I just began my journey through 7 of Barnes and Nobles’ leatherbound classics collection. I wish I knew exactly when I started reading the first book so I could keep track of just how long it takes me. (I do know that it was after January 1, 2010 and before today, January 9, as I just finished the first today.)
Here’s the order that I just decided on:
1. The Chronicles of Narnia - (799 pages)
2. The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll - (1160 pages)
3. Grimm’s Complete Fairy Tales
4. The Arabian Nights
5. The Complete Sherlock Holmes
6. The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe
7. Anne Rice: The Vampire Chronicles
The first three are grouped together because they are all fantasy, as well as written with (if not completely for) children in mind. Then I’ll break with The Arabian Nights before heading into the mystery/suspense/horror cluster of the final three books.
Already, in finishing Narnia and beginning Lewis Carroll, I seem to get two different approaches to writing for children. Also, reading Carroll’s biography at the start of the tome was intriguing, as I found out that he had a fondness for the company of little girls, be it innocent or otherwise. And in searching his photography (which was largely of his girl friends), I found myself going down a rabbit hole of my own. Pages featuring his photography included blogs by people who also discussed silicone sex dolls and posted photographs of Victorian death portraits, ectoplasm, Russian tattoos, mummified corpses, and preserved body parts. I don’t know if it helps to explain all of that, but the main perpetrator appears to be German. Perhaps the “last word” on the Carroll “is-he-or-isn’t-he” controversy can be read here: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1142/was-lewis-carroll-a-perv
