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

[EmilyMumsnet]

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

[BucketFullOfDinosaurs]

There are a few there I haven't read, but I think the only one that I would claim to have read that I haven't is The Jungle Book... I'm not sure I've read the full, grown up versions of Black Beauty or The Wizard of Oz either. Have definitely read at least the abridged versions of those, though!

[SuziQ74]

Gosh I'm ashamed to say that most of these titles are actually television series to me! I've never read Heidi but remember being glued to the 80s TV series. Same with Wind in the Willows. I know the story really well from a beautiful animated film from the 80s (I even have it on DVD!) but despite being a self-confessed bookworm I've not read either!

[barricade]

I absolutely love books, but for some reason, I never did get round to reading the following (very likely 'cause I saw the movie, and therefore felt I got the story that way) --> King Arthur, The Jungle Book, Black Beauty, 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.

... actually, that's WAY too many - literary shame, alright! And the ironic thing is that I still have my own copy of Little Women, The Jungle Book, and one of the Black Beauty sequels sitting in a cupboard somewhere.

[SecretSquirrels]

My DF used to be a great reader but would buy me classics like Treasure Island that were enough to put an eight year old off reading for life. I used to try and bluff it out that I had read them so that I could get back to Enid Blyton and Malory Towers

[dragonfly63]

I've never read Anne of Green Gables, may still do so one day - roll n Grandchildren!

[Jossykaye]

I've only read Heidi on the list! Started Little Women a couple of years ago and lost interest.

[bracken101]

The only one I have not read is the odyssey..but my childhood was spent with my head in a book! I had forgotten how much I loved call of the wild until reading this! Want to read it again

[LifeOfBriony]

I haven't read The Call of the Wild, Tom Sawyer, King Arthur, Huckleberry Finn, The Odyssey, Journey to the Centre of the Earth. I have read the rest.

And I too wonder why this isn't in the children's books section.

[scarcelyodd]

I think I've read one of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn but they are somehow blurred into one in my mind. I have never read Call of the Wild though.

[magimedi]

Read them all apart from 'The Call of the Wild' - and it's been sitting on my kindle for a couple of years.

MN - you have shamed me into turning off my computer & going to read.

[stickybeaksyd]

I did read a few of these classics as a child and have to agree with iammaman that I couldn't get into Little Women. Loved Call of the Wild though. My confession is that I haven't read the Odyssey but I teach my Latin club children about it! I keep reading little excerpts but really should read the entire thing!!

[Lisamarieellis]

Terrible! I haven't read any!!! ?? I have watched some on TV does that count ???

[ErinBlockerBitch]

I haven't read Huckleberry Finn. I don't find it a big loss to tell you the truth. I read constantly and am always surprised that some people don't.

[bibliomania]

In some ways it's hard to even remember which ones you've read - they all seem so familiar by osmosis.

I'm pretty sure I've read them all except The Call of the Wild and Black Beauty and The Wizard of Oz. (Is it just me or has this list got quite a North American slant?)

I've wept buckets over Heidi (I moved house when I was 8 and empathised with her homesickness) and Little Women (oh Beth! although she doesn't die till a later book). In fact, I inherited my mother's old hard back copies of the whole Little Women series. Read and re-read the Anne books. Loved The Wind in the Willows and The Little Princess, was deeply freaked out by Alice in Wonderland, came to The Odyssey as an adult, was uncomfortable with the slavery aspect of the Mark Twain books, pondered the importance of cheese in Treasure Island, longed to ride an Icelandic pony after Journey to the Centre of the Earth (mission accomplished, my how bumpy - tried to look cheerfully equestrian while being barely clinging onto the damn animal). Didn't fancy Wendy's role in Peter Pan.

Mental furniture, one way or another (along with Mary Norton and Helen Cresswell and Richmal Crompton

[LadyDeadpool]

I've only read Black Beauty. I went through a random horse obsession as a young child.

[grecka]

#Call of the Wild# is the only one I haven't read and to be even more honest, I haven't even heard of it before now.

[GrouchingTiggerHiddenSomething]

There are only about 5 or 6 on that list I have read (although others I have watched film or TV adaptations - does that count?? I guess not!) When I was in (what would now be) year 5 my teacher saw I was a bookworm but sticking to easy and familiar books so she tried to get me to read Little Women but I thought it was really dull and hated it(!), returned to it as an older teen and loved it. I'd love the chance to get to read some of the other classics I've missed :)

[KarenCBC]

Of that list the only one I have read is Little Women and I have an English degree.

I think the reason is that around the time when I should have been reading those books I was too caught up in Point Horror, Danielle Steel and Virginia Andrews!

[01ay]

I've read just over half of them: generally speaking the European rather than North American ones.

The one which I bluff and pretend I've read is Treasure Island. I get away with it as long as I don't accidentally mention Kermit and Miss Piggy when discussing the plot.

[Lisemayne]

The only one I missed is Call of the Wild. I lived in a village in Canada with no library. I would get one of these for birthdays or Christmas. I can still feel them in my hot little hands. When I left home my Dad threw them all out. It was heartbreaking, like losing childhood friends.

[lindarumsey]

I've never read Anne of Green Gables - always preferred action books as a child!

[AngelBlue12]

The only one i've never read is 'The Odyssey' :)

[insanityscatching]

Like lots here I've never heard of Call of the Wild much less read it. I have though read all the others but I am a voracious reader and always have been. Would still love to win a set though so could share them with dd.

[StandoutMop]

I've only read Little Princess and Secret Garden from that list.

But could probably fake knowledge of another 15 thanks to TV and film adaptations . Similarly, I also owe all my Dickens knowledge to the BBC drama department

[purplemeggie]

I'm with grecka - neither read nor heard of Call of the Wild . Read most of the others.