Back in the summer I pledged to finish Anna Karenina before the end of the year. That did not happen. But this inspired me, I think I might take this tradition up!
Something about making the goal over the year transition helps me, I think! I usually start when the holidays give me more reading time and then by Jan. 1 I’ve already made so much headway, I have to keep going! (Need to reread Anna Karenina—my first Tolstoy, with my War and Peace eyes now)
I’ve been reading a chapter of Les Miserables every day this year (shout out to Les MIs Letters!) and it’s been such an interesting experience. And now you’re making me want to read my own big book this winter, or maybe just over the next year. I do have a copy of War and Peace on my shelf…
(Side note: I LOVED Alias during its original run. My dad and I watched it together for the first few seasons, and then when I went to college we would watch at the same time and call each other during the commercials. I miss the communal nature of watching tv like that.)
War and Peace really lends itself to a daily-for-a-year practice because there are 365 little chapters in most editions! r/ayearofwarandpeace/ starts it up again every Jan. 1. I've considered doing a reread in this way for the community aspect in 2025. Great discussions of history/translations/context happen every day over there.
Alias was the first show I was allowed to stay up to 10pm to watch and it was appointment tv for our family. I have so so much nostalgia for it--I've rewatched the first couple seasons a few times, but this is my first time watching the whole thing over again!
Love the idea of a winter Big Book! I accidentally did that last year, and although my Big Book took me six whole months to finish, I loved it and it has become my entire personality (Black Lamb Grey Falcon - Rebecca West)
I've never read Ulysses and probably never will, but Sally Rooney's lecture on it made me want to: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2022/12/07/misreading-ulysses/ - love her argument that romance is basically the core the of Anglophone novel. I'm excited to hear what you have to say about the book.
Rooney is one of the reasons I’m committing to it. I’m in the middle of Intermezzo right now (I keep distracting myself with Rooney interviews about Intermezzo) and she mentions it all the time. Rooney also writes the ultimate non-romance romance that I’m so obsessed with! The connection between her work and romance is sometimes dismissed because of (I think) the perception of her readers as young women, but she talks about it all the time!
Thank you for spotlighting Books Through Bars, we have a similar organization in the Midwest and it has a special place in my heart. I love the winter big book idea and I'm hoping to read The Parisian (potentially a modern day classic). Also been meaning to get to War and Peace!
I went to law school in Indiana and used to donate to Midwest Books to Prisoners! Love love love organizations that do this work. And I hadn't heard of The Parisian, but it looks fantastic and like a great big winter read!
I hope you love Ulysses! I took a class in college that was one semester spent entirely on the book cover to cover. Finishing it was such an accomplishment. If you’re into companion books for the history and context I can’t recommend The Most Dangerous Book by Kevin Birmingham enough!
Oh thank you for the recommendation! I do love reading non-fiction along with my novels--read a great bio of Tolstoy last year by Rosamund Bartlett last year during War and Peace and it was great to contextualize.
Back in the summer I pledged to finish Anna Karenina before the end of the year. That did not happen. But this inspired me, I think I might take this tradition up!
Something about making the goal over the year transition helps me, I think! I usually start when the holidays give me more reading time and then by Jan. 1 I’ve already made so much headway, I have to keep going! (Need to reread Anna Karenina—my first Tolstoy, with my War and Peace eyes now)
I’ve been reading a chapter of Les Miserables every day this year (shout out to Les MIs Letters!) and it’s been such an interesting experience. And now you’re making me want to read my own big book this winter, or maybe just over the next year. I do have a copy of War and Peace on my shelf…
(Side note: I LOVED Alias during its original run. My dad and I watched it together for the first few seasons, and then when I went to college we would watch at the same time and call each other during the commercials. I miss the communal nature of watching tv like that.)
War and Peace really lends itself to a daily-for-a-year practice because there are 365 little chapters in most editions! r/ayearofwarandpeace/ starts it up again every Jan. 1. I've considered doing a reread in this way for the community aspect in 2025. Great discussions of history/translations/context happen every day over there.
Alias was the first show I was allowed to stay up to 10pm to watch and it was appointment tv for our family. I have so so much nostalgia for it--I've rewatched the first couple seasons a few times, but this is my first time watching the whole thing over again!
Love the idea of a winter Big Book! I accidentally did that last year, and although my Big Book took me six whole months to finish, I loved it and it has become my entire personality (Black Lamb Grey Falcon - Rebecca West)
I've never read Ulysses and probably never will, but Sally Rooney's lecture on it made me want to: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2022/12/07/misreading-ulysses/ - love her argument that romance is basically the core the of Anglophone novel. I'm excited to hear what you have to say about the book.
Rooney is one of the reasons I’m committing to it. I’m in the middle of Intermezzo right now (I keep distracting myself with Rooney interviews about Intermezzo) and she mentions it all the time. Rooney also writes the ultimate non-romance romance that I’m so obsessed with! The connection between her work and romance is sometimes dismissed because of (I think) the perception of her readers as young women, but she talks about it all the time!
Thank you for reminding me of this lecture!
Thank you for spotlighting Books Through Bars, we have a similar organization in the Midwest and it has a special place in my heart. I love the winter big book idea and I'm hoping to read The Parisian (potentially a modern day classic). Also been meaning to get to War and Peace!
I went to law school in Indiana and used to donate to Midwest Books to Prisoners! Love love love organizations that do this work. And I hadn't heard of The Parisian, but it looks fantastic and like a great big winter read!
I hope you love Ulysses! I took a class in college that was one semester spent entirely on the book cover to cover. Finishing it was such an accomplishment. If you’re into companion books for the history and context I can’t recommend The Most Dangerous Book by Kevin Birmingham enough!
Oh thank you for the recommendation! I do love reading non-fiction along with my novels--read a great bio of Tolstoy last year by Rosamund Bartlett last year during War and Peace and it was great to contextualize.
I love this newsletter and the idea of the 'big book' which is inspiring me for a winter / Christmas read...
I really can't recommend the practice enough! Winter just lends itself to going back to something repeatedly for me.