Tuesday, January 19, 2010

The Wuthering Expectations Scottish Literature Reading Challenge and Clishmaclaver - If it's not Scottish...

Here it is, the long-promised, anti-climatic announcement of the Scottish Reading Challenge.  A Treasure Island button is on the left, a Peter Pan button below, if buttons (or pirates) are your thing.

I'm not exactly convinced that there is such a thing as Scottish literature, as distinct from English literature, at least not since the Middle Ages.  A number of the most famous Scottish authors barely seem Scottish at all - Arthur Conan Doyle, for instance - while others are steeped in their dialect and their landscape.  John Galt remarked to his publisher that the Scottish writer had a distinct advantage over the English writer - he possessed all of the English words, plus the wonderful Scots words like "clishmaclaver."  In the hands of a master like Galt, the case is very strong, but in fact few of the great Scottish writers use dialect as much more than color.

Well, let's read some books and see what's there.

The Rules: Part I.  During 2010, read one (1) literary work published in or before 1914 written by a Scottish author.  The reader interested in Muriel Spark or Gerry Cambridge should read them, by all means, but they don't count for the challenge.  You'll see in Part II why some limit is necessary.  For the next three days, I am going to post reading lists, which are not meant to be comprehensive.  You tell me.



Part II.  The host (me), will:

i)  Read the book you are reading, unless
ii) I have already read it, although I'll reread it if I like.

Part III.  Write something.

I don't want to guarantee exactly when I will read your book, and I do have to be able to acquire it.  But  there will be conversation, he threatened.

That reminds me, Reading Challenges have prizes.  So the first prize is a CD of Scottish bagpipe music.  The second prize is two CDs of bagpipe music.  Ha ha ha ha!  No, there are no prizes.  My point is, that if one would like to read Treasure Island but decline my generous offer of reading over your shoulder, that is fine, and perhaps wise.

Logistics:  Lets play this by ear.  No Mr. Linky, no need to sign up now.  When you start a book, or plan to start it, let me know, in the comments here or at wutheringexpectations@gmail.com.  I'll get to it soon.  Readers without blogs can guest post here.  The process should be active, engaged.  We'll figure it out.

Is this the most selfish reading challenge in the history of the internet?  What it really is, besides another opportunity to encourage the reading of the great John Galt, is a repeat of last year's rampage through Yiddish literature.  This time, though, I'm inviting readers along, and letting them guide me more directly.  Maybe it's not that selfish.

As a side note, see here for the brand new Welsh Reading Challenge.  Now we just need an Irish challenge, and a Jersey and Guernsey challenge, a Cornish challenge, an East Anglian challenge, etc., etc.

The Suggested Reading Lists: The beginning to Burns (through the 18th century).
The Golden Age of Scottish fiction - Scott, Galt, Hogg (and Ferrier and Carlyle).
Pirates and Fairies, Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Toad - Stevenson, Doyle, and so on.

31 comments:

  1. As a student in a master's program on Scottish cultural history, I have doubts my eligibility to participate (my tutor might say I'm facing greater 'challenges' at the moment) but a chance to throw off my blinders to anything tangential to my dissertation might be good for me -- as long as its not too far removed from 18th century Scottish literary history. So, count me as at least an avid observer. Thank-you for devising the idea and programming it -- I'm looking forward to the discussion.

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  2. The 18th century suggested\ possible\ preliminary reading list will be tomorrow's post. Please correct, comment, and admonish as you see fit. Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. This is a really interesting challenge. I'm Scottish (outposted to Oxford) but until very recently I must say that I have more or less ignored much of Scottish Literature. That's something I'm trying to address, particularly Scottish women's writing of the 19th Century. I await your reading lists with interest!

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  4. You're going to read all the books everyone else is reading? You have a real masochistic streak don't you? ;) You are excused from re-reading Sartor Resartus, unless of course you really want to.

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  5. What have you let yourself in for? I'm going to enjoy watching this!

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  6. No, Stefanie, that would be crazy. I'm going to read all the books everyone else is reading, unless I have already read them. Except for Sartor Resartus, which is difficult enough that I'll have to read it again.

    Kirsty, the women writers - they've been a bit of a problem. Some kind commenters helped me out back here. Charlotte Lennox, Susan Ferrier, Margaret Oliphant, Helen Bannerman (that last not meant quite seriously). Further suggestions most welcome.

    Lizzy - what? What could possibly go wrong? It would be great if you did not answer that.

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  7. I'm going to let you pick one for me. I'm really quite open, but would prefer something reputed to be fun or funny.

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  9. Ah ha. I now see the first flaw with my scheme. Someone mentions Sartor Resartus, which I have read - but now I want to reread it. Then someone else mentions Hogg's wild novel ( recommended to everyone, by the way), and I want to reread it. Is this going to happen every time?

    Well, as flaws go, it's minor. Both books are surely worth more attention.

    SpSq - I have some ideas. We can discuss offline, as they say (do they still say "offline"?). But you can peruse the next three days' lists - perhaps something will jump out at you.

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  10. What a great way to do a challenge! I'm looking forward to seeing what you read. If I do pick up anything Scottish, I will certainly let you know.

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  11. Now we just need an Irish challenge, and a Jersey and Guernsey challenge, a Cornish challenge, an East Anglian challenge, etc., etc.

    LOL... Maybe a Celtic Reading Challenge? It'd take care of the Welsh, Scottish and Irish, and the rest don't matter :-D

    Ah well, If it ain't Scottish, it's crap!

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  12. I don't know - that Jersey/ Guernsey idea is growing on me. It gets you the Potoato Peeler, Victor Hugo, two types of cattle, The Book of Ebenezer LePage. Many other fine writers, I am sure.

    Dorothy - I admire your caution. The 18th century list is up tomorrow - perhaps it will tempt you.

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  13. "Is this the most selfish reading challenge in the history of the internet?"

    I think you must be confused by the meaning of "selfish"!

    The real problem is you're going to be having all these good conversations with people and the rest of us are going to want to join in with more than one book once we find out how good all the others are.

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  14. Not selfish, hmm. How about narcissistic?

    More people joining in on more books would be a fine spillover.

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  15. I will do this! But I'm waiting for your reading idea lists before I commit to a book.

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  16. Sounds like a great challenge and given I'm 50% a Scot I may join in. Am looking forward to the "list".

    Lang may yer lum reek!

    Jan (in Edmonds)

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  17. Welcome, Jan, thanks for joining in. Once we get through all three days of lists, there should be plenty of variety - something for eveyone. Something for Rebecca's children's books project, for example - I know you've been reading Stevenson, but there's a lot more in the late 19th century. I mean, a lot.

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  18. please count me in-I began rereading Boswell's Journal of a Tour of the Hebrides last night-I also have read the 12 volumes of the Boswell Journals-one of the very best reading experiences of my life-I checked Amazon.com-looks like only the London Journal is still in print-I still have about 3 of the journals but sold the rest

    After completing this I am going to start reading the collection of 70 of Boswell's Essay from 1777 to 1783-published in 1925 under the title The Hypochondriack-

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  19. I don't have all of the volumes of the Boswell journal, either. It was a bit of a thrill seein them all together at the library today.

    Anyway, The Journal of a Tour of the Hebrides it is. I'm actually starting with Johnson - I started leafing through it and wanted to read it, too.

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  20. I will read Johnson's account of the trip after I finish Boswell's version-

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  21. The first school (and the only public school) I went to (kindergarten and 1st grade) was named Robert Burns School on the south-west side of Chicago. It wasn't until I was in college that I learned of his heritage. Decades later my sister sent me an antique book of his poetry bound in leather. I can't believe the irony of finding this challenge since I was going to make a dinner in honor of his birthday on Jan. 25 and found a few recipes on the net. Not sure what I'll be reading, but I'm definitely IN.

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  23. Grad, welcome. Your school story is pretty funny. Even in 1st grade, you think someone might mention "Auld Lang Syne." It's kind of famous. I myself sang part of it 22 days ago.

    R.T. - thanks much for the plug.

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  24. Well you got me. I live just around the corner from the admiral Benbow and yet I have never read Treasure Island. This is definitely a sign...

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  25. I can't resist, after being steered here by Sparkling Squirrel, then discovering that James Boswell shares my birthday, and I had been wanting to take a look at his Journal of a Tour of the Hebrides since I moved to Scotland -- so please count me in!

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  26. fleur fisher, Marieke, welcome. Fine, fine choices. I'm reading Boswell now. It will be nice to hear from someone actually in Scotland.

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  27. I think I'd like to join in on this, since the ancestors were Scottish at one point and I haven't read much of the literature, except Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. And I've been interested in reading Charlotte Lennox, but I'll let you know when I decide and/or find a copy of something.

    (I found your blog through the Zola read, you've got some really fascinating posts about him! I'm writing about The Kill tomorrow and debating over how to include all the relevant history of the time period, plus great quotes from the book, into one review. Good to know there's nothing wrong with writing more than one!)

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  28. Wonderful, welcome AFOMFB. Let me know when you get going on Lennox, or whomever. There's no one with any relation to Proust, I'm afraid.

    The widespread, almost universal, prevalence of the single-post review has been a great puzzle to me. We, book bloggers, are not constrained by space, or time, or concept. We aren't serving as publicity. We don't have to start at the beginning of a thought, nor do we have to conclude it. To blog is to essay. Every post I have written has been a failure, yet I keep putting up new ones, trying again. We're free, free!

    Good gravy, I've turned a simple response into a manifesto. Welcome to book blogging!

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  29. I justed completed a post on Robert Louis Stevenson's wonderful novella, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde for the Scottish Challenge-his prose styling is just totally great-

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  30. Hello.. ok I've discovered one Uk blog, and now i'm surfing on each of yours and I'm discovering such interesting challenges... Can I be part of this one ? I have a blog in French.... but I'm thinking of opening one in English.... Please allow me in your adventure !! :))))

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