In January each year, the Whitney Book Bistro reads a classic. This year, we each chose our own classic – either from some readily available at the library during our last meeting, or something we found on our own. But what makes a book a classic? We agreed that a book should be at least fifty years old; but that is not a hard and fast rule, we would consider this on a case by case basis. One of us suggested that the author should no longer be alive. Others, that the book and author be recognizable by many. It should still be relatable, artistic, filled with rich language. 

What if a story was ground-breaking for its time, introducing new ideas or styles, but it is no longer relatable and the artistry is perhaps a matter of opinion? I believe we would all take this on a case by case basis as well. With so many books in print now, could we even begin to have an accepted set of “classic” books for required reading? One member has heard that there are just seven basic plots.^[1] At the end of our meeting, one of us reminded me that reading the classics used to mean Greek and Roman literature. Do students still read Homer? 

As we went around the room, sharing the book we chose, we had several cross discussions, about how struggle happens for every generation, how literature speaks to people in different ways.  Many of us recognized the books from the movies. Steinbeck was the most recognized of our choices. When I asked if any of us had a book we would want to have on a desert island, we all looked around the room, but I don’t remember anyone jumping up and down!

• Coyote Waits (1990) by Tony Hillerman – DG could not get interested in any of the classics he considered, so ultimately, he decided to read a book he has been wanting to read. Tony Hillerman’s Navajo-detective novels have been a favorite of his and he was not disappointed. Researching a little, he was surprised to find that Hillerman was not Native American, but he did receive the Navajo Tribe’s Special Friend of the Dineh award.
• Kidnapped (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson – DR listened to the audiobook and found it engaging. He noted that many of Stevenson’s books are about shipwrecks.
• Leaves of Grass (1855) by Walt Whitman – JS is still reading the collected version that Whitman refined and added to until his death in 1892. She researched his importance and seemed to appreciate some of his poems, but sometimes he seemed to be just “blabbering on” – not just free verse but more like arrogant journaling.
• Of Mice and Men (1937) by John Steinbeck – KK enjoyed this book, but she found that even at just 100 pages, it was a tough read.  She had to stop and read out loud.
• Maggie Girl of the Streets (1893) by Stephen Crane – MS actually read a collection of six stories, which she found to be hit or miss. The slang and language were challenging. “The Monster” (1898) was her favorite. She particularly enjoyed reading about the author whose reporter style was considered groundbreaking because he immersed himself in the life and war zones about which he was writing. His most famous book is The Red Badge of Courage, which most of us recognized.
• The Life of Josiah Henson: Formerly a Slave: Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself (1849) – JS found this to be a classic slave narrative. He was particularly intrigued by the difference in our mindset regarding slavery now versus then. We could have had an entire discussion about this, including another member’s choice of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, but that will have to be another day!
• Custom of the Country (1913) by Edith Wharton – KC had to order this from out of state to read a print copy of this book. He is a fan of Edith Wharton and would recommend any of her books, especially The Age of Innocence (1920). A tragic story about meeting society’s expectations. Since she is writing critically from and about the upper class, who had the money to buy her books, she has far-reaching impact. 
• Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker – WH was enthusiastic about this epistolary novel, which showed only individual and limited perspectives in the letters and journal entries included. He was surprised to learn that Bram stoker did not invent the vampire story but that he was the first to do it so well that he seems like the first. 
• Grapes of Wrath (1939) by John Steinbeck – JSG wanted to read Don Quixote but decided that 1000 pages was just a little too long for December! Reading about characters moving from the middle of the country to California, seeking a better life but misled about the opportunities there, seemed particularly relatable given the continued immigration crisis in our country today. 
• Tinkers (2009) by Paul Harding – VH said that at only ten-years old, this book may not be a classic by our definition yet, but it will be.  It is a first novel that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2010. The prose is astounding as the author describes each character from their death bed. She found his description of death noteworthy.
• Rebecca (1938) by Daphne Du Maurier – MM had read and recommended Rebecca before. She wondered if she would still find it worthy. She did. The new wife is psychologically haunted by the previously deceased wife. The story is suspenseful and the language beautiful and colorful.
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) Harriet Beecher Stowe – MR was challenged to read this because of a class she took this last summer about under-recognized female authors. It is not an easy read, considering both the length (over 800 pages) and the dated language. She had not yet finished it, but she appreciated it. This lead us again to the importance of still reading things that were ground-breaking, original, important, even though there are so many books to read!
• The Stranger (1942) Albert Camus – I appreciated the philosophical considerations prompted by this short book, which was easy to read, relatable, even though the author was French and the story took place in Algiers.  I’ll post a little more information as a comment.

Review for the following books were sent by email because the members weren’t able to attend. Their full remarks will be posted as comments as well. 

• I, Robot (1940-1950) collected stories by Isaac Asimov – PM has only started reading science fiction in the last few years and wanted to read Asimov’s Foundation series but thought he would start with some of the ideas the author first processed through early short stories.
• Nero Wolf Series (1934-1975) by Rex Stout – AM first heard an audiobook of Too Many Cooks as a child in the early 2000s. Check out her review and recommendation for the importance of the books as a collection.
• Of Mice and Men (1937) by John Steinbeck – CB in South Carolina

This list isn’t even inclusive of all the ones we might choose if we had the time and inclination. So many books – so little time has never seemed truer! 

Happy Reading! 2024!

^[1] There is a book about this subject, available through the library: BOOKER, CHRISTOPHER. The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories. 2005.  From Wikipedia:  “Overcoming the monster”; “Rags to riches”; “The Quest”; “Voyage and return”; “Comedy”; ”Tragedy”; “Rebirth.“