Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Archives
>
Which LIST book did you just finish?
message 7601:
by
Anne
(new)
Jun 16, 2013 07:49AM
Invisible by Paul Auster. It receives mixed reviews. I really liked it - maybe that means I am twisted.
reply
|
flag
Just finished The Albigensis by Maturin, got confused for a short while over Simon de Montfort. In Leicester he's considered a hero, a university and the concert hall are named after him and he appears on the clock tower, he's the only one of the four statues I can name. In Albigenses he's a bad guy, but then it turned out that he was the fifth earl of Leicester, the Simon on the clock tower is his son,Simon de Monfort, sixth earl of Leicester, phew!!
Just finished The Great Gatsby. I really enjoyed it but I'm still trying to figure out exactly why... It's a novel filled with moods and sensations - despite it's short length.
I finished The Island of Dr. Moreau last night. I found the tone surprising, but that forced me to approach the theme from a different angle than I expected. I always fall into the trap of thinking Wells was a campfire story teller, but then he sneaks in some marvelous, eloquently framed ethical questions that we are still asking over a century later.
Just finished How the Dead Live by Will Self. I really disliked the first part, but grew to like it during the second half.
I just finished The Gathering by Anne Enright. It was okay. The story was quite different from what I expected. I enjoyed the way it was structured.
White Tiger. A good read. Nice in contrast to A Fine Balance. I would recommend them as books to read in close proximity to each other, due to some similarities in theme and setting, but yet marked difference in tone and style.
Just finished Anna Kerenina... Wow..... Wonderful! I had always expected that this was going to be a difficult read...far from it. Tolstoy has a wonderful style...so different than other writers in his era. I thought his descriptions were almost like a screenplay.... actors need only do what Tolstoy explained...and so much of the action takes place just in gestures or facial expressions. Put Anna on your MUST READ list!
Finished "Fifth Business" by Robertson Davies yesterday. Wonderful. Read it 30 years ago, or so. Now, I have to re-read the other two books in the trilogy.
Just finished City of God by E.L. Doctorow. I enjoyed how he examined the roles of religion and science in the 20th century, as well as most of the sub-plots.
The Accidental. Readable, so maybe 'enjoyable', but yet I feel like I was left in the end with nothing.
I was inspired by Stephanie "Jedigal"'s post about how rare are copies of The Crow Road by to see if my library owns it, and it did! So happily I read my first Iain Banks novel...
Sophia wrote: "I was inspired by Stephanie "Jedigal"'s post about how rare are copies of The Crow Road by to see if my library owns it, and it did! So happily I read my first Iain Banks novel..."Sounds like you enjoyed it! I'm about 1/4 of the way through it now. And of course, liking. I am definitely grateful to the list for bringing Mr. Banks to my attention. :o)
I just finished The Time Machine, I got it in installments via dailylit.com, but I ended up getting impatient and requesting more than one section a day! It was a very fun read.
Stephanie "Jedigal" wrote: "The Accidental. Readable, so maybe 'enjoyable', but yet I feel like I was left in the end with nothing."I agree with the feeling of being left with nothing when the book concluded. Does not inspire me to read anything else by the author as I was just glad to be able to check this one off.
Over the past year I have also read 1984 by George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Rand.. wrote: "I just finished "Great Expectations" by Charles dickens .. one remarkable novel, loved it"
Seems to me the real one...
Seems to me the real one...
Angelique wrote: "Animal Farm by George Orwell"
My next-to-read book...In Portuguese Edition..
My next-to-read book...In Portuguese Edition..
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This books is very powerful, despite it's small size. Highly recommend!
Finished "The Secret Agent" by Joseph Conrad. Really had a mixed reaction to this one. Some parts are great and then there are deadly dull stretches.
The Catcher in the RyeCatcher in the Rye - Salinger
If you haven't read this little gem in many years (like me), I recommend a re-read. I had forgotten just how amazingly well-crafted it was.
A Visit from the Goon Squad.This seems to be a book one really loves or really doesn't...I didn't like it, but "check," I have completed it.
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks.Wow! This book will not be for everyone, topic-wise.
It reminds me of 'The Lord of the Flies', though far better..
VERY WELL WRITTEN!!
I felt sorry for Frank, especially at the end of the book and
the plot twist at the end was completely out of the blue.
A fast read as well.
I recently finished The Yellow Wallpaper. I have heard so much about it. But, I was surprised to find it a short story rather than a novel. So, it was a quick read but I still can't quite figure out how I feel about it... At any rate, another one checked off the list, although it was so short it feels like I cheated somehow.
Mikela wrote: "The 13 Clocks. Almost feels like I'm cheating when I cross this one off as read."I know, I know!!!
I wish I could find a good used copy of his other title on the list. I wonder if it is out of print....?
Just finished The Lover by Marguerite Duras and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey. I enjoyed the latter more than the former.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Books mentioned in this topic
Troubles (other topics)This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen (other topics)
Sister Carrie (other topics)
Life of a Good-for-nothing (other topics)
The Singapore Grip (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jorge Luis Borges (other topics)Juan Carlos Onetti (other topics)
Flann O'Brien (other topics)
Clarice Lispector (other topics)
Vladimir Nabokov (other topics)
More...













