Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

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message 2802: by Nicola (new)

Nicola | 770 comments Ed wrote: "Finished I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (Why is this on the list? It's an autobiography.) #153

..."


There is no rule which says auto/biographical works aren't allowed. They are rarer but in there. Along with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings I have also read Out of Africa and Testament of Youth from the list.


message 2803: by Ed (new)

Ed Lehman | 122 comments Nicola wrote: "Ed wrote: "Finished I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou (Why is this on the list? It's an autobiography.) #153

..."

There is no rule which says auto/biograp..."


Thanks Nicola...I thought I had read that the list was all fiction...but I also remember reading the Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas which is also on the list and really is Gertrude Stein's autobiography.


message 2804: by Sandi (new)

Sandi | 227 comments Ed wrote: "Thanks Nicola...I thought I had read that the list was all fiction...."

The list is supposed to trace the history of the novel. At least that's the explanation for why there is no Shakespeare or Homer. But sometimes the list-makers break this rule. They even added an epic poem in 2008, The Lusiad.


message 2805: by Mia (new)


message 2806: by Mia (new)

Mia | 1196 comments And I finished Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen too. My favorite Austen book so far.


message 2807: by Dree (new)

Dree | 160 comments Just finished Treasure Island. My 3rd of 4 Stevenson books on the combined lists. I liked this one the best.


message 2809: by George P. (new)

George P. | 1402 comments Mod
Fugitive Pieces I liked it but didn't love it. There are certainly some well-written passages. The story could have been better I thought.


message 2810: by Kirsten (new)

Kirsten  (kmcripn) Just finished my 8th list book of the year, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, last night.

If I ever see Mrs Oswalt again, I owe her an apology.

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


message 2811: by Dianne (new)

Dianne (deemitchell) I just finished rameaus nephew, a short satirical novel in a conversational form. It was shirt but being a satire, still hard to read, never being sure what to take seriously and what was being poked fun at. I got through it, but a lot went over my head. Nit a favrite.


message 2812: by Wendy (new)

Wendy (wendyneedsbooks) | 154 comments Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "Just finished my 8th list book of the year, Great Expectations by Charles DickensGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens, last night.

If I ever see Mrs Oswalt again..."


:) :)

I also had that book foisted upon me as a high school freshman. I really need to reread it someday soon.


message 2813: by George P. (new)

George P. | 1402 comments Mod
Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "... Great Expectations by Charles DickensGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens, last night. If I ever see Mrs Oswalt again I owe her an apology"

I also finished Great Expectations tonight. My 21st "List" book so far this year. Several of us read it for the Classics W/O All the Class group read. I enjoyed it- it lagged in the middle but became more interesting again nearer the finish. Bleak House is still my favorite Dickens of the 6 I've read, though.


message 2814: by George P. (new)

George P. | 1402 comments Mod
Sandi wrote: "Ed wrote: "Thanks Nicola...I thought I had read that the list was all fiction...."

The list is supposed to trace the history of the novel. At least that's the explanation for why there is no Shake..."


Yes, there are a few exceptions, such as Schindler's List.


message 2815: by Diane (new)

Diane  | 2336 comments Mod
Finished A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute. One of my favorites so far.


message 2816: by Mia (new)


message 2817: by Diane (new)

Diane  | 2336 comments Mod
Finished Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.


message 2818: by Nicola (new)

Nicola | 770 comments The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - I can see why some readers find it boring, being inside the head of an autistic 'author' for the whole book might be considered slow. I found it interesting personally but I can see how it might grate a little.

The mystery itself was handled well; obviously the reader figures things out long before he does but that's what Mark Haddon wanted us to do.

3 1/2 stars


message 2819: by Frances (new)

Frances Macknight | 26 comments The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, I just finished. It is a disturbing journey Into the developing stages of mental illness in the fifties. Heartbreaking to realize the clutches the brain can fall into, but heartening to know there is much better medicine today. A brilliant novel.


message 2820: by Diane (new)

Diane  | 2336 comments Mod
Finished Dusklands by J.M. Coetzee.


message 2821: by Mia (new)

Mia | 1196 comments A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. One of the best books I've ever read!


message 2822: by Tyler (new)

Tyler | 207 comments Mia wrote: "A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. One of the best books I've ever read!"

I felt the same way after I finished this too!


message 2823: by Dianne (new)

Dianne (deemitchell) I just finished les liaisons dangerouse, in english translation, i was surprised how modern it wa. Very good epistolary novel. I usually struggle with them.


message 2824: by Aileen (last edited Jul 23, 2016 04:13AM) (new)

Aileen | 154 comments Tyler wrote: "Mia wrote: "A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. One of the best books I've ever read!

My favourite Dickens so far!


message 2825: by Nicola (last edited Jul 23, 2016 01:07PM) (new)

Nicola | 770 comments Silk - an extremely short and easy read. Nice enough but i have no idea why it ever made the list. There is nothing to it.

3 stars


message 2826: by Tasha (new)

Tasha | 83 comments Nicola wrote: "Silk - an extremely short and easy read. Nice enough but i have no idea why it ever made the list. There is nothing to it.

3 stars"


I felt the same way.


message 2827: by Kirsten (new)

Kirsten  (kmcripn) I recently finished A Dance to the Music of Time 1st Movement (A Dance to the Music of Time, #1-3) by Anthony Powell A Dance to the Music of Time: 1st Movement by Anthony Powell

Beautifully written, but I am still wondering why it has such a great reputation.


message 2828: by Meg (new)

Meg (thespectacledreader) | 37 comments The Reader. It was OK, but not great. Other than the fact that it deals with difficult issues, I'm not sure that it deserves to be on the list.


message 2829: by Tyler (new)

Tyler | 207 comments I finished Miss Lonelyhearts by Nathanael West this morning. It is a strange little novel. It's like Raymond Chandler mixed with Franz Kafka mixed with David Lynch.


message 2830: by Krista (new)

Krista | 2 comments I just finished The Catcher in the Rye and loved it! 5 stars


message 2831: by Vicky (new)

Vicky | 37 comments I just finished If Not Now, When by Primo Levy. I loved the book and gave it 5 stars.


message 2833: by Diane (new)


message 2834: by Bob (new)

Bob Kaufman (bobkaufman) | 689 comments Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. I can understand why this is considered a classic.


message 2835: by Nicola (new)

Nicola | 770 comments Bob wrote: "Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. I can understand why this is considered a classic."

I picked this up by accident when my attention was distracted as I took it from a table full of books. I was intending to purchase A Room with a View and I didn't realise my mistake until I was home.

The book gods obviously wanted me to read it.


message 2836: by Bob (new)

Bob Kaufman (bobkaufman) | 689 comments Nicola wrote: "Bob wrote: "Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. I can understand why this is considered a classic."

I picked this up by accident when my attention was distracted as I..."

Well, you better read it lest you suffer the wrath of the book gods. I'm not sure what that looks like but it can't be good.


message 2837: by Vicky (new)

Vicky | 37 comments Just finished All 12 books of Dance with the Music of time. It took me 3 months to finish approximately 3000 pages!


message 2838: by Kirsten (new)

Kirsten  (kmcripn) Congratulations! I've recently finished the first movement.


message 2839: by George P. (new)

George P. | 1402 comments Mod
Vicky wrote: "I just finished If Not Now, When by Primo Levy. I loved the book and gave it 5 stars."

I need to read a book by an Italian author soon for a team challenge I'm doing. Stimulated by your recommendation, I'm thinking of changing to this from my planned book, One, No One, and One Hundred Thousand by Pirandello.


message 2840: by Nicola (new)

Nicola | 770 comments A Prayer For Owen Meany - Very very enjoyable. It was a solid 4 star all the way through but the ending was so magnificently done that I decided it deserved a full 5 stars - a rating I very rarely give out.


message 2841: by Nicola (new)

Nicola | 770 comments Bob wrote: Well, you better read it lest you suffer the wrath of the book gods. I'm not sure what that looks like but it can't be good. "

Oh I did. I figured it was fated and after I had read it I offered up a fervent prayer of thankfulness.

This was long before the 1001 list had come into my life (probably it was even before it existed) so I thought that without that moment of inattentiveness I might never have encountered it.


message 2842: by Carol (new)

Carol | 104 comments Nicola wrote: "A Prayer For Owen Meany - Very very enjoyable. It was a solid 4 star all the way through but the ending was so magnificently done that I decided it deserved a full 5 stars - a rating ..."

I also loved that book. Read a very long time ago for me but still remember many parts, one of my all time favorites


message 2843: by Carol (new)

Carol | 104 comments have read:
A pale view of the Hills
Mao II
Surfacing
The Idiot
since I last posted, very pleased with all of them, quick reading and extremely well written.


message 2844: by Mia (last edited Jul 28, 2016 12:22PM) (new)


message 2845: by Amy the book-bat (new)

Amy the book-bat (batkisses) | 35 comments I finally finished American Psycho (it took me almost 4 months to finish because I had to keep setting it aside). I must say, it was not my favorite. So many gross scenes.

Is Memoirs of a Geisha on the list? I'm in the middle of it at the moment.


message 2846: by Kirsten (new)

Kirsten  (kmcripn) I think so, Amy.


message 2847: by Nicola (new)

Nicola | 770 comments Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "I think so, Amy."

Yes it is. It was on, it was removed and now it's back on it again.


message 2848: by Peter (new)

Peter | 443 comments Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Really enjoyed it.


message 2849: by Nicola (last edited Jul 30, 2016 11:30AM) (new)

Nicola | 770 comments Howards End - Offically a re-read but I didn't remember the story until I started it again.

Beautiful writing.

4 stars


message 2850: by Krista (new)

Krista | 2 comments Finished Watchmen. Great graphic novel with a compelling story.


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