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Confession time! Tell us your literary sins to win an entire set of 20 Puffin Classics

383 replies

EmilyMumsnet · 13/04/2015 10:57

Literary shame is a powerful thing - if you've ever nodded sagely while your friends discussed Bleak House or chuckled knowingly about the The Wizard of Oz - the film is the same thing isn’t it? – you'll know what we're talking about. But now we're giving you the chance to 'fess up! Tell us which Puffin Classic you have never actually read, and you'll be in the running to win the entire set.

The Puffin Classics are back, and with a bold new look – twenty brand new covers for the classic tales, from Huck to Dorothy to Alice to Peter. One lucky poster will receive all twenty, while 5 randomly-selected runners-up will win a copy of their never-read tale.

Here's the full set list:
The Call of the Wild, Tom Sawyer, The Wizard of Oz, King Arthur, The Jungle Book, Black Beauty, Huckleberry Finn, Anne of Green Gables, The Secret Garden, The Odyssey, A Little Princess, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, The Wind in the Willows, Treasure Island, Heidi, Peter Pan, Little Women, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

This competition is now closed. And the winners are:

Belo - full set of Puffin Classics
happysouls - The Call Of The Wild
Punkatheart -Heidi
Miisty - Tom Sawyer
Pigeonpea - Huckleberry Finn
kohl - Wind In The Willows

Thanks for all your contributions, we'll be in touch with the winners shortly

Confession time! Tell us your literary sins to win an entire set of 20 Puffin Classics
OP posts:
craftymama087 · 13/04/2015 18:45

I honesty would have thought i had read at least one of these since i'm a big reader but unfortunately i haven't read any of them. Not even at school Shock

jamjars · 13/04/2015 18:44

Afraid there's a few of these I haven't read! Heidi stands out the most - I loved the TV series, just never read the book.

ImperialBlether · 13/04/2015 18:42

I re-read Anne of Green Gables whenever I'm drunk tired and emotional. It got me through my childhood, which was both literally and figuratively thousands of miles away from Avonlea. It's a great comfort read.

midi1975 · 13/04/2015 18:41

I've never read The Call of the Wild. Its by Jack London?

notsmartenough · 13/04/2015 18:39

I've never read The Call of the Wild.
My favourite is Anne of Green Gables and I still have my hardback copy from when I left junior school (class 4A prize summer 1968!).

MyIronLung · 13/04/2015 18:36

I've never read The Wizard of Oz Hmm

KnottedAnchorChief · 13/04/2015 18:30

Little women is the one I have never read but have always wondered about. I read all the time as a child and young person but less so now due to limited time and too many other priorities. Little Women is referred to lots in relation to classic children's books so I'll get round to it one day!

Bezza1944 · 13/04/2015 18:28

Being brought up in a very cruel children's home in the 40 and 50s we didn't get to read for pleasure. My older sister and her twin brother so busy washing their sheets by hand every morning eventually left the home at 12 yrs old without being able to read or write. I on the other hand was eventually able to use books as a way of escaping the horrible foster parents I eventually lived with. Reading isn't just one thing it's hundreds of places and possibilities. It like a key you just have to fined the right one to open the right door for you and trying to find that key to that door is part of the adventure and the fun.

funchum8am · 13/04/2015 18:27

I teach the Odyssey (well, translation of the adult version) to pupils but have never read the Puffin version, and have only read four others from that list.

Amy106 · 13/04/2015 18:22

The closest I ever got to reading The Jungle Book was watching the movie which I love, especially the four "Beatle like" vultures. I guess they are not in the original book, though. Smile

Annamaria0 · 13/04/2015 18:18

Some of those books were my favourites - I absolutely adored Anne of Green Gables and A Little Princess, I read both several times.
But I've never read Black Beauty. I might get it for my DS, hopefully he'll like it and it'd give me a chance to see whether I'd have enjoyed it.

henbane · 13/04/2015 18:15

I've actually read most of these - many of them in the original Puffin versions ;-) All my childhood faves are listed: King Arthur, The Jungle Book, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Wind in the Willows...

But I've never read the full version of the Wizard of Oz, though there was an abbreviated version floating around at home. I haven't read Anne of Green Gables and I'm not sure about A Little Princess.

sharond101 · 13/04/2015 18:15

I have no idea what Huckleberry FInn is all about, in fact I even had to check I had spelled it correctly!

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 13/04/2015 18:13

I struggle to read 'heavy' literature at the moment - I have done for years. From that list, I have never read The Call Of The Wild or Huckleberry Finn.

My real literary shame is that I don't like Dickens - and don't think his books are that good. Blush

EmpressOfJurisfiction · 13/04/2015 18:13

Never even heard of Call of the Wild Blush

daimbardiva · 13/04/2015 18:13

Have never read or even heard of THE Odyssey. Intrigued now...

clangers72 · 13/04/2015 18:13

Call of the Wild and King Arthur, why? I have no idea. I know I read lots of books when younger, maybe I should give them a go soon.

drewphilip · 13/04/2015 18:11

My deepest shame is thinking Moby Dick was a man! A whale?!?

maryburrows · 13/04/2015 18:10

One of my friends at uni gave me The Secret Garden because it features a nasty Mary (his idea of a joke). So I read that one- but several of the others e.g. The Odyssey I have never read.

1inamillion · 13/04/2015 18:09

Had a lovely Standard 5 teacher who read books to us on two afternoons a week. From this list he read Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, The Wind in the Willows (my favourite ) and Black Beauty which was the only one I wasn't keen on probably because I don't like horses. I would like to read The Secret Garden, somehow I missed that.

tillys2 · 13/04/2015 18:04

I have only read A Little Princess, many years ago, I would love to read them all :)

WarmHugs · 13/04/2015 18:00

I've never read Anne of Green Gables, but I did enjoy watching it on tv! I'm just starting to re-read all my childhood favourites with my eldest, and enjoying them all over again!

ButterflyOfFreedom · 13/04/2015 18:00

  • The Call of the Wild (obviously)

See I told you I've never heard of it!! Wink

unaddfwyn · 13/04/2015 18:00

I've only read Heidi, Little Women, The Secret Garden and A Little Princess from that list.

Must've have been drawn to the female characters by the looks of it!

Never realised there is more than on Alice in Wonderland books Blush

ButterflyOfFreedom · 13/04/2015 17:59

I think I've read Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Black Beauty, Treasure Island, and Heidi... Or maybe I've just seen them on film / TV???!!?

I've never read Little Women but want to.

Never even heard of In the Wild???!!Shock