I just finished Animal's People. has a very bold and, at times, witty style. It also has its tragic elements. It is also socially conscious on an issue and makes one think.

Bonjour Tristesse
not bad... but too short! and i really like the ending especially that i imagined that it in quite different way ( ;

Finished The Magic Mountain by Mann, really enjoyed the story and became emersed in the lives of the characters.

There's a second-hand store that puts books out for free. Grab and go.

Rachel said: ...my friend and I just found two copies of The Awakening in a box on my street and brought them home. Now I want to read it.

That's a teaser to a story. What exactly were those two books doing in a box on your street?

Thanks, Judith, muchas gracias, Lauli, I've read "The time of the hero" and really liked it, still my all-time fav by Vargas Llosa is "The green house".....i honestly prefer his less recent books like the ones mentioned above or "Conversation in the Cathedral" or "Who killed Palomino Molero?" to the newer ones, even though i did like "Los cuadernos de don Rigoberto".....i adore how he weaves together different strands of narration, but sometimes it's demanding to follow the characters and plots when Vargas Llosa changes their names and the setting from one chapter to the next...still, one of my favourite authors ever.

Judith wrote: "Julia wrote: "How did you like "The Feast of the Goat"? i'm quite a fan of Mario Vargas Llosa, but i honestly like other books better than this one - maybe they've included it as a great example of..."

I recommend "The Time of the Hero" and "Captain Pantoja and the Special Service". They are not in the 1001 book list, but I think it's Vargas Llosa at his best. Unfortunately, being a Spanish speaker myself, I don't know how much of his style is lost in translation, but he is definitely my favourite Latin American writer.

Julia wrote: "How did you like "The Feast of the Goat"? i'm quite a fan of Mario Vargas Llosa, but i honestly like other books better than this one - maybe they've included it as a great example of a novel on di..."

Julia, I gave the book three out of five stars. My greatest difficulty came at the beginning, being thrown so many names and street names in Spanish that I had no background for. I struggled to get through the first third, mostly for that reason and that nothing much was happening. I liked the rest of the book as I can be a stickler for detail when it falls in the historical fiction category. Accurate or not (and I supposed this time it was pretty true to events), the detail adds to the credibility of the version of events being described.

I have heard of others who say this is not his best work; but there are so many books on dictatorships to choose from, I don't know why Boxall et al picked this one by Llosa.

I will read his other works as I come across them though, but this was my first one by the author.

Just finished Cry, the Beloved Country. I liked it very much, and was surprised by how hopeful it is, although I am a bit skeptical about the real chances that the characters have of finding happiness and stability. It's sad to read a story like that fifty years after it was written and discover that most of the writer's hopes have not yet come true.

Rachel wrote: "I just finished A Tale of Two Cities"

I loved that book.

Kristi, my friend and I just found two copies of The Awakening in a box on my street and brought them home. Now I want to read it.

Just finished The Awakening. I really liked it. I thought the writing was beautiful. Of course, it was a bit depressing, but the reality of it made it beautiful.

I just finished A Tale of Two Cities

How did you like "The Feast of the Goat"? i'm quite a fan of Mario Vargas Llosa, but i honestly like other books better than this one - maybe they've included it as a great example of a novel on dictatorship? i found it a little bit boring and the plot against the Trujillo was described excruciatingly slow - reminded me of the schemes necessary for getting on with the marriage between Mario and his aunt in Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter which was also the part i had to fight with in this otherwise highly entertaining book.

I finished "Far From the Madding Crowd" by Hardy and "The Feast of the Goat" by Llosa.

Les Miserables

I too have read Blood Meridian (as well as four other McCormac books). Your observation about the author's esoteric vocabulary sat well with me. I found I too had to give up searching meanings. But the Judge as a symbolic character is quite intriguing. Was he Satan incarnate?

Blood Meridian. Yes, would read it again. Of the list, which is like it? Not most like it, but with a character like Judge Holden, and with an esoteric vocabulary that escaped being able to look the words up.

I've just finished "Pepita Jiménez" from the new list. Lukewarm. I'm not that fond of this kind of Romantic novel where the characters are so flat and so good and so stereotypical. It bores me a bit. The only thing that redeems it for me is Juan Valera's narrative technique, mixing the epistolar novel in the style of De Laclos or Goethe, with omniscient narration and editorial intrusions. But the story itself is pretty much a bore.

The Woman in White as well......enjoyed it especially in the first part where the characters are introduced, less in the second part which is more plot-driven....still, it's definitely a page-turner, especially for people who - unlike myself - like mysteries.....

jf The Nine Tailors by Sayers. Very unique cause of death there.

I just finished The Woman in White. Highly entertaining.

Lauli wrote: "Yeah, but what beautiful anger! How did you like Coelho? Personally, I hate his guts!"

Faulkner's use of language is amazing. I find him hard to read, though, because he exhausts me.

This was my first Coelho. I didn't hate it; the message was a bit facile, and I am not really keen on his apparent view of the morality of the doctor's action. But I am a little perplexed as to why it's on the list when other, better authors are unrepresented.

I've just finished "The mercy killers" by Lisa Reardon and "Middlemarch" by George Eliot. Both amazing!

Susan G wrote: "I just finished Everything Is Illuminated. I thought it was amazing."

Yes it was!

Gini wrote: "Finished The Sound and the Fury and Veronika Decides to Die. Faulkner is an angry dude...."

Yeah, but what beautiful anger! How did you like Coelho? Personally, I hate his guts!

Finished The Sound and the Fury and Veronika Decides to Die. Faulkner is an angry dude....

Buddenbrokks and Things Fall Apart. Wow - both are so powerful and moved me for different reasons. I'd recommend both.

I'm excited to learn that there is a new Buddenbrooks movie to be released in Germany next month!

Nefrytowy różaniec | Boris Akunin

"The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

The House of the Seven Gables. I know it was influential as sort of the beginning of Gothic Horror, and it was entertaining, but mostly for being twee and ham-handed. Very Snidely Whiplash villain, lots of *gasp* last minute revelations, and not much substance through most of the book.

I finished Where Angels Fear To Tread - it's on the original 2006 list. It's not that great; I'm glad it was removed from the 2008 list.

I just finished Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor

I finished North and South last night. I really liked it overall, but I didn't exactly like the heroine. I definitely need to watch the BBC version.

I just finished Everything Is Illuminated. I thought it was amazing.

Elaine wrote: "Anna wrote: "Austerlitz | W.G. Sebald"
What did you think of it? I stopped about 1/3 of the way in, but am going to finish it some time
"

It was a little bit complicated. I had problem with guessing who is talking. For me the narrator was speaking through Austerlitz. Or maybe it was Austerlitz talking through the narrator?

Sharron wrote: "Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Loved it, gave it 5 stars."

Sharon,
Can you write a review of this without giving anything away?

Anna wrote: "Austerlitz | W.G. Sebald"
What did you think of it? I stopped about 1/3 of the way in, but am going to finish it some time

Wuthering Heights! Loved it

What did you think of it? I stopped about 1/3 of the way in, but am going to finish it at some time.

Austerlitz | W.G. Sebald

I just finished Trainspotting - crazy!

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Amanda wrote: "The Violent Bear it Away by Flannery O'Connor. Umm...what? That's a weird lady, right there."

I'm just getting ready (with anticipation) to start Wise Blood by O'Connor. I've read several of her short stories - definitely strange, but thought-provoking!

Deanne wrote: "...read the Kite Runner, what a fantastic book, why is this not on the list?"

I also just finished this book and really loved it - need I say it included more details and was better than the movie? I also think it should be on the List!

Anna Karenina

I had tried to read this one before and don't remember why I put it down but this time I was reading it for some time on Kindle for iPhone. I enjoyed its psychological realism but the etext wasn't edited too well and that was distracting.

And in general, I think I need to pay more attention to the translations I choose.

Lauli wrote: "Just finished "Foucault's Pendulum". I didn't think I would, it was really hard to get going. I liked the ending, though. It should be 300 pages shorter."

I am kind of bummed to hear it wasn't that good. I have wanted to read it for years and FINALLY bought it.

The Violent Bear it Away by Flannery O'Connor. Umm...what? That's a weird lady, right there.

Just finished Mother's milk from the new list, easy quick read.
Also read the kite runner, what a fantastic book, why is this not on the list?

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Loved it, gave it 5 stars.