Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Which LIST book did you just finish?
Looks like a lot of us have just finished A Town Like Alice and all have a high opinion of it. I lost myself in the book so thoroughly that I stayed up until 8:30 this morning to finish it..just couldn't seem to put it down long enough to go to sleep. Might regret that later in the day.
Anne wrote: "Bea wrote: "I just finished A Town Like Alice, something I probably wouldn't have picked up without the List and a random number generator.The book gets a big five stars from me. I..."
I am in the midst of that book right now. It is great.
I have A Town Like Alice in my bookcase, but haven't read it yet. From what you say, it sounds great. I've read a book by Shute which is not on the list, but should be, called On the Beach. I strongly recommend it!
I JUST finished The Black Dahlia. I gave it a 3 star rating & wrote a short review. Pretty good book, but don't read it at night, it's enough to give you nightmares. That poor girl....
Just finished my first Ian McEwan - Amsterdam. Short novel and really well written but I'm wondering if some of his other novels are better.
Read A Town Like Alice years ago and loved it, I also love the black and white film.Nearing the end of the lusiads by Camoes.
Anne wrote: "Bea wrote: "I just finished A Town Like Alice, something I probably wouldn't have picked up without the List and a random number generator.The book gets a big five stars from me. I..."
I also loved this book, a great reading in my opinion.
Lauli wrote: "I have A Town Like Alice in my bookcase, but haven't read it yet. From what you say, it sounds great. I've read a book by Shute which is not on the list, but should be, called [book:O..."There is an excellent film version of "A Town Like Alice" with the same name.
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. Brilliant - very highly recommend this to all you who have not read it yet!
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. A sad beautiful book about futility. I'm not going to rely on my random number generator for the next one. I need something light next.Better yet, maybe I'll watch the film version of "A Town Like Alice."
Within the last 2 weeks I have completedThe Razor's Edge, (loved it!); The Count of Monte Cristo, V1(wonderful!); The Hours; and The Picture of Dorian Gray(wonderful!)
Over the weekend I finished Frankenstein, Rameau's Nephew, Notes from the Underground, and Pierre and Jean. I would recommend all of them and liked Pierre and Jean the most of the four. They were all ok to good, in my opinion.
Personally I have read both Amsterdam and Saturday and have been rather disappointed with both but own a copy Atonement so will probably give him one more go. I just think that he puts too much detail in his stories which then makes them feel ponderous.
Burmese Days by George Orwell. Okay, but I wish I had found it more engaging. I don't think these characters will leave a lasting impression.
4evagreen wrote: "Personally I have read both Amsterdam and Saturday and have been rather disappointed with both but own a copy Atonement so will probably give him one more go. I just think that he puts too much det..."Do read Atonement! I think it's his best.
Just finished The Go-Between, and I loved it. I must confess to a weakness for coming-of-age stories, such as The Catcher in the Rye, Huck Finn or Great Expectations. This one definitely belongs in that club, not just for the theme, but because it is as beautifully written as they are.
4evagreen wrote: "Things Fall Apart. A fascinating counter-balance to Joseph Conrad and his like."I agree!
It's taking me longer to read Moby-Dick than I thought it would. Though I'm hoping to finish it soon.
Marialyce wrote: "Finished A Town Like Alice."And do you feel like you need a nice, cool drink of water or iced tea?
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Marialyce wrote: "Finished A Town Like Alice."And do you feel like you need a nice, cool drink of water or iced tea?"
I know I am definitely in the minority here, but (saying ashamedly), I did not like it except for the beginning. :(
It's OK, Marialyce. You're starting one that I didn't like at all and everyone else thinks is great!
Just finished Kafka's The Trial and I'm almost finished Franzen's The Corrections. The Trial was like a scary nightmare. Weirder and weirder things keep happening. Super surreal, like you lose tough with reality just reading it. And the portrayal of the law as this nonsensical thing that no one, least of all the people who administer it, understands, is chilling. So I would say, not exactly "enjoyable" but totally amazing and creepy in its way.
I will leave a full review of The Corrections for later, when I have actually finished it. :-)
Finished Goodbye to Berlin. It was good, but not as good as the film "Cabaret" which is based on it and is one of my all-time favourites. An interesting account of pre-war Berlin and the conditions and social environment that led to the rise of Nazism.
Lauli wrote: "The Jungle. I was really hooked on the story of Jurgis Rudkus and his family, I suffered along with them, and was terribly disappointed to find that Sinclair devoted all the last part ..."I felt the same way about The Jungle. In the beginning I felt it was a great book but, sadly, the last part just ruined the experience for me.
I just finished Lord The Flies and reviewed it - if you could call what I said a review! Meh, Meh, Meh.Added onto my 1001 journal - apologies for the quality of pictures, heres hoping my camera gets better soon!
http://bookbebeautiful.blogspot.com/
Megan wrote: "Finished Slaughterhouse-5. It was an interesting read."I love Kurt Vonnegut, I can't wait to start this.
Finished Dr Faustas by Mann, quite slow going and probably not my favourite of his books on the list.
Just finished Mansfield Park. I am still trying to decide if I liked it or not. (As compared to other Austen novels.)
FINALLY finished Moby-Dick~!!Yay for the whale's revenge!!
A whaling ship lead by a revenge-crazied Captain Ahab,
who wishes to hunt down Moby Dick the white Sperm whale that
took his leg.
While I quite liked some of the human characters, some like Ahab, I thought where a bit pathetic. I mean he kills whales, and one took his leg so he thinks he must go all round the globe to kill it?
All that aside I liked the story parts of the book.
The detailing in some of the chapters was amazing, and it is interesting to see what we have learnt about whales since then.
The adventure elements were also very well done, you felt like you really were there with the sea-spray hitting you.
I just finished Dracula. I enjoyed it, but it was a bit dry in places-- it seemed like it took them SO LONG to find the Count.
Miranda wrote: "I just finished Dracula. I enjoyed it, but it was a bit dry in places-- it seemed like it took them SO LONG to find the Count."
Hey Miranda...I was very disappointed in this story, I think that I was expecting a lot more then what I got.
Hey Miranda...I was very disappointed in this story, I think that I was expecting a lot more then what I got.
I have just finished Rebecca. I absolutely loved it!!! The twist that comes in the center was totally not what I was expecting, I would recommend it!!!!
Miranda wrote: "I just finished Dracula. I enjoyed it, but it was a bit dry in places-- it seemed like it took them SO LONG to find the Count."Oh Man... I LOVE that book. Creepy, creepy, creepy... so many of the images still stick in my mind, the writing is really visual.
Jen wrote: "Just finished Mansfield Park. I am still trying to decide if I liked it or not. (As compared to other Austen novels.)"Mansfield Park was by far and away my least favorite Austen. Fanny Price is dull, dull, dull.
Teri-lynn wrote: "I have just finished Rebecca. I absolutely loved it!!! The twist that comes in the center was totally not what I was expecting, I would recommend it!!!!"Sounds great!! I'm really hoping to pick this one up before the end of the year!
Trying to read through all of Stewart O'Nan. I heard him speak at the American Librarians annual conference in San Diego the week after my third novel was released earlier this year. Just read Snow Angels, an older one of his. I've been passing around my galley copy of Emily Alone, and the bookstore in Crozet, VA says he has a new one coming early in 2012. I need to work faster with mine.
Sarah wrote: "...the bookstore in Crozet, VA says ..."I knew I recognized that town.. :D from the Rita Mae Brown series of Mysteries. :D Really funny. Thank you! I never knew whether it was a real city or not.
It's a dear little village in foothills of Virginia. And Rita Mae Brown has a new book too. The two sisters who run Over the Moon Bookstore are great at recommendations and they scheduled me for an author event the day after they heard my NPR interview, which made me feel ever so wonderful. Sorry I missed the thread link to The LIST. I've been on the road with book events in NY and was trying to catch up on my internet links. I will have to read some Vonnegut next as my friend Charles Shields has just released his new book, a bio of Vonnegut.
Charity wrote: "Teri-lynn wrote: "I have just finished Rebecca. I absolutely loved it!!! The twist that comes in the center was totally not what I was expecting, I would recommend it!!!!"
Sounds g..."
Please do Charity...It is an amazing book!!! I don't want to tell you anymore then that!!!!
Sounds g..."
Please do Charity...It is an amazing book!!! I don't want to tell you anymore then that!!!!
I just finished The House of the Seven Gables. Interesting, sad, kind of creepy, made you really feel sorry for the characters. I can't call it a horror story, even with all the ghosts, the curse, & the murders, but I can't call it a romance either, even though Phoebe & Holgrave fall in love. I guess I would call it a drama, but a rather melancholy one.
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The book gets a big five stars from me. I..."
Yes, the novel was a total "you are there" experience. I'll take that feeling of losing myself in a story over high art anytime. And it's so rare.