Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Which LIST book did you just finish?
Borstal Boy by Behan, wasn't looking forward to this as I can't feel sympathy for the author. If anything I was disgusted that he seem to get off so lightly.As for W&P, brilliant book which I read in 3 days one christmas, definitely a re-read.
How the Dead Live by Will Self. Weird....very weird. It felt like a bit of a rollercoaster to me - like several books in one. At times, it was quite readable, at other times it felt like I was reading manic gibberish. Hard one to assess - I didn't love it, but sometimes I was totally drawn in.Also, that was book #50 on the combined list for me. Yay for arbitrary milestones! ;)
As for W&P, brilliant book which I read in 3 days one christmas, definitely a re-read."How come you didn't go blind?!?!
Tara wrote: "Also, that was book #50 on the combined list for me. Yay for arbitrary milestones! ;) "Yay! Without the milestones, the journey might seem overwhelming at times.
Just finished The Driver's Seat by Muriel Sparks. Interesting novella. Glad it was short because I don't think I would have enjoyed it if it was a longer book.
Lisa wrote: "I just finished Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende, gave it 5 stars & a review...."I enjoy Allende's books, but only two of them are on the 1001 list: Of Love and Shadows and The House of Spirits
Judith wrote: "Vathek by William BeckfordKnowing little about ancient Persia's mythology, I enjoyed the notes of this gothic tale better than the story. Beckford was quite a scholar!"
I enjoyed reading the notes as well - fascinating! Did you read about the writing of the book as well? Apparently, Beckford was neglecting to publish and his secretary went ahead with it without his permission.
Lauli wrote: "Of Mice and Men. Heartbreaking!"It was. It didn't make an impression on me when forced to read it at school but when I read it a month or so ago, I felt very emotional at the end.
I just finished A Tale of Two Cities. It was amazing! I've read four other Dickens novels but I think this is my new favorite.
I just finished The Female Quixote. My review is up on 1001everything.blogspot.com
Candide. My review is up on 1001everything.blogspot.com
In the past week I've finished The Virgin Suicides, Mao II, Out of Africa, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and The Hound of the Baskervilles
I just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog and absolutely loved it. I wasn't sure what I would find in this book, because I randomly pulled it off a library shelf and then realized it was a list book, but I devoured it and am pretty sure I have been forever changed since finishing.
Rasselas. My review is up on 1001everything.blogspot.com
Dana wrote: "I just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog and absolutely loved it. I wasn't sure what I would find in this book, because I randomly pulled it off a library shelf and then realized..."So glad you felt this way, which is exactly how I felt when I finished it.
I finished Jacob's Room two days ago and it was just ok. I felt it kind of rambled and didn't get to the point but you can also tell the author, Virginia Woolf, has good writing skills.
I've finished Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner.While I liked this book, it annoyied me quite a bit too.
I still don't see the relationship between the title and the story.
This book is like a mist-filled marsh. You wade through it for a long time, occasionally getting a glimpse of understanding, in a very foggy and confusing story.
The reason you are so happy when you finish it, is because you not only survived it, but understood a bit more by the end.
No 69: Finished Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue, which included the list book The Purloined Letter. Quick read, fairly interesting.
Finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall for our January group read. I think I like Anne Bronte's novels best of all Brontes', they have a more realistic feel to them.
The Woman in White and really enjoyed it!
Finished A Dream of Red Mansions, only took 4 weeks.
Caitie wrote: "I just finished Around the World in 80 Days. Fantastic read and my first Jules Verne!"Congratulations! You are so lucky to be reading such a great author for the first time!
La Reine Margot -DumasI love novels with a good villain. This one has it in Catherine de'Medicis.
Melissa wrote: "I just finished Northanger Abbey. That was a quick, easy and fun read."It was the first Jane Austen wrote, and they get even better!
Saturday by Ian McEwan. I'm not sure this will stand the test of time as well as some of the older books on the list, but it was definitely still very good.
I agree at least in part, Talia -- The Tenant of Wildfell hall started off really good. Nice gothic story with a great set-up. Then it kind of went off the rails.I just finished The Count of Monte Cristo. (Buss translation - it's not bowlderized, so I highly recommend it.)
Cindy wrote: "I just finished The Count of Monte Cristo. (Buss translation - it's not bowlderized, so I highly recommend it.)"That is probably my all-time favourite book. Really excellent.
Just finished Line of Beauty and The Shadow Lines, both good for different reasons. Not a bad year. I knocked off 26 1001 books (1 was a re-read). My year: 1.) Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (rating = 4)
2.) A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka (rating = 3)
3.) Burmese Days by George Orwell (rating = 3)
4.) Rabbit, Run by John Updike (rating = 4)
5.) Rabbit Redux by John Updike (rating = 4)
6.) Coming Up for Air by George Orwell (rating = 3)
7.) Rabbit Is Rich by John Updike (rating = 4)
8.) Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell (rating = 3)
9.) Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley (rating = 3)
10.) Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis (rating = 3)
11.) American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis (rating = 3)
12.) The Life of Insects by Victor Pelevin (rating = 3)
13.) Faceless Killers (Wallander #1) by Henning Mankell (rating = 3)
14.) Invisible by Paul Auster (rating = 4)
15.) The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (rating = 4)
16.) Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky (rating = 4)
17.) On the Eve by Ivan Turgenev (rating = 4)
18.) Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh (rating = 4)
19.) At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft (rating = 4)
20.) Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (rating = 4)
21.) The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (rating = 4)
22.) Shirley by Charlotte Bronte (rating = 3)
23.) Chess Story by Stefan Zweig (rating = 4)
24.) The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (rating = 3)
25.) Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (rating = 4)
26.) The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst (rating = 3)
27.) The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh (rating = 4)
Just completed The Magus. I loved this book although in order to get the most from it one would have to invest considerable thought and study. It is not a casual read nor for the faint of heart and I can readily see why many would not appreciate it. The writing was excellent but it did seem that the story just went on at a snail’s pace in places. Fowles created magnificent settings, intriguing characters and proceeded to hold a mirror up to see inside ourselves. I am so glad that I found this book
The Witness by Juan José Saer, a fascinating, beautifully written story of one young man's formative experience as an unwilling guest of a foreign, unknowable indigenous tribe.
Squeezed The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells in (rating = 3) right before the NYE party. Quick read.
Just finished Operation Shylock by Philip Roth. Enjoyed the way it played with issues identity in the framework of what was basically a spy story.
"City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit" by Elmore Leonard. It's a shame this came off the list after 2006 because it's definitely one of his best.
I finished The 39 Steps by John Buchan on New Year's Eve. For those trying to pad their numbers, it is a very quick and entertaining read.
My reviews are brief and there are no spoilers. I just left Italy. The author is Italian writing about a Frenchman in the 1800's who travels to Japan repeatedly to buy silkworms as part of the silk trade of that era. There are terrific romances involved and a stunning moment of revelation. This is a brief 93 page work that was terrific, powerful, and concise in its use of language. Ultimately, it is a love story. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.
Just finished Tinker, Tailor. Nowhere near as good as The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.pleasanthillbookclub.blogspot.com
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Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
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Much better than I expected. Cooper's writing is slightly different than what I have been reading lately, of which are older novels. I anticipated the language to be more direct. Not so with Cooper. But I became accustomed to his style and enjoyed it very much.