Reading & Watching The Classics

[JD]

There are a lot of classics that I've always been meaning to read, but never have, so now I've decided to finally correct that and start reaiding some of them. They aren't all going to be SF&F, but most of them will be so I hope it's OK that I'm putting this hear. To go along with the books I'm planning as many of the adaptations as I can.
I finished the first story I was reading as part of this little project, The Time Machine. I'm just going to quote what I said over in the What Are You Reading thread in the Trek Lit section of the boards.

I finished up The Time Machine earlier this morning, and I liked it a lot. It was actually a much easier read than I was expecting for something that old. My only real complaint was that it would have been nice if we'd gotten a little more backstory or background on The Time Traveler. One thing that stood out to me is that it seems like most of the sequels and adaptations make the Time Traveler and Weena's relationship romantic, but it never really felt that way in the book itself to me, if anything it was more parent/child kind of relationship. I also found the relationship between the Eloi and the Morlocks interesting, and I wouldn't have minded getting to see how it worked with the Morlocks providing the Eloi with their clothes and things like that.

I also watched the 2002 movie, which is streaming on Paramount+ on Friday, this was actually the third time I've watched it, but the first time I've watched it, but the first time I've been able to compare it to the original novella.
I liked as a sci-fi adventure movie in general, but it's a very, very loose adaptation of the novella.
There are actually a couple things I actually do like better in the movie than in the novella, the biggest one being Hartdegan and the
added motivation of wanting to stop his fiancee's death. I also love the movie's design for the Time Machine.
The biggest disappointment for me is the changed relationship between the Eloi and the Morlocks, although I did like the way things evolved as Hartdegan went farther and farther into the future. With the ad talking about blasting on the moon for the new community, then we see that that broke the moon, and then in the end we find out the moon breaking is what lead to the Eloi and Morlocks.

 

[Rowdy Roddy McDowall]

For a good cinematic fantasy drama in the subtle sense, perhaps WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
My college instructor considered it science-fiction. If so, it may be the finest sci-fi play ever.

 

[JD]

No, I'm reading classics, and then watching their adaptations. I have a bunch of them, so I've got most of my reading and watching planned out.
The Barnes & Noble Classics edition I read The Time Machine in also has The Invisible Man, so that'll be my next read and I'm planning on trying to track down the original black and white movie, and then the Elizabeth Moss version.
The other books I already have are
Dracula
Frankenstein
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
Sleepy Hollow & Other Stories
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and other stories
A Tale of Two Cities
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Don Quixote
The Three Muskateers
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Gulliver's Travels
The War of The Worlds
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Treasure Island
Peter and Wendy (borrowed from Amazon Prime Reading)
The Count of Monte Cristo (borrowed from Amazon Prime Reading)
Tarzan of the Apes (borrowed from Amazon Prime Reading)

 

[bdub76]

No, I'm reading classics, and then watching their adaptations. I have a bunch of them, so I've got most of my reading and watching planned out.
The Barnes & Noble Classics edition I read The Time Machine in also has The Invisible Man, so that'll be my next read and I'm planning on trying to track down the original black and white movie, and then the Elizabeth Moss version.
The other books I already have are
Dracula
Frankenstein
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
Sleepy Hollow & Other Stories
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and other stories
A Tale of Two Cities
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Don Quixote
The Three Muskateers
Grimm's Fairy Tales
Gulliver's Travels
The War of The Worlds
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Treasure Island
Peter and Wendy (borrowed from Amazon Prime Reading)
The Count of Monte Cristo (borrowed from Amazon Prime Reading)
Tarzan of the Apes (borrowed from Amazon Prime Reading)

There are two versions of Frankenstein. I read the 1818 version last year and enjoyed it.

There are a lot of different translators for Don Quixote and The Three Musketeers and Count of Monte Cristo. Find one that you like. They're not all the same. Translators matter.

The typically available translation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea has a lot of content edited out. You'll find the same with The Three Musketeers.

Dracula is a horrible read. I recommend Carmilla instead.

If you're going to read Alice, then also read Through the Looking-Glass. They're both really short.

I do recommend Sherlock Holmes.

Booktubers also do two events a year that I follow. Jane Austen July and Victober. I participate in both, and I recommend both.

 

[JD]

The Alice I have was a freebie on the Google Books app, if I like it I'll definitely look for Through the Looking Glass too.
I'm not sure what any of the translations they are, everything up to War of the Worlds is the Barnes & Noble Classics edition, War of The Worlds is a freebie published by Simon & Shuster, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Treasure Island were freebies preloaded on my Google Books app, and Peter & Wendy and Tarzan are the Kindle Classics editions.

 

[bdub76]

The Alice I have was a freebie on the Google Books app, if I like it I'll definitely look for Through the Looking Glass too.
I'm not sure what any of the translations they are, everything up to War of the Worlds is the Barnes & Noble Classics edition, War of The Worlds is a freebie published by Simon & Shuster, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Treasure Island were freebies preloaded on my Google Books app, and Peter & Wendy and Tarzan are the Kindle Classics editions.

Here's a good site that goes over the translations.

What’s the best translation of The Count of Monte Cristo?

So you want to read Alexandre Dumas' classic adventure, and you don't read French. There are a host of publishers offering a myriad of paperback and hardcover editions and dozens of digital versions. What's the difference?

welovetranslations.com

The more modern ones aren't in public domain, but I think they're worth buying.

 

[JD]

I just checked and the Amazon Classics edition is one of the shorter ones I've come across at only 728 pages, so I'm return that and see if I can find one of unabridged versions or at least as close to it as I can find at a price that fits my budget.

 

[bdub76]

I just checked and the Amazon Classics edition is one of the shorter ones I've come across at only 728 pages, so I'm return that and see if I can find one of unabridged versions or at least as close to it as I can find at a price that fits my budget.

Use ereaderiq to set price watches. It's how I buy eBooks when my library doesn't carry them.

https://www.ereaderiq.com/

 

[DigificWriter]

The Three Muskateers

Don't.

The book is a boring slog that has zero structure or actual narrative and also bears very little resemblance to any of the various films and television series that have been based upon/derived from it.

 

[JD]

I already own it, so I might as well at least give it a try.

Use ereaderiq to set price watches. It's how I buy eBooks when my library doesn't carry them.

https://www.ereaderiq.com/

Cool, thanks I bookmarked it and will definitely check it out later.

 

[Rebel Scum]

Don't.

The book is a boring slog that has zero structure or actual narrative and also bears very little resemblance to any of the various films and television series that have been based upon/derived from it.

You expect a book published in 1844 to take into account the modern derivatives that came after it?

 

[bdub76]

If you want a modern adaptation that's close to the material, I recommend The Musketeers TV series.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2733252/

And I recommend the following translation:

What’s the best translation of The Three Musketeers? (Part 2)

I found so much information on translations of The Three Musketeers that I had to split this post into two! Part 2 focuses on 9 translations published from 1950 to 2018, and gives information about a few related books.

welovetranslations.com

Now, the good news is that the rest of the books have also been translated.

So I also suggest these translations for the rest of the books.

The Musketeers Cycle

By Alexandre Dumas Edited and Translated by Lawrence Ellsworth Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 novel The Three Musketeers was a career-defining hit and a huge worldwide bestseller, introducing to literature the unforgettable characters of d’Artagnan and his three comrades, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis...

swashbucklingadventure.net

 

[DigificWriter]

A

You expect a book published in 1844 to take into account the modern derivatives that came after it?

A bad book is a bad book regardless of when it was written.

And The Three Musketeers is a bad book.

 

[bdub76]

A


A bad book is a bad book regardless of when it was written.

And The Three Musketeers is a bad book.

Curious why you think it's a bad book. I found it an interesting and fun read.

 

[JD]

If you want a modern adaptation that's close to the material, I recommend The Musketeers TV series.

Yeah, this will definitely be one of my watches for The Three Musketeers. I'd already been planning on watching it even before I decided to read the book, I'm just holding off until I'm closer to reading the book.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2733252/

And I recommend the following translation:

What’s the best translation of The Three Musketeers? (Part 2)

I found so much information on translations of The Three Musketeers that I had to split this post into two! Part 2 focuses on 9 translations published from 1950 to 2018, and gives information about a few related books.

welovetranslations.com

Now, the good news is that the rest of the books have also been translated.

So I also suggest these translations for the rest of the books.

The Musketeers Cycle

By Alexandre Dumas Edited and Translated by Lawrence Ellsworth Alexandre Dumas’s 1844 novel The Three Musketeers was a career-defining hit and a huge worldwide bestseller, introducing to literature the unforgettable characters of d’Artagnan and his three comrades, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis...

swashbucklingadventure.net

Thanks, I'll definitely check that out, and see if I can figure out which version the B&N Classics edition is.

 

[bdub76]

Yeah, this will definitely be one of my watches for The Three Musketeers. I'd already been planning on watching it even before I decided to read the book, I'm just holding off until I'm closer to reading the book.

Thanks, I'll definitely check that out, and see if I can figure out which version the B&N Classics edition is.

The way the book is written, it's like reading a bunch of short stories glued together. And the series gives off the same vibe.

Plus Peter Capaldi is good in it.

 

[JD]

Oh right, I forgot he was in it. He's Cardinal Richelieu, right?

 

[DigificWriter]

Curious why you think it's a bad book.

Because it's boring and has no narrative structure.

 

[bdub76]

Oh right, I forgot he was in it. He's Cardinal Richelieu, right?

Yep.

He did the first season and then became the Doctor, so he's not in all of it.

 

[JD]

Oh, OK. I didn't realize he did it that close to his time on Dr. Who.