I’m enjoying Wolf Crawl but listening to the audiobook instead of reading it. I have the WH trilogy in hardback form so BUTB will be a challenge and now I wish I had the paperback. I’ve promised myself I’d only read books on my bookshelf this year but APOGS is right up my street so I’ll definitely be buying and listening in. I’m quite new to deep reading so don’t comment much but really enjoy the additional insights you pull out and feel I’m learning. Thank you for your hard work In delving deeper into these novels.
I am extremely excited about the readalong of APOGS. I can’t decide whether to read it again or listen to it again first or both. BTW this morning I reached the end of the audiobook of the Count of Monte Cristo (in French) which has been a 50-hour rollercoaster. I don’t suppose you’d consider…?
Great! The audiobook of APOGS is so good! But this time around, I am going to read so I can take notes.
What did you think of Monte Cristo? I get requests for it a lot, but I am resisting. I found it good fun and very silly, but not really worthy of a slow read. Maybe a fast read?!
In truth it doesn’t merit a slow read: there are no hidden depths. The fact that Dumas was being paid by the yard really shows. So much verbiage that doesn’t advance the story in the slightest. I suppose you could have a bit of fun discussing French orientalist fantasies, and there would be some mileage in trying to clarify the multiple regime changes that took place in France in the early 19th century and how they drive the plot and the financial devices that the Count uses to destroy one of his enemies, but that’s about it.
That was my feeling. My yardstick is whether I want to re-read a book, and I have no desire to revisit Monte Cristo. The books I choose tend to be ones I want to re-read over and over!
Thank you for mentioning my 2026 Deep Dive into ULYSSES. This week on my Substack, I have started our exploration of Joyce's entire oeuvre with a group slow, close reading of DUBLINERS, his collection of short stories. During May, we will read the first four stories in the collection, starting with story three, EVELINE. I will also be continuing to read BRING UP THE BODIES , and I hope to join in the reading of A PLACE OF GREATER SAFETY.
My book mark in Wolf Hall is so near the end of the book and my copy of ‘A Place of Greater Safety’ has arrived so I’m all in for Mantel May, alongside War and Peace, plus adding ‘The Old Curiosity Shop’ to Anna Kareninia with Henry, while cancelling all other commitments from May onwards as it’s also the start of closely reading Middlemarch with Haley (I think…). To say I’m happy and having a wonderful time is an understatement!
I’ve also fallen completely in love with the novels of R C Sheriff after reading ‘The Fortnight in September’ and I’m now engrossed in ‘Greengates’
Courage, readers! I bet it will fly by! Thanks for mentioning our read-along too - we’re aiming from some light relief this month 😆
Hoping to finish War and Peace in time to join Mantel May (cannot possibly hold two such deep reads in my head concurrently)!
Also, The School of the Unconformed is leading "The Reading Rebellion" this month: One book. Two Weeks. Repeat. We curated a list of nearly 150 novels that are 200-400 pages long and are thus "shorter", yet meaty reads https://schooloftheunconformed.substack.com/p/the-reading-rebellion-one-book-two
"Reading is an act of resistance in a landscape of distraction." -David L. Ulin
Fabulous, Ruth!
Thank you for adding my Wuthering Heights read-along, Simon! 📚
Simon, I am so loving Wolf Hall - I don’t think I have ever underlined / annotated a novel as I have this. Mantel is such a genius writer.
Thank you Simon. I haven’t been commenting much this year but I am really enjoying the Wolf Crawl. Looking forward to APOGS too.
Fabulous!
😀
I’m enjoying Wolf Crawl but listening to the audiobook instead of reading it. I have the WH trilogy in hardback form so BUTB will be a challenge and now I wish I had the paperback. I’ve promised myself I’d only read books on my bookshelf this year but APOGS is right up my street so I’ll definitely be buying and listening in. I’m quite new to deep reading so don’t comment much but really enjoy the additional insights you pull out and feel I’m learning. Thank you for your hard work In delving deeper into these novels.
Thanks Jenny. Both are great audiobooks!
I'm along for the Wolf Crawl but I think I'm going to join for A Place of Greater Safety too
Loved the Trilogy, and read it for the second time last year with Simon, but it will be the first time for APOGS... I'm excited!
I am extremely excited about the readalong of APOGS. I can’t decide whether to read it again or listen to it again first or both. BTW this morning I reached the end of the audiobook of the Count of Monte Cristo (in French) which has been a 50-hour rollercoaster. I don’t suppose you’d consider…?
Great! The audiobook of APOGS is so good! But this time around, I am going to read so I can take notes.
What did you think of Monte Cristo? I get requests for it a lot, but I am resisting. I found it good fun and very silly, but not really worthy of a slow read. Maybe a fast read?!
In truth it doesn’t merit a slow read: there are no hidden depths. The fact that Dumas was being paid by the yard really shows. So much verbiage that doesn’t advance the story in the slightest. I suppose you could have a bit of fun discussing French orientalist fantasies, and there would be some mileage in trying to clarify the multiple regime changes that took place in France in the early 19th century and how they drive the plot and the financial devices that the Count uses to destroy one of his enemies, but that’s about it.
That was my feeling. My yardstick is whether I want to re-read a book, and I have no desire to revisit Monte Cristo. The books I choose tend to be ones I want to re-read over and over!
Looking forward to doing both. I hope I will get absorbed into the French Revolution as I have done in the Tudor period.
You just have to get through it in one piece!
I’m going to! 🙋
Such a brave soul!
Thank you for mentioning my 2026 Deep Dive into ULYSSES. This week on my Substack, I have started our exploration of Joyce's entire oeuvre with a group slow, close reading of DUBLINERS, his collection of short stories. During May, we will read the first four stories in the collection, starting with story three, EVELINE. I will also be continuing to read BRING UP THE BODIES , and I hope to join in the reading of A PLACE OF GREATER SAFETY.
Superb. Great stuff, Elizabeth.
Thank you so much for the above list!
What an amazing list - thank you for this! 🙏😊
Looking forward to reading for the first time Mantel's IPOGS!
Looking forward to re-joining in April. 😊📖
My book mark in Wolf Hall is so near the end of the book and my copy of ‘A Place of Greater Safety’ has arrived so I’m all in for Mantel May, alongside War and Peace, plus adding ‘The Old Curiosity Shop’ to Anna Kareninia with Henry, while cancelling all other commitments from May onwards as it’s also the start of closely reading Middlemarch with Haley (I think…). To say I’m happy and having a wonderful time is an understatement!
I’ve also fallen completely in love with the novels of R C Sheriff after reading ‘The Fortnight in September’ and I’m now engrossed in ‘Greengates’