1) East of Eden by John Steinbeck (4:58) 2) Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (8:46) 3) The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (12:24) 4) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (15:28) 5) Tartuffe, The Misanthrope, The School for Wives, and The Learned Ladies by Moli'ere (19:55) 6) The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu (22:25) 7) Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace (27:14) 8) Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Franz Kafka (30:13) with special emphasis on “The Metamorphosis” “A Hunger Artist”, “In the Penal Colony”, and “The Judgment.” 9) Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (33:02) 10) Dante's Inferno by Dante Alighieri (36:57) 11) Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy (40:04)
@dianal.clausen8118
27 күн бұрын
❤
@geologick
9 ай бұрын
1) East of Eden by John Steinbeck 2) The Master & Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov 3) The Misanthrope, Tartuffe by Moli'ere 4) The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu 5) Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace 6) Metamorphosis and Other Stories by Franz Kafka 7) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 8) Dante's Inferno by Dante Alighieri 9) Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 10) Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy I might have missed something & the order may not be quite correct, but that's most if not all of them
@captain_cloudd
9 ай бұрын
You missed 2) Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
@LilyGazou
9 ай бұрын
@@captain_cloudd I grew up near his home on Long Island. Worth a long visit.
@rhoclouds
9 ай бұрын
👍
@arch_dornan6066
9 ай бұрын
Thanks. I don't mean to be annoying or anything and I don't expect you to go through this video all over again, but it would also be nice if you added the time frames he recommends
@drcstevens
9 ай бұрын
Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
@peskylisa
9 ай бұрын
Let me say this: This is an incredible channel and I'm grateful to have found it!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much, Lisa! I'm so grateful that you're here🙏☺️
@peskylisa
9 ай бұрын
You're welcome, Benjamin, I just wish you and your channel had been in existence when I was doing my English lit in the 1980s. Oh! Geez! I'm really telling my age! LOL@@BenjaminMcEvoy
@veenaraina4379
9 ай бұрын
Me too !
@annamesa5138
9 ай бұрын
Me too!👌👍
@shanemulcahy109
9 ай бұрын
@@BenjaminMcEvoyhi Benjamin, big fan of your channel, I'm a huge fan of Russian literature, just wondering if you have read any of Alexandr solzhenitsyn. The gulag trilogy, the first circle, cancer ward or the writings of anatoli rybakov.. Children of the arbat/fear... Absolutely incredible
@PokhrajRoy.
9 ай бұрын
It’s such fun to see someone on the Internet making a syllabus. That’s awesome! 👏🏽
@pithypages6288
9 ай бұрын
Aryy bhai, ap idr bhi
@cookathome9352
8 ай бұрын
From TISS to Ben to Film Companion to whatever, you and I watch the exact same things on KZitem! I have found you in the remotest of KZitem channels too!
@booksanimeenthusiast3802
8 ай бұрын
@@cookathome9352same here.
@LisaRSArt
6 ай бұрын
Agree 😊
@Salman_Saho
9 ай бұрын
I could literally just sit back and listen to Ben talk all day about literature and theory… his thoughts and words are so therapeutic and inspiring. ✅
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Aw, thank you so much. That's incredibly kind of you :)
@Salman_Saho
9 ай бұрын
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Anytime Ben… keep enlightening us please 😄
@ya_soy_una_senora
4 ай бұрын
That's what I do on Friday mornings😅
@lthecatt9667
9 ай бұрын
Even though I have no intention of signing up (mainly because I am a broke uni student), I really enjoyed this video last year, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it this year as well. Hopefully this keeps going for many years to come (so I can sign up when I have some actual disposable income 😅)
@concerninghobbits5536
2 ай бұрын
Even without the club it's a great list of books to consider reading next. I was excited seeing East of Eden seven months late and not in the club, because I'm halfway through and loving it. Makes me even more confident and excited to read some of the others he mentions here since a lot of them are on my list but my list is so big I need priorities.
@tompribyl2884
9 ай бұрын
I am excited to read East of Eden again. It was one of my late mother's favorite books. She gave me Journal of a Novel, in which Steinbeck created while writing East of Eden. It was a great companion when reading the novel.
@curtjarrell9710
9 ай бұрын
So many good books for 2024. Thanks for all you do for deep readers.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much, Curt :) That really means a lot to me!
@lindahall9686
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for offering the HLBC, Benjamin. I've been thinking that "someday" when I have the time, I'll join. After listening to your plans for 2024, a switch flipped in my head and said, "Dammit, quit waiting!!!" I'll be joining. No day but today!
@rlamb007
9 ай бұрын
Benjamin - You have a gift for inspiring people. Your passion for literature in very infectious.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much, Robert :) I really appreciate that!!
@Diane_McDon
9 ай бұрын
I could listen to you talk abou literature all day
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Aw, that's so kind of you. Thank you for watching! 🙏
@mj4eva200
9 ай бұрын
East of Eden is, in my opinion, the greatest american novel. So ambitious, so much to learn. Can’t wait for the hardcore book club reading
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
I would personally agree with you there, Andy! Complete masterpiece :)
@mangalapalliv
8 ай бұрын
@@BenjaminMcEvoy : Better than Moby Dick? Nah..... East of Eden is a great novel and a must read but not the greatest, I feel
@tylerbrown4638
9 ай бұрын
I can’t put into words how badly I want you to release your lectures or groupings of lectures for purchase on audible, as hard as I tried this year I just couldn’t keep up with the book club and I’d love the option to purchase certain lectures to enjoy at my leisure
@dianal.clausen8118
27 күн бұрын
We all love you, so, dear, beautiful Ben. Diana, 82, Chicago
@cole9279
9 ай бұрын
Almost every book you picked has been on my shelf for years waiting to be read. Guess this is a sign to jump in! Great list this year.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much!! You've got some really fantastic books on your shelf! I'd love to know what you make of them :)
@ILCJ1
9 ай бұрын
Literally just found your channel and have been making my way through your videos, I can say they are a big help to someone who is new to classic literature as I am
@beckyrose9354
9 ай бұрын
Same here!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for watching!! I really appreciate that!☺
@phoebelim5040
9 ай бұрын
Oh my gosh, I'm so sad I didn't find this channel a long time ago and so glad to find it today!
@edouardbertrand6666
9 ай бұрын
Linking up Boulgakov and Molière, you might be interested in Boulgakov's biography of Molière: le roman de Monsieur Molière ( I am sorry I do not know its English title but I assume you would be able to find out). This is a fascinating, and very moving book, where Boulgakov lays out his love, profound undestanding and admiration of Molière's work and personality.
@Aoife24601
9 ай бұрын
Just found you. Thank God was beginning to think there was nobody on my wavelength. Cant wait ...great thing for me is my daughter has Masters in Literature and now shes left home theres a whole vast library in her bedroom just for me. Your 2024 list has many of my favourites that I havent read since University and Im 65😂😂 Cant wait to start. East of Eden....im so so excited. Steinbeck put his soul into E of E. Thanks for making me so happy.
@Somewhere-l2m
9 ай бұрын
So happy for the Master and Margarita as it's one of my favourites. Might even force myself to read Jane Austen. You never know I might like it.
@LilyGazou
9 ай бұрын
You will love Austen- she was a close observer of human character- wonderful humor, too. She understood the finagling of narcissists, their charm.
@katn374
9 ай бұрын
Listening from California. :-) Thank you so much, Benjamin, for your intellectual discussion of literature. What a joy this is to get involved with deep reading of classics. I have spent the past two decades, immersed in theological commentaries and the Bible (with word studies into original Greek and Hebrew). I am excited to branch out with my love of reading.
@jennv.4520
9 ай бұрын
Hi Benjamin, I am really glad you're still running this book club! I joined 2 years ago and was part of this for about 6 months until I quit because I felt that I did not have the time, but I think I'm ready to join again for 2024. The experience of reading Blood Meridian, King Lear, Othello, Wuthering Heights, and Moby Dick with others was so engaging and stimulating, I find it difficult to stay away from this book club. I hope this runs indefinitely and that membership grows, reading the classics is so rewarding!
@AcidicDelusion
9 ай бұрын
I’m on the verge of joining. Can you give me an idea of how it works behind the paywall? Are the lectures a lot more in-depth than he does on KZitem? Is there a lot of discussion in the forum / chat ? It’s it active everyday ?
@jennv.4520
9 ай бұрын
@@AcidicDelusion hello. The lectures are as in depth but more frequent than the ones he posts on KZitem. Typically he would post 1 lecture every 2 weeks or so for the books we cover until the end. This means about 4-10 lectures per book depending on the length of course. The discussions are very active, and participating is easy. They do a monthly check in where you can share what books you are reading outside of the guided readings, and you also get access to a back catalog of books they have covered in the past. I would highly recommend it, the cost is the price of one meal per month but the education and mental stimulation are pretty priceless
@sanjabozic411
9 ай бұрын
Although I'd read almost every book from here in my gymnasium (SE Europe), I have to say I'd like to repeat many of them🎉. Pure and eternal classics❤. Tolstoy, Steinbeck, Dostoievsky, Bulgakov, Shakespeare...2024 is going to be very very brave and nice year ❤ !! Thank you so much, Ben😊
@therookerybookery
9 ай бұрын
Ahh I've been wanting to join for at least a year if not longer, as I always have the books you mention sadly gathering dust on my shelves as I get too easily daunted that I'm not smart enough or read quickly enough to even attempt to read them ... but whenever I watch one of your videos, it gives me the confidence and enthusiasm (through the interesting context and deeper understanding) to get that itch to read them at last. So today I've finally taken the plunge and signed up to your patreon bookclub! I can't wait to delve into the back catalogue now and join you all in reading together throughout 2024, here's to great literature!
@hopelore
9 ай бұрын
I'm so excited for Inferno! The Divine Comedy is my favorite piece of literature. I've lost count of how many times I've read it. I started learning Italian because of Dante 😂 It's going to be great to read it with everyone and have some good discussion.
@PatMcAnn
7 ай бұрын
It helped bring me back to God. A can't imagine anything more significant!
@hopelore
7 ай бұрын
@@PatMcAnn That's wonderful! Dante helped me a lot during my conversion as well. It's amazing how more than 700 years later his words have continued to inspire change in people 😊
@LifeLessonsFromBooks
9 ай бұрын
I’m not part of your book club but I always check out the yearly books then aim to read a few myself. You got me onto War and Peace which I LOVED and next year, it’ll be Don Quixote (another one you recommended). Thank you for sharing these book recommendations and helping us increase the quality of our reading. Your channel has been instrumental in changing how I viewed classics and instead, to “experience” them. All the best for 2024.
@m.c.3541
9 ай бұрын
Ben and my fellow readers. It was indeed a magical year in the book club. I was so excited when I was driving and heard the notification, that I pulled over to hear what you have in store for us Ben. I have been transformed by the 2023 reading schedule, and am so happy that we will continue with Shakespeare. I would have missed him as you say. Thank you again to my fellow club readers as I have learned so much from all of you. Thanks Ben. Best Maria
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much for reading these books with so much love with us and making this such a special year, Maria! I'm so excited for our 2024 adventure and to hear what you make of these great works!! ☺🙏
@nikkivenable73
9 ай бұрын
I’m really considering joining this year! Can I ask a question? If I join at the tier where I get access to his lectures…is that something where I’d have to interact with other readers initially or is it a place where I can just listen to his lectures? I’m very shy, have never done a Patreon, have never been in any book club but I am a huge reader of the classics. Could you walk me through how it all works? Thank you thank you!
@CM-yo9jk
9 ай бұрын
@@nikkivenable73 This is an excellent question and I would be interested to know the answer too - for much the same reasons as Nikki.
@nikkivenable73
9 ай бұрын
@@CM-yo9jk I felt silly asking this question so I’m glad to know I’m not the only one wondering. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
@c3realpt
9 ай бұрын
@@nikkivenable73 You don't have to interact if you don't feel like it. There will be discussions below every lecture, but it's totally your choice to participate or not. You can just enjoy the lectures and discussions. At least it was like this 1 year ago, when I joined. (I mainly quit because I'm a broke uni student, as someone said in another comment 😂)
@thomaslowry7079
9 ай бұрын
Benjamin, Your enthusiasm for the great books is irresistible! Here is a quote that reminds me of you: "The task of humanists is to invite, to welcome, to entice, to excite, to engage. And when we let ourselves be ourselves, when we allow the humanistic spirit that animates us to flow out not only into our classrooms but also in our public-self presentation, we find we don’t need to defend or prove anything: We are irresistible." From the New York Times, “I Teach the Humanities, and I Still Don't Know What Their Value Is” by Agnes Callard
@littlefelix
9 ай бұрын
I'm so happy that the schedule has the same big-read books as my 2024 TBR 🎉 I'm not a patron yet because I'm still in uni but I hope I'll make it soon. I owe you everything because every "How to" video helps me tremendously (without you I don't know when I would dare to pick up War & Peace). Thank you very much for a great year, Ben!!! And I hope we'll have many years to come. I'm so excited for 2024 ❤
@pauliewalnuts2727
9 ай бұрын
Looks like an exciting year ahead, nice one, Ben. I have been a member of the HLBC on Patreon intermittently the past couple of years- do you have any thoughts on expanding the “community” aspect beyond reading and replying to comments/ discussions? I have a disability that means I can’t get outside to attend an “in-person” book club but it would be really cool to have some zoom discussions/ other ways to open up conversations with fellow book-lovers on a more personal level
@mangalapalliv
8 ай бұрын
A cheater's confession: I genuinely want to keep pace with this reading list + have some others on my reading list for 2024. So started early. Completed reading East of Eden....... Fabulous read !! Thanks a lot Ben.... Wish you a happy 2024 !!
@annagranch7695
9 ай бұрын
Hi! I just discovered your channel and want to thank you so much for sharing your passion and enthusiasm for classic literature with us! I’ve recently rediscovered my love for the classics and am thoroughly enjoying your videos. I just finished reading The Count of Monte Cristo (took seven months, but I did it!) and am now tackling Paradise Lost. Best of luck with the book club!
@user-oq9sg1xy8t
9 ай бұрын
Benjamin, I joined the hardcore literature book club in July and I am 2 years behind 😂I love the choices, I’m going to keep reading ❤
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you reading these great books with so much love with us :) 2 years behind is great because it means lots of incredible books to always look forward to! ❤️☺️
@dopeterminator9174
9 ай бұрын
So incredibly excited to reread East of Eden. Truly a masterpiece.
@randysmith7189
9 ай бұрын
This is the kind of book club I have been looking for. I subscribed and joined today for the 2024 reading season.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
I'm so thrilled to hear that, Randy! I can't wait to read all of these great works with you :)
@JuneTurner-dt4fb
9 ай бұрын
I'm not a fan of Toni Morrison. I agree with Harold Bloom that she's ridiculously overpraised. But great choices otherwise. I love watching your videos Ben. Would be great to see one on Thomas Hardy, Joseph Conrad, Henry James or Virginia Woolf.
@LilyGazou
9 ай бұрын
Agreed. I never wanted to reread any of her books afterward. But someone like Austen just keeps giving new riches. And Whitman too.
@davet2625
9 ай бұрын
Really great insights and inspiration! I'm still in the midst of my own long-term reading projects! My 2023 was: Anna Karenina Vanity Fair 1984 North and South Ivanhoe Madame Bovary Mill on the Floss Germinal Frankenstein Persuasion (Also Some Sherlock, Tolstoy, Guy de Maupassant, Pushkin, short stories) A Christmas Carol (to come) My 2024: Tenant of Wildfell Hall Kim Great Expectations The Iliad Crime and Punishment Hamlet Daniel Deronda Don Quixote Portrait of a Lady Animal Farm Hunchback of Notre Dame Some Greek dramatist (Also some short stories from Uncommercial Traveller, Leskov, Guy de Maupassant, Turgenev, Aand Sherlock) (And, for the first time in my life, some foray into reading poetry, Bloom anthology) And of course, another Dickens Christmas read!
@ProseAndPetticoats
9 ай бұрын
Notre-Dame is my favourite novel. So happy to see it on your list!
@baconnyt
9 ай бұрын
2024 is going to be a great year for you.
@pamelabarker7221
9 ай бұрын
I subscribed a few months ago (perhaps to another of your channels?) and am excited to start 2024 with you and this community. I fell into a reading slump that lasted over a decade! And now, I'm motivated to explore literature again. This exploration feels more exciting because it isn't born from the thought that I'm supposed to go to University and get a degree. It's born from my own curiosity and from my desire to enter into a personal and internal world formed by the authors through my own lens. Having this community is exciting as I can then see how these works are interpreted my the lenses of others , too. Thank you!
@the_eerie_faerie_tales
9 ай бұрын
I love the way you talk about books! Inspiring. Though I won't be participating directly, I've still added these books to my TBR for next year. Thank you.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much! That is so lovely of you to say :) I'm thrilled you've added these great books to your TBR. I'd love to know what you make of them!
@the_eerie_faerie_tales
9 ай бұрын
@@BenjaminMcEvoy you are welcome!
@yassineamezough
9 ай бұрын
have you noticed that today is 30\11 which is the day when Oscar Wilde passed away, I have honored him and appreciated his legacy, the wordsmith who danced with the language which no one else has ever done. Alas, may you Rest In Peace Oscar. ❤
@dominikastaszalek6789
9 ай бұрын
I'm so excited about The Tale of Genji being on the list. It has been waiting on my bookshelf for a couple of months now!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
I'm so happy that you're excited about this one, Dominika! The Tale of Genji is a really special reading experience :)
@tamaragrottker7677
9 ай бұрын
I wish I could quit my job just so I can read! I may join the group this year. I trying to finish up Don Quixote before the end of this year. Thank you for creating this channel and providing a forum for reading great books!
@neilmacdonald6637
5 ай бұрын
You should include The Man Without Qualities in a future list, if you haven't already! I've read many works on your lists and admire what you're promoting, given the landscape of contemporary literature. Robert Musil's masterpiece is right there with the very best, imo.
@pattypage6723
9 ай бұрын
So happy to have found this!!! Sounds amazing going through wonderful books with a deep dive. Thanks for offering this opportunity
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you, Patty!! I really appreciate that :)
@michaelgreeley197
9 ай бұрын
I've only recently discovered you. Love your content. I've been gorging myself on your podcast episodes.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much, Michael! I really appreciate that! :)
@kieranhooton9665
9 ай бұрын
Hi Benjamin, I’m excited for what you have in store next year! I’m sorry to burden you with this question but I’m in my first year of studying literature currently and I’m really struggling with the style of working, the workload and I’m having a bit of a crisis regarding how much money I’m spending to do this and all I’m seeming to get in return, currently, is a hate for something I love so deeply (literature). Do you have any advice for how I can approach this moment in my life and thus make myself love learning and literature once again. Thank you for continuing to keep me hopeful and inspired. As someone who has lived and grown up in Yorkshire I’ve always loved the natural world and specifically rural areas in England. I’ve recently discovered and fell in love with Wordsworth and I wondered if you had anywhere else I could go from Wordsworth, whether that be novels, poetry or drama :)
@anastasiamalikova
9 ай бұрын
East of eden has been on my TBR all of 2023!!! So excited
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
I can't wait to hear what you make of it! Absolute masterpiece :)
@24sherbear
9 ай бұрын
East of Eden is one of my favorite books!
@rifqah_hanaa4608
8 ай бұрын
What a list; can't wait to start tracking down well-loved copies and dig in. I still have my battered paperback copy of The Inferno from my first semester away at college in 1987; it was a life-changer for me. ❤
@bookluv6567
9 ай бұрын
Hello, Benjamin! I enjoy your videos and read as much as I can, especially the great classics. I have just started Anna Karenina in the best greek translation. I wish you could read Greek, I would like to send you my little book of (very) short stories! I teach English in primary school. God bless you, take care and... happy reading!
@a.michelle9289
7 ай бұрын
Who said "If you want to learn how to write - read."!? I'm new to this channel as of today. So very cool - you're starting with one of my most favorite writers of all time - John Steinbeck. Have never heard of "The Master and Margherita" and since surrealist writing is one of my favorite not-genres it's SO EXCITING! Looking. forward to sharing adventures in 2024🌻
@GreatKingEd
9 ай бұрын
Unbelievably hyped for Whitman! Him and Stevens are my 2 favorite american poets and I really crave good discussions on them wherever i can get it
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
I am so happy you have such a deep love for Whitman and Stevens! They are my two favourite American poets too :) I am completely obsessed with them both!
@tmtb80
9 ай бұрын
@@BenjaminMcEvoyRobert Frost !!!!!
@katrinziegler6545
9 ай бұрын
I literally jumped up and down because Whitman is on my to-read list in 2024 and I wasn't sure how to tackle him :)
@RolledLs
9 ай бұрын
Brilliant list. Very excited to be joining your HLRC for the first time this year, particularly with respect to the American authors. I have also directed bookshops to ban me from entering their premises for at least a year … a small fortune has been dropped this past month or so, all thanks to you, Ben. Best investment ever, I say. Wife may not agree.
@adamthompson3691
9 ай бұрын
Great list! I'm in the middle of Leaves of Grass at the moment, and "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" is a wonderful poem.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you, Adam! I'm totally with you there :) One of my personal favourites!
@YeseniaWieman-do9ee
4 ай бұрын
You have inspired me to write my own books I have made 2 books in a part time series
@mariavittori2415
8 ай бұрын
Ohhhhhhhh! The Master & Margarita! I loved that book! I'm delighted to read it again with you!
@redneckinthebardo
9 ай бұрын
What an incredible list, it's so exciting! I'll be looking to join you for the first time next year.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much!! We would really love to have you reading with us :)
@joycehorstmann2634
2 ай бұрын
I’m new to your channel and LOVE your content. As a retired high-school English teacher, I love literature and appreciate your eclectic choices.
@NeverEndingKarla
9 ай бұрын
Ive been enjoying your videos for some time now and am excited to join in on the 2024 book club! I’ve coincidentally just picked up ‘East of Eden’, so I’ll hold off on reading until the new year! 🎉
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much :) I really appreciate that! That is a wonderful coincidence. I can't wait to hear what you make of Steinbeck's masterpiece and the rest of these great books!
@user-ic9yq2mx3v
9 ай бұрын
Well done. What a great collection. I will re-read Song of Solomon. The audiobook is read by Toni Morrison. Its fabulous to hear her interpretation. I highly recommend her audiobooks, all of them.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you, Joseph! I'm very excited to talk about Song of Solomon. I totally agree, her narration is tremendous. I always love it when an author narrates their own work!
@juliasampaio3364
9 ай бұрын
I was waiting for this video! Happy to say that I'll be joining the book club :) so excited, especially for Pride & Prejudice (you can never reread this one too much!!)
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
I'm so happy to hear that, Julia! I can't wait to hear what you make of these great books. You're so right about Pride and Prejudice. Truly an endlessly rereadable work :)
@24sherbear
9 ай бұрын
I just started listening to the video and “he had me at East of Eden” one of my favorite books. I would sign up for this talk alone! Benjamin inspired me to attempt the classics again. I wasn’t able to be in the club but I had a great year reading things like Don Quixote and Great Expectations.
@scliffbartoni9771
9 ай бұрын
So stoked that Steinbeck is what we're starting with. I read cannery row earlier this year and loved it - so small in scope but feels so real and was fantastic. I've been excited to dive into more Steinbeck!
@habitshare
9 ай бұрын
I just wrote a review on the fantastic Gravity Rainbow video but I'll repeat it here also cause why not: Hardcore Literature is my number one podcast on Spotify. So fitting. Hope to join the club this year. Your contribution here and on Spotify is gold.
@karenblaes449
9 ай бұрын
Thank you, Ben! I am SO very excited for our 2024 reading adventure. The HCLBC has changed my life for the better in many ways, and I am so grateful for you and this amazing community of book lovers.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much, Karen! That makes me so incredibly happy to hear. I'm so grateful for you reading these great books with so much love with us. I'm so excited for our 2024 adventure too! 🙏☺️
@sunitahansraj4083
9 ай бұрын
When in secondary school I had to write an essay on Pride and Prejudice. My teacher thought it was good enough to read to the whole class :) Far from the madding crowd is one of my all time favourites. Bathesheba ends up with a man who is dependable, almost a father figure, has her best interests at heart, loves her but sadly she does not.
@kristidoyle9263
9 ай бұрын
Wow, I'm potentially setting myself up for one heck of a reading year. Planning on doing a Year of Sanderson in anticipation of the 5th Stormlight book that's getting released in December 2024. Now you release the 2024 syllabus and I'm thinking there's going to be a lot of reading in my future! 😮
@stephaniesummerville7697
8 ай бұрын
Happy New Year, Ben! I just wanted to say “thank you” for this fantastic channel. I hardly ever subscribe to channels, but yours moved me to do so. I work on cruise ships, and my long hours and days at sea prevent me from engaging in routine reading; but when I’m at home, I always make time for watching your videos and picking up a book. Classic literature has always brought me either excitement, solace and joy - sometimes all 3! - and your content ‘recalls me to life’ ( #DickensFan ). Many thanks, and Happy, Happy New Year 🥳
@BenjaminMcEvoy
8 ай бұрын
Happy New Year, Stephanie!! Aw, thank you so much for such a beautiful message. Your kind words have completely made my day. I appreciate you deeply and I hope your 2024 is filled with many more wonderful bookish adventures 🙏☺️
@donaldkelly3983
9 ай бұрын
The lesson plan is impressive. East of Eden is my scheduled summer read. A few years back, I finished Far From the Madding Crowd, the last of Hardy's major novels I consumed. It's interesting that at the height of the British Empire, writers like Hardy and Conrad were so popular. Hardy was fatalistic but so enjoyable. The Tale of the Genji is just sitting on a shelf, calling out to me. I should try for spring.
@fueradelmeta
9 ай бұрын
I will try my best to keep up with the readings this new year.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
I'm so happy to hear that! You can do it! :)
@veenaraina4379
9 ай бұрын
How about including Thomas Mann , Orhan Pamuk , Mario Vargas Llosa , Roberto Bolano , Yukio Mishima in your future list of writers ?
@miodowaslimonom
9 ай бұрын
Hello Benjamin, I've dropped this channel for a year and it feels like such a waste of the year... Thank you for this place. I've just discovered Daphne du Maurier and I'm completely in love with her works, currently gobbling down one by one. What do you think of her? I would love to watch your video about her.
@LilyGazou
9 ай бұрын
She’s wonderful. So worth rereading.
@antropofilia1318
9 ай бұрын
kafka, whitman, austen, mikhail bulgakov, toni morrison, dante's inferno... thats amazing! i might join the book club this year!
@ssager2012
9 ай бұрын
Honestly… this sounds like the greatest year of reading! And kicking it off with my favorite book of all time?!?? I’m in 👍
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much, Shane!! I'm so excited to kick the year off with Steinbeck's masterpiece. Such an incredible book :)
@yolandasilverio1205
9 ай бұрын
Benjamin you are amazing. I am a newcomer, and will start reading In Search of Lost Time...along with Persuasion. I just finish the Mayor of Casterbridge I love, love Hardy
@linabenedict633
9 ай бұрын
Hello Benjamin, thank you so much! I am thrilled with our reading schedule for 2024. I’m a Patreon subscriber and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I am amazed by the depth and nuance of your lectures and do thank God for you as you are a blessing to the reading world. 😊❤ Lina. P.S. what is your opinion on P.G. Wodehouse? I have loved his books ever since my Dad turned me on to them. I recommend the Blandings books!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much, Lina! That is so incredibly kind of you :) I really appreciate you reading these great books with so much love and joy with us. As for P.G. Wodehouse, I'm a huge fan! I always have a Wodehouse on my bedside table. His stories always lift my spirits! ❤️☺️
@oobalooba.
9 ай бұрын
I am beyond excited to read The Master and Margarita and Infinite Jest for the first time, alongside the Book Club 😍🙌
@tanfriesen1
9 ай бұрын
I can't wait! I often just read books really fast. I am really looking forward to following along with the syllabus and taking my time with the readings. I think I'm going to learn a lot with this approach to reading. Your channel has made some intimidating reads feel more accessible.
@antinn7448
8 ай бұрын
East of Eden was based on eastern Monterey and San Benito county in California. Lived rurally there for 5 yrs. Adds an incredible dimension as i see the landscape, feel the heat, smell the air
@giuoco
9 ай бұрын
I read 400 pages of Infinite Jest earlier this year and then after a pause during uni exams I somehow never returned. I guess you need to be in a flow- so I’m so excited to re-read those pages and get back in the flow more easily and sail smoothly through to the end, past the footnotes!
@zalah1786
7 ай бұрын
Omg I've been waiting for a deep dive into The Tale of Genji and Divine Comedy!! I'm so so excited😍
@Tim_Nelmes
8 ай бұрын
Great line up of Literature books for 2024. Absolutely looking forward to it in January. Thanks so much Ben for everything you do … and say about these incredible Classics. Cheers
@Blacklodge_Willy
9 ай бұрын
I remember diving into East of Eden when I first decided to take literature "seriously" in order to self educate myself in ways outside of my studies. I was instantly drawn in by Steinbeck's poetics. And the ending to that great novel still lingers in my memory.
@febyjoseph75
8 ай бұрын
Hi. I just saw your amazing video on George Eliot's Middlemarch, which is one of my fav. Novels of all time. Have you thought about doing a similar video on another George Eliot Novel which is considered a bit difficult - Romola?
@charleswilliams8368
8 ай бұрын
East Of Eden was one of a handful of books that I felt sad to complete, it was so good. By far the best Steinbeck I read.
@Hacknerspeaks8938
9 ай бұрын
I read Song of Solomon for the first time this past summer. I cannot wait to pick it up again as part of the bookclub! Thank you for adding this work to your list. You and your channel are an amazing gift to us all!
@Enthusiasticallydawn
9 ай бұрын
I literally have never read any of these books...and am torn between the desire to join you (second year in a row I have desired to do so) and terror at the idea of failure because I am not sure I am quite ready. Inpired and terrified=deer in the headlights. Long story but my education derailed when young and I missed out on so many of the classics required and commonly referred to. Like muscles one needs to train in capacity for the load. The three classics I have tried and failed to read so far are David Copperfield, Moby Dick and now Persuasion. I just can't seem to get through these books. I gave up and then see your video - and you make it all sound so darned tempting!
@elizabethd2916
9 ай бұрын
I know what you mean. I have tried and fail to read Moby Dick, David Copperfield, and the Divine comedy. So many times I have lost track. This may help you. My mom told me that I should consider trying again every couple of years. She said you’re life changes so much during those that a book that was meaningless to you your use will make more sense to you. I still haven’t finished them but I have noticed that every time I try again I get a little further. And just as she predicted every time, the book gets a little bit more interesting and is a little bit more engaging.
@trampledheart1
9 ай бұрын
You may find that listening to the audiobook as you read along in the book will capture your attention for longer periods. The narrator usually has an engaging voice (or voices), which also helps pull you into the story more. I hope you can give it a go!
@cindyann727
9 ай бұрын
The Book club is amazing and might help you to get through some of the books that you really want to finish. We have a great deal of fun over here and Not only does Ben help us to stay motivated, but also the conversations with other members is like hanging out with friends. Everyone is there for one reason to enjoy the books. This is a perfect time to join us , as we begin a new year.
@Enthusiasticallydawn
9 ай бұрын
@@cindyann727 Thank you, I am considering it. I have watched Ben's videos and listened to the podcasts, I just adore his enthusiasm for literature and hope I can grow in it as well. It would break his heart to know I have no appreciation for Shakespeare at all. (I am sorry, Ben!). But, maybe someday...;)
@Enthusiasticallydawn
9 ай бұрын
Thank you! @@trampledheart1
@kimmiller4269
9 ай бұрын
I love East of Eden! And I’m so excited to finally join the Bookclub before it starts. Very excited to get started!
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
East of Eden is incredible, isn't it? I'm so excited to read these great books with you, Kim! :)
@Geetha8697
9 ай бұрын
Classic literature saved my life in many ways than a family, relative of mine did.
@kimmyk3640
8 ай бұрын
Mr. McEvoy, with this list you have introduced me to Thomas Hardy. I took your recommendation and chose a book that spoke to me for my first read of 2024. I am three chapters in and swooning over his prose. Such beautiful writing!! I can see why he never leaves your bedside. ❤ 📚
@jennyaldridge4186
9 ай бұрын
I’ve been looking forward to finding out what we have planned for next year and delighted that it was worth the wait. My favourite book is Pride and Prejudice so I’m really looking forward to discussing it. There’s not one book on the list that I don’t want to read and I’m so excited to get stuck in.
@PokhrajRoy.
9 ай бұрын
Please pray that I read a lot of books going forward.
@franceslandrum2882
6 ай бұрын
Thank you for you!! As a former educator of literature I filled with joy listening to your discussions.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
6 ай бұрын
Thank you so much! You have made my day, Frances :)
@DanLee70
9 ай бұрын
Over the past weeks I have been devouring content here and via Spotify. Awakening my love for classics has filled me with new purpose. Although I have been reading books for years, I had frankly left the classics behind. Now, I am on a quest to reread as many as I can during my remaining years. As a Sr I cannot afford the Proust level which pains me as I’m certain there is much to be gained via that content. Nonetheless, I remain enthusiastic about this quest.
@MayZoe
6 ай бұрын
2024 already feels magical. found every bit of your compilation extremely scrumptious. i have been inhaling the pages, as you passionately said. just brilliant 👏👏👏
@BenjaminMcEvoy
6 ай бұрын
Aw, thank you so much, Zoe!! This fills my heart with so much joy to hear!! 🙏☺️
@DougerSR
9 ай бұрын
I’m going to try to get on board though as much as I read, I think you’re a bit above my station. However, that’s a good challenge!
@Jaffnutter
9 ай бұрын
I’ve been hovering around on the fringes for the past six months or so and think I’ll take the plunge and join the HCLBC this year. Feeling both excited and nervous as it will be my first foray into literature.
@LilyGazou
9 ай бұрын
It’s a treat.
@sidcollinsiv
9 ай бұрын
And just in time to build a Christmas list! Thanks for the inspiration, Ben.
@gaelliott61
9 ай бұрын
I love Leaves of Grass-I Sing The Body Electric is fantastic.
@user-KG71
9 ай бұрын
The Divine Comedy is one of my absolute favorite reads. I look forward to the discussions for this one most.
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Absolute masterpiece! I'm always astonished when I reread Dante. I can't wait for that discussion :)
@stephenpalacios
9 ай бұрын
Good Afternoon Benjamin...Love your courses and videos. Have a wonderful day!!! :)
@BenjaminMcEvoy
9 ай бұрын
Thank you so much, Stephen! I really appreciate that :)
@user-pg4xn5uo3f
9 ай бұрын
Benjamin , thank you! Surely, it'll be a very promising year for those who appreciate good reading. It would be great to join in the discussion, to reread some works from the list and discover names which are quite new to me.
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