Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Which LIST book did you just finish?
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Looks interesting. The university library here which I can use has many of Timothy Findley's books.
I just finished The Autobiography Of Benvenuto Cellini and then The Alchemist, both of them were great books to read.
I’ve just finished the Mayor of Casterbridge and don’t know why I didn’t read it sooner. Starting on the Rainbow next
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Both not LIST books unfortunately!
Finished Camilla by Fanny Burney. Not her best. The author seems torn between presenting a Clarissa (unconvincingly) or a spirited heroine (lacking common sense) . The end result is an annoying character you want to throttle. Comic relief is found in the brother and uncle.
George P. wrote: "Looks interesting. The university library here which I can use has many of Timothy Findle..."I recommend it. I had to rush my through it as I borrowed it online (while already tackling two massive library borrowed books) but I will probably buy it so I can reread it at leisure.
It has a ring of truth to it that makes it read like an account of an actual real person.
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I know many people like this, but I felt the main character, who is on the autistic spectrum, was depicted as being too selfish, and that he was a rather derogatory representation of autistic people.
Maggie wrote: "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I know many people like this, but I felt the main character, who is on the autistic spectrum, was depicted as being too selfish, and t..."Huh. I didn't get that. But I don't know many people on the spectrum...
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard
Fateless by Imre Kertész Extremely thought-provoking book about the Holocaust. Interesting reading the reviews of this afterwards at how many readers were disappointed because it didn't provide the vicarious experience they were expecting. Not only does it expose a kind of creepiness that the reviewer probably didn't intend to reveal, it also seemed to me to be one of the points Kertész was trying to make--that individuals respond to traumatic experiences in individual ways, and others who are on the outside looking in, so to speak, can often try to force a narrative on the experience that the individual doesn't recognize. When the narrator of Fateless returns to Hungary after the war, there are those who actually get angry with him because his thoughts on the matter don't correspond with theirs.
A book that ultimately is about far more than just the Holocaust. Very thought-provoking, as I said.
Aileen wrote: "Chocky by John Wyndham. 4/5, enjoyable short tale by a favourite author."One of my favorite authors too!!
Bryan wrote: "Fateless by Imre Kertész Extremely thought-provoking book about the Holocaust. Interesting reading the reviews of this afterwards at how many readers were disappointed because it di..."
Thanks for this review. It sounds interesting. Another book to end to my to-read list.
Maggie wrote: "It sounds interesting. Another book to end to my to-read list. ..."Your welcome. I hope that when you get to it, you find something to hold your interest. It is an odd book--it definitely has an unexpected outlook. I wish I had a group to discuss this book--I think there are a lot of implications in it and it would be interesting to hear others viewpoints on it. There are some books that seem to draw out the reader's own experiences, so that, for instance, when I read it, it seems to have an affinity with particular ideas I've had. Reading through the reviews, I noticed that there were a few others who had the same experience, but with different ideas. Then, of course, there were those who just didn't like it. Several of those were because it didn't seem to conform to their expectation of what a 'Holocaust' book should be. Which I found very ironic, considering the message I found in the book.
There are also stylistic points that would be interesting to delve into--Kertész denied that the book was autobiographical, but considering that he experienced the camps himself, and at a similar age as the protagonist, this seems like a strange claim. If it isn't auto-biographical, then other questions come to mind--how reliable is the narrator then--he (the narrator) makes some statements that many find outrageous. Are they a symptom of trauma, or serious insights, or can they be both?
Like a said, I think there is a lot of potential for a lively discussion with this book. That's why I thought it was so thought-provoking.
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I just finish Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
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Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson
The Cubs and Other Stories by Mario Vargas Llosa
Journey To The Alcarria by Camilo Jose Cela
All Souls by Javier Marias
• Enjoyed these three immensely. I love Marias' writing.
The Body Artist by Don DeLillo
• Strange
Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi
• Not a favorite – hope his other books are better.
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx. Melancholic yet uplifting, about how moving to Newfoundland changes the main character and his family. If you're reading this, be prepared to look up Newfoundland terms in your (online) dictionary!
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. My 79th book from the list.
Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally. A remarkable story but an unremarkable book.
Peter wrote: "Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally. A remarkable story but an unremarkable book."Very well put.
A Secret History by Donna Tartt. Didn't know what to expect, but was quite impressed, particularly for a debut novel.
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Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.I do not think I have ever read anything quite like it. The idiom took some getting used, simply because I am not familiar with it, but soon enough it got under my skin.
It is both monumental and very personal, large in scope and still very much a love story, full of genuine emotion ranging from deep sorrow to the highest peaks of joy.
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I've now read 198 of the 1001."
When you hit 200 you move into the reading elite ;)
George P. wrote: "Joy D wrote: "Recently finished: The Sea by John Banville - 4 stars - My ReviewI've now read 198 of the 1001."
When you hit 200 you move into the reading elite ;)"
I plan to reach 200 in early 2020 :-)
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Happy to finally have that behind me.
Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
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Authors mentioned in this topic
T.H. White (other topics)Laurie Lee (other topics)
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A coming of age novel of a teenaged girl in WW2 Germany. Somewhat on the intellectual side, but nice writing with a good story. Same time and place setting as Boll's "Group Portrait with Lady".