The first semester of my French masters program just ended, so that means that I have more time to read for pleasure. So what do I plan on reading? As usual, I am way too ambitious, but I plan on setting aside at least a few hours a day to read.
Journal d’un curé de campagne (Diary of a Country Priest) by Georges Bernanos
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (because weird and wonderful world of Dickens belongs in the Christmas season, although A Christmas Carol is unfortunately not a personal favorite)
I also recently finished Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot. I absolutely loved it! Review is forthcoming.
Have you read any of these? What are you reading?
Murder in the Cathedral takes me back to my school years – this was one of the exam texts. It was superb – even better was that I got to see a live performance of it. Great Expectations is a good choice for a Christmas read. Dickens can often indulge too much in description but this has has just the right balance.
I just love the grotesque in Dickens. He can be very verbose and his female characters can be too one-dimensional, but he is always great to read around Christmas. Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows is another great one for the season.Thanks for stopping by!
I think Great Expectations was my first Dickens, but I read it so long ago I only remember it from watching the films. Want to read Roverandom someday!
I too read it years ago, but I was too young/inexperienced as a reader to understand the book. I have never seen any Dickens film adaptations. I should some time. Hard Times is my favorite Dickens.