They've already read Cyrano, but Dangerous Liaisons is an interesting idea; is it accessible? As are many of the others here. Hm. Pondering. Something to keep in mind--these are not all the strongest readers, so any text I choose needs to be accessible. I'm also trying not to get too obscure.

I can't imagine it's less accessible than Lolita, but I can't speak to the translations that are out there.

Dangerous Liaisons is an interesting idea; is it accessible?

It's a little mannered in places, but it's a series of letters -- very accessible (who doesn't love the nasty thrill of reading someone else's mail?) and a pretty fast read.

And, hey, it gives you an excuse to do a viewing of Cruel Intentions in class.

Oh, for accessible I definitely recommend How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez. It kind of splits the difference between YA & adult literature, it's set up as a series of short stories/vignettes and is a fascinating look at both sides of the coin—of growing up privileged in the Dominican Republic and having to start over in the U.S.

This rollicking, highly original first novel tells the story (in reverse chronological order) of four sisters and their family, as they become Americanized after fleeing the Dominican Republic in the 1960s. A family of privilege in the police state they leave, the Garcias experience understandable readjustment problems in the United States, particularly old world patriarch Papi. The sisters fare better but grow up conscious, like all immigrants, of living in two worlds. There is no straightforward plot; rather, vignettes (often exquisite short stories in their own right) featuring one or more of the sisters--Carle, Sandi, Yolanda, and Fifi--at various stages of growing up are strung together in a smooth, readable story.

I'm also trying not to get too obscure.

How obscure can it be when there were competing Hollywood versions the same year? Plus the great 60s Vadim version with Jeanne Moreau and, of course, Cruel Intentions. I'd say it's one of the more popular French novels, in France and here.

It's rated pretty highly at Goodreads, the reviews might give you a better idea of level and accessibility: [link]

Oh, Barb, that's a good idea. I love Allende but was worried about the length of her books (I have to balance the longer, harder works like Lolita and Hamlet with quicker reads).

There's also any of the three volumes of Eduardo Galeano's Memory of Fire, a 3-volume history of the Americas told in short vignettes, snippets of diaries, retellings of myths, songs and flights of pure fantasy; the longest is about 3 pages, most are half a page to a full page, and some are only two or three paragraphs. The first volume, Genesis, is particularly vivid and fast-moving.

Tom Jones?

Some of the metaphysical poets? A large proportion of their work includes conceits of love and passion. "To His Coy Mistress" is the best known, but Donne wrote poems like "The Flea" and "That Time and Absence Proves Rather Helps Than Hurts to Loves." Most of Lovelace is about passion.

In not-so-literary news, I finally finished The Strain. Has anyone read the next book in the trilogy?

Amy, the second book is on my shelf, but I haven't read it yet. I'm trying to figure out if I remember enough of the first book to not have to re-read it first.

Reread the last chapter. Everything you need to know is right there.

I ended up really loving Vasily Fet, the exterminator. He was a really pleasant surprise.