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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Stacie
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Sep 15, 2008 04:36PM
I just completed Cider House Rules, which I loved! Irving has moved up in my "best authors" category!
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Just finished Isaac Asimov's Foundation. I really enjoyed it (a fun, breezy read), although I don't know if I'll be reading the rest of the series (which aren't on the list). Now I'm taking a break from the list to read Marilynne Robinson's latest, Home (I'm betting she'll be on the next version of the list). After that: A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich and maybe then, finally, Bleak House.
I just finished the first in the Hitchhiker's Series. I look forward to reading more of it. As a psych major in undergrad, and a philosophy Master's student, it made me laugh even more!I'm almost done with Cocaine Nights. At this point, I'm finishing it because I want to see what happens, not necessarily because I really care. It's just getting weird now.
Then I'm on to the Tipping Point.
Just finished Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. It was incredible, and I am grateful for this list--otherwise I probably never would have picked this one up.
Treasure Island - what a fun little read... and fast too. The pirate's dialogue is a lot easier if you read it outloud and pretend you are Johnny Depp.
Finished Wuthering Heights last night. Eck. What is so romantic about this spoiled girl who makes herself sick throwing a fit and this monster? Am I betraying my gender by hating Heathcliff?
Just finished Gone With The Wind, always avoided it thinking it was going to be wishy washy romantic rubbish. Loved it and realised that it's more about Scarlett and what she does to survive. Thought there would be more of Rhett in the book, and I was imagining him as Clark Gable with smaller ears. He was my favourite character of the lot.Also learned something of the American civil war, it's not mentioned in British schools as we have our own civil war to learn about. It was interesting to read a different perspective as I'd recently read Cloudsplitter which was about the abolitionists point of view.
Glad it was on the list or I would have missed it.
Melissa,This is funny! I disliked the book UNTIL the portion when Catherine became so ugly and self-absorbed. She is soooo comical. I couldn't fully appreciate the book until it got to the most comical of her character development. It's absurd, this book, but that's the only saving grace, as far as I'm concern. LOL
Deanna: I also recently read Gone With the Wind and I had a similar reaction: I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I certainly had exposure to American Civil War history as I was growing up, but GWTW is one of very few pieces of literature I have read that takes it from the confederate viewpoint (in particular, what it was like on the homefront). In American history classes you mainly hear about the slavery issue, but I hadn't thought particularly about what might happen to people at home during the reconstruction period, other than that it was a difficult period economically. Scarlett is certainly flawed but at the same time you find yourself rooting for her.If you enjoyed the characters, you might want to try one of the sequels: Alexandra Ripley's "Scarlett" and Daniel McCraig's "Rhett Butler's People." I've read the former, and though it certainly wasn't as good as the original, it gives you a sense of how Scarlett might "grow up" after the events of GWTW. The latter I haven't read yet, but I have heard that it doesn't recognize the events or characters in "Scarlett."
Melissa and Christie,I have to agree with you: Wuthering Heights is both absurd and not very romantic (or, imho, very enjoyable). It has a happy ending because all the main characters are dead. But even the living ones aren't that likable.
Stick with the other Bronte sister: at least the characters in Jane Eyre don't make you wish they were all dead.
Just finished "The Jungle" by Sinclare, hadn't read it since High School. It was better this time, but the ending was still WAY to preachy and uninteresting.
trainspotting, I loved it! Now reading "Fingersmith" and am just not sure if I like it. Hoping it gets better.
About Wuthering Heights, it was the first book that I read that I hated the main characters. However, that made the read that much more interesting to me. Catherine was vain and selfish, Heathcliffe was not so much "romantic" to me, but sad. I truly loved that book.
Denise,The only Thomas Hardy that I have read so far is Return of the Native, but I absolutely loved it. It is one of my favorite books of all time. At some point I plan to read all of Thomas Hardy, but there are so many books on my to read list that I don't know exactly when that will be. Anyway, I would recommend Return of the Native.
I also really enjoyed The Stranger.
Ficciones by Borges. Reminded me of Umberto Eco (but I guess that it is Eco that reminds of Borges).
Denise and Kevin,I LOVE Thomas Hardy! He is one of my all time favorites. Sorry to jump in the middle of the thread but did you guys already read Tess of the D'uerbervilles? That was my first Hardy and probably still the best - a MUST read for sure. Also The Mayor of Casterbridge was abs fantastic. Hardy is a wonderful writer.
I read Slaughterhouse 5 a few months ago, and I didn't really enjoy it too much. There were certain passages that I really liked, but I don't think it would ever be one of my favorites. Oh well, I'm glad you liked it!
I am throwing a party because I just finished Les Miserables. It took me four weeks. It was AMAZING. Anyone should read it, I don't care how long and intimidating it is.
I just finished, Letter To A Christian Nation by Sam Harris. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.. Before this I finished, A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Also a very good read.
Next up, Watership Down by Richard Adams
It saddens me to see that you (Dimitra) didn't enjoy such a amazing piece of classic literature. But then again.. to each his own.I loved Crime and Punishment
Impossible love. Ascher Levy's story
- just great Story about four generations of Levy family connected with history of Prussia, later Germany and Israel.
This week I finished Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe and The Hours and A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham.I saw Achebe on George Mason University's campus this week---very interesting man. I'm looking forward to reading more of his work.
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