Reader discussion: The Vicar of Wakefield

Public reader discussion about The Vicar of Wakefield in the WeRead Catalog by Oliver Goldsmith.

Confusing "Being proud of having finished" with "Really enjoyed" a book.

By RapidCrown91

A few years ago I started finally trying some of the “classic” stuff, and now it feels like I always end up with one sitting in my to-read pile every few books. I’ve also made sure to grab a few of the longer classics, so I don’t skip the stuff that takes commitment. But with some of these big, messy, long books—classics and even some non-fiction—I get this weird inner question after I finish. Like, am I actually enjoying it, or am I mostly just proud I managed to get through it? And does that pride mess with how I think back on the book, how I rate it, or what I tell other people about it? TL;DR: Do you think you might rate a long/complicated book higher without realizing it just because finishing it feels like an accomplishment (like DQ/CoMC/TBK/GEB, etc.)?

Help a librarian please

By ivorywren

Hey everyone! I’m a librarian and I really need some help with audiobook recommendations for a patron I support. She’s legally blind, so I pick the CDs for her each week, but I’ve hit that point where I can’t think of anything new without having to actually listen to every single one first. What she usually wants: - Pioneer-type stories (think Little House / Anne of Green Gables vibe). She can bend a little, but nothing like war-time stuff. - No cussing. I messed up once by giving her something by Rainbow Rowell because the description seemed fine, and it turned into a big complaint about the language. Oops. - Very Christian/wholesome values, basically. She can handle only a little “spice” (her words seem to be super light). She’s in her 90s too, so nothing too intense. - She doesn’t want magic at all… but she liked CS Lewis just fine (because he’s Christian), so I’m not 100% sure how strict that is. I also tried Tolkien with The Hobbit and told myself it might be an exception since CS Lewis and Tolkien were friends. Not sure if that logic holds up, though. Books she’s disliked: The Life of Pi (I only knew a bit from the movie), Landline (also Rainbow Rowell), Sherlock Holmes, Pete’s Dragon, Bridge to Terabithia (I know, I know), To Kill a Mockingbird, Where the Crawdads Sing, and anything with affairs—even if they’re just mentioned. She prefers adult/YA over kids’ books because she says kids’ narrators talk down to her. Even though I’ve given her Anne and some other series before and it was fine, so who knows. She wants seven books a week and I’m starting to get stuck with repeats, and she’s getting upset. If anyone has ideas that I can realistically request through Inter Library Loans, I’d be seriously grateful. Quick edit: Thank you to everyone who’s been replying—these suggestions are honestly helping a lot. You’re all amazing!

The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith [Classics](1766)

By goldTiger

Oliver Goldsmith’s novel from 1766 is still one of those eighteenth-century books people have loved for generations. I don’t know if I’d call it “important” in a classroom way, but it really does have a lot going on—Primrose family drama, a kind of fairy-tale setup with impersonation and lies, a kidnapping of this gorgeous heroine, and this aristocratic villain who’s definitely trouble. It’s kind of funny sometimes and kind of sentimental other times, and I think the appeal is how familiar the home life and family affection feel. This edition adds an intro by Robert L. Mack looking at why it stayed popular, and also digs into the whole argument about whether it’s just a straightforward sentimental story or more of a jab at the period’s social and economic unfairness (and the “right” moral stuff it seems to be following). There’s also a new bibliography, more notes, and reprints of Arthur Friedman’s corrected 1766 first-edition text, which is nice, I guess, but I’m not totally sure what difference that makes until I get into it.