Read Classic Authors online!

http://www.classicauthors.net/ is a site that I just came across that has a very nice selection of classic writers with their writing formatted in HTML.

Each author selection has selected works that have been converted to HTML, a timeline of events in the authors life, and section for resources on the web.

I became aware of the following classic writers by finding this site:

Joseph Addison
Walter Bagehot
Pedro Calderon De La Barca
Thomas Dekker
J. C. Friedrich Von Schiller
Richard Brinsley Sheridan

It is worth checking out! I found the HTML to be easily read from with additional information that is not usually found with HTML/eBooks for classic literature.

Anne of Green Gables turns 100!

This year, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery turns 100. I have not personally read this series, however after quickly reading the Wikipedia entry it definitely has sparked some interest for me. I am a fan of series where the character grows and goes through different stages of life.

I probably will not get to these books until much later in life, however, if you have read these and can convince me of their greatness I might just go ahead and try them sooner rather than later.

So, who out there has read Anne of Green Gables? What did you think?

Periods of Classics

When looking at the different periods of classics, would you agree that these are the defining periods or do you think there are others?

Contemporary Classics
20th Century Classics
Victorian Literature/19th Century Classics
Pre-Victorian/Romantic/18th Century Classics
17th Century and Earlier
Ancient Classics

That list comes from Random Houses' Everyman's Library collection. Each of those periods have a specific colored cloth on their hardcovers to help delineate the time period.

I tend to agree with the categories although I am more apt to change "Contemporary" to "Modern".

Your thoughts?

Unabridged vs. Abridged

Do you care if your classics are abridged or unabridged?

Personally I try to never read an abridged version if an unabridged version is available. I would rather read the story as it was meant to be told. I try to not even purchase abridged editions because I probably won't read them since I would rather read the unabridged classic. The only exception to this rule is that one of the black dustjacket Barnes & Noble classics is abridged. For the sake of the set I had to purchase it. After all I did want to collect all of the volumes. I will probably not read it though as I could easily find an unabridged copy to satisfy the "full" length of the novel as it was meant to be read.