Annual Chunkster Classic 2015

First, let me establish two facts. One, I like big books, commonly called chunksters. Second, I actually enjoy classics (well, most of them). And so, a few years ago, a new tradition was born. Les Miserables advertised for release in December of 2012. My mom, assuming I had read it I'm sure, wanted to see the movie with me. Now, I have an absolute rule of not watching any movie whose book I may be interested in. Being a chunkster and a classic, I was interested. I had never seen the musical performed, didn't know much about the story actually, yet understood it as a hugely popular piece of literature. So, of course I set out to read Les Mis in November of 2012, before the movie came out.

Up top, a few uses: dog pillow and as a third wheel.
Bottom: seeing the musical in Pittsburgh.

It ended up being a Les Mis marathon. Not only did I read the unabridged version of the book (1400+ pages), but I also wrote a post, saw the movie twice, and attended a performance of the musical in Pittsburgh, all in a matter of a couple months. I even ended up with a small collection of photos I dubbed "The Many Uses of Les Mis," because funny things kept happening in the month I carried the book around. Like my dog using my fat mass market copy as a pillow.

Just a month previous to the Les Mis release in December 2012, Anna Karenina had come out as a rather artistically creative movie mixed with theatrical elements. I read AK in 2007, so a reread was in order. Plus a close book friend wanted to reread and watch, and I had a new translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky to try out. So AK became my project in February 2013. Wrote a post, watched the movie, and a tradition was born. 

Since then I've read The Count of Monte Cristo in July of 2013 and Crime and Punishment in July of 2014. (Notice, I got smart and started reading them in the summer, where work wouldn't interfere.) I enjoyed both stories, especially The Count of Monte Cristo, as our culture alludes to it often. But the movie? Blah, if you've read the book.

And this year? I've been wondering which Chunkster Classic to read for 2015. It just so happens that May 1, 2015 has been set as the opening day for the movie Far From the Madding Crowd, which is a classic by Thomas Hardy, published in 1874. Do I want to see it? Yes. So I have to read it. Do I have a copy? Now that's a dumb question.

Readers! Are you a fan of chunskters or Classics...or Classics that are chunksters? Of which classic read are you most proud?