Sean’s Comments (group member since Jan 30, 2019)

Sean’s comments from the Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die group.

On to book 5 of In Search of Lost Time.

The Captive by Marcel Proust.

Valentina wrote: "I do Sean! She's really irritating indeed.... but also other characters in this book weren't less appropriate for this task! Do we want to talk about Mr. Kirsha?."

We can. But to me, he was not so much irritating as more upsetting in the way he treated his wife. He would make a great discussion over on the group read thread.

It's been nice seeing you already in the discussion groups. Welcome to the group Irem.

I think as far as strategies go, yes goals are a great way to do it. I do a yearly goal. I know others do monthly goals.

There are several in the group that are attempting to make specific goals such as: Female authors on the LIST, or books from the Core LIST (the books that are each and every update), or any other way you can imagine to parse up the LIST. You can look at the subcategories in the bookshelf for your own ideas.

But however you do it, feel free to share. We all have at least two things in common. We love the LIST and we love to read about the LIST and how and what people are reading.

I liked this one and would never have found it without this list. Fully enjoyed the way the overall novel was weaved with what could almost be looked at as individual stories. The characters were definitely unique with overriding characteristics like David said. I think that made it more fun to follow them through their story lines.

And characters brings me to Hamida. Oh she irritated me. She really thought she was above the Alley. She thought she was better than the rest. When she snubbed the barber I decided she was the worst. I started to feel sorry for her the way she was taken advantage of in the end even though some may say she had it coming. But in the end, after the bar fight, I decided that I really just didn't like her and all my sympathy went out the window.

Irem wrote: ""If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler"? The traveller is transporting themselves?"

certainly! love the creativity

Irem wrote: "How about we read books for the other 11 tasks and then we choose an irritating character from them? I am sure there will be no shortage.

Good?"

You can certainly do that. There are plenty of irritating characters on this list!

This discussion post will be about the beginning of Volume II through the fourth book.

Links go to Project Gutenberg

Volume 2 - Cosette

Book First - Waterloo
Book Second - The Ship Orion
Book Third - Accomplishment of the Promise Made to the Dead Woman
Book Fourth - The Gorbeau Hovel

Update - 13/26

O - Oroonooko River - Robinson Crusoe - 3/30/21.

Robinson was stranded on an island at the mouth of the Oroonooko River (which is apparently the crazy way it was spelt back in 1719)

I finished a re-read of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. Still enjoyed it. Classic adventure. Strange I didn't even remember the land animal adventures at the end at all...

Welcome RJ. I'm in San Diego so we must be neighbors at least comparatively. I found the LIST the same way. Then I got hooked due to my list completist personality. Hopefully some of our group reads will also assist you in locating a quality book or two.

Bryan--Pumpkin Connoisseur wrote: "I finally finished this section--not too far behind schedule, considering how badly my reading plans have gone this year. It's a testament to just how bad when I say that being a month off schedule..."

I really liked the detail as well. Sometimes its hard to get through. But that's why I like this long time-frame for reading the book. I can really take my time with it. Like you said, all this detail really gives you a picture on how important M. Bienvenu was to the transformation of Valjean. And the other details are just as important for other reasons. Talk about deep deep characterizations right?

Amazingly my neighborhood book club picked two LIST books in a row. I am beginning my second reading of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

Valentina wrote: "but deep inside they seem to be both good men who want to be fair to themselves and to the people that count on them."

And they both go to extremes to do what they feel is right. It would be so easy to justify not doing some of the things that get them into a bind. But they both feel compelled to do them because of their nature.

One of the characters in Alamut claims he is from a place called Qazvin.... oh wait.... we are looking for X... I got so excited when I found that....

Picked up Alamut by Vladimir Bartol yesterday. It's already drawn me in.

haha. I had a feeling that would be the case. Maybe it can help somebody else.

Sean wrote: ""books are cold but safe friends." (Book Fifth, Chapter III)

Agree or disagree?"

The first part of the quote above, that I left off, says that Monsieur le Maire loves books. And then in Chapter V, it's interesting that Javert is said to hate books. Hows that for setting up some contrast between these two?

Xu Province in Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Xiang River in Dream of the Red Chamber

"books are cold but safe friends." (Book Fifth, Chapter III)

Agree or disagree?

Ellinor wrote: "Adding P - Poisonville"

I like that you used Poisonville instead of Personville.