My “reading challenge” postings (12/6/10 and 12/7/10) have produced plenty of wonderful surprises. Here are some comments about the surprises and a few of my observations.

I began by suggesting (perhaps somewhat tongue-in-cheek) that I would dare to limit myself to a self-imposed “reading challenge” for 2011 that would include a mere half-dozen authors and titles; moreover, I would limit myself to “first-rate novels from the 18th through the 21st centuries featuring crimes, detection, and punishments.” Then, after posting my off-the-cuff list of novels by Hogg, Collins, Dostoevsky, Hammett, Eco, and Waters, I invited bloggers to offer their own suggestions for other authors and titles.

(Note: The Moonstone, which I have begun, is an absolute treasure! The congenial narrative style is particularly commendable.)

First, I am pleased with the eclectic suggestions, all of which will be accumulated, sorted, and republished in my revised “reading challenge” (coming soon!)—an adjustable list that will certainly keep me entertained and challenged throughout 2011.

(Note: I would remind everyone that the polls remain open, and I look forward to other bloggers’ nominations for their half-dozen lists.)

Second, I am surprised by the advice implied in many of the suggested authors and titles that I need to expand upon my definition of what constitutes a novel of “crime, detection, and punishment.” Clearly, when eagerly embraced titles like Gilgamesh, The Iliad, Njal’s Saga, and Our Mutual Friend have been suggested, my rather traditional understanding of “crime, detection, and punishment” must be reconsidered.

Now, with all of that having been said, what kinds of “crimes” and “punishments” do you find particularly well represented in books (including fiction, drama, poetry, nonfiction, etc.), especially in texts that readers may not normally think of when making their lists of crime stories?

The Temptation of the Impossible:

Victor Hugo and Les Misérables

Mario Vargas Llosa

John King, translator

Princeton University Press

232 pages

Hardcover $24.95

978-0-691-13111-5

Here, in this compelling book, readers can enjoy the fascinating encounter between two literary giants: Mario Vargas Llosa and Victor Hugo.