MobileRead December 2012 Book Club Nominations

[Synamon]

I'll second The Good Earth.

I'll nominate Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (1911 Pulitzer). It's a short read set during a winter storm, perfect for December. Available at all the usual public domain places.

Set against the bleak winter landscape of New England, Ethan Frome tells the story of a poor farmer, lonely and downtrodden, his wife Zeena, and her cousin, the enchanting Mattie Silver. In the playing out of this short novel's powerful and engrossing drama, Edith Wharton constructed her least characteristic and most celebrated book. In its unyielding and shocking pessimism, its bleak demonstration of tragic waste, it is a masterpiece of psychological and emotional realism.

[JSWolf]

I am going to nominate a science fiction classic...I, Robot by Isaac Asimov.

The three laws of Robotics:
1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm
2) A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov changed our perception of robots forever when he formulated the laws governing their behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot through a series of interlinked stories: from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future—a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete.

Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-read robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world—all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asmiov's trademark.

I, Robot is available FOR FREE from some (not just the USA) libraries that support Overdrive.
ePub: http://search.overdrive.com/ti/9ab7d...c-asimov-ebook
Kindle: http://search.overdrive.com/ti/9ab7d...c-asimov-ebook
MP3: http://search.overdrive.com/ti/a6aae...imov-audiobook
WMA: http://search.overdrive.com/ti/a6aae...imov-audiobook

Also available for sale at stores such as...
BooksOnBoard: http://www.booksonboard.com/index.ph...R=Isaac+Asimov
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/I-Rob...zi6LKESj6A&r=4
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/i-ro...=9780553900330
Sony: https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/is...00000000030729

[Billi]

Originally Posted by BelleZora

What is the definition of a classic for the purpose of this book club?

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

Awaiting JSWolf in five, four, . . .

Until he arrives, it is like John pointed out in this thread already:

Originally Posted by John F

I thought the hard rule was that it had to be out of copyright in Life + 50 countries?

[Billi]

I give my votes to second Quo Vadis, Crime and Punishment and Nicholas Nickleby.

[BelleZora]

Having looked up the definition of classic on Dictionary.com ("a literary work of the first rank, especially one of demonstrably enduring quality") I second the nomination of The Good Earth. It won the Pulitzer Prize 80 years ago which establishes that it is of first rank. My 91-year-old mother-in-law struggled to finish it in the last days of her life. She said that she had always meant to read it and didn't want to die before finishing it. For me, that established 'enduring quality'.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BelleZora

Having looked up the definition of classic on Dictionary.com (a literary work of the first rank, especially one of demonstrably enduring quality)

The bold is mine. I think that's a very good definition for classic.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

No it has not been chosen before. It is available at MR, as an LRF file. This is the Constance Garnett translation.

Thanks, and thanks.

[John F]

I'll second I, Robot.

[BelleZora]

I'll give the third nomination to Crime and Punishment.

[issybird]

Third Quo Vadis, second Jean Brodie and Ethan Frome.

I've never read Quo Vadis and while I've read the other two, they're worth rereading AND they're short. Unlike CP and NN, worth rereading, but! December's busy!

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by John F

I thought the hard rule was that it had to be out of copyright in Life + 50 countries?

and..

Originally Posted by Billi

Until he arrives, it is like John pointed out in this thread already:

Not sure where this comes from. If it exists it must've been set in the last year because Catch 22 was successfully nominated in Dec 2011.

I'm not necessarily against the rule as such as it doesn't sound totally unreasonable, but I just can't recall seeing it stated anywhere.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by John F

I thought the hard rule was that it had to be out of copyright in Life + 50 countries?

If that was a rule, that would eliminate a lot of "classics" that are not out of copyright in life+50 countries. I, Robot that I nominated is a classic, but it is not out of copyright in life+50 countries. So that rule may have just been a suggestion.

[Richard Moody]

I second Quo Vadis - some interesting suggestions so far, but the Roman and seasonal link make this very appropriate and hey I've never read a Polish book ( I think)!

[Moe The Cat]

I'll third I, Robot.

And, Jon, it's time to change your pumpkin-headed avatar!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Moe The Cat

And, Jon, it's time to change your pumpkin-headed avatar!

Is that better? Now Tux is ready for Chanukah.