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Hardcore Literature Book Discussion (January 2022) (Patreon)

Published:
2022-01-02 21:20:48
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2026-06
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Dear Book Club Readers ---

Welcome to the first group reading discussion thread of the year.

You had such a strong reading month in December, and are setting yourselves up for an amazing year of great books. 

The hundreds of comments across the General Book Club Discussion threads are testament to your passion, curiosity, and love for great literature. I personally love reading through them with my morning coffee.

So, tell us what your January is looking like.

What are you reading at the moment?

Let us know anything that's on your mind, your literary loves, and anything you wish to share or sharpen your thoughts about.

  • Short stories
  • Author details
  • Areas to explore
  • Your current Big Read
  • Questions about literature
  • Things you're finding difficult
  • Things you want to recommend
  • General life updates (we're interested)

This is the place to put anything bookish you like, and get other readers weighing in on your thoughts!

We've got such an amazing Book Club community that keeps growing thanks to your thoughtful meditations on the Great Books.

Reading through the recent book discussion threads, one can see what a vibrant group of literature lovers we have here:

So thank you for being a part of the family, and I hope your month and year is filled with bookish adventures.

Happy reading!

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Comments

Bill Freeman

Arlington, Virginia – USA <b>Bookclub reads:</b> I am reading Proust’s ISLT, DQ and Les Mis. I have experienced some challenges with Proust, took a break but wanted to reengage. I picked up Patrick Alexander’s “Marcel Proust’s Search for Lost Time: A Reader’s Guide to Remembrance of Things Past” (Vintage Books). This has been very helpful as a guide to the reading and has provided a context for this challenging work. I found Alexander’s claim that it was Proust’s drug use (abuse) that may have seeded his ramblings: “Marcel Proust probably consumed more drugs than any other figure in European literature. The vivid and hallucinatory memories that recur throughout the novel were obviously inspired by something more than madeleines and herbal tea” (p. 343). The book is a very helpful roadmap. I will take up Ben's recommendation to spend a year with Dickens. I launched with A Christmas Carol and another of his Christmas tales and will start today with Great Expectations, which I picked up last month. In fact, we watched a great one-act play over the law two nights on "A Christmas Carol" on WETA-UK. The timing is right. I am midpoint in Dostoevsky’s “Notes from Underground.” I am listening to the serialized version of “A Turn of the Screw,” after an unsuccessful attempt to read it. As well, Ben introduced me to a daily ritual of “one personal essay, one poem, and one short story“ that I really, really like. <b>Exploration beyond the bookclub:</b> I enjoy Ben’s invitation to explore rabbit holes which I am going to interpret broadly. To that end, I read (in multiple places) of the passing of the U.S. author, Joan Didion. Surprisingly, I never heard of her but given the multiple accolades, I read her tribute novel to the death of her writer husband, “The Year of Magical Thinking,” and her tribute novel to the death of her only child and daughter, “Blue Nights.” “The Year of Magical Thinking” is the best grief-process book that I’ve read. I reread Elie Wiesel's seminal work, "Night," his initial book detailing his experience as a European jew amid the Nazi pogrom. This calibrated evil and mass hysteria is always at hand . . . I also recently joined the "Masterclass" online series and just finishing Walter Mosley’s masterclass on fiction and storytelling. I am pursuing some writing of my own. For a while I've felt that "there is a book inside me" that I've like to express. We will see. On a personal note, and despite my great carefulness, it appears that I’ve come down with omicron. I am triple vaccinated, and the symptoms have been the worst cold of my life that has now dissipated into a general cold. Thankfully, no fever or respiratory issues. My primary care doc is following me. Happy New Year!

Aws Alaswadi

Hey, my name is Aws. I joined in November. I am 14 and I always keep asking my self if I am too young to read great literature or something like that. I am currently reading Crime and Punishment and I am finding it terrific (especially with the lectures) but I find myself holding back whenever I want to advance to 'harder' books because of lack of experience. Any advice on that?

Scott W

This month I will be finishing Jane Eyre and maybe even Les Miserables (we will see about that one, but I am around p.900 now). I am enjoying JE, it's my first Bronte read. I enjoy the contrast it's small cast of characters and finely wrought first person protagonist makes with Les Mis. I read both every evening at the moment, they are both very readable. I do find the gothic elements slightly distracting in JE. I loved Middlemarch the first time I read it. I don't need any supernatural seasoning or rooks around the belfry to entice me, I really like 19th C. 'pastoral' novels just as they are (the good ones).. and there are so many I have yet to read! I've read Twelfth Night twice recently and listened to an audio production while reading along. I found it very enjoyable. I did laugh out loud a few times. It makes something of a break through for me with Shakespeare's comedies, which I have never been very drawn to. This one has warmed me up nicely for our Shakespeare project here at HLBC. I have my Arden copies of the tragedies here ready to read. I've read King Lear, Hamlet and Macbeth before, but only once each, so I'm really looking forward to getting into these more with the club. On looking up Twelfth Night I realised Joyce's 'The Dead' occurs on Epiphany Eve, and so I will be re-reading that in one sitting on 5th Jan.. I think that's all I'll have time for this month, other than dipping into Bloom's 'Best Poems of the English Language', which is my new bedside read. At the end of last year I read more Keats, Wordsworth, Coleridge and Blake than ever before, so now I am looking for some new poets to more properly encounter. Emily Dickinson is high on that list.

Cathryn Clark

New member from Oklahoma USA. 🙂 I am currently reading Persuasion by Jane Austen and Hidden Treasures from the Book of Job by Hugh Ross. I plan to add A Christian Manifesto by Frances Schaeffer and maybe a Kirkegard book if there is time.

Nick Pokora

Joined last month to see what the 2022 book club is all about. I'm a couple hundred pages into Anna Karenina and have been loving it. I've also been thoroughly enjoying the videos on it as I progress through the book. Today I started Wuthering Heights to kick off this years Book Club. I've never been an active reader before so I'm taking my time and making notes along the way. Really excited to be here, really excited to engage with you all and read some new books.

Thomas Rike

I joined the book club inspired to reread In Search of Lost Time slowly to pick up what I skimmed over when I read it in less than a year. I have found your talks about the first 20 pages very illuminating, but I wish you could move a little faster. I am in the middle of Finnegans Wake (page 302) reading at most one page per week with a group that has been doing this for over 30 years (this is their third time through). I just finished a series with Lila Azam Zanganeh on Swann's Way which added to things to think about. I know that is a bit unreasonable to ask for more input from you since you have so many irons in the fire. I am looking forward to following your plans for the coming year. In other reading, I just finished rereading Light in August more deeply and am starting Absolam Absolam after which I will reread Go Down Moses. I am also embarking on a close reading of the ancients in 2022 with Emily Wilson through the London Review of Books Bookshop. Thank you for your videos which I find to be very motivating.

Marcus Alexis Fairweather

Hi Ben! Ended 2021 on a high, having devoured Great Expectations and re-reading it alongside your lectures has been a most rewarding experience. Reflecting on my second time reading it, it really is astonishing how much spiritual nourishment I've drawn from it, especially when I look back at my 12 year old self regarding it as a page turning piece of entertainment (albeit a thrilling one) but nothing more. It just goes to show how a more mature perspective puts classics like these in a completely different light. I do confess that some of the chapters hit me smack bang in the feelers, because of how true they rang to me. The sense of disillusionment that Pip feels upon realising that his great expectations are not at all what they appear to be, strike a particularly personal note , speaking as a fresh university student. I have started 2022 by cracking open Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules for Life and am reading it as a companion piece to Letters to a Young Contrarian by Christopher Hitchens. I am finding this to be a highly interesting exercise as both men while ostensibly polar opposites, in terms of their worldviews, write with such passion and conviction in their guides to living a fulfilling life that makes them more similar than one might suppose. One can only wonder what Hitchens would have made of Peterson had he lived to see his meteoric rise to fame . My two weighty reads of the year will be Anna Karenina and either the Brothers Karamazov or the Gulag Archipelago- As you can probably tell, Russian literature is very much the theme! I also plan to embark on the Shakespeare project with you as well as read the remainder of his sonnets (I've got up to 50 and my current favourite is 29). Many thanks for sharing your love of the great books, Ben. Hardcore Literature has truly enriched my life in more ways than one.

Len Larsson

Happy New Year Everyone ! I have finally finished Les Miserables - WOW! There is so much to digest, and I didn’t mind the digressions. It’s setting is a place and time I know little about, and so I have decided to read Eric Hobsbawm ‘Age of Revolution’ which should give me more context when I eventually re-read. He is a left wing writer - I enjoy having my opinions challenged - which seems to go against the tide given events unfolding around the world. I will be reading ‘Carpentaria’ by Alexis Wright - a work of much acclaim by an Australian indigenous writer. I have spent a lot of time reading about Shakespeare and watching documentaries about the various plays - all in readiness for our program for this year. My top recommendation: Shakespeare Uncovered: A BBC production with 1 play per episode - lead by a famous actor about their take on the work. For example, King Lear is hosted by Christopher Plummer. I have always wanted to appreciate these works but always felt intimidated - no more :) Dickens is also new to me. At school we always had more contemporary works. I am enjoying Great Expectations. I have also started Middlemarch, and am enjoying the irony within the prose. My focus this month will be on the Shakespeare. Question for Ben: Have you thought about works in English from other cultures e.g. Commonwealth countries, Canada, India Australia etc. ? I am ashamed to say that I have never read an Australian author - cultural cringe I think (where you believe your culture to be inferior to others). Good luck everybody, and have a wonderful 2022.

Len Larsson
>>74870079

Hi Aws - Good for you in tackling the great books. I don't think you should be worrying about tackling any of them. You will often hear Ben talking about re-reads. You will take from the books what you are ready/able to digest, and learn more and more with each re-read, often years apart. That said, there is no reason why you shouldn't also be reading literature written for younger readers like Lewis Carroll, Lord of the Flies, and many others - which have many layers of meaning. Ben may have a different take on this as well. Enjoy your reading and Welcome to the Book Club.

Len Larsson
>>74869984

So sorry to hear about your Omicron, I hope you start to feel better soon. You always have great recommendations for books - I have ordered the Alexander book - I am enjoying the Proust, but am letting it "wash over me" - so I have a vague feeling I am missing a lot of the detail, so this might help. Thanks again Bill .. enjoy your reading, and have a great 2022!

James

Happy New Year all! I'm just over half way through 'Great Expectations' and I started reading 'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall' new years eve. Similar to when I read 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Jane Eyre', I am steamrolling through Tenant, Bronte's defiantly resonate with me. I grew up very close to where the Bronte's did and spent many Sunday's in Howarth so perhaps they evoke a sense of familiarity and regional pride. Speaking of WH, if anyone is planning on reading that this coming year, do yourself a favour and try and get on the Yorkshire Moors for a day. It gave me a whole new perspective on the novel experiencing the landscapes first hand! I am really enjoying 'Great Expectations', what struck me is the difference in pacing compared to 'Bleak House'. In regards to BH, I did some reflecting and I came to the conclusion it wasn't just university that has made my 2021 reading slower, but also the effect finishing that novel had on me. It took me half a year and I really lived with the characters and plot. It also changed how I see class structures, law and poverty. It defiantly overwhelmed me, but in a positive way! I have an exam on 'Paradise Lost' and 'The Tempest' later this month so I will spending a lot of time with those texts. Despite loving them, it can be exhausting having to look through certain critical lenses. Other texts I will revisiting for essays are: Henriad, Medea, Beowulf and several shorter old english poems. In regards to general life, I am aiming to get back into performing in 2022 (Shakespeare) and starting to write non university essays on literature and experiences. My biggest accomplishment in 2021 was losing a large amount of weight and incorporating a healthy routine (weight training, good food etc), so I also hope to continue that this year!

Leslie Loving

Hello all, I'm another new member as of the new year. Besides getting a start on Middlemarch and Wuthering Heights I'm close to finishing Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop. A local used book store had a bunch of Dickens Folio Society editions so I bought nine of these. They are really nice reading editions. I'm really enjoying just inhabiting Dickens's world again as I haven't since I was a teenager many years ago. Most recently I've finished E.M. Forster's Howard's End which fascinated me as a snapshot of the era just prior to WWI. It seemed to me that the style and tone of the novel, though, seemed to explicitly counter its theme of the importance of interpersonal connection ("only connect") by constantly almost discouraging the reader finding meaning. Meaning and connection seemed always just under the surface somehow or severely compromised. I'm anxious to re-read again soon and would love to hear any thoughts.

Sharee Weigel
>>74872869

Hi Marcus, I read Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules for Life a few years ago and was completely enamored by it. Then I watched the documentary, The Rise of Jordan Peterson. I understand that documentaries can be slanted and filled with bias but it did open my eyes to things I was not aware of when I first read his book. I'm happy to have read his book without a preconceived opinion of him and his rise to notoriety. I will say the book makes some good points. Perhaps, I should read it again now that I have a different opinion of the author and see if I view it the same as the first read.

Sharee Weigel
>>74870486

I really enjoyed Jane Eyre. I recently did a re-watch of the 1996 movie adaptation with Judi Dench and Michael Fassbender. It's a good movie. There's a scene where Jane and Mr. Rochester are about to kiss and you can feel the tension. I think that is missing in movies today.

Suz R

Hi, last month was a great reading month. I throughly enjoyed Great Expectations and so far I am enjoying Middlemarch. I am excited about reading more of Shakespeare's writings. I must admit that I enjoyed the humor in Twelth Night. I have starting reading Withering Heights as well as some sci-fi on the side. Looking forward to a wonderful year of reading , lectures and conversations surrounding the great books.

Sharee Weigel

I am looking forward to following along with the 2022 syllabus. I have not read The Illiad and The Odyssey since high school. High school literature classes exposed me to some of the classics but it wasn't until after high school and reading them again as an adult that I fully appreciated them. I listened to the Reading Goals for 2022 podcast tonight. I love when Ben references Marcus Aurelius. I became interested in stoic philosophy several years ago when I stumbled upon the author, Ryan Holiday. Stoic philosophy changed my life by helping me adjust my perspective and mindset. I highly recommend Ryan Holiday's books on stoicism. His book The Daily Stoic is something I read every day. It has a daily meditation and I estimate I have been through that book at least four times. Every time Ben references Marcus Aurelius or Seneca I think of something from that book. As I'm typing this the Kindle version of The Daily Stoic is on sale for 1.99(US). As I work through challenges, I remind myself of the words of Marcus Aurelius, "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." If you decide to read Meditations, I recommend the Gregory Hayes translation. I am looking forward to learning from and discussing great literature with the group.

Mike Willmer

Currently reading Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and Mortimer Adler’s How to Read a Book. The latter has been recommended to me countless times but I’ve always thought of it as an “eat your vegetables” read. However, I’m happy to say that it’s been really helpful and immediately applicable to my current reading. I’m also hoping to begin Augustine’s Confessions in the near future. It will be interesting to try to apply Adler’s recommendation for classifying books to Augustine. I’m not quite sure what the work actually is - an autobiography? a prayer? both?

Margaret McNally

I loved Howard's End. I read it years ago. It has stayed with me. I'm also a new member!

Margaret McNally

I picked up many books in December. I'm caretaking my mom who has late stage dementia. She sleeps so much, so I'm reading more. Finished Battle of Brothers. Have always had an interest of Royalty from Medieval Times to Current Times. I'm currently reading The Rose Code, The Brothers Karamazov. Started Wuthering Heights again. Listening to Daisy Jones and The Six. It's pretty entertaining. I think the show will be better. 12 episodes and a great cast. Will be starting Shakespeare soon. Very excited to be a new member!

Scout

Let's see . . . I am currently on Middlemarch, 200 pages in. I plan to include Wuthering Heights into my daily reading tomorrow; I'm excited for that. Then there's Shakespeare, which I have only read a few sonnets when I was a teenager, looking forward to that as well. I plan to delve into Jung, Nietzsche, and Freud (in that order) very soon; I already ordered five of Jung's books, should be here within a week or two. I have a small grievance with reading more than one book at a time, but I'll survive. It will be an interesting change of pace for me.

Jennifer Vo

Hi all! I am currently working on The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg (my nonfiction read) through audiobook format, I am finding that it is quite easy to listen to audiobooks if they are nonfiction OR podcasts. I have gotten a headstart on King Lear for the book club, I just finished Act 2 today, finding it hard to read a lot at one time. I am enjoying it well so far and am looking forward to the analysis videos and watching the plays together. I am also still working on The Pickwick Papers (Dickens), Swann's Way (with the Proust Project) and trying to finish up How to Win Friends and Influence People. My classes start tomorrow and I'm hoping to tidy up my current reads before diving into Wuthering Heights with the group but I'm not sure that's practical with the limited time I have on my hands, but boy I sure will try my best. Hope everyone is having a fantastic New Year so far!

Ellen M

Hi all! I jsut joined the club this week and have started re reading Wuthering Heights, its been years since my last read. Jane Austen is my favorite author and I just reread a couple of her novels including Persuasion. I wasn’t a member when the club read it but I’m listening to the lectures now and really enjoying them. I’m also reading Five Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King (dont usually so short stories but it’s part of me getting out of my comfort zone this year). I started Crossroads and have decided that Jonathan Frantzen’s works no longer seem to grab me (I didn’t finish Purity either) I was a fan of his earlier books but it seems my tastes have changed

Angeliki Neofitos

Hey there! I’m a new member and I didn’t realize there’s a discussion panel we can join, so I feel silly for messaging Ben directly to ask when we’ll get started. I’m excited to see how this will go since I’m intimidated by hardcore literature, but I absolutely adored reading Anna Karenina (Maude translation) in 2020 and Crime and Punishment (P&V translation) in 2021 - Levin/Kitty and Raskolnikov feel like dear friends. I’ve only just purchased Wuthering Heights and Arden’s King Lear and am excited to dive in. My best friend lives in Japan while I’m over in the States and we do monthly buddy reads, currently reading Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun to kick off 2022. I also enjoy reading manga on the side to work a different part of my brain, especially when I feel I’ve dissected philosophical arguments like in Crime and Punishment and just need a break. On a more personal note I help support our family owned restaurants and after graduating with my Masters in June of 2020 I’ve been clocking in 12 hour shifts/6 days per week due to the pandemic/employee shortage, so reading really is my stress relief. Excited for future discussions and hope for a safe and healthy 2022 for us all!

Angeliki Neofitos
>>74882825

Hello! Yes, the Gregory Hayes translations is wonderful after comparing the many different translations once can find for Meditations. I also love when Ben references stoicism, or when anyone does, hence the comment from me :) thanks for the recommendation for The Daily Stoic!

Angeliki Neofitos
>>74876646

Congratulations on your weight loss, James! I’ve also managed to rid a substantial amount and I’m cheering you on for your continued health goals!!

Michaela Johnston

Happy New Year all! I joined a couple of weeks ago and so far have been getting stuck into Middlemarch. It's a re-read for me and although I loved it the first time round, I'm getting so much more out of it this time thanks to Ben's lectures. I will definitely be continuing with that. Time now to get started on King Lear and Wuthering Heights. That should keep me busy for now as January is looking like being a busy month work-wise. Some of my recent non-bookclub reads include Paradise Reclaimed by Halldor Laxness, Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons and My Life by Anton Chekhov. I've also been reading a chapter a day of The Brothers Karamazov since November and am now about two thirds of the way through. I think I'll tackle the Proust project when I'm done with that.

Frans van der Mark

Happy new year to you all! Stay healthy. It is great to be part of this community, although I have not yet contributed a lot. Last year I read Anna Karenina, Turn of the screw, Frankenstein and Great expectations. Besides that I read a few books on Dutch history (non-fiction). I cannot wait to start on Wuthering heights and the Shakespeare programme. I really have to plan that seeing the workload in January and February at my job.... speak to you later and enjoy this year and let's hope 2022 is a better year.

Sarah Bell

Hello all! I'm getting on a plane tomorrow morning at dawn, to fly from Newcastle in NSW to Mackay in QLD, to meet my new grandson Thomas! Taking with me my 12 year old son Ruben, King Lear, Sonnets and Wuthering Heights. Also negative rapid antigen tests, entry permits and a good attitude. Excited. Joined in October after reading Anna Karenina. Listened to/read Les Miserables. Loved them both. Ahh and also Frankenstein brought great joy. Re read Great Expectations and attempted to slow down my reading habits. Looking forward to following this year's reading schedule!

gracie gracie

Happy New Year everyone. I’m progressing quite nicely with Les Miserables and I definitely have fallen in love with this book. I’m proud to say I didn’t skip waterloo. Also enjoying writing on my book and sort of having this discussion with the author in it. I’m excited to look at 2022 reading as well. On the side I’m also reading Emily Dickinson poetry too.

Caroline P

Hello friends and I hope a happy new year awaits us all. I am reading Turgenev Huntsman’s/sportsman’s (depending on translation)sketchbook. Ohhh I am loving it. It is beautiful. I won’t run on here except to say it is fitting in really well with previous readings of Svetlana Alexievich and the YouTube channel I have been following called Bald and Bankrupt where a man travels all over the former Soviet Union. I particularly like this episode which is worth watching to the end (https://youtu.be/FcOS4q0RD-w). Anyway, it all fits together very well. I am reading about Shakespeare more generally ready for the new reading program and just finished Bill Brysons book about the man which was excellent really for shining a light on how history is made (or unmade), Proust (❤️) and about to start Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights is my favourite book for its passion and the way it has featured in my life since I was a young teenager. Starting an Emily Dickinson odyssey which will last all year. That’s it for now.

Caroline P

Ps…I have successfully ignored GoodReads entreaty to say how many books I intend to read.

Cindy
>>74903615

That made me smile, because that's what I did as well, for the first time. Quality not quantity. Ben is teaching us well :)

Caroline P
>>74898728

I am so pleased you are getting to meet your new grandson. What with that and the reading, it sounds like a most wonderful trip

Cindy
>>74890344

Welcome Margaret! So sorry to hear about your mom. I know how hard it can be, my stepfather has dementia as well and I'm trying to be there for my mom the best way I can. But it's wonderful literature can give you a little bit of comfort in these difficult times. My mom isn't a reader, but Netflix has been her much needed escapism every now and then

Cindy
>>74891325

I know just what you mean. I had to overcome that as well. Always was a one book at a time girl, but am currently reading 8 I think it is ;)

Cindy
>>74891611

Perfect time for the power of habit! Happy new year to you too!

Cindy
>>74897838

Hoi Frans! Nice to see another Dutchie! 2021 was a lot better because of this bookclub and Ben, so I'm hopeful for 2022. My resolutions: less news, more literature :)

Cindy

Happy new year everyone! Reading all the current bookclub books, still watching Jordan Peterson's bible lectures (pretty difficult for an agnost who has zero knowledge of the bible, so I'm taking my time), and I just started George Saunders fish in the pond book, which is wonderful. It's teaching you how to read short stories, guiding you through them. Enjoying it very much. He also just started a newsletter in the same genre, Story Club on substack. Haven't been reading those yet though, couldn't find the time, but am sure keeping an eye on them for later. Excited for the new year! Starting wuthering heights this week, and Shakespeare just arrived ;) I believe I read here somewhere that Ben's planning to share a reading schedule? That would be wonderful, so I can plan my reading to keep up with the posts. Have a wonderful reading year everyone! Inspiring to see how this bookclub is growing... so many new members! Welcome all!

Sharon xx

Hi everyone and Happy New Year. So, straight into the books:- [All books mentioned I have on Audible/Paperback unless otherwise stated as I like to listen and read along at the same time.] Book Club Reads:- Les Miserables, Hugo. This is an unexpected joy. I'm following the chapter a day, year-long-read-along approach and I'm totally invested. I need to watch the Prt 2 Psychology, Play and Predestination next. Great Expectations, Dickens. Another joy but then Dickens is my favourite author to come out of 2021. This is my first read and it's typical rich, authentic Dickens. I'm about to finish chp 19 and then watch the corresponding lecture. Personal Reads:- The Crow Folk, Mark Stay. Fantasy/realism. The jury is out on this one. It feels a bit YA/cosy to me which is not my usual bag but it's turning out to be a very quick read so I'll let you know next month what I thought. [Book only] The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox. This is another realism fantasy which was recommended to me. I'm two chapters in and totally hooked. [Audible only]. Finished Books: - Bleak House, Dickens. This was my gateway Dickens book. It took me nearly a year to finish because I loved it so much I didn't want it to end. I now feel I need to read it again just to consolidate the whole experience. The characters, the depth and intricacy of the plot, the descriptive passages - oh my, not a word wasted or out of place. For me this was pretty perfect. Turn of the Screw, James. I read this according to Ben’s slow read timetable. I loved the first half but the ending left me wanting more. I really wanted to return to the original male narrator and also had a lot of unanswered questions but maybe I missed the point? A Christmas Carol, Dickens. This was my Christmas read and my first time reading the book. I enjoyed it a lot more than any of the TV/Film adaptations that I’ve seen over the years. I now realise how much of the story was changed or totally missed out. This is worthy of an annual festive re-read for sure. Going Forward:- I’m very excited for the 2022 schedule. Wuthering Heights is divine and I started it last year so will pick it up again to continue it with all of you. I have also snagged myself an ancient four volume set of Clarissa, Richardson in the Everymans’ edition so I’m all set for that too. There’s not a title on this year’s schedule that I’m not looking forward to. I’m about to start Claire Tomalin’s, Dickens – A Life [can you see a bit of a theme here?]. I really want to research all things Dickens including Victorian life style. I’ve also bought the Ruth Goodman book, How to be a Victorian which I’m really looking forward to. I’m intrigued by Caroline’s, year long Emily Dickinson Odyssey. Caroline? Maybe you could share a bit more about that as Emily Dickinson is fast becoming my favourite poet of all time and I see from your Instagram that we both have the same Complete Works volume of her work? Life:- I’m back to work tomorrow after thirteen days off. That’s going to hurt I think. Si and I have just spent our first work/shift free Christmas together for five years so presents weren’t required because being together for the duration was the best gift ever!! Take very good care of yourselves and I’m looking forward to the year ahead, walking beside you all in the literary sense. Sharon xx

Sharon xx
>>74902236

Ooooo Caroline - a year long Emily Dickinson odyssey? I'm intrigued. Tell me more? I see from Instagram that we both have the same volume of her complete works so I'd love to know what you have planned for this? Hugs, Sharon xx

Susan

At the moment I am reading Wuthering Heights - a chapter a day, Les Miserables - 2 chapters a day, and I am reading Persuasion which I have nearly finished. Whenever I have any spare time I have always read books, I hardly watch TV. I only joined this book club in November so I am trying to catch up.

Denise Powers

Hi everyone! I am in week 2 of being an HLBC member and am loving the experience and reading everyone's comments. I had just finished reading Anna Karenina (audio-book read by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who I thought was fantastic) before I found HLBC and am sorry to not have read along with everyone. I have been a book lover all my life and I have always been attracted to classics. I was pleased to see that I had almost all the books on the 2022 list on my shelves, but have to say that most of them will be first-reads for me. I retired last summer and am now in a place where I have the time (and the attention span) to read them and appreciate them. I have always been someone who had a number of books on the go at any one time, so am happy about the overlaps. Currently, I am reading Nabokov's Lolita (first read and while I am loving the writing the subject matter is SO disturbing!), Middlemarch, Wuthering Heights and How to be an Antiracist, by Ibram X Kendi. I am big into short stories and LOVE Hemingway (read For Whom the Bell Tolls last summer, too), Margaret Atwood (Stone Mattresses) and Joyce Carol Oates. I have also read some of Chekov's shorts. I like to run and listen to "The Writer's Voice" podcast, which is short stories from The New Yorker. It is going to be an incredible year! I have started to write a book of my own and I am going to spend the summer hiking the 2,650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail (to raise $1 million for our local safe shelter) and I am pretty excited about both of those big things.

Jetzabel Peniche

Hello Ben and Everyone! Happy New Year!!! I’m so excited for this new year plan for our book plan. I am currently reading Great Expectations, Don Quixote. I am a slow reader and taking my time. I fell behind in my reading the last two months because I became busy with my son’s baseball games and tournaments. My younger children had many school activities also and by the time I was finished, I would fall asleep early but I am happy to pick up where I left off and ready to enjoy our book plan. Thank you Ben for making all of this possible.

Mahmoud

Greetings, Such wonderful and insightful comments being shared by everyone! Here's my update: 1) HLBC books: December was one of my best reading months, thanks to joining the HLBC. I finished reading Crime and Punishment. I had read it quite a long time ago, along with The Brothers Karamazov. With this slower and deeper read, it was an entirely new and much more rewarding experience, resulting in a far greater appreciation for Dostoevsky. My prior reading of Notes From the Underground was a helpful on-ramp leading into it. As C&P was quite mentally and psychologically demanding and complex, the following concurrent reads helped balance it out.  Great Expectations: I've completed the first third of the book. It's my first Dickens, and I'm extremely impressed and captivated with the story. Admittedly, my pace is made slower due to a lack of familiarity with the language style, expressions, and Victorian society in general, but I'm really drawn into the world of Dickens and easily lose myself in the story. So glad I decided to have it as a seasonal read. I also found time for my first Turgenev short story, The Live Relic. I simply adored following Ben's read-along of this story. It made it really come to life, awakened my senses, and it was very tender and touching. Looking forward to more short story read-alongs!  Gradual progress is also being made on part two of Don Quixote (eager to see how it compares and contrasts with part one!).  I'm all geared up for the Shakespeare project, with Arden copies of Shakespeare's tragedies at hand. 2) Personal reads Ben's podcast on Adler's "How to Read a Book" was phenomenal. I've partially read the book and gotten halfway. I've now dusted it off and refer to it almost daily. It's an indispensable guide not just for my reading but writing as well. Fantasy: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Having previously read The Hobbit, I'm taking my time with the trilogy, taking snippets in between my primary readings. Poetry: Robert Frost, Mary Oliver, and Harold Bloom's "The Best Poems of the English Language" is a regular bedtime companion. Nature writing. When I haven't been outdoors in a while and miss my connection with nature, I'll turn to some of its ardent proponents' and admirers' vivid accounts, descriptions, and experiences. I've found some of the finest and impactful writing in: the journals of John Muir and Henry Thoreau, American Earth, and more recently, Wendell Berry (just ordered his Library of America Collected Essays boxed set: What I Stand On).  I'm really excited not just for myself but for all of us. Merely perusing the reading schedule is a joy in itself. There's so much we have to look forward to this year!

hardcoreliterature
>>74870638

Welcome to the club, Cathryn :) It's wonderful to have a reader from Oklahoma with us! This evening, I'll be spending some time with Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. I believe he was an Oklahomite too, if that's the right word? Very nice to hear you're reading Persuasion. I've been dipping back into this lovely novel too.

hardcoreliterature
>>74872432

You're making great headway with AK, Nick! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying this one. Along with Don Quixote and Moby Dick, Anna Karenina is a personal favourite of mine. I'm also thrilled that you're actively engaging with Wuthering Heights - I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

hardcoreliterature
>>74872858

Welcome to the club, Thomas :) It's fantastic to hear that Proust's Search drew you in. Such a beautiful book for so many reasons - I've rarely gone a day without dipping into it. I'm glad you're enjoying the talks. We have some more Proust videos coming out very soon, which I've put some love into. I am so intrigued to hear your thoughts about Finnegans Wake. Three readings over the course of thirty years sounds about right for this one. I'm also excited to hear you're becoming more deeply acquainted with Faulkner. I have Absalom, Absalom! on my bedside, and have been deliberating over which Faulkner to choose for an upcoming podcast. I'm leaning towards As I Lay Dying, but The Sound and the Fury is also begging for a discussion.

hardcoreliterature
>>74877066

Hello and welcome, Leslie :) it's great to have you reading with us! You've got a wonderful reading roster at the moment - George Eliot, Emily Brontë, and Charles Dickens. I cherish The Old Curiosity shop. This story kept me captivated when I was younger, and I find myself pulling the volume down and longing to read it more than any other at the moment. I've been meaning to get deeper into E.M. Forster myself. I loved his 'Aspects of the Novel', and we had some tutorials back in university on Howard's End, but I need to do a better job with his works, especially as so many readers have praised him!

hardcoreliterature
>>74882432

That definitely sounds like a great reading month, Suz. I'd love to know what sci-fi you recommend. Sci-fi and fantasy were my first loves, and I find myself gravitating back to them!

hardcoreliterature
>>74889739

Very nice! Before I first read Adler's 'How to Read a Book', I was worried it would be too dry and technical. But I was happily surprised to find that it's compulsively readable and has a lot of Adler's personal voice, which makes it a delight! I would love to hear your thoughts on Augustine's Confessions, Mike. Tremendously powerful book - absolutely an expression of prayer and autobiography simultaneously, and inspiration for future exegetes of scripture!

hardcoreliterature
>>74892555

Hi Ellen :) Another Jane Austen fan - yay! One of the best Christmas presents I received this year was a complete set of her books from Juniper Books with really beautiful covers. You'll be able to see them in some of the videos going forward (pink covers). I've only read Franzen's Corrections, but have personally stayed away from his other stuff as I've heard readers say similar things as you, and I didn't want to be disappointed.

hardcoreliterature
>>74895271

You befriended Levin, Kitty, and Raskolnikov too, Angeliki! That's wonderful to hear :) I love the sound of your buddy read with your friend in Japan. I read most of Klara and the Sun, but ended up putting it down. So I'd love to know if you would recommend me picking it back up again. I've had it in my mind to do a podcast on his Never Let Me Go this year. Also great to hear we have another manga fan here. When I lived in Japan, I pretty much only read manga for a couple of years. They have such a rich array of stories. Any favourites at the moment? Graduating with a Masters and working 12-hour shifts 6 days of the week is incredible. I'm sure your family is so grateful for your help. Books are such a great stress relief and escape. I hope you can claim more time for yourself soon, Angeliki, and don't end up tiring yourself out! And wishing you a Happy New Year :)

hardcoreliterature
>>74895923

Happy New Year, Michaela! I'm so happy to hear you're a lover of Middlemarch too. I get so swept up in the world George Eliot created. It's lovely that we have so many readers who are huge fans of it too. How are you feeling about The Brothers Karamazov? I did the chapter-a-day approach myself, but would often find it difficult to delay the next chapter!

hardcoreliterature
>>74901513

Happy New Year, Gracie :) Nice work on not skipping Waterloo, and for writing on your book. It feels like having a conversation with Victor Hugo, doesn't it? I'm also happy to hear you're enjoying Emily Dickinson. One of my personal favourite poets of all time!

hardcoreliterature
>>74910792

Happy New Year, Cindy :) That's so cool to hear that Saunders has started a sub stack newsletter. I'll check that out. I went back to his Lincoln in the Bardo last night, thinking I would put a show together on it. As for a schedule there should be a download option for the document on the 'Welcome to 2022' post (I'll link below here). We've gone for a monthly-view so as to have a little bit of flexibility with different readers and paces at the moment. Wuthering Heights is on a 4-5 week approach across January :) I'm also thrilled to see so many new members here. It's incredible! https://www.patreon.com/posts/welcome-to-book-60594613

hardcoreliterature
>>74935412

Wonderful selection, Susan :) Like you, I don't really watch TV. Sometimes I have it on as background in the evening, but most of the time I'm absorbed in a good book :)

hardcoreliterature
>>74939763

Hello Denise :) Maggie Gyllenhaal did such a wonderful job with AK. I really hope she does more narrations in the future. It's great to hear that you had almost all of the books on the 2022 schedule already on your shelves. I love the names you've mentioned here. Hemingway's wonderful. You've almost certainly seen it already but, if not, Ken Burns' PBS documentary on the writer is one of the best I've ever seen. I binged Joyce Carol Oates' writings and took her Masterclass a couple of years ago - tremendous writer. Let us know how you get on with writing your own book, Denise, and hiking the Pacific Crest Trail for such a great cause - both incredibly inspiring activities! Wishing you a very Happy New Year!

hardcoreliterature
>>74948007

Happy New Year, Jetzabel :) Don Quixote and Great Expectations are two of my favourite novels, and you'll get so much out of a slow read. Embrace a slow pace - there's no rush! Last month, I ended up falling asleep in my chair very early in the night before I got a chance to read anything. Enjoying your children's successes is the most important thing in the world :) Thank you for being here and reading with us!

Florian Pesantes
>>74989602

Dear Heather, welcome here in the club! I can see you’ve made a good journey on your own already. Sure you’ll enjoy it here. Ben’s lectures are always gems and I see you are well in tune with his methods of reading great books. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

Pablo

👋🏻 Comrades 🙂 I think that it might be a bit same-same (but different!) for me this month: Shorts: Still A Sportsman’s Notebook by Turgenev and The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jacksons. Regrettably, there’s a lack of traction, and little progress have been achieved with these to be blunt. Mostly due to time, work, Christmas et al [insert distractions/excuses of your own choice here 😉}. Something to work on for me... Author: I am flirting somewhat with Leon Bloy and Jane de la Veudere (Shhh... Don’t tell my other authors; it’s only a secret crush, we haven’t really been introduced or talked yet, I just keep looking coyly across the boudoir at them!) Exploring: Alternating between the romantic and decadent/ fin de siècle, I have started reading a little of Arthur Rimbaud’s poetry in the mornings as I’ve almost concluded with my old friend the Tramps Anthology compiled by Stephen Graham, I am liking Rimbaud’s poems a lot, I have been wanting to insert more poetry and this seems to be working well for me, I may chance my arm with some Emily Bronte too, as that sounds very intriguing. Big Read: Just concluding Great Expectations. My preconception was that I wasn’t sure that I was going to like or get much out of this. I had pretty much convinced myself that Dicken’s wasn’t for me, and that my poor deceased Granddad’s gift might have fallen upon stony ground. Newsflash! Pablo was way out there! What an amazing read it has been and coming towards the final furlong I’m sure that there’s still a few twists and turns left. Crystal ball sees further Dicken’s novels in my future. Have scraped the surface of Middlemarch, so need to get busy with that, haven’t cracked the seal on Shakespeare yet, but very excited about mixing the bard in. Ditto Wuthering Heights, such a lot of amazing books on this year’s schedule. General Lifestyle Stuff: Wheels are turning on the return to my former healthy lifestyle, also should have more time to catch up on my reading as my partner is going to be working away few days per week. I feel a bit everywhere and somewhat scattered, but I am enjoying myself. Either it’s spring and my mental tendrils are spreading to put up flowers all over the place to see what bears fruits later on, or I’m like a fruit-bat flitting aimlessly... Answers on a postcard please 😉😆

Florian Pesantes

Like always I’m coming late to the party and with almost empty hands. “Les Misérables” and Proust on alternate mornings, hardly I can make more than half an hour per day and that doesn’t allow me much progress as I’m following each rabbit hole just to discover a labyrinth of ideas, operas, plays, authors and politicians from the 19th and 18th century and even back to the Merovingians. I much enjoyed the serial reading of the “Turn of the Screw” and am eagerly awaiting the last video. This serial reading is something I love to adopt for other books. Recently I have received a gift by a fellow member of this club, one I’d like to call a friend and hope to getting on thou-terms with. The book he chose for me is Khalil Gibran’s “The Prophet” and I find it highly enjoyable to reading a chapter every Tuesday, the style reminding me of Zarathustra and Hesse’s Siddartha. I’ve finished Maupassant’s short stories, masterful little gems, where with few words he paints landscapes, evokes scents and noises, humorously brings characters to life of all kind in charitable kindness. Now Tchekov! Another two books sent to me by another beloved friend here seductively are whispering:” Read me, reeeeeeead me”. They’ll have to wait a little longer, as I had spent some weeks on CG Jung’s “Red Book” and simultaneously trying to creep forward in Marc Aurelius’s meditations and Nietzsche’s Zarathustra. My latest exciting discovery in the realm of poetry: Robert Hill from Sweden, he writes stunning dark and mysterious lyrics to be sung by himself to guitar music. And last but not least: Through the French main reads I came across a sonnet by Alfred de Musset dedicated to Victor Hugo. I translated it into bad English and my poet friend Arthur further into proper English and filed it back again into a sonnet form. We submitted it to a competition, if it wins a price or if it doesn’t, highly enjoyable the endeavour has been and we might take the project further, there are plenty of splendid poems in German, French, Portuguese or Spanish language that could do with a fresh adaptation by us two.

Bill Freeman
>>74999522

My brother of a different mother - I always love to read your post, what you are reading, your impactful life as a physician, and your general kindness. I, as well, am enjoying Khalil Gibran’s “The Prophet.” Now with this typing, aren't you call you don't have to call up your "inner Turning" to decipher my message? Happy New Year!

Holly Puckette

Happy New Year everyone, I joined just in time to start Great Expectations and plan to follow the 2022 syllabus. So currently from the Bookclub: Wuthering Heights – somehow missed this one in the previous 52 years, but am making up for lost time. Middlemarch – Does it count as learned marginalia to keep penciling in “LOL” at the end of paragraphs? Mrs. Cadwallader has been hilarious so far reminding me markedly of an old guidance counselor in high school. King Lear – On the act a day plan. I plan to read one of the plays a week this way as most are not over 5 acts and then take a week to deep dive it rereading, watching, and supplementing with commentary before going to the next one. Our family is full of Shakespeare nerds. I once watched one of my kids (all in their 20s now) play Gloucester right through “that scene” and felt nauseated for a full week afterwards. This is the first time I’ve revisited Lear since. I wish I could scrub that scene from mind, but it haunts my nightmares. Great Expectations - The pace I was keeping to “get it in” during December with all that goes on with the holidays was not as enjoyable as I like. Post holidays I’ve dropped it back to 2 chapters a day and that is much more enjoyable. (If it can be called “enjoyable” to frequently scold aloud the main character for being young and naïve and acting like it…) I also want to dip into some more of the 2021 syllabus as time allows. So far I’ve started: The Proust Project – Part of me wants to bemoan having gotten this far in life without Proust. What a tragedy! Yet the greater part of me wonders how anyone under 50 really connects with it? I love it and have ordered the box set as I’m sure we’re going to be fast friends for the rest of my life. Persuasion – I’ve got this set aside to be a “palate cleanser” on my nightstand between Syfy series. Miss Austen never disappoints. Other reading I’ve got going (I am not a monogamous reader to say the least) Music Theory Music History Will Durant’s History of Civilization, Vol. 2 The Greeks Ryan Holiday’s Courage is Calling Rolfe Gates’ Meditations from the Mat Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files (Nightstand reading. I do my serious reading during the day) When I finish Leaves of Grass I'm torn between returning to my fallen aside Shakespeare Sonnets study or dipping into some of the 2021 poetry selections from the club. Decisions, decisions...

Jenny C

Oh my goodness I am going to have a hard time keeping up with the reading list, let alone emerging from all the rabbit holes you and this lovely group keep sending me down… But it's a Wonderland down there and I'm thrilled to be back in the warren. I'm sticking with your "Bradbury Trio" as my main goal, so I've been reading King Lear, Poe stories, and Sons & Lovers by DH Lawrence (getting very frustrated with Paul and mad at his mom). Tonight I start ...drumroll... Wuthering Heights! Woo hoo! Classical music is in my headphones and the sherry is in my glass.

Fiona Wang

The second half of 2021 had been a challenging time for reading. I was much too distracted by other things in life and became overwhelmed by the number of great books/projects we are taking on in this club. I wanted to read everything but realized this was just making me unnecessarily stressed and frustrated, given its unfeasibility. I'm quite tortured by the decision to skip Wuthering Heights! Instead of reading multiple works at once (which I continuously failed to do), my immediate aim is to finish Don Quixote by January while leaving occasional time for Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol (yes, I still haven't finished!). I did finish The Turn of the Screw and am looking forward to the last lecture. Shakespeare's project and Moby Dick are two things on this year's syllabus I just won't forgive myself for skipping, so I will certainly be there!

Jo Ann Hinkle

Hello everyone! I hope I’m not too late to the discussion, but I’m still plugging away at Great Expections. I don’t mean that it’s a chore, it’s just that doctors’ appointments and medical issues slow me down at times. Dickens is one of my favorite novelists, so I’m definitely enjoying the read. I’ve started Middlemarch but haven’t gotten very far. I picked up a couple non-fiction books to accompany my Hardcore Lit reads: The Western Canon by Harold Bloom and How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler. Other books I’ve ordered: Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, the Arden editions of King Lear, Hamlet and Macbeth, A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and The Moonstone and The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins to replace my lost copies from college.

hardcoreliterature
>>75621025

You’re not too late at all, Jo! It’s great to hear you’re still in the company of Mr Dickens. I’m lingering over some of my favourite chapters at the moment. I can’t seem to put the book down. Also very nice to see you’ve picked up Harold Bloom and Mortimer Adler, both great writers on the art of reading. I’m particularly excited to see you have ordered Leaves of Grass. We’ll have some assigned reading from this very volume when it comes to Moby Dick, so you’ll be wonderfully well prepared!

jeane

Hello everyone! This is my second day in the HLC ((a literal newborn)) but I’m already addicted to all this content & discussion. I read Wuthering Heights when the year just started, it was my first gothic novel so I was disoriented, REALLY disoriented. I thought I didn’t enjoy it, wanted to lament how I was right, that I am not a gothic reader. But once I picked up my pen to vent my thoughts, I realized I am still haunted by those memories. Less than two weeks later, I’m here because of it! So far January reads have been great! Apart from Wuthering Heights, I had a fun time reading Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. Witty and puzzling, it’s the most entertaining book I have read in a good while. Bulgakov’s own voice as a repressed writer was delivered through the Master, but I found more resonance in a secondary character, Ivan the Poet. To me, Ivan is the voice of us, the readers/Russians. Following Ivan’s mental spiral and renewal is following our own shifting perspectives! Thanks to Bulgakov, I’m reading Goethe’s Faust (Part I) now! Had a few of those “Ah-hah!” moments when I uncovered bits that inspired Bulgakov. Looking forward to more great books this month! As of now, I am still savoring Lecture One of Wuthering Heights…still trapped in that one line: the past is the eternal present.

hardcoreliterature
>>75673699

Hello, Jeane! And warm welcomes to the club :) I love how you’ve described your experience with Wuthering Heights. Virginia Woolf said that we know what books are the really strong ones when we have put them down and we find they come back to us as a unity. It sounds like Wuthering Heights had this effect on you! Haunted is the perfect way to describe one’s memory of this disorienting gothic novel. I’m thrilled to see you’ve been reading Bulgakov. I have just finished enjoying The Master and Margarita too, translated by P&V, and I was so charmed by it that I’m planning a podcast. I can’t wait to hear more of your thoughts about these great books!

Michael Kwong

Hi all! It has been a really looooooong time since I have left a comment. Hope everyone is doing well! I'm guilty to ask this, but am I normal if I cannot finish Great Expectations. I put the book down right after stage 2, but I admit that I was already dragging myself in the second half of stage 2. I don't know why but I just find the book too plain. Seems there's nothing happening at all. And the worry and anxiety and Pip's reaction to Estella is just too childish that I was kind of mad while reading it. (The part where Pip doesn't want to see Joe again is very thoughtful though). After putting down Great Expectations, I was in a struggle to pick the next book. Don Quixote and Crime and Punishment always have a calling to me (perhaps I think they are more action packed compared to GE). I end up picking up again Don Quixote because I want some laugh at the moment (too tired from work) and one chapter a day seems doable for me. I also read other books during my commute to work. The Last Days of Socrates by Plato for the morning and Frankenstein by Shelley on my way back. Both are great books! Finally, wanna start King Lear, but also wanna read some narrative poem (Paradise Lost / The Divine Comedy / The Iliad). Still struggling to pick one. Oh boy, really too much books to read! Does it happen to anyone of you that having too much books make you hard to settle on one and read to the end. I find myself always lose interest in the middle and switch to another book!!!!! I really cannot remember the last book that I have finished entirely. Perhaps it's Siddhartha but it's way too long ago already :( Any how, glad that I found time to make this comment. It's always fun to share thought out with some like-minded people! Cheers and happy reading! (p.s. I just got a new cat called OREO :D she is lovely)