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

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message 5001: by Ashley (new)

Ashley Just finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip Dick. Short read, very interesting.


message 5002: by Amanda (new)

Amanda | 191 comments I finally finished Clarissa. That is the longest book on the list. My edition had over a million words!


message 5003: by Karina (new)

Karina | 401 comments Ashley wrote: "Karina wrote: "Just finished A Room With A View by E.M Forster and I absolutely love it. I lost power here in Rhode Island due to Irene so I plan on getting lots of reading done!"

I just finished ..."


I enjoyed
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. Short read, quite strange and it left me wanting more but a nice quick read.

I just finished Persuasion by Jane Austen. I enjoyed it but not as much as Pride and Prejudice but Austen never disappoints me.


message 5004: by Lisa (new)

Lisa James (sthwnd) | 352 comments Just finished Rabbit Redux. Gave it a 3 star. Not exceptionally good, but not horrifically awful either. Have to double check to see if the other 2 are on the list. If they aren't, I have no interest in reading them. If they are, then I'll read them before I forget the characters & the storyline.


message 5005: by Kristine (new)

Kristine (leggygal) | 52 comments Just finished "Mrs Dalloway" it was a hard slog for me, i just can't get into the work of the Woolf


message 5006: by Shay (new)

Shay | 71 comments Lisa wrote: "Just finished Rabbit Redux. Gave it a 3 star. Not exceptionally good, but not horrifically awful either. Have to double check to see if the other 2 are on the list. If they aren't, I have no in..."

There are four in total in the Rabbit series. Three are on the list: Rabbit, Run, Rabbit Redux, and Rabbit Is Rich. (In order) The final book Rabbit at Rest is not a list book.


message 5007: by Chel (new)

Chel | 380 comments I finished four short list books over the weekend, two by two of my favorite authors, Conrad and Wharton. The Shadowline: A Confession by Conrad was terrific and about incidents aboard a sailing ship in the Far East. Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton was very good and a nice description of two sisters in New York City. The other two I read were the absurdist A Tale of a Tub by Swift which I liked but many may not because of the numerous digressions, which is part of the point of the book. It was average. The Life and Times of Harriet Frean by May Sinclair was a nice life portrait of a woman and how choices made change a person's future and those of others. I recommend all four.


message 5008: by Becky (new)

Becky (munchkinland_farm) | 248 comments The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - audio version - took me some time to get through it as the narrator's voice was so soothing I would immediately drop off to sleep! Quite compelling although the fragile females were a bit tiresome - too many headaches and swooning and taking to their beds!


message 5009: by Chel (new)

Chel | 380 comments I also finished The Devil's Pool which is on the 2008 list not the 2006 one so I thought I had read it without it being a list book but it is. It was great, is by George Sand, and is about a peasant farmer seeking a wife in southern France and outlines customs of the people in that time period of oxen and ploughing. It was a great book.


message 5010: by Yrinsyde (last edited Sep 06, 2011 01:44AM) (new)

Yrinsyde | 295 comments Of Mice and Men. I first read this as set reading in high-school - I would have been about 14-15. I don't think it would have been set reading if the teachers understood what a glove full of vaseline was about. It totally went over my head at the time and when I read that 'keeping his hand soft for his wife' I was a little shocked. Not that I disliked the novel because of that. It made me feel very very sad and I had tears in my eyes. I know a disabled person and people in Lennie's condition (did he have Downs?) need close supervision. And I knew that his ending had to happen the way it did because of the state of asylums at the time was worse than death. Poor poor George!


message 5011: by Ellen (new)

Ellen (karenvirginiaflaxman) | 26 comments Yrinsyde wrote: "Loved Cold Comfort Farm!!! It was just delicious and I revelled in it. I loved the names of the farm animals and the discussions about sex and inhibition (of course young women are ...) and of cour..."

I read "Cold Comfort Farm" for a group read here on Goodreads, and really enjoyed it. Such a great spoof on the stereotypical Victorian novel, with wonderfully drawn characters and a great deal of humor. I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did, Yrinsyde.


message 5012: by Dan (new)

Dan Edwards (sped) | 15 comments Shay wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Just finished Rabbit Redux. Gave it a 3 star. Not exceptionally good, but not horrifically awful either. Have to double check to see if the other 2 are on the list. If they aren't,..."

Well, there is also a novella, called "Rabbit Remembered" that shows up in Updike's "Licks of Love" collection. If you're gonna read the four novels, you should probably read this too. It brings a little more into the overall story.


message 5013: by Cindy (new)

Cindy (newtomato) | 195 comments The Summer Book by Tove Jansson. Short, sweet and fantastic.


message 5014: by Chel (new)

Chel | 380 comments Diary of a Nobody. It was great and funny. A character reminded me of Ignatius Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces, which is a good thing. Very British in feel too.


message 5015: by Tatiana (new)

Tatiana (tatiana_g) The Cement Garden. It was alright. Can't say it blew my mind. Not the best McEwan's work.


message 5016: by Shay (new)

Shay | 71 comments Dan wrote: "Shay wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Just finished Rabbit Redux. Gave it a 3 star. Not exceptionally good, but not horrifically awful either. Have to double check to see if the other 2 are on the list. If..."

Thanks, Dan. Where does it occur within the series? Is it a prequel or does it occur between two of the books? Or after the whole series. I've read all four books. I just did a reread of the first 3, but I've never been partial to the last one.


message 5017: by Rachel (Sfogs) (new)

Rachel (Sfogs) | 226 comments Yrinsyde wrote: "Of Mice and Men. I first read this as set reading in high-school - I would have been about 14-15. I don't think it would have been set reading if the teachers understood what a glove full of vaseli..."

I was crying sooo much when I finished it. Though I had thought something similar would happen the Nurse was just too cruel.


message 5018: by Rachel (Sfogs) (new)

Rachel (Sfogs) | 226 comments I've just finished reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I liked this book alot more than I thought I would, though it was a bit long winded and Frankenstein I found to be a bit silly at times, I mean what WAS he expecting creating a creature of 'spare bits' of dead people?


message 5019: by Max (new)

Max (maxbob) I've just finished Rasselas (Samuel Johnson) after reading A Prayer For Owen Meany (John Irving). Owen Meany blew me away and I absolutely loved it, whilst Rasselas reminded me of Siddhartha but fell short of expectations for me.


message 5020: by Craig (new)

Craig | 241 comments Made my way through Melmoth the Wanderer by Maturin with a decent pace and came away thinking it is the best gothic fiction I have read thus far. Much better than Udolpho.


message 5021: by SusannaW (new)

SusannaW (susannauk) | 4 comments Just finished the amazing Wuthering Heights. I may need to lie down for a while.

No idea now what I feel like reading now - I need something less traumatic.


message 5022: by [deleted user] (new)

The virgin suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides


message 5023: by Bea (new)

Bea | 110 comments I finished What a Carve Up by Jonathan Coe. A withdrawn young writer is hired to write a biography of the Winshaw family, whose members embody the various vices of the Thatcher years in Britain. I listened to the audiobook and it was hard to get into due to the time shifts in the plot and the number of characters. Once I got past that, I thoroughly enjoyed the almost Swiftian satire and Dickensian pathos. Unfortunately, I thought the denoument was silly and the "prologue" (last part of the book) was a cop out. Nonetheless, I think it belongs on the list. The good parts were really good.


message 5024: by Danyellemastro (new)

Danyellemastro | 170 comments Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. This seems to split readers due to the 'racist' comments and observations, and whilst it is true a text like this would not be printed today, I think the way Conrad paints the picture of the agents and the company was delicate and well thought out. He captures the essence of a time we will never know, and transports us back to our own roots, however shameful or controversial they may be. It flows magnificently and is a quick and easy read.


message 5025: by Erik (new)

Erik I just finished Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. It was my first piece of Russian literature! It was also a beautiful text and semi-unique story/philosophy.


message 5026: by Sandi (new)

Sandi | 227 comments I finished Interview with the Vampire last night. I was somewhat disappointed because I expected to like this a lot, but instead ended up being bored through most of it.


message 5027: by Linda (new)

Linda JF Everything Is Illuminated. I had difficulty getting into it and almost abandoned it but stuck it out and found the ending quite gratifying.


message 5028: by Mina (new)

Mina | 8 comments Finished Never Let Me Go last night, I just finished watching the movie. To be honest, it was just ok. I actually kind of like Ishiguro's writing style, it made me actually pay attention. I just didn't really like the characters.


message 5029: by Danyellemastro (new)

Danyellemastro | 170 comments Silk - Alessandro Barrico, a joy!


message 5030: by Liz M (new)

Liz M The Lusiads by Luís Vaz de Camões

This translation made it an enjoyable, quick read with enough end notes to detail the oblique references to The Aeneid, The Odyssey, & Metamorphoses.


message 5031: by Deanne (new)

Deanne | 681 comments Finished The Counterfeiters by Andre Gide, really enjoyed this and Gide does weave a complicated web with reguard to the relationships within the book.


message 5032: by Ellen (new)

Ellen (karenvirginiaflaxman) | 26 comments Amanda wrote: "I finished THE WIND UP BIRD CHRONICLE by Murakami. I wrote a Review Haiku on my blog: http://deadwhiteguyslit.blogspot.com/...

Taking a break from the l..."


Which Woolf biography are you going to read, Amanda? The one by Hermoine Lee? If so, I think you'll really enjoy it. Lee's written some wonderful biographies and didn't let us down with this one. Let us know what you think about it. Thanks!


message 5033: by Logophile (new)

Logophile Liz M wrote: "The Lusiads by Luís Vaz de Camões

This translation made it an enjoyable, quick read with enough end notes to detail the oblique references to The Aeneid, The Odyssey, & Metamorphoses."


Thanks for the comments on the translation, Liz. The translation can make a world of difference when reading foreign-language books, especially older ones.


message 5034: by Lisa (new)

Lisa James (sthwnd) | 352 comments Just finished Tropic of Cancer Gave it 3 stars. For what is considered to be an American masterwork, I just wasn't 100% impressed.


message 5035: by Kerem (new)

Kerem Mermutlu Completely agree Lisa, I couldn't even finish that book.


message 5036: by Leah (new)

Leah | 2 comments City of Ashes i liked it waaaaay better than city of bones


message 5037: by Charity (new)

Charity (charityross) Leah wrote: "City of Ashes i liked it waaaaay better than city of bones"

Not a list book.


message 5038: by Jennifer W (new)

Jennifer W | 251 comments Watchmen by Alan Moore. Better than the movie, though it may have packed a larger punch because I was reading it right before September 11th.


message 5039: by Liz M (new)

Liz M Herzog by Saul Bellow gets better after a very slow beginning, but I may not be well-educated enough to really get this book -- a lot of the letters Herzog writes are to philosophers & i suspect if I was vaguely familiar with their work, the letters (and the book) would be more interesting.


message 5040: by Elizabeth (new)

Elizabeth (elizabeth8921) | 3 comments Cindy wrote: "The Summer Book by Tove Jansson. Short, sweet and fantastic."


The Summer Book by Tove Jansson Absolutely loved this book. Wonderful illustrations too!


message 5041: by El (new)

El Finished Cryptonomicon yesterday. I believe it was on the first list but was ultimately pulled.


message 5042: by SusannaW (last edited Sep 12, 2011 03:54AM) (new)

SusannaW (susannauk) | 4 comments Just finished Jekyll and Hyde. To be honest, it was a bit tedious and dry.

I can see it has its value in literary history, but just glad to get it out of the way.


message 5043: by Yrinsyde (new)

Yrinsyde | 295 comments I just finished The Story of Lucy Gault. A strange but moving story - ineffective people making a situation worse by assumptions ... and the result being a person who accepts fate without trying to change circumstances. At times, the main character annoyed me by her passiveness. Despite this though, I thought this a finely crafted story in sparse prose that conveyed many emotions. I certainly believe that Trevor deserves his 'master storyteller' status.


message 5044: by Elizabeth (Alaska) (new)

Elizabeth (Alaska) Yrinsyde wrote: "I just finished The Story of Lucy Gault. A strange but moving story - ineffective people making a situation worse by assumptions ... and the result being a person who accepts fate without trying to..."

Nice! Have you read any of the other of his that are on the list? Are these also recommended?


message 5045: by Dana (new)

Dana | 9 comments I finished "Jane Eyre" and now I'm reading "Aesop's Fables".


message 5046: by Dana (new)

Dana | 9 comments Erik wrote: "I just finished Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. It was my first piece of Russian literature! It was also a beautiful text and semi-unique story/philosophy."

That was my first piece of Russian literature too! I thought I would hate it but wound up liking it.


message 5047: by Linda (new)

Linda JF The Bell Jar. I liked it much more than I was expecting to. I guess it can be considered an autobiographical novel, having so many parallels to Plath's own life.


message 5048: by Rachel (Sfogs) (new)

Rachel (Sfogs) | 226 comments I've just finished The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. A very usual story full of dark humour. I really quite enjoyied it!


message 5049: by Craig (new)

Craig | 241 comments Ivanhoe by Scott. Fast paced read with a good dose of adventure and some comedy.


message 5050: by Kelly (new)

Kelly | 30 comments I just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog which I found to be MARVELOUS! It is on the 2010 list.


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