Congrats to The House Of Mirth by Edith Wharton, which got several non-LJ votes to win Part 2.

The last category to pick for me to suffer^H^H^H^Hread is World Literature. What would you like to see me discuss (once I can stop myself reading Shakespeare)?

Pick three of the following:
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I suspect I know what will win, as I'm cynical. <_< Prove me wrong? :)

Part 2: American classics.

While I'm pecking away at Paradise Lost, let's have my rapt audience vote on what American Critical Edition I should read. As before, you can pick 3, and I'll choose the top vote-getter.

The choices:

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Next week is the final week, with 'World' books, i.e. not England or America.

Congratulations to Paradise Lost, the winner of the first classic Sean reading competition. I have not read it before, always a plus. I will endeavor to get to it in among all my Shakespeare rereads.

With his winnings, I understand John Milton plans a sequel of some sort...

I've been really enjoying this Shakespeare re-read. Reading Critical Editions (editions that have extensive footnotes and analysis of the works) has helped hone my appreciation, especially for plays I didn't think much of before.

So, Norton has a huge number of Critical Edition of famous novels. The sort of novels we all had to read in school, and all hated.

I'm gonna read a couple of them.

And YOU get to pick which ones!

I'm going to post 3 lists, one each week. This week is English Works. Pick 3 books from the list, and post them in comments (Along with, if you like, why you want me to read and talk about them). The winners get to see me post thoughts on it.

Feel free to post books you hated and think I'll hate too. If you want to see me suffer, go for it. Or post books you adore.

I have read many of these, of course, and hated a lot of them at the time, but re-reads are what it's all about. And yeah, this may take a while, some of these books are absolute bears to get through.

Please comment with votes!

The list:

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Never let it be said I didn't give you enough choices.

For Ginny and Ysa especially: http://jezebel.com/tag/fine-lines/

Wanted to do a post thanking kateorman for talking about the book Watching the English by Kate Fox on her LJ. I picked up a used copy from ALibris, and so far it's absolutely riveting. So many things that I take for granted about the English explained in not just plain terms, but also amusing and readable terms. For an Anglophile like me, this is pretty much mannah from heaven. Or maybe chips from heaven...