1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition in Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Apr 18, 2008 Inder rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books

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. Overall, inspiring, i 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. Overall, inspiring, if seriously intimidating.

Cons: 1001 books is actually a lot to read in a lifetime. You'd have to average about 25 books a year, if you start at my age and live according to actuarial projections, and keep in mind, there are books like Gravity's Rainbow and Ulysses lurking in there to seriously slow you down. I fancy myself quite well read (basically because I have read Middlemarch - ever since then, I've been quite full of myself), but I've read less than 5% of the books on this list - I have a ways to go.

Also, since the list (naturally, because the book had to be published at some point) terminates in 2005, you'd be pretty behind the times if you decided to ONLY read books on this list, until you die.

Also, many would argue with the actual list itself: Why so much contemporary (and thus, not tried and true) fiction? Why is it almost all fiction, for that matter? Shouldn't you read some nonfiction before you die?

Also, three Burroughs novels? Doesn't that violate the Geneva Convention? Certainly the 8th Amendment.

What I'm saying is that the premise of the book is obviously ridiculous. Plainly, this is not really a list of books you must read before you die - that was probably the publishers' catchy title, anyway. But if you don't take it too seriously, this is fun to read, fun to disagree with, and fun to ignore.

I'm inspired to try to pry my psyche out of the pre-modern era, however painful, at least long enough to read one or two novels written post-1930. (I'm sure my psyche will scuttle back into its 19th century hole directly afterwards, but I really should try to participate in the 21st century at least now and then.)

In short - a rolicking nerd-fest for bookish people. ...more

24 likes · Like · see review

Aug 16, 2007 Jenny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, us_2000s

I adore this book. Any avid reader should own a copy. It's huge, decorated with pretty pictures and contains excellent, thought-provoking mini-essays on the reasons each book is included, and thus makes an excellent coffee table book - which is great because I consult it often. I've read 57 of the books it suggests and not ONCE has it led me astray. I've enjoyed everything so far. It's my personal goal to read them all, or at least all of the ones that seem semi-interesting, and it's going fairl ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 30, 2009 Jade17 rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: reference, 2009

I recommend this book for a bit of weight lifting at home.

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 27, 2009 Suvi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: misc, literature

Ok, so this and the movie version are not perfect. What the hell is Scream doing there with Der Himmel Über Berlin? I understand their reasoning but... Nope, that's not right. People, I also don't care about spoilers. I wan't to be inspired to see or read, not abandon them because I know too much. So the quality of the essays are extremely varied. Despite all this it's still fun to slog through them both. Not for considering myself "cultured" and "civilized" for finishing the lists but more like ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 04, 2008 Tracy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, reference, lore-and-guides, books-i-started-and-want-to-finish, books-i-own

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 ...more

Like · see review

Aug 26, 2008 Cynthia Paschen rated it liked it · review of another edition

OK, this book has the potential to drive me completely over the edge. On the one hand, there are many beautiful books on the list that I really should read, really I should put down my latest modern fiction crap and read something to enrich my mind. I am competetive enough to want to read at least half the books on this list.
Then there are the books that I have not a clue why they are on this list. Many crappy modern books and many ancient books that I would spend years trying to get through and ...more

Like · see review

Jan 19, 2008 Cat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

One of my biggest problems is having a steady supply of books to read. I end up reading through my available supply, then I go on amazon, order more books and sit around waiting for them to arrive (used books on amazon r tha best!) So I use this like a resource, I order two or three of them at a time and then keep them handy when I don't have anything else available... ...more

Like · see review