It’s the first Classic Club Spin of a new year and in the spirit of new beginnings, fresh starts etc, I’m going to refresh the list of twenty books I used for the last spin.

For those unfamiliar with the “spin” the idea is to make a “Spin List” of 20 books from our classics club reading list before Sunday, 21 January when random number will be selected. The challenge will be to read whatever book falls under that number on my Spin List by 3 March 2024.

Here’s my spin list.
I’ve taken out the 19th century novels which tend to be long and added more titles to the 20th century and international classics section.
20th Century Classics
  1. Ethan Frome  by Edith Wharton:  (1911)
  2. O Pioneers by Willa Cather (1913)
  3. Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham (1915)
  4.  Anderby Wold by Winifred Holtby (1923)
  5. Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh (1928)
  6. Quartet by Jean Rhys (1929)
  7. To The North by Elizabeth Bowen (1932)
  8. Tender Is The Night by F Scott Fitzgerald (1934)
  9.  They Knew Mr Knight by Dorothy Whipple (1934)

International Classics
  1. The Nose  by Nikolay Gogol (1836) — Ukraine/Russia
  2. Cousin Bette by Honoré De Balzac (1846) — France
  3. Skylark, by Dezső Kosztolányi (1924) — Hungary
  4.  Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand (1935) — India
  5. On the Edge of Reason by  Miroslav Krleža (1938) — Croatia
  6. Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata (1952) — Japan
  7. The Birds by Tarjei Vesaas (1957) — Norway
  8. To Sir, With Love – E. R. Braithwaite (1959) — Guyana

Celtic Classics
  1. Stranger Within The Gates by Bertha Thomas (1912) — Wales
  2. The Informer by Liam O’Flaherty (1925) — Ireland
  3. Fame Is The Spur by Howard Spring (1940) — Wales

If this list was yours, which titles would you be hoping to see come up in the spin?? I’m hoping I get something much shorter than the 700+ page Wilkie Collins that I landed last time around.

28 responses to “The Classics Club: Spin#36”

  1. I would like to see Thousand Cranes be the choice. I have just added it and On the Edge of Reason to my reading list. I read Ethan Frome in December.

    1. Sadly it didn’t get chosen in the spin. Instead I have one of the longest books on the list…..

  2. I always like to see Cather on a list and never mind rereading one of her novels. Stranger Within The Gates by Bertha Thomas sounds great! Hope you enjoy whichever the lucky number lands upon.

    1. I landed Fame is the Spur which is one of my books by Welsh authors. It sounds good but it’s over 600 pages when I was hoping for something shorter……

  3. I’m running late so already know the result. Fame is the Spur sounds interesting – I’ll look forward to hearing what you think of it. Hope you enjoy it!

    1. It had better be worth the investment in time it will take to read it since it’s 670 pages long. Help!!

      1. Aargh! You have my sincere condolences… 😉

        1. Thanks, I’m going to need all the moral support possible…..

  4. The Fitzgerald for me too, or the Gogol – I have collections of short stories by both, the former I want to leap into, the latter because I stalled halfway through a few weeks into Russia’s war with Ukraine – and maybe you getting either as your spin choice will be the spur I need to get on with them!

    1. I haven’t enjoyed Fitzgerald in the past but this one appeals because it’s set in the South of France so will bring back some lovely memories of holidays I’m hoping

  5. I have not read any of these, so I’ll just join you in hoping for the shortest one to come up!

    1. Thanks Kelly, I hope the dual force of our wishes will make it come true

  6. I really enjoyed Ethan Frome and I also have O Pioneers on my list! Best of luck to us both!

    1. I’ve been refreshing my blog feed every few hours waiting to find out what I’m going to get. I think I’d be more keen on he Ethan Frome of these two

  7. Only one I have read is Ethan Frome which I really liked. Looks like an interesting list.

    1. There are many titles on the list that I’ve been meaning to read for years

  8. I’d love to see Tender is the Night, My Ciusin Bette, or To Sir With Love! Hope it falls on a good one.🤞🏾

    1. All of those would be welcome I think of the spin lands on these numbers

  9. I enjoyed Ethan Frome, but I got bored reading Of Human Bondage, so put it aside for a while. I bought Fame is the Spur last year, so I do want to read it – but it is long!

    1. Oh really – I hadn’t checked how long “Spur” is. Now I’m anxious I don’t end up with that

      1. I’ve just seen the spin number is 20 – for me that’s The Invisible Man and is’s short!!!

        1. I noticed that you lucky thing

  10. I haven’t read many of those, but I did like Cousin Bette. I would probably be hoping for Anderby Wold, as I’ve enjoyed most of Winifred Holtby’s others.

    1. I’ve never read anything by Holtby but keep seeing her recommended by bloggers whose taste I truse

  11. Great list! I have read 8. And actually your number 8 is my favorite here I think.
    https://wordsandpeace.com/2024/01/16/the-classics-club-the-classics-spin-36/

    1. I tried to persuade the book club to read it but got turned down 🙂

  12. I’d be hoping for the Fitzgerald, or perhaps the Kawabata – I just read one of his and loved it!

    1. Both of those sound really good

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