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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The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. The combination of a nonlinear timeline and a large cast of characters made this one a slow start for me, but it was ultimately a rewarding read. 5 stars for me.
On Worstward Ho, I found this blog post quite helpful as pre-reading: https://astrofella.wordpress.com/2021...Once I started thinking of it as an experiment in minimizing the minimal, I enjoyed it though it still made my brain hurt. But I was intrigued to see how bare Beckett could really strip language, how close to nothing can it go and still exist.
No matter how close he gets, he can't get there! After all, things are never the worst (you aren't fully 'worstward') if you yet have words to say they are the worst. They are in fact only just worse. :)
Alice wrote: "Worstward Ho by Samuel Beckett
I don't think I'm smart enough for books like this."
The Kreutzer Sonata by Leo Tolstoy. For anyone else tackling this book, the Modern Library edition features an excellent introduction by Doris Lessing (though I read it afterwards).
started 2023 with A Sentimental Journey by Laurence SterneGoal this year is to work on the first 100 books in the combined lists - I've read about 30 of that group already.
The Circle by Dave EggersAn excellent novel!
This is a good pick for the 2023 Scavenger Hunt #7 (can be classified as genre fiction -- SF).
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath quick read!
I commute and enjoy some books on Audible. I chose the Penguin classic of The Picture of Dorian Gray read by Ben Barnes. Wow! Why did I wait so long? Wilde is brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Death in Venice by Thomas MannWhat a fabulous book! Five stars!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym. This was odd, but I loved it, and understand why it made the list.
I finished
translated by Donald Keene. Do yourself a favor and read this. It's a great read! This book is #6 on Boxall's list.
I finished The Hobbit by Tolkien.
. The Hobbit is #476 on Boxall's list.
Dead Air by Iain Banks. Enjoyable at times but also a bit vacuous.
Mod
Our Ancestors: The Cloven Viscount, The Baron in the Trees, The Non-Existent Knight) by Italo Calvino
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery -- Absolutely love this book!
I finished
... just okay for me, although I appreciate Fitzgerald's ability to "paint a scene."
I have read "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien about 5 times, and when I used to teach memoir classes I used that as a gorgeous example of the truth of memory - how it changes based on our experiences and perceptions and what we can bear to remember. A beautifully written book!!
Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
Books mentioned in this topic
Party Going (other topics)Kauneudesta (other topics)
Fugitive Pieces (other topics)
Nostromo (other topics)
Alamut (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Henry Green (other topics)Zadie Smith (other topics)
Anne Michaels (other topics)
Joseph Conrad (other topics)
Vladimir Bartol (other topics)
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The Wasp Factory
Evelina
Metamorphoses
Adam BedeHowards End
Martin Chuzzlewit
The River Between
Oliver Twist
Franny and Zooey
Walden
2001: A Space Odyssey
Journey to the Center of the Earth
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
The Thin Man
Agnes Grey
WHEW. Least favorite: The Thin Man, Contenders for favorite: Wasp Factory, Evelina, Adam Bede, The River Between, Franny and Zooey