Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Which LIST book did you just start?
Judith--There are several books on the list that I know I read in either high school or college, but that made little impression on me at the time (lots of dead white guys). I'm still debating on whether to reread them or just focus on stuff I haven't read.I'm about to start Middlesex and Empire of the Sun.
Stacie,You are my reading soulmate if you feel that way about Faulkner. I just get lost in his stories, and I've never read anything he wrote that I didn't get into. Of course, I'm a southerner, which helps; but he was just a superb writer any way you look at it.
Read on!
THANKS, DEBBIE. I feel better.I have a list of such reads that just didn't "take" when I first read them. All of them years ago except.....
"A Home At the End of the World" I read it not that long ago, and I cannot remember the plot! It's amazing! I must have sleep-read that one!
I think one possible negative of pressing reading goals is just reading so fast that we don't take enough time to digest and reflect on each book. At least I've recognized that a little in my quest for 60 to 100 this year. I think I maybe should be satisfied with 50 well chosen instead.
I've just started Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro. So far, I'm not interested...hopefully, it'll snag me soon.
Just adding that I DO remember "A Home At The End of the World" is about twentysomethings ending up in a manage a trois. That much stuck with me!
Hi Judith,I wouldn't call it a menage a trois. :-) I think it is a bit more complicated/simple than that (depending on how you look at it). I think it is an important book about the idea of "family" and "home" and how we so often have to make those things for ourselves. The plot itself I didn't find that important relative to the relationships between the characters so maybe that's why it didn't stick as well. I also saw the movie (which wasn't bad, but I didn't like the changes in the ending) which probably also helped.
I'm reading "The Razor's Edge" by W. Somerset Maugham. I've read several others by him & I love his storytelling style - twisty, twisty, twisty - reading his books is a pleasure and never a chore. Next up? Middlesex. My friend Stefani loaned it to me so long ago - I'm really ashamed I haven't gotten to it. I may overlap the two for a while. And ten other books, knowing me.
Yeah, I recognize what you are saying about "Home At The End of The World". It must have been a very distracted time in my life when I read it because this level of void in my memory is way out of the ordinary for me. I often forget character's names, sometimes get authors confused;but the blank I draw when I try to pull up these characters in my head is pretty complete.Tell me, did you think they were well-developed in the novel, Rebecca?
I just started "Storeys From The Old Hotel" written by Gene Wolfe. It's a collection of his short stories which happened to be published the year I was born, 1988.I'm taking a breather from his novel, "The Wizard Knight," because I've hit a slump and can't get myself to finish the last hundred pages or so. Hopefully this situation will work itself out soon enoug.
Hi Judith,Interesting question. I thought some of the characters were more well-developed than others, but I found the interaction between the main three characters most intriguing and it sort of made up for some of the lacking character development. I enjoyed the book more than the movie, although I have to say Sissy Spacek was FABULOUS as the mother. I would have liked to see her character developed more in the book.
Started on The Color Purple by Alice Walker this morning.
Did you end up sticking with it? I found that book very moving and thought provoking. I liked how he alluded to what was going on, but didn't elaborate or give too many details. Somehow, that made it all even more horrifying to contemplate.
Who me? I have only read about 20 pages, but I like it so far! :)
As for "A Home At The End of the World", I think I'll rent the movie!Thanks for the insights, Rebecca!
"The Blithedale Romance" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Started Empire of the Sun today. Started Emma a few weeks ago and it has been slow going. Also received The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime in the mail today. I'm pretty sure I'll finish both Empire and Dog in Nighttime before Emma. Sigh.
Just started Gone with the Wind. I've never read it or seen the movie, but so far I'm about 50 pages in and loving the Southern soap opera.
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. I read No Longer at Ease in the 7th grade (I think), so I'm thinking I'll probably get a lot more out of this book almost 20 years later, LOL.I'm going to try to get this done so I can hand it off at the Boston Area 1001 Meetup! :-)
I have still "just started" the big sleep by raymond chandler. I'm 100 pages in and struggling. I don't really feel like i've read anything. i am disappointed, because i thought i'd love this book. i just don't, and i am wondering if i should give up. here are 2 of many reasons why:"All right, I said. You have a key. Let's go in."
"Who said I had a key?"
"Don't kid me son. The fag gave you one."
"...I took plenty of the punch. It was meant to be a hard one, but a pansy has no iron in his bones, whatever he looks like."
Ok, I understand this was published in 1939. But such gross homophobia turns me completely off.
Any thoughts? I wasn't sure where to post this, so let me know if I need to move it.
I have just gotten into Emma by Jane Austen. I have also just gotten into Northampton Abbey by Jane Austen.
New to the group here, but I've been lurking for a while. Technically started it a while ago but set it down for a long time - Cider House Rules. I got about 1/4 of the way into it over a month ago and then my attention wandered. Finally picked it back up again recently. It's hard to explain why I'm taking so long to finish this since it is definitely not a difficult read - I find it enjoyable but it hasn't really sucked me in and made me feel compelled to finish so far.
After finishing A Razor's Edge, I was going to read Middlesex next, but I decided on a whim that I needed to read Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford instead.Cider House Rules is the only John Irving novel I really enjoyed, but I did really enjoy it. It has his trademark quirkiness without being completely fantastical like his other novels. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think of it in the end, Ladyfunk.
I know what you mean Kara but on the other hand, sometimes reading a story or character that you just really hate can be just as enlightening as reading about the ones you love or empathize with, no? I started and put aside that book just cuz I thought it was a pretentious load of crap but I wouldn't put down a book because the story or characters made me angry or disgusted. "Know thine enemy..." and all that;o) Just a thought!
Kara & Natalie, I'd be curious to hear whether you feel that, in this case, the author was expressing homophobia, or whether it is, rather, part of the character? Sometimes it's easy to get confused between the two, but, for me, it makes a difference. Regardless, I think it can be eye-opening to read about prejudice in older books - for learning about the everyday reality of prior times, it can't be beat. Also, if we refused to read racist, sexist, or homophobic books, there wouldn't be much of a canon left. It might be "101 Books" instead of a 1001.
Of course, this polarization of strength, masculinity, and machismo, versus homosexuality, femininity, and weakness is still rife today, and those crude words remind us that there is actually a lot of this exact brand of crudeness in movies and books today. And where it's not as crude, the ideas may still be implicit. Know thine enemy, definitely!
Of course, some books are just unpleasant to read, and I've put down quite a few in my time, so I would completely understand if you toss this one and start something else more your style.
Inder said:"Kara & Natalie, I'd be curious to hear whether you feel that, in this case, the author was expressing homophobia, or whether it is, rather, part of the character? Sometimes it's easy to get confused between the two, but, for me, it makes a difference."
I agree Inder; it makes ALL the difference. When we read things from the 40s we have to realize that the attitude towards the homosexuals and other races were what they were. A realistic portrayal of that doesn't put me off it just makes me darned thankful that things have changed as much as they have. Even if we all know there are still changes that need to be made. There are still raging bigots out there but they aren't the socially accepted norm as they were then. Even here in good-ol-boy central (also known as Oklahoma) I don't know anyone who seriously uses the word "fag" anymore. There are laws (that are actually often enforced, wow!) against hate crimes. Back then, they were considered justified by the majority. Nowadays we are still battling the much more insidious and subtle little versions of bigotry. "I don't mind blacks but I wouldn't want my sister to marry one." "I have lots of friends who are black/homosexual/middle-eastern/fill-in-the-blank but... " It's the "buts" that kill us, isn't it.
Anyway, sorry for the digression. Books that were for, by and about bigots, homophobes, whatever, that is another story. I really don't feel this is the case here. The fact is, in the 40s, a guy like Marlowe would, in all likelihood, have had those sorts of views about homosexuals. In fact, they handled it pretty mildly for the day. It was pretty amazing that Chandler even included any homosexual characters, really. Back then, more often than not, authors just avoided the subject or referred to it VERY euphemistically.
Sorry if I am off on any of my facts, it has been a long while since I read this book. I was really hoping for a great read and was so disappointed that I didn't even finish it. Well, about halfway through I just skimmed the rest and then read the ending; I can't stand to start a book and not learn the ending no matter how much it sucks;o) My problems with it was that the characters all seemed like caricatures to me. I love the private eye genre and I'm really thankful to Chandler for being one of the founding fathers of a really fun genre but boy am I thankful for the evolution of that genre. It wasn't just the homosexuals that were treated one dimensionally, it was the gangster, the nympho, the rich guy... all of them. That said, I still understand why it is on the list. If I was reading it now instead of in my 20s, who knows, I might actually enjoy it. Maybe later.
I just started Great Expectations. I decided I want to read it whether or not it's voted in for June. It seems really good so far.
Hi Natalie and Inder,Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments! They really made me step back and think about why I really disliked the book. Lol
I understand what you’re saying about determining who is the homophobe, the character or the author. To be honest, I really couldn’t tell. There was so little character development in this book. It was very difficult to gain any insight about who any of the characters were below the surface.
I think I overreacted to the homophobia thing, actually. Those two terms, “fag” and “pansy,” were both on the same page, within a couple of paragraphs, so I guess it kind of slapped me in the face. I have a roommate, and he’s one of the best people I have ever met, really. He’s a wonderfully sweet and thoughtful guy. But he uses the word “fag” to refer to all kinds of people and behaviors. It seems like whenever he has anything negative to say about anybody, he uses the word fag. When I was a kid my friends and I did that because we thought it was “cool,” but we didn’t even really know what the word meant. We just knew it was derogatory. My roommate is 18, and it seems like the word has made a comeback with that age group, which just makes me sad. So I think that page of the book hit a nerve on that day.
I found Chandler’s story to be pretty bland overall, and I really didn’t find any of the characters to be particularly intriguing. I kept mixing the 2 sisters up and would have to go back and reread to make sure I knew who I was reading about. That happened with a couple of the other characters also. Chandler didn’t really let me get to know any of them (including Marlowe) well enough to distinguish one from another.
I’m glad I finished the book, and I understand its significance to the genre. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. :)
I just started Dorothy L. Sayers' "The Nine Tailors". Lots of detail about English bell ringers, but interesting. I'm just getting to the good part -- the murder!
I liked the book, Kara; but it is definitely not for everyone. If you are still even mildly interested in Chandler, rent the movie versions of his books. My favorite was "The Long Goodbye". Great plot with lots of twists and turns.
Absalom, Absalom! - William FaulknerNow I see that several are already on my to be read pile. Other books themselves are not on my list but other books by the same authors are on my list.
Hello guys, love this group. I just started two books. "The Almost Moon" and "Last King of Scotland". I just ordered "Choke" and "Cocaine Nights" so i can keep up with our monthly books! Can't wait. Is May's book "Empire of the Sun"?
Angie
Without much enthusiasm, I embark upon yet another Coetzee book, Youth. I have a large stack I have to go through to separate list books from others, and Youth was the only one I immediately knew was a list book. Sigh.
Yelena, you must be a glutton for punishment. I had thought you had written off Coetzee after your previous disappointments. I'm finishing yet another Graham Greene book, Brighton Rock, which isn't as good as the past few that I have picked up but is at least engaging enough to keep my attention.
After I finish it this afternoon I will probably be moving on to David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest.
Logan,I figure I'll have to get them out of the way eventually; at least the awful book I'm about to read is about 170 pages, whereas the awful book you're about to read (smiles) is over 1000.
Good luck!
Infinite Jest is one of those books that has been recommended to me again and again over the years by people whose taste in books is generally compatible with mine. Still, the idea of plunging through 1000+ pages of a book and having it turn out to be dull/uninteresting scares me. I'll give it until halfway through before deciding whether to continue to the end.
I just started and am about to finish The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. I've been unable to put it down and it is a quick read. I was skeptical going in*, but I admit I totally love it.*having a child (and even more so an autistic child) narrator seemed a bit gimmicky and I didn't want a disappointment especially after loving Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I must relate well with children.
(I guess I don't know how to do italics here. If anyone wants to fill me in, I'd love to learn.)
I am on Northanger Abbey right now. Then I was going to read Emma right after that. However, I think that two Jane Austen books in a row might be rather daunting, so I think I shall break things up with Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot in between the two of them.
Leila, instead of the brackets, use < i > and i >, but without the spaces.
I just started The Master and Margarita and am totally loving it.
Yelena, have your read "Foe"? I'm willing to try that one after not liking "Disgrace" because it is on another list that I have more respect for than the 1001 You MUST...... I'd still like to hear what others have thought of it it before I make the purchase though!
Can anyone tell me if a DVD recording counts as a book? All my library has is DVD recordings of Aesop's Fables. Should I buy the book from the bookstore?
I am about to start Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett.
The Mezzanine by Nicholson Barker for book club. It seems to have gotten good reviews, generally. Anyone have any opinions?
I see that Waiting for Godot is listed above. That's another one I'll be reading for book club, but in November.
I see that Waiting for Godot is listed above. That's another one I'll be reading for book club, but in November.
I am ready to start reading Atonement by Ian McEwan.
Started The Feast of the Goat by Maria Vargas Llosa.
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Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
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this time around. Maybe I hallucinated reading it, but it's certainly been on my shelf for years!