I wanted adventures, but I think that's another collection.

A Little More About Me can be a little less about the relationships (though she uses adventure as a metaphore for exploring relationships) and it has more essays that were originally assignments for travel mags. You might like it better.

All the stories in Waltzing the Cat are about the same character. Though they are still individual stories.

Also, in Cowboys, it was one of the first collection of short stories where I noticed that the arrangement of the stories themselves had a narrative arc.

I t heart Pam Houston.

Jilli, it occurs to me I have a spare Candide floating around somewhere. Well, I think it's spare. It's my copy. I may still have Dad's in my shelves. Regardless, I'll bring it with me tomorrow.

Keen!

(No really, I'm *trying* to get out of my "All Vampires, All The Time!" phase. It's just sort of my default setting.)

Does anyone have an interest in a list of poetry recommendations? I'd be happy to do it but only if it would be useful.

Always. I've got a smattering of almost every era (including 19th-century porny Chinese ones), but I'm far from edumcated in the area.

"Grapes of Wrath" My God, I am a lefty cliche.

You know, I should probably try to re-read that now that it isn't being shoved down my throat in an American Lit. class. At the time, I hated it. Hate, hate, hate.

Treasure Island is a classic? Huh. I have read a lot of the classic Kid Lit, but always forget that they ARE considered Classics.

This whole conversation is making me a bit sad. I had a couple of boxes full of classics that I had read since high school (Candide, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tess, White Noise, Crime & Punishment, 100 Yrs of Solitude, plus about 100 others). These boxes were stored in my parents attic. Last summer, I was gonna bring them all home with me, but I didn't have the space, so I told my parents to hang onto them and I'd take them at Christmas (the next time I visited). At Christmas, I looked for the boxes. Couldn't find them. My dad gave them to the local library. I wanted to cry.

Dracula is a classic, Jilli.

(No really, I'm *trying* to get out of my "All Vampires, All The Time!" phase. It's just sort of my default setting.)

I've got loads of stuff I view as vastly entertaining that happen to also be a part of that pesky Western Canon.

To narrow things down, as I expand my pushing from comics to books, how do you feel about plays? Translated works? Short stories?

Also, would you be interested in some books on lit crit? Because I've got those, too! And a huge section on religious studies! You could borrow my copy of Biblical Exegesis in the Apostolic Period!

I can see why...I really can. That one I liked more after seeing the film, heresy of heresies. But I think Tom makes the whole book worth it anyway. "The Bell Jar"? Not sure if it's a classic or not...I'd say yes, but who the hell am I? But it's dark and stuff.

Another semi-lurker, semi-poster popping in. I tend to be a non-thinker when it comes to books as well. Sometimes I enjoy listening (or reading) to people who delve deeper, but sometimes I prefer to just like the book on that surface level.

Also am woefully underread in the classics region. My two favorite "classics" are Grapes of Wrath and To Kill a Mockingbird. Have never read Wuthering Heights or Moby Dick, but both sit on my bookshelves with every intent of being read.

This has been a very interesting scroll-through today. Usually I do a lot of skimming in the thread because there are many discussions about books I have no interest in (usually in the sci-fi/fantasy genres).

Dracula is a classic, Jilli.

Damn right it is.

To narrow things down, as I expand my pushing from comics to books, how do you feel about plays? Translated works? Short stories?

I'm good with all of those.

Also, would you be interested in some books on lit crit? Because I've got those, too!

How 'bout whatever ONE book on lit crit you think is best.

And a huge section on religious studies! You could borrow my copy of Biblical Exegesis in the Apostolic Period!

(starts shuffling away from the manic woman)

Er, sure! If you think it would entertain me ...