Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Which LIST book did you just start?
Judy wrote: "House of Mirth by Edith WhartonI'm 204 pages into it and it is finally starting to become intriguing. I wouldn't say it was boring before because the description of early 1900s NY society was int..."
I love The House of Mirth and have reread it many times! Wharton's character portrait of Lily Bart never fails to intrigue me, and for some reason I always find this novel uplifting when I'm feeling blue (my blueness, I suppose, is detached from myself and sucked into sympathy with Lily and her downward spiral).... Still, I agree with you that Wharton's "omniscient" style is somewhat dated; it would be interesting to experiment with retelling the story from the first person and a contemporary heroine.....
Ex Lit Prof
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House of the Seven Gables. As of now, I am not a fan. Such a shame, because I really enjoyed The Scarlet Letter.
A Woman's LifeI just started it, i hope it will be good enough. :)
Tatiana wrote: "House of the Seven Gables. As of now, I am not a fan. Such a shame, because I really enjoyed The Scarlet Letter."I've read both and totally agree. I really liked SL as well, but not so much HoSG. Still, I would encourage you to see it through; it's not a total waste of time and at least it's not long.
Started The Hand of Ethelberta by Hardy and I'm amazed that unlike his others this doesn't appear to be a tragedy.
Tanya wrote: "Just started The Count of Monte Cristo.. Going to be reading this one for some time! But I'm really excited about starting!! :)"Me too - I'm really enjoying it! Which is unexpected because I don't normally enjoy "classic" books...
Really glad I picked it up :)
Started Summer in Baden Baden by Leonid Tsypkin, not at all what I was expecting but I am enjoying reading about Dostoevsky and his wife Anna.Also saw the film What A Carve Up which is the one mentioned in the book, very funny in places and can see what the book is based on, particularly the final setting.
I started reading Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier over breakfast this morning. Am only a few pages in but am starting to get the feeling I might have read this already...
I am reading A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. I started it back in June but I got distracted with other books and so I set it down for a while. I picked it up again yesterday and I just started where I left off, too lazy to read it from the beginning.
Just started another long novel from the mid-1700's, Peregrine Pickle by Tobias Smollett. Already read Roderick Random and had a great time reading it, so I am intrigued to see how this goes.
Just started The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Kristel wrote: "Just started The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams"I have a mental block about this book. Love science fiction/fantasy, but have never been able to make myself read this book. I'll probably end up loving it once I read it.
50 pages into The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which is very interesting so far, it's one of the new additions and I can tell I will quite enjoy this one.
I've just started Shalimar the Clown. Really good so far, and very easy to read.
Shay wrote: "Kristel wrote: "Just started The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams"I have a mental block about this book. Love science fiction/fantasy, but have never been able to make myself rea..."
Shay, you really should give it a go. I don't really see myself as a science fiction reader, but I loved this book...it is quite funny - and it is a quick read.
Shay wrote: "Kristel wrote: "Just started The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams"I have a mental block about this book. Love science fiction/fantasy, but have never been able to make myself rea..."
Shay - the audio version is wonderful! Some books are better narrated. Douglas Adams reminds me of Roald Dahl - a humorous yet cynical view of humanity.
The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing. So far, so good. Very dialogue heavy, which I enjoy.
Becky wrote: "The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing. So far, so good. Very dialogue heavy, which I enjoy."I hope you continue to enjoy this, Becky. I thought it was wonderful. Lessing has a great view of the world, I think.
I started Les Liaisons Dangereuses yesterday. Haven't gotten very far yet, and didn't have a chance to read it at all today, but I think I'll enjoy it once I get to spend quality time with it again.
I am now starting The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes. I am really looking forward to this and I hope it is a good read.
After a long break I'm reading The Catcher in the Rye. I know I'm old for this book, but I hope to find it somewhat good.
Masanobu wrote: "After a long break I'm reading The Catcher in the Rye. I know I'm old for this book, but I hope to find it somewhat good."You're never too old for The Catcher in the Rye!
Just started When we were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro but its not really holding my attention at the moment. I read Slaughterhouse 5 yesterday which was good but not what i expected.
Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "Just started When we were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro but its not really holding my attention at the moment. I read Slaughterhouse 5 yesterday which was good but not what i expected."I just finished that one, but didn't think it was on the list (must have been on an earlier edition). It was by far my least favorite Ishiguro so far--I still have the Unconsoled to go--but I still found parts of it enjoyable. He is one of my favorite authors I have read recently, but I don't think When We Were Orphans is his best work.
Lauli wrote: "Masanobu wrote: "After a long break I'm reading The Catcher in the Rye. I know I'm old for this book, but I hope to find it somewhat good."You're never too old for The Catcher in the ..."
Well, so far I'm liking it and I'm surprised. I had heard it was intended to resonate with angsty teenagers and though I can see where that is coming from, there is so much more to that book.
You were right :)
Drew wrote: "Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "Just started When we were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro but its not really holding my attention at the moment. I read Slaughterhouse 5 yesterday which was good but not what i expe..."Eek! You're right Drew, thanks for pointing out that its not on the list. (I have a bookshelf dedicated to 1001 books only and this one must have snuck on by mistake!) Glad it's not on the list cos' i'm still not loving it but i'll finish it anyway.
started Jack Maggs by peter carey. interesting so far. feels very different from Oscar & Lucinda.
Lauli wrote: "Enduring Love by Ian McEwan. 100 pages into it and it seems that it will be hard to put down."I've just started Atonement by Ian McEwan. I though Enduring Love was a great read but don't watch the film - it's rubbish!
Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "Lauli wrote: "Enduring Love by Ian McEwan. 100 pages into it and it seems that it will be hard to put down."I've just started Atonement by Ian McEwan. I though Enduring Love was a gre..."
Oh, I've already downloaded the film so I guess I'll give it a shot, at least five minutes! But a lot of people have agreed with you that it is rubbish.
Lauli wrote: "Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "Lauli wrote: "Enduring Love by Ian McEwan. 100 pages into it and it seems that it will be hard to put down."I've just started Atonement by Ian McEwan. I though E..."
It has Daniel Craig in his swim shorts... thats the highlight. All joking aside I think it is a difficult book to translate to film as so much of the action/perceptions of events are actually contained within the principle characters head and that is difficult to turn into a script.
I'm about 60 pages into Kazuo Ishiguro's "The Remains of the Day".
mark wrote: "started Jack Maggs by peter carey. interesting so far. feels very different from Oscar & Lucinda."Is Oscar and Lucinda good? It's been near the top of my TBR pile for ages but i keep avoiding it - i have the fear for that one for some reason.
Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "I've just started Atonement by Ian McEwan. I though Enduring Love was a great read but don't watch the film - it's rubbish!"Didn't realize there was a film version of Enduring Love. Can't imagine it being any good - but I didn't care for the book. Daniel Craig seems an odd choice for the lead (I'm assuming?)- I had in my head a more bookish, less attractive character. I mean, the character complains so often of being quite unattractive. =)
Started Elegance of the Hedgehog. I'm intrigued so far - the writing style is a lot more approachable than I had expected.
I'm new to the group, so I've only just started A Woman's Life. While I'm not exactly riveted, I am surprised to find it's a very readable book. I went in expecting it to be slow going (for some reason...)
Sissy wrote: "Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "I've just started Atonement by Ian McEwan. I though Enduring Love was a great read but don't watch the film - it's rubbish!"Didn't realize there was a film version of Endu..."
It is a fairly odd film. Rhys Ifans is in it though and he's good.
Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "Is Oscar and Lucinda good? It's been near the top of my TBR pile for ages but i keep avoiding it - i have the fear for that one for some reason..."nothing to fear! it is a rich novel and an excellent one overall. after scanning your reviews & ratings, i think you may enjoy it.
here's the review i posted:
technicolor & wide-screen in scale and spectacle, quirky and consistently surprising in characterization and incident. virtually a catalog of bizarre imagery, you-are-there historical detail, and way-off-center characters. so many beautiful sequences linger on in the mind, so many wonderful characters, such a surprising lightness of tone, such gorgeous prose....it all almost, but not quite, causes the reader to forget the bleakness at this novel's core. bleak, strange, compassionate, and finally, transcendent. oh the beautiful tragedy of it all!"
Loved Oscar and Lucinda! Highly recommend it!
Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "Lauli wrote: "Enduring Love by Ian McEwan. 100 pages into it and it seems that it will be hard to put down."I've just started Atonement by Ian McEwan. I though Enduring Love was a gre..."
Seen the film now. I don't know if it's such a bad film in itself, but having read the book, yeah, it is complete, utter rubbish. The story has been changed beyond recognition, and I hate it when they do that.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I just finished Tom Sawyer (not a list book) and realized that I've never read these books in correct order. I only read them as assigned books. I don't remember liking them as much as I'm enjoying them now. Sometimes having to read something makes them not as good.
mark wrote: "Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "Is Oscar and Lucinda good? It's been near the top of my TBR pile for ages but i keep avoiding it - i have the fear for that one for some reason..."nothing to fear! it is a..."
Wow - thanks mark - i will bump it up the reading pile. Epic review!
Finished the first section of Hallucinating Foucault. Thought this would be a major bore (maybe influenced by my dreadful memories of Foucault's Pendulum, probably the worst book in the list that I have read so far), but am pleasantly surprised to find that's not the case. I'm finding it very interesting.
Just started The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. This is the third of the new additions in the 2010 book that I've read in a row. Might have to move to something a bit old school next, I think.
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Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
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I enjoyed What a Carve Up, but I grew up in the 80's so I remember Maggie Thatcher the milk snatcher, and at the time of the miner's strike we were living on the border of Nottingham..."
Glad you enjoyed it - I think it is a book that depends on your knowledge and experience of the time period. I was too little to appreciate what was going on at that time I think (although sadly not too young to have to see what is going on today under the current Con-Dem government!)