amazing thank you so much. Looking through my list there is a theme around struggle, grief, loss transformed into a belief of I can still live. What sort of genre is this would you say?
Although those attributes can slip into any genre, it sounds to me like you enjoy literary fiction. What books have you read recently 🤔
I find it hard to get into fiction and so I mainly read self development and autobiography. I loved the book Lion’ by Saroo Brierley. I also loved the final scene in One day but not the whole drama! People like us is another one I found interesting - themes around class.
Currently having a go at Pride and Prejudice and enjoying going slow with it ❤
Hi Tristan. I enjoyed your post. Thank you for the suggestion on how to identify my favourite stories. Mine turned out to be stories with the theme of second chance at life, like the movie The last samurai and the netflix series Violent Evergarden. I am starting my search into classics with similar theme. Any thoughts? Of course, Jane Austen's Persuasion is already up on my shelf. I agree with you that it's the more 'serious' of Austen's narratives. (reference to your other video) Best wishes to you for the upcoming 2024 and beyond.