For discerning bibliophiles and readers who enjoy unforgettable classic literature, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die is a trove of reviews c...
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Aug 11, 2010
Ellen
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Edited 8-11-2010 to add Comment no. 4 (below) in response to Paul's follow-up question.
First of all, don't tell me what I "must" do before I die.
Just fuck off.
At Paul's behest, I'm writing my reactions to this list (not really the book, but give me a break - the book is just a bunch of pretty pictures and blurbs defending their idiotic choices). What's important is this shit-for-brains list.
Comment no. 1:
First, they need a s More...
First of all, don't tell me what I "must" do before I die.
Just fuck off.
At Paul's behest, I'm writing my reactions to this list (not really the book, but give me a break - the book is just a bunch of pretty pictures and blurbs defending their idiotic choices). What's important is this shit-for-brains list.
Comment no. 1:
First, they need a s More...
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Feb 04, 2012
Paul
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Has anyone thought of this already? Surely they have....
I wonder if it would be possible here on Goodreads to have a page listing all the 1001 books and - here's the thing - links to our own reviews of them (maybe with a limit in the case of famous books with a zillion reviews). It would be an interesting resource and would encourage people to review those which haven't got any reviews at all - say, for instance, The Taebek Mountains by Jo Jung-rae or Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dan More...
I wonder if it would be possible here on Goodreads to have a page listing all the 1001 books and - here's the thing - links to our own reviews of them (maybe with a limit in the case of famous books with a zillion reviews). It would be an interesting resource and would encourage people to review those which haven't got any reviews at all - say, for instance, The Taebek Mountains by Jo Jung-rae or Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dan More...
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Apr 18, 2008
Inder
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I joined the 1001 Books group here on Goodreads, thinking, "What a great way to get exposed to a ton of books!" so I thought I better take a look at the actual list.
Pros: Little descriptions of a lot of classic books. Lots of books described here that I have never heard of, and that I might not have known about otherwise. In fact, I may discover some new favorites through this list. Also, it appeals to my 12-year-old self, who loved to write lists of books I wanted to read. More...
Pros: Little descriptions of a lot of classic books. Lots of books described here that I have never heard of, and that I might not have known about otherwise. In fact, I may discover some new favorites through this list. Also, it appeals to my 12-year-old self, who loved to write lists of books I wanted to read. More...
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Nov 16, 2007
Lara
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Of course I didn't read this front to back...it's a reference book, and a wonderful one at that. Besides, there are plot spoilers! The artwork from first and rare editions and photographs of authors are especially nice. This belongs on every bibliophile's shelf.
My three complaints:
1. The awful cover, which looks like a cross between a New Age pamphlet and a college text book. Why?
2. It seems as though every work by some authors is included, so that it c More...
My three complaints:
1. The awful cover, which looks like a cross between a New Age pamphlet and a college text book. Why?
2. It seems as though every work by some authors is included, so that it c More...
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May 24, 2011
Jeanette
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May 19, 2008
After reading or attempting to read a fairly large number of books listed in this book, I have come back and removed two of the stars I originally gave it. Many of the books are terrible, and many of the ones that aren't terrible are not "must reads".
Below is my original review from before I'd tried some of the suggested books.
_____________________________________________________________
March 16, 2008
I can't believe I read the WHOLE More...
After reading or attempting to read a fairly large number of books listed in this book, I have come back and removed two of the stars I originally gave it. Many of the books are terrible, and many of the ones that aren't terrible are not "must reads".
Below is my original review from before I'd tried some of the suggested books.
_____________________________________________________________
March 16, 2008
I can't believe I read the WHOLE More...
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Sep 10, 2008
Skylar
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It's always fun to read some random academic's random list of the books one supposedly should read. It either bestows a sense of satisfaction in seeing one's tastes validated or inspires a pleasing self-righteous indignation at seeing certain books excluded; usually it does a little of both. "1,000 Books You Must Read Before You Die" includes contributions by over one hundred international critics, and, in addition to serving as an amusement, it also serves as a handy reference with su
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Jan 08, 2010
Apurva
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First of all, it should have been titled 1001 Novels You must read..
Not Books. Because Origin of Species, The Bible, The Koran, The Rigveda and The Odessy and The Iliad were/are also apparently in the form of Books. And so is the great bathroom book. But not according to this *book*.
I learnt from this *book* that women's reading market is doing good. Lot of women read books.There were many women writers in the past centuries that were amazing and some of them were better than Tolstoy More...
Not Books. Because Origin of Species, The Bible, The Koran, The Rigveda and The Odessy and The Iliad were/are also apparently in the form of Books. And so is the great bathroom book. But not according to this *book*.
I learnt from this *book* that women's reading market is doing good. Lot of women read books.There were many women writers in the past centuries that were amazing and some of them were better than Tolstoy More...
Jan 13, 2008
Nicole
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3-3.5 stars. A great place to harvest fodder for your to-read list. The listings are organized by century of publication (the pre-1700s, 1700s, and 1800s sections are pretty skimpy compared to the 1900s). Each listing is accompanied by a synopsis and pretty pictures. 1001 Books introduced me to some authors and titles that I might not have stumbled upon on my own. It would have received more stars, too, if it presented a more balanced list. I just find it hard to believe that I "must r
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Sep 20, 2007
Chelsea
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It's pretty, but... A list of the titles is more than sufficient for me. I got the impression that the titles were selected less because the author likes them and more because they're historically significant books. Which, believe me, is not a bad thing, and good tends to go hand in hand with significant. However, they're going to be the same titles you'd see on any other Must Read list, but compiled in one expensive book. I much preferred Nancy Pearl's Book Lust titles. Her suggestions ar
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Aug 19, 2007
Jennifer (JC-S)
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I bought this book in March next year, despite the 'must' in the title. I confess that I have an inherent mistrust of books that exhort, rather than invite, me to do things.
Other people's lists are always interesting. Here is a link to the review I just posted on Amazon.com:
http://tinyurl.com/2zp4x5
Other people's lists are always interesting. Here is a link to the review I just posted on Amazon.com:
http://tinyurl.com/2zp4x5
Mar 08, 2008
angrykitty
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ok, first off, i'm including this in the classics smarty-pants category since almost every single book in here is a classics smarty pants book.
i was surprised at how many of the 1001 books i'd actaully read....unfortunately, when i counted all my read books, it really wasn't all that impressive considering there's 1001 books.
my biggest problem with the books included here, is the fact that they seem to really like certain authors, and then multiple books by said autho More...
i was surprised at how many of the 1001 books i'd actaully read....unfortunately, when i counted all my read books, it really wasn't all that impressive considering there's 1001 books.
my biggest problem with the books included here, is the fact that they seem to really like certain authors, and then multiple books by said autho More...
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Dec 05, 2011
Lara
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TIL that I am not nearly as well-read as I thought I was. There are hundreds of books on this list that I'm seeing for the first time. I also learned that even though I've already read Ulysses, it's not good enough, because I also have to put myself through the torture of Gravity's Rainbow and A La Recherche de Temps Perdu before I die. No thank you, I would rather just die. Also,'epistolary' and 'bidungsroman' look like innocent words, but if you read them enough times in a row, they can elicit
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Dec 05, 2011
Jennifer
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If you want a compact (well, 900+ page book) list of the books that many people consider to be "classic literature," then sure! Check this book out. It gives a general synopsis of 1001 "classic literature novels" that "you MUST read before you die". For that, it is useful. But it is not even close to being complete.
Surprisingly, the editor has organized the books by century, which I found encouraging, because at least I know they appreciate older lit More...
Surprisingly, the editor has organized the books by century, which I found encouraging, because at least I know they appreciate older lit More...
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Jun 03, 2011
Michael
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1001 Books is a dictionary of books, of novels, to be more precise. In between carefully typeset text and colorful images, on laminated pages carefully printed in China, you get a glimpse at over 1,000 years of storytelling (with few exceptions, novels). It's a longer Book Lust written by academics, a collector's dread and craving.
I liked many of the titles inside; heh, I've read many of them and I'm not the poorer for that. (Although, literally, I am.) I loved reading about some of More...
I liked many of the titles inside; heh, I've read many of them and I'm not the poorer for that. (Although, literally, I am.) I loved reading about some of More...
Jan 12, 2010
Bill
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I read this book over the course of several months. It's a collection of 300 word articles on 1001 different books, so it's not the type of book you necessarily read from start to finish. I began with the section on books published in the 2000s, then moved to the 1900s, then to the 1800s, etc.
I decided to read this book because the list included many by Paul Auster, who is my favorite living American novelist. I thought I'd get some ideas for books to try, and that is definitely t More...
I decided to read this book because the list included many by Paul Auster, who is my favorite living American novelist. I thought I'd get some ideas for books to try, and that is definitely t More...
Jun 06, 2010
Jessi
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I'm not sure where I learned about this book but I'm pretty sure it was from some magazine. When it comes to books that "everybody" must read, I'm strictly on the "I don't believe it" side. But I read the books anyway, trolling for things that I might have missed. Also, I wanted to see how many of these "Must Read" books I had read. The answer is 55. If you added in all of the classics that I had started but hadn't finished, the number would probably be closer to 70
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Oct 31, 2011
Spoonbridge
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Another of the “1001 things to do/read/whatever before you shuffle off this mortal coil” books (that I’ve taken a strange interest in lately, but then again, I do crave a good list), “1001 Books to Read Before You Die” is definitely one that should be right up my alley.
Other reviewers have certainly done a good job highlighting and debating the strengths and weaknesses of this rather arbitrary list of 1001 essential books of global literature, with the editors many biases and boneheaded d More...
Other reviewers have certainly done a good job highlighting and debating the strengths and weaknesses of this rather arbitrary list of 1001 essential books of global literature, with the editors many biases and boneheaded d More...
Dec 13, 2009
Diana
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This is a reference book on, as the title suggests, 1001 very important books. I have to admit, I was skeptical about this book. My first thought was, roughly, "Why should I pay for a book that's just a big list of better books?"
Well, thanks to the Orange County public library system, I don't have to pay for it. So now I have it (for three weeks, anyway), and I'm actually enjoying it a lot.
It's very browsable — it's easy to flip through and skim, and somehow it More...
Well, thanks to the Orange County public library system, I don't have to pay for it. So now I have it (for three weeks, anyway), and I'm actually enjoying it a lot.
It's very browsable — it's easy to flip through and skim, and somehow it More...
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Jan 29, 2011
Susan
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I bought this book just before Christmas and have taken the last month or so to really study it. My copy is the "Revised and Updated" version published in 2010, and one positive change I've noted it that they added Jane Austen back to the lists (she was completely removed in the last edition, can you imagine?! Not a single Austen title in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die?! What exactly did make those lists?) But I digress...
The list of books contained in this gui More...
The list of books contained in this gui More...
Feb 07, 2008
Pam
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How can you resist the title? It is a beautifully produced volume and fun to dip in and out of. It has a Brit slant to the choices & you will feel better about the total number on the list you've read only if you were a lit major. Seriously. But you can read the summaries and appear to be well-read OR bite the bullet & add them to your "to-read" shelf.
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Jun 12, 2011
jacky
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I love lists, especailly top lists, so this book was right up my alley. In general, I loved reading all the titles. It was fun to see books I've read and to see books I've always wanted to read. I wound up reading some of the mini-essays. Most of them were on the books that are my favorites, but others were about books I'd never heard of or famous titles I knew, but nothing else. I'd love to read more of this and hope someday to own it. It would make a great class room library book, especi
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Jan 17, 2009
Mary
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In his introduction, Peter Boxall writes about the difficulty of compiling such a finite list. As many books as it contains, it covers hundreds of years of fiction (and some nonfiction) writing, and could hardly cover all books you ought to read, ever. The chosen titles are organized chronologically by publication date. Each summary begins with the author's birth and death dates, the date of publication, and the publisher. Depending on the book and author, we are also told other information, suc
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Nov 07, 2010
A less canon-centered selection than I expected. The reviews are by a Plus lots of great author photos, stills from film adaptations and original cover art. Great bedtime browsing and I have seen it remaindered at many a bookstore. This will technically be on my "currently reading shelve" forever.
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Dec 04, 2008
Tracy
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Well, not only if is this a great imagined coffee-table book, but it's also a great guide book of a list of books that you may or may not want to read in your lifetime. I went through the book with different color Post-it note tabs, marking what I had read with one color, and what I would like to read with another. I think there was a third for those ones that I started but I had no desire to finish. Certainly, I did not want to read ALL of the books, but I did buy some, such as The Mysteries of
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Feb 10, 2008
Faith-Anne
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This book is a perfect combination of favorite books and books you've never even heard of. I was so surprised to find some of my own obscure personal favorites on the list. This is a lovely book to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon flipping through.
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Sep 08, 2010
Vanessa
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I can see why many have criticized the book list. How can anyone place importance on only 1001 books? Is this a definitive list? The list everyone must read before dying? The title suggests it is. Well, I like to look at this book as a rough guide. One does not HAVE to read every book. I like the book because it gives me an idea of what I can read. Some of these books are obscure but cult classics-- Fantomes, anyone? Anyways, I feel that this book shouldn't be judged for being a definitive list.
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Jul 22, 2011
Keri
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This is clearly a list for book nerds, not for the average casual reader. As a book nerd, I'm fine with that. If you want to read the books that helped create, question, and shape literature as we see it today, the books on this list might be for you. If you're looking for light, easy reading, this is probably not the list for you. Many of the books are difficult, and require slow and thoughtful reading. Also, since they are genre creators and shapers, their plots, writing styles, and ideas are
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Mar 15, 2011
Lydia
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I've noticed a lot of people doing the 1001 books challenge, so I got this out of my library in the hope that it would yield some good recommendations. I needn't have bothered. I certainly don't recommend it to others. It's long and unbalanced really - 12 books by some authors, none by others, and very much focusing on popular books, classics... Nothing obscure or interesting really.
I did get a lot of ideas for my reading list, though not necessarily books I'll like - more like books More...
I did get a lot of ideas for my reading list, though not necessarily books I'll like - more like books More...
Apr 01, 2010
Ana-lauren
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Unlike '1001 Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up', this list was not very diverse. In fact, at many times I found myself thinking that they had chosen the top 100 authors (white and English speaking for the most part) listed all their written works, and then thrown in a few extras for variety or color. While many of the books listed are ones I have seen on other top lists, I think it unnecessary to list every one of Jane Austen's (e.g.) works for us to understand that she was an important a
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Jan 09, 2012
Deyanne
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The essays and commentaries on the books were enlightening. However, I think I will never return to the time in my life when I read something simply because it is a "classic" and I feel I must include it in my repertoire.
Too many of these book suggestions do not interest me at this time in my life. Maybe I am lazy and don't want to think deeply. Maybe I hunger to read books which feed my soul rather than my intellect. For whatever reason, this is not something that I woul More...
Too many of these book suggestions do not interest me at this time in my life. Maybe I am lazy and don't want to think deeply. Maybe I hunger to read books which feed my soul rather than my intellect. For whatever reason, this is not something that I woul More...
