Which LIST book did you just finish? Showing 6,951-7,000 of 10,248

[Mia]

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson.

[Diane]

Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry.

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees]

Sean wrote: "Just finished The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. You were all correct. That was a great book that I will put toward the top of my list. Maybe not top 10... but up ..."

I really enjoyed An Artist of the Floating World too. In fact, I thought that one topped Remains. It had a very similar style, though I thought the subject matter was slightly different. I also really liked The Unconsoled but there was a marked difference in that one, to my mind. A lot of people really liked Never Let Me Go, but for whatever reason, I couldn't connect with that one.

I still have to get to Pale View of Hills--you might think I'm an Ishiguro fan or something. I think on the next update, you'll probably see The Buried Giant, though there were a lot of mixed reviews on that--I liked it. The only one I didn't like was When We Were Orphans, but after reading some of his other stuff, I feel like I may have entirely missed the point of it.

[Deborah]

Hi everyone,
I'm new to the group and hope I've found the correct list -- it's dated 2018 and contains "The Goldfinch" which I just finished reading. I don't think I'm giving away any spoilers here -- I'm still trying to put my finger on what the author was getting at and am not sure she's clear about this herself. The writing changes in the last chapter and is less diary and more authorial voice. Before I got to that point, I thought her main theme was about the power of art (and craftsmanship) both to elevate and to abase -- those who were elevated were Theo (though he's a bit conflicted about it), Audrey, Welty, and Samantha. The others used works of art mainly for profit. Tartt depicts (through Theo's eyes) stark contrasts between a dystopian world without art appreciation and an rarefied one where it's loved and appreciated. I enjoyed the book, though I'm curious why it's on the list. Would love to know what others think of it.

[Frances]

Finished The Brothers Karamazov. Finally! I can check that off my bucket list. Moving The Remains of the Day higher up on that list now...

[Edgar]

Finished Amok and Other Stories by Stefan Zweig. What a command of language with which the obsession and passion for a woman are described, even if it is an awkward, outright terrible story behind the magnificent presentation.

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees]

Deborah wrote: "Hi everyone,
I'm new to the group and hope I've found the correct list -- it's dated 2018 and contains "The Goldfinch" which I just finished reading. I don't think I'm giving away any spoilers her..."

Welcome Deborah!

[Deborah]

Bryan--Pumpkin Connoisseur wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Hi everyone,
I'm new to the group and hope I've found the correct list -- it's dated 2018 and contains "The Goldfinch" which I just finished reading. I don't think I'm giving away ..."
Thank you!

[Joy D]

Finished this story of triumph over adversity:
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden - 4 stars - My Review

[Jess]

Finished The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

3 stars

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Diane]

Finished The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead.

[Sean]

Bryan--Pumpkin Connoisseur wrote: "Sean wrote: "Just finished The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. You were all correct. That was a great book that I will put toward the top of my list. Maybe not top ..."

The only other one I have read was Never Let Me Go I have enjoyed them both immensely and I look forward to all the others. I also hope that he does get the new on on the new update... whenever that may be...

[Sean]

Deborah wrote: "Hi everyone,
I'm new to the group and hope I've found the correct list -- it's dated 2018 and contains "The Goldfinch" which I just finished reading. I don't think I'm giving away any spoilers her..."

Hi Deborah. And Welcome. Very nice thoughts on the book. I was hoping to link you to the Goldfinch thread on the Specific Books section. But there does not seem to be one (yet) I am sure you will get some feedback to your thoughts if you start a new thread here.

[Sean]

Today I finished The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen. More in the group read thread.

[Karen]

The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster and The Inferno by Henri Barbusse

[Angie]

E. M. Forster Where Angels Fear to Tread

[Kirsten]

Karen wrote: "The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster and The Inferno by Henri Barbusse"

The New York Trilogy is good, but trippy.

[Diane]

Finished The Bells of Basel by Louis Aragon.

[Edgar]

Finished Troubles by J.G. Farrell

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees]

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

[Edgar]

I finished The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell and did not like it as much as Troubles.

[Maggie]

The Plague by Albert Camus. Interesting how much it resembles what we’ve been through this year. Not entirely the same, but some parts are uncannily similar. I’m assuming Camus wrote this based on his experience in WWII, which brings home how we’re really in a war against COVID.

[Diane]

Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin.

[Joy D]

I can see why this book is considered a classic.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston - 4 stars - My Review

[Karen]

Diane wrote: "Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin."

Just a bit of trivia I came across while reading one of Oscar Wilde's plays -- Charles Robert Maturin was Wilde's great-uncle. After Wilde got out of prison he wandered around Europe using the name Sebastian Melmoth from his great-uncle's book.

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees]

That's interesting--I didn't know what the Melmoth/Wilde connection was, but I'd heard of it before. Thanks for clearing that up!

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees]

Le Petite Prince: Illustré, The Bluest Eye, and The Time Machine. I keep forgetting to come back here and mention I finished.

[Diane]

Karen wrote: "Diane wrote: "Melmoth the Wanderer by Charles Robert Maturin."

Just a bit of trivia I came across while reading one of Oscar Wilde's plays -- Charles Robert Maturin ..."

Oh, wow, I hadn't heard that before. Thanks for sharing!

[Diane]

Finished Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset.

[Mia]

The Shadow-Line by Joseph Conrad.

[Peter]

Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. I can see quite why it is on the list but I personally found it disappointing.

[Diane]

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami.

[Sean]

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin. A fantastic book. Beautifully emotional.

[Joy D]

Finished:
Passing by Nella Larsen - 4 stars - My Review

[George P.]

Joy D wrote: "Finished:
Passing by Nella Larsen - 4 stars..."

Coincidentally, I also finished Passing today and rate it 4 stars. Larsen had a remarkable fluency with language.

I also finished Our Mutual Friend by Dickens a few days ago (4th longest book of my life, but worthy of the time).

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees]

Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham

[Karen]

The Inferno by Henri Barbusse and The Invention of Curried Sausage by Uwe Timm (I really enjoyed this one!)

[Maggie]

Ulysses. Whew!

[Kirsten]

Maggie wrote: "Ulysses. Whew!"

Congratulations!! You did it!!

[Maggie]

Kirsten "keep calm there are only 46 days left" wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Ulysses. Whew!"

Congratulations!! You did it!!"

Thank you! I'm amazed I did! It's so difficult to rate this. Some chapters I absolutely loved and some I really hated.

[Kirsten]

Maggie wrote: "Kirsten "keep calm there are only 46 days left" wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Ulysses. Whew!"

Congratulations!! You did it!!"

Thank you! I'm amazed I did! It's so difficult to rate this. S..."

Well, I'm impressed. I don't even have the guts to start it.

[Maggie]

Kirsten "keep calm there are only 46 days left" wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Kirsten "keep calm there are only 46 days left" wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Ulysses. Whew!"

Congratulations!! You did it!!"

Thank you! I'm amazed I did! It's so difficult ..."

Usually I'd say just do it, but with Ulysses I feel you get more out of it if you really sit down with it and study it lovingly, carefully and slowly. Which I initially did, but I admit I got lazy (or distracted by other things) after a while. If you ever find yourself with long stretches of free time, it'll be a perfect time to read it.

[Mia]

I finished Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco.

[Diane]

Finished The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch. Amazing!

[Nike]

I just finished The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway! So beautiful 🐟🐬🦈

[Aileen]

It took me five months but I've finished 2666 by Roberto Bolaño. It was a strange but amazing read.

[George P.]

Aileen wrote: "It took me five months but I've finished 2666 by Roberto Bolaño. It was a strange but amazing read."

I'm reading Bolano's The Savage Detectives now, it's strange also.

[Kathy Jo]

A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. A clever, albeit shockingly humorous touch of social satire.

[Diane]

Finished Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe.

[Aileen]

George P. wrote:
I'm reading Bolano's The Savage Detectives now, it's strange also."

I'm still looking out for that one, what an incredible mind Bolano must have had.