Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Which LIST book did you just finish?
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Genia
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Sep 03, 2012 05:50PM
Just finished A Tale of Two Cities - a Dickens I actually enjoyed. He's still a pompous, melodramatic, self-righteous ass, so far as I can tell, but at least it was entertaining.
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Yes, it's astoundingly good The Monk, isn't it?
Adam Bede -George EliotEnded up enjoying this more than Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Bucolic settings with gentry ruining lives of young girls. But, Eliot seemed to humanize the characters more. I really cared for each character and their actions and understood their motives with clearer comprehension. I am definitely looking forward to more Eliot.
Just finishedThe Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Found it very entertaining, even though I felt like I was eating cotton candy instead of the substantive food I should be getting. Everyone needs dessert now and then though....
Finished Life of Pi. I had heard pieces of what to expect in the end but I wasn't really prepared for that. I really enjoyed the book overall.
Just finished Vanity Fair, and enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. I'm not usually a huge fan of this period, but Thackeray offers a clever satire of early nineteenth-century society which (worryingly) remains relevant today; think of all the Becky Sharps that populate contemporary popular culture... Moreover, and I think what possibly interested me most, Thackeray's tome also interrogates what it is to be a novel, with the metafictional interruptions destabilising and challenging traditional literary realism - which is never a bad thing!
Pereira Declares - Antonio TabucchiQuite enjoyable.
The Bell Jar and A Farewell to Arms. Both great but both extremely depressing.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo IshiguroI liked it but I have to admit I was hoping for something shocking at the end. He strings us along the whole time as though something is not quite right and I was just hoping for something more from the ending.
American Rust by Phillip MeyerAmerican Rust is by far the best book I have read all year long. Twenty years ago I was engaged to the son of a steelmill worker, and I still have college friends in the Pittsburgh area. I had to keep searching the web for when Philipp Meyer lived in the area because he captured the area and its people, in so many ways, perfectly.
Diane wrote: "American Rust by Phillip MeyerAmerican Rust is by far the best book I have read all year long. Twenty years ago I was engaged to the son of a steelmill worker, and I still have college friends in..."
Oh wow I will have to check that out being a Pittsburghian myself. Fully aware that I just made that word up.
Amanda wrote: "Oh wow I will have to check that out being a Pittsburghian myself. Fully aware that I just made that word up."Yay to Pittsburgh! Love the new word!
I didn't know that book had a Pittsburgh background. Definitely, making that one of the next ones I pick up.
Andrea wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Oh wow I will have to check that out being a Pittsburghian myself. Fully aware that I just made that word up."Yay to Pittsburgh! Love the new word!
I didn't know that book had ..."
Technically it is not Pittsburh itself but the rural Area South and Southeast of Pittsburgh. BUT it discusses all the steel mill closures in the past and the current loss of tech jobs to overseas outsourcing, and mentions places most folks familiar with the area would know such as Seven Springs and Vincent's in Greentree.
Enjoyed reading She by H. Rider Haggard. What a read! I recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Remember this one was written before 1900.
Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. Fairly average book with enjoyable moments but overall fairly nondescript.
I just finished Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. One word: ouch!
I really had to struggle to finish The Old Devils and resented most of the time spent reading it. The book had some merit but it really wasn't for me at this time. It was a huge disappointment as I so enjoyed Amis' Lucky Jim.
Sofia wrote: "I just finished Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. One word: ouch!"I'm currently reading that now. Should be fun!
Lichen wrote: "Sofia wrote: "I just finished Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. One word: ouch!"I'm currently reading that now. Should be fun!"
Lichen, it's gruesome but worth getting to the end!
Sofia wrote: "Sofia wrote: "Lichen, it's gruesome but worth getting to the end!"I kinda like gruesomeness so it should be good. No Country For Old Men was fucking fantastic so I'm really looking forward to this one.
Whew! I just finished The Brothers Karamazov and I have to say I'm proud of myself for knocking this one off!
Congratulations! That was one of my favourite Russian novels.
Also just finished Thank You, Jeeves, which was a fun book. I want to read the earlier short stories found in Carry on, Jeeves and others.
Finished Three lives by Stein, which I didn't think was that great.Also finished King Lear of the Steppes by Turgenev, short and sweet and a book I read in one go. Have found an appreciation for russian authors due to the 1001 list.
The Woman in White -Wilkie CollinsVery engaging, sensationalist, and I just enjoyed reading Collins' writing.
Craig wrote: "The Woman in White -Wilkie CollinsVery engaging, sensationalist, and I just enjoyed reading Collins' writing."
Craig, in that case try The Moonstone if you've not read it already!
Finally finished Madame Bovary by Flaubert. She is one of the top ten most unlikeable characters in literature (of books I have read) in my opinion.
Wow, I don't think I've heard a single kind word spoken about the character of Madame Bovary so I'm just going to have to move it up my TBR list and see if I agree. Most people also disliked Scarlett O'hara in GWTW but she was my role model, I loved her strength and knew that while Melanie was considered the ideal, I could never be that nice so why worry and try to be something I'm not.
I don't think you'll want to be like Madame Bovary.
Agreed. Bovary is highly unlikeable, very selfishly childish and quite a bore (not the book, just her as a character).
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I don't think you'll want to be like Madame Bovary."LOL
A friend from college recommended Madame Bovary to me telling me I would LOVE the book. So, I read it, and afterwards thought... "hmmm. what on earth does he think of me??"
Not trying to be controversial here but I did like Madame Bovary. She was just so unhappy I never blamed her for anything. I also thought she was clever.
Amanda wrote: "Not trying to be controversial here but I did like Madame Bovary. She was just so unhappy I never blamed her for anything. I also thought she was clever."I agree, Amanda. I just thought her character was shady, but I really liked the entire work itself.
Just finished "A Prayer for Owen Meany." I really liked it, but didn't LOVE it like everyone told me I would. Maybe it was unfair of me to only give it 4 stars, but it was built up so much to me, that I was inevitably a little disappointed.
Finished The Handmaid's Tale by Atwood last night. I have completed all the Atwood on the 2006 list! The Handmaid's Tale was my favorite, followed by Alias Grace.
Maryann wrote: "Finished The Handmaid's Tale by Atwood last night. I have completed all the Atwood on the 2006 list! The Handmaid's Tale was my favorite, followed by Alias Grace." wow. nice. The Handmaid's Tale was my first and and the best atwood for me also.
Just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog and I'm trying to understand how it made the list or even how it has received all the hype it has. I feel like I'm out of the loop on why this was a great book.
Just finished The Bridge on the Drina. While I can recognize it as an important book that did an interesting job introducing the foundations of societal and ethnic tensions in Bosnia, I found it to be a really tough slog. I liked the idea and respect the book, but it is not one I will revisit.
Andrea wrote: "Just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog and I'm trying to understand how it made the list or even how it has received all the hype it has. I feel like I'm out of the loop on why this was a grea..."I really enjoyed The Elegance of the Hedgehog. As far as the list is concerned, it seems to be quite subjective.
Susan wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog and I'm trying to understand how it made the list or even how it has received all the hype it has. I feel like I'm out of the loop on why ..."Love, love, loved The Elegance of a Hedgehog. Cried like a baby at the end.
Just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog o. My flight to Rome. Meh. It was okay.
I just finished The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. After a series of books that I either didn't enjoy or were just so-so, it was nice to finish this book and really be able to say I enjoyed it.
Ginny wrote: "I just finished The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. After a series of books that I either didn't enjoy or were just so-so, it was nice to finish this book and really be able to say I enjoyed it."That was one of my favourites!
Just finished a couple of short ones - "Metamorphosis" by Kafka and "The Stranger" by Camus. I liked them both.
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Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
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