Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

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message 1551: by Linda (new)

Linda Just finished "They Shoot Horses, Don't They" and "Death Be Not Proud" (not on the 1001 list). Both ended with someone dying - now I need to find a more uplifting read...


message 1552: by michelyn (new)

 michelyn (memechose) | 2 comments I just finished Atonement.


message 1553: by Dan (new)

Dan | The Ancient Reader (theancientreader) Just fiinished Animal Farm. Much lighter than 1984 despite the same basic message. What concerns me, because I see far too much of it today, is Orwell's portrayal of such a large percentage of 'people' unable or unwilling to think for themselves and thus easy prey to the rewriting of history by elitists interested in nothing but self-promotion.


message 1554: by Leora (new)

Leora | 40 comments Just finished Emma, I love Jane Austin.


message 1555: by Tom (new)

Tom (tommyro) Dan wrote: "Just fiinished Animal Farm. Much lighter than 1984 despite the same basic message. What concerns me, because I see far too much of it today, is Orwell's portrayal of such a large percentage of 'p..."

1984 is as perfect a depiction and perceptive analysis of the past 8 years as any book ever written. That's why Orwell is timeless.


message 1556: by Dan (new)

Dan | The Ancient Reader (theancientreader) Tom wrote: "1984 is as perfect a depiction and perceptive analysis of the past 8 years as any book ever written. That's why Orwell is timeless."

It's the next 4 years that have me more than a little concerned.




message 1557: by Dan (new)

Dan | The Ancient Reader (theancientreader) Just finished Breakfast at Tiffany's. Not quite what I thought it would be, but I liked it a lot.


message 1558: by Mike (new)

Mike Finished Sister Carrie. The book was a surprisingly easy read for a period piece.

Next on my list (and something completely different) is Less Than Zero


message 1559: by FromAna (new)

FromAna (fromanam) just finished Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
it seems I had the wrong idea about this one. It left a few questions about ones inner duality.


message 1560: by Yrinsyde (last edited May 03, 2009 10:34PM) (new)

Yrinsyde | 295 comments I finished reading Sense and Sensibility last week and finished Pride and Prejudice yesterday. I've now started on Mansfield Park (it helps that these are all in a 'collected works' anthology. I haven't read Austen for years and I was amazed at how fresh and delightful they still are. Now I am older (I first read Austen when I was a young teen) and have a greater understanding of emotions and relationships between men and women, Austen's books have more strength and understanding than I received from them the last time I read them all. I laughed aloud too at some scenes - what a sense of humor she had!!


message 1561: by Tom (new)

Tom (tommyro) Yrinsyde wrote: "I finished reading Sense and Sensibility last week and started finished Pride and Prejudice yesterday. I've now started on Mansfield Park (it helps that these are all in a 'collected works' antholo..."

Thanks for the update. I'm glad to hear that Jane still holds up. That is reassuring.


message 1562: by Kat (last edited May 02, 2009 08:32AM) (new)

Kat (katfern1) | 1 comments I don't know how it is that I had never read JohnUpdike before! I just finished "Rabbit, Run", and am starting " Rabbit, Redux". Wow! The sentences and images are like poetry within a very earthy story. I think I will read all of Updike now.


message 1563: by Mike (new)

Mike Finished Less Than Zero.

Bret Easton probably has the last word on californication. Really incredible.


message 1564: by Kristi (new)

Kristi (kristilarson) | 263 comments I read Breakfast at Tiffany's today. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I'll have to check out the movie now.


message 1565: by Tom (new)

Tom (tommyro) Kristi wrote: "I read Breakfast at Tiffany's today. I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I'll have to check out the movie now."

For all the movie has been hyped because of Audrey Hepburn, it is Hollywood at its most bizarre. Holly's character is cleaned up (she's not as blatantly a callgirl) for the public's sensibilities, but it has the most racist bit of casting in all of movies, Mickey Rooney playing the buck-toothed upstairs Japanese neighbor. It is so offensive that it made the movie almost painfully unwatchable. The book is pure brilliance, Truman Capote at his most outrageous.


message 1566: by Leora (new)

Leora | 40 comments Just finished 'Through the Looking Glass", it was entertaining and light. Surprised that I missed it when I was a kid.


message 1567: by Dan (last edited May 06, 2009 06:47AM) (new)

Dan | The Ancient Reader (theancientreader) The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. Some of the subject matter and O'Brien's manner of dealing with it will be too harsh for some but this is an excellent book that will have you pondering what is truly important in life.


message 1569: by Dave (new)

Dave Agreed, great book. I read it in college and I still recall it when thinking of the more memorable books I've read.


message 1570: by Anna (new)

Anna (lilfox) | 290 comments Yeah it's great.


message 1571: by Elisabeth (new)

Elisabeth (adwielle) Kazuo Ishiguero - the Remains of the Day


message 1572: by Derrick (new)

Derrick (afderrick) | 87 comments Just finished The Thirteent Tale. Not a 1001 book, but still very good.

I don't so much have the goal to read all 1001 books, but just use it for suggestions.


message 1573: by Dan (new)

Dan | The Ancient Reader (theancientreader) Just finished Strait is the Gate by Andre Gide.


message 1574: by Juliane (new)

Juliane (libristar) | 26 comments Just finished "The Last World" by Ransmayr, an amazing book. Really loved the language (I read the German original).


message 1575: by Adriana (new)

Adriana Finished Slaughterhouse Five about 4 days ago. It was a realy good book.


message 1577: by Mike (new)

Mike Finished Middlesex

The first half was okay, but the second half was so well written I finished it in one sitting. I'm glad it has gotten the exposure it deserves, there's a lot of misconceptions out there.


message 1578: by Jamie (new)

Jamie | 3 comments I just finished The Feast of the Goat. I loved it. Interesting look at history from the Dominican Republic. I now really want to read all of this author's works.


message 1579: by Ana (new)

Ana (anacnunes) | 7 comments "Like water for chocolate" from Laura Esquivel.
And I have to say I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. Too overrated!


message 1580: by Amy C (new)

Amy C | 3 comments I finished the Great Gatsby and Old Man and the Sea. Both were excellent. I'm not sure why I hadn't read them before. I think I had tried both of them and just couldn't get into them. This time was differnt.


message 1581: by FromAna (new)

FromAna (fromanam) Ana wrote: ""Like water for chocolate" from Laura Esquivel.
And I have to say I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. Too overrated!"


Aw thats sad to hear.
I've never read it in english but I am sure it looses some of the essence in the translation.


message 1582: by Ana (new)

Ana (anacnunes) | 7 comments Ana wrote: "Ana wrote: ""Like water for chocolate" from Laura Esquivel.
And I have to say I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. Too overrated!"

Aw thats sad to hear.
I've never read it in english but I am s..."


I didn't read it in english either. I read it in Portuguese. But I guess I'm not the type to enjoy these sorts of romances.


message 1583: by Silver (new)

Silver | 313 comments Finally finished Wurthering Heights. It was my 3rd time to try and read that back...not becasue I found it difficutl to read or did not like it, but becasue everytime I started reading it something else alwyas came up and I endded up putting it off.


message 1584: by Julie (new)

Julie (juliemoncton) | 54 comments I just finished The Secret History by Donna Tartt. It reminded me a little of Lord of the Flies, but with college kids who drink too much, instead of boys on an island. Well written and fast paced. I don't know if it was 'list worthy' but an enjoyable read.


message 1585: by Debbie (new)

Debbie | 22 comments Persuasion by Jane Austen.

Hadn't read this one. Love the language and style. Must say that it is very much like the others by Jane.

Now I'm on to The Soloist for a face to face book club.




message 1586: by Darcy (new)


message 1587: by FromAna (new)

FromAna (fromanam) Jane Eyre
got to say I loved it. Charlotte just bumped her sister (Emily) in my favorites category


message 1588: by Feeownah (new)

Feeownah (binncheol) | 4 comments I just finished Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh.
Wasn't as impressed with it as I thought I would be.


message 1589: by Judith (new)

Judith (jloucks) | 1202 comments Finished "A Modest Proposal". Hooray for witty, pithy satires!


message 1590: by Kate (new)

Kate (kateduttera) Finished Rebecca a few weeks ago. It took me a couple of chapters to really get into it, but I loved it. A great example of gothic literature.


message 1591: by Tom (new)

Tom (tommyro) The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder. No idea why this won the Pulitzer Prize. Very out of character for the prize. Some of the stories were interesting and may have had more of an impact if I had read this 40 years ago. But I've heard these stories before and they lack power. Since you know how it ends from the beginning, the overall impact is diminished.


message 1592: by Eliza (new)

Eliza (elizac) | 72 comments I finished Breakfast at Tiffany's and am still plugging away at Bleak House


message 1593: by Lianne (new)

Lianne (eclecticreading) Just finished Catch-22 by Joseph Heller---hurray! xD I thought the book was okay; still fascinated about the concept of a catch-22 though =)


message 1594: by Derrick (new)

Derrick (afderrick) | 87 comments Tom wrote: "The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder. No idea why this won the Pulitzer Prize. Very out of character for the prize. Some of the stories were interesting and may have had more of an impact ..."

I'm looking forward to the discussions of this book. I haven't finished it yet. This is probably the worst book I have recently read, since maybe Robinson Crusoe.


message 1595: by Paula (new)

Paula | 57 comments Eliza - good luck w/ Bleak House - took me awhile to get through it.

Just finished "The Master of St. Petersburg," by J.M. Coetzee... very dark.


message 1596: by Denise (new)

Denise | 231 comments Really? You guys didn't like The Bridge of San Luis Rey? I loved it. Although I confess it's somewhat vague in my mind at this point.


message 1597: by Derrick (new)

Derrick (afderrick) | 87 comments Denise wrote: "Really? You guys didn't like The Bridge of San Luis Rey? I loved it. Although I confess it's somewhat vague in my mind at this point."

Oops, I clicked reply on the wrong message, I meant to refer to Breakfast at Tiffany's. I guess I should double check my posts from now on.


message 1598: by Susan (new)

Susan | 28 comments Just finished Never Let Me Go, which I enjoyed better than Remains of the Day. Very detail-oriented writer when it comes to his characters, which I enjoy.


message 1599: by Chel (new)

Chel | 380 comments Kat wrote: "I don't know how it is that I had never read JohnUpdike before! I just finished "Rabbit, Run", and am starting " Rabbit, Redux". Wow! The sentences and images are like poetry within a very earthy ..." That's good to know. I haven't read Updike yet.

Tom wrote: "Yrinsyde wrote: "I finished reading Sense and Sensibility last week and started finished Pride and Prejudice yesterday. I've now started on Mansfield Park (it helps that these are all in a 'collect..."




message 1600: by Chel (new)

Chel | 380 comments I just finished The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. It is the best book of American soldiering experiences in Vietnam I have read and has a Vonnegutesque style and is very poetic and moving. It's format is that of a series of interconnected stories and vignettes of soldiers in Nam.


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