Day 10 of the 30 day book talk...

Favourite Classic Book

This was difficult because I have several favourite classics all of which take pride place of on my bookshelf :

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Great Expectations by Charle Dickens
• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
• Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

But I suppose my oldest and most favourite copy of Far from the Madding Crowd is the one classic I would save if the house was on fire -

My Pan edition (see above ) - is a 1974 copy which I bought in that year when I studied the book for my English Literature exam. The book cost 70p, and although tanned now with age , all the pages are still intact and it is perfectly readable, although the print is perhaps a little too small for comfortable reading.....

The powerful love story between headstrong Bathsheba Everdene and the three men, who wanted her, is probably one of Thomas Hardy’s finest love stories.

Bathsheba is beautiful, enigmatic, but bored with her insular life in the country, she is easily mesmerised by the power and beauty of Sergeant Troy, who proves to be a faithless and unscrupulous lover.

Bathsheba’s over eager pursuit of her older suitor, Farmer Boldwood arouses in him a passionate but tragic response.

And yet it is the solid protectiveness of shepherd, Gabriel Oak who wins the day...

My favourite quote..... " When Gabriel Oak smiled , the corners of his mouth spread until they were within an unimportant distance of his ears, his eyes were reduced to chinks, and diverging wrinkles appeared round them, extending upon his countenance like the rays in a rudimentary sketch of the rising sun"

jaffa's choice

Puss in Boots

This is my favourite classic cat story - what a great idea to have a jaffa look alike on the cover.
Looking forward to sitting on my favourite part of the sofa to watch this when it comes out on dvd...