I thought I would do a fun little post answering 21 questions about classic books!
What’s your favorite classic book?
I have quite a few actually. But from the top of my mind I would say The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.
What’s the first classic you ever fell in love with?
When I was a child I think it was either The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett or Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. But as a teen I read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and since then classics have been my number one genre.
Which classic have you reread the most?
I usually don’t reread books (The Harry Potter books are the only ones I have reread actually), however I do want to revisit Pride and Prejudice again some day.
Which classic surprised you the most?
There is this Swedish author called Vilhelm Moberg who has written a book series about a group of Swedish farmers that emigrates to the United States during the 1800’s. Based on that description I thought it would be long winded books with a serious topic. But honestly they where such a fun read! I have not laughed and loved a book series as much as I did when reading it. If you are intrigued the series is called The Emigrants.
Which classic took you the longest to appreciate?
There is a couple of classics that I had to DNF. I think Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky would be that book. I just need to be in the correct headspace before I pick it up again.
What classic is still sitting on your TBR?
Oh, so many! Madam Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, Orlando by Virginia Woolf, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, to name a few.
Which classic do you think deserves more hype?
I rarely hear about The Master and Margarita so I will choose that one.
Which popular classic didn’t quite work for you?
Brave new world by Aldous Huxley. Can’t pinpoint exactly why, I usually enjoy dystopian books, but this one didn’t do it for me.
If you could live in the world of one classic, which would you choose?
This is a difficult one, because most classics are set during a time where there is quite a lot of illnesses and misery, so I wouldn’t want to live in a world where modern medicine is not available. But if you disregard that, I think the world portrayed in Anna Karenina by Lev Tolstoj is fascinating.
Which classic character do you relate to the most?
When I read Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë, I found some elements in the main character Agnes, which I could relate to. For instance more of an introvert, her integrity and her calm and quiet nature.
Which classic character would you love to be friends with?
Elizabeth Bennet (from Pride and Prejudice) and I would thrive as friends!
Which classic character would drive you absolutely crazy in real life?
Any character from Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland would drive me crazy in real life. My tolerance with cuckoos are low.
Which classic villain do you find strangely fascinating?
I would say Bertha Mason in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.
If you could have dinner with one classic author, who would it be?
I would like to throw a dinner party instead and invite Jane Austen, Lev Tolstoy, Charlotte Brontë, Franz Kafka and Mikhail Bulgakov.
Which classic has made you laugh the hardest?
Definitely The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg
Which classic has made you cry (or come closest)?
I need to respond same as above The Emigrants series by Vilhelm Moberg, but also The Emperor of Portugalia by Selma Lagerlöf (the Swedes know how to really grasp ones emotions!)
What’s one classic you wish you could read again for the first time?
The Emigrants series was one of my highlights ever, but if I have to give another answer it would maybe be One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.
Which classic would make the best snowy-day read?
Anna Karenina!
Which classic gives off the strongest autumn vibes?
A book I immediately think of is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.
Which classic would you most like to see adapted perfectly on screen?
I know there is already a Russian version of The Master and Margarita, but I would love to be able to see it on a big screen, maybe directed by Guillermo del Toro or Chris Columbus.
Finally: what’s one unpopular classic opinion you’re willing to defend?
Modern translations of classics are better (if done right that is!) than older ones. It makes the language more accessible and easier to understand while still staying faithful to the original version.
Now it’s your turn! I would love to read your answers to these questions and hear what thought of mine, did you agree or disagree?
I usually post every week, but over the next few weeks I may be posting a little less frequently because of summer holidays. In the meantime, you’re very welcome to join The Classics List community chat, where we also host a monthly book club. Our August book club pick is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
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