Considering the Classics with Annalisa

In "Considering the Classics," we will examine a few traditional and a few modern classics.  In doing so, we will also discuss their critically-acclaimed and award-winning film adaptations. ​I will showcase just a few titles that we have readily available through the Library's subscription and services.

As the heroine of Jane Eyre, Jane is raised in her aunt's house after the death of her parents. Misunderstood, Jane is sent to a spartan boarding school where she is severely mistreated. She eventually finds herself a situation as a governess in the household of Edward Rochester. In one of the greatest literary love stories, Jane and Rochester fall passionately in love. But a dark secret in his house will tear them apart and send her alone into the wilderness before she can find her way back to him.​ Fun Fact: Jane Eyre was published under a male pseudonym, Currer Bell. Not even her publisher knew she was a woman.

The 1996 film version of Jane Eyre, starring William Hurt and Anna Paquin, is available on Hoopla.

Written when Ernest Hemingway was thirty years old and lauded as the best American novel to emerge from World War I, A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his passion for a beautiful English nurse. Set against the looming horrors of the battlefield—weary, demoralized men marching in the rain during the German attack on Caporetto; the profound struggle between loyalty and desertion—this gripping, semiautobiographical work captures the harsh realities of war and the pain of lovers caught in its inexorable sweep. ​ Fun Fact: Ernest Hemingway famously said that he rewrote the ending to A Farewell to Arms thirty-nine times to get the words right.  

The 1932 film version of a Farewell to Arms, starring Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes, is available on Kanopy and Hoopla.

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Without a shred of doubt, one of his fellow passengers is the murderer. Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again. ​ Fun Fact: Murder on the Orient Express has been adapted for radio, film, television, video games and the stage.  

The 1974 film (featuring a star-studded cast including Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Jacqueline Bisset, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave and Anthony Perkins) is available through Kanopy.

First published in 1941, Walter Farley's best-selling novel for young readers is the triumphant tale of a boy and a wild horse. From Alec Ramsay and the Black's first meeting on an ill-fated ship to their adventures on a desert island and their eventual rescue, this beloved story will hold the rapt attention of readers new and old.

The 1979 film version is a visually stunning masterpiece, starring Teri Garr and Mickey Rooney. It is available on Hoopla.​  Fun Fact: the young actor Kelly Reno took swimming and riding lessons to prepare for his role. He did not use a stunt double! 

Published in 1949, 1984 is the story of one man's nightmare odyssey through a world ruled by warring states and a power structure that controls not only information, but also individual thought and memory. A minor civil servant named Winston Smith joins a covert brotherhood and pursues a forbidden love affair with a comrade named Julia. Set against the cold, gray backdrop of the Republic of Oceania, Winston becomes a hunted enemy of the state and of Big Brother.​  Fun Fact: Much of today's vocabulary used to describe surveillance and authoritarianism comes from 1984.  Examples include, "newspeak", "Big Brother" and "thought police".

The 1985 film stars John Hurt, Richard Burton and Suzanna Hamilton. It is available on Hoopla.

Perhaps the most socially critical and ironic of Austen's works, Emma is the central protaganist in the novel. Emma is a mischievous, clever and headstrong beauty who takes it upon herself to become the neighborhood matchmaker.  She begins to understand herself and life a little better when her romantic schemes fail.  Emma is a comedy of manners that addresses issues of marriage, sex, age and social status.​ Fun Fact: Austen wrote of Emma, "I am going to write a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like."

The 1996 film version features Gwenyth Paltrow as Emma and a supporting cast with Toni Collette, Alan Cumming and Ewan McGregor. It is available on Hoopla.