July Books:Classics (Short Stories, Plays, and a Novel)

I've really been drawn to older fiction lately. For some reason, newer work is not floating my boat at the moment. Happily, there is plenty of classic literature available. Here are the classic works I read last month:

The Wharton Gothics: Stories of the Unnatural and Supernatural by Edith Wharton (audiobook read by Gabrielle de Cuir)
This is a short story collection that contains a collection of Wharton’s short fiction. Some of the stories were fairly long. The reader was good. It was a new addition to the e-audiobook section of the library in July.


The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
This is Trollope’s longest novel, coming in at 100 chapters and, at least in the Wordsworth Classics edition I have, over 800 pages. There is a lot going on in this book. It was originally published in book form in 1875, after being serialised. It’s a satirical novel, which serves as a commentary on the society of the time, especially the financial scandals and rip-offs that were common (some things never change). At the centre of the book is Augustus Melmotte, a conman who appears to be wealthy and who has people fawning over him as a result (to their own detriment), in spite of his shady background, lies, scams, and general lack of trustworthiness. He reminded me in many ways of the current US president. In addition to the machinations and continued scams of Melmotte, there are others who move in and out of his orbit with their own storylines. There are people with titles and no money looking to marry money, families working their ways through various problems, class issues, and more. Throughout the books, we move back and forth between ‘the City’ with the business dealings, rural areas in which a different way of life goes on, and other parts of London where people live and spend time at their club.

I loved this book and at no time did I wish it was shorter or that any parts of the story were not included. As the book went back and forth between several storylines, I would momentarily wish that the one I;d been reading would continue so I could find out what happens, but then I would quickly get back involved with the storyline at hand and happily read on. It was definitely worth the time investment. Last month I read Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens and I must say that I am enjoying reading these long multi-plot novels with oodles of characters and I am a bit sad when I get to the end of the books. I sometimes imagine what it must've been like to read these as they were serialised, waiting for the next instalment and having all aspects of the plot stretched out over a couple of years. I'm glad I can just pick up the books when I want.

Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde (audio play performed by LA Theater Works)
This 1895 play pokes fun at London society and politicians. What happens when an MP with a reputation for honesty and integrity learns that a secret he thought safe could soon be revealed? I enjoyed this play a lot—I laughed out loud more than once.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (audio play performed by LA Theater Works)
Another Wilde play that pokes fun at the silly ideas of the British society of the time.

Ivanov by Anton Chekhov
This is definitely not a cheerful play, involving as it does a wife dying of tuberculosis, a jerk of a husband (the Ivanov of the title), a bunch of people who are bored out of their minds, alcohol abuse, greed, and stupidity. The end is a bit of a relief.

The Seagull by Anton Chekhov
This is a play in which the themes of love, relationships, social status, money, and the nature of art are addressed.

This is the last part of my July book list. As always, I have plenty of good stuff to read in August. I hope the same is true for you!