Who would like to discuss a free, public domain novel? Poll now open.

[Suzanne]

Who would like to discuss a FREE novel during the months of December and January? The choices of free novels in this poll are available at sites such as Project Gutenberg and authorama.com. Our last free novel discussion of “Moby Dick” was a great success!

There are 10 novels in this poll. These novels represent a variety of genres, authors and writing styles. Each member of BookTalk.org is eligible to participate in this poll and each member can vote for as many novels in the poll that are appealing and votes can be changed at anytime.

Please take a look at the free, public domain novels in this poll and place a vote for each novel you would be interested in discussing during December and January.

[President Camacho]

Dumas is an exceptional writer. I'd like to read 3 musketeers and 20 years after before I read the man in the iron mask as they are written in order.

There has been some discussion here on the Forums about The Jungle by Sinclair. I also would like to read that book.

Both books are available online.

[Suzanne]

Pres have you read " Count of Monte Cristo"? Are Dumas novels continuations of each other and need to be read in order? I don't know. "The Man in the Iron Mask" is based on a true story. Dumas loved history, just saying. Taking suggestions with a poll in place may make things confusing. But I do like your suggestions.

[President Camacho]

Yes, I've read Monte Cristo! One of the best books I've ever read. The three musketeers is a saga and the last book, I believe, is the man in the iron mask.

[tbarron]

According to Wikipedia, on its page about The Three Musketeers,

The story of d'Artagnan is continued in Twenty Years After and The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later. Those three novels by Dumas are together known as the d'Artagnan Romances.

On the Wikipedia page about The Man in the Iron Mask:

the writer and philosopher Voltaire claimed that the prisoner wore an iron mask and was the older, illegitimate brother of Louis XIV. In the late 1840s, the writer Alexandre Dumas elaborated on the theme in the final installment of his Three Musketeers saga: here the prisoner is forced to wear an iron mask and is Louis XIV's twin brother.

Furthermore, Wikipedia indicates that the d'Artagnan character in Dumas' work was based on a historical person:

Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan (French pronunciation: [ʃaʁl oʒje də bats də kastɛlmɔʁ kɔ̃t daʁtaɲɑ̃]) (c. 1611 – 25 June 1673) served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard and died at the Siege of Maastricht in the Franco-Dutch War. A fictionalized account of his life by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras formed the basis for the d'Artagnan Romances of Alexandre Dumas, most famously including The Three Musketeers. The heavily fictionalized version of d'Artagnan featured in Dumas' works and their subsequent screen adaptations is now far more widely known than the real historical figure.

[Chris OConnor]

President Camacho, will you be voting for one or more of the current books? In the next fiction poll Suzanne might include some other great fiction public domain books, such as what you mention, but for now are any of these appealing? If so please cast your votes.

[literatureuniverse]

They all sound interesting, DUBLINERS in my libraries book club later in the new year. But that PRINCESS OF MARS sounds like an interesting read.

[froglipz]

I have read some of these soooo many times already, I would love to read something new with you guys,

[Suzanne]

Froglipz, if you have any suggestions you would like to make you can post them here. Pres. Camacho made a couple of suggestions, this way we will have a running start for a discussion starting in February.

In fact, if anybody has particular novels you would like to see on our next free book discussion poll post them here please and they will be included in the February poll.

[ZachSylvanus]

I love Dumas as well, and would gladly re-read the Count of Monte Cristo or THe Three Musketeers, as they're better first-introduction books (since the first stands alone and the latter is the first book in the series).

Is War and Peace freely available? That was a great book as well.