Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Which LIST book did you just finish?
The Feast of the Goat has been on my shelf for a while, I've loved some of Vargas Llosa's books and found others unreadable. Please tell a little about this book.Gerry
Just finished The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood. I saw her speak last Sunday in Denver, she is so amazing! I hope that this novel (or Oryx and Crake at the very least) end up on a future edition of the 1001 list.
I just finished Tarzan of the Apes. I had never read it as a child and really liked it. I am enjoying reading some of the books written for young people right now.
Dracula and The_War_of_the_Worlds. Really fascinating to compare them, as they were published within a year of each other.
The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
I just finished The Good Soldier. It was worth reading but just ok in terms of repetitiveness but great in terms of the inner workings of people's minds who are in turmoil.
Chel wrote: "I just finished The Good Soldier. It was worth reading but just ok in terms of repetitiveness but great in terms of the inner workings of people's minds who are in turmoil."I've recently read The Good Soldier and Parade's End, and also Ford's book about Joseph Conrad. And I can say that I really loved this author - what a great mind he was.
Written on the body by Winterson, some brilliant descriptions of grief and how it affects the sufferer.
Just finished The Poisonwood Bible. A little long-winded but I enjoyed it.
I finished Trainspotting once I let go I actuall kind of enjoyed it. I probably won't ever read it again but I'm glad I made it through once.
Emma wrote: "I finished Lanark A Life in Four Books today. Not very satisfying."I know I'm replying to my own comment here but I felt that it was unfair of me not to take into consideration why the book's on the list. The passage in the group's eponymous book states that Gray "continued a twofold legacy, inheriting the impulse for typographic innovation from Jonathan Swift and Joyce, while sustaining a Blakean vision of radical social possibilities latent within the texture of everyday Glaswegian life." It also points out that interaction with Gray's typographical designs "testifies to the indispensability of the printed page."
I wonder if I could have had a better edition...seems that in addition to my taking the whole history of /the novel/--not just this novel--for granted, I may not have had access to all of Gray's wonderful drawings.... I had a really dog-eared Picador edition from the library.
"Wise Blood" - Flannery O'ConnorThis author has to be one of a kind!
Their Eyes Were Watching God. A good quick read. I was pretty interested in it while I was reading it, but I still only gave it three stars in the end.
That they may face the rising sun, fairly quick read and not such a hard slog as some other books on the list.
Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad.One of the best novels I've ever read. I strongly recommend it to everybode who loves literature.
I've just finished reading Don Quijote and it took me 3 months! It was a difficult read for me as it was long and rambling, and there were parts in it that were fillers and could have been left out (especially in the sequel). All in all, Don Quijote is a thinly veiled admonition to Spain to - get with the times! By the time this was published, the age of the Renaissance had begun and the influence of the church was waning. Spain was still a feudal country and the Catholic church had it in a strong grip. His message? If you live literally by tales of chivalry and by the bible, your friends and neighbours will think you strange, if not insane. Get with the times people!!
On the Road by Kerouac and I don't have words to explain how much I hated, actually loathed this book.It was my first beat generation reading so I'm disappointed, probably I was expecting something different but I thought it was supposed to be funny and crazy.
I am relatively new to reading books....and just now i finished reading "Da vinci Code"
I just finished All the Pretty Horses. I'd give it a 9 out of 10. It was a great adventure-type read but with lots of heart too.
Paula wrote: "On the Road by Kerouac and I don't have words to explain how much I hated, actually loathed this book.Paula, as a story I didn't like it, but as a sort of anthropology into that mindset I thought it was kind of fascinating, in a horrifying way. I think it should be on the list not because it's a "great" book but because it's a *significant* one.
You're not alone in hating it, though. Truman Capote, upon hearing of Kerouac's method of writing it, scoffed, "That isn't writing, it's typing."
I've just finished reading Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. What a sweet story! I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Just finished Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev, it was a pretty good read!
Deanne wrote: "The golden bowl by Henry James."I've just read it a week ago
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë and I loved it. All the characters are completely selfish and overdramatic. It was terrific.
I just finished I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It was awesome.
Eliza wrote: "I just finished The Woman in White. I really enjoyed it."Wasn't that a great read, Eliza? It really kept me engaged. I wasn't sure what I would think going in, but am so glad that I read it.
Stacie wrote: "Eliza wrote: "I just finished The Woman in White. I really enjoyed it."Wasn't that a great read, Eliza? It really kept me engaged. I wasn't sure what I would think going in, but am ..."
I loved it I wasn't sure what to expect either but I found that I really appreciated the changing narrators and the mystery was pretty compelling.
Inna wrote: "The Wasp Factory A Novel by Iain M. Banks"
This is one of those books that I'm not sure if I want to read because I'm not sure I can stand the animal abuse in it. What did you feel about it? Did you like it?
I just finished Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. I enjoyed the book, but it felt a bit too much like a parable for me.
The ragged trousered philanthropist, been meaning to read this one for a while since it appeared in the BBC top 100. Really enjoyed the book and liked the ending.
I finished "The Stone Dairies" by Carol Shields.The middle dragged a little for me, but the first few and the last few chapters made it all together a fine read.
Angie wrote: "Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe, I didn't enjoy the book at all, but finished it. I have the strange need like many people to finish a book once I've started it."Oh, I thought this book was quite interesting and sort of loved it. Why did you not like it? I think my aunt just picked it for her Seniors to read in the AP English class she teaches, per my recommendation! Uh oh!
Christina Stind wrote: "Inna wrote: "The Wasp Factory A Novel by Iain M. Banks"
This is one of those books that I'm not sure if I want to read because I'm not sure I can stand the animal abu..."
It was emotionally hard reading. Though the author is definitely talanted. I've read only this novel by Banks, but I've been advised to read some others as well - they say he has much nicer books also.
Just finished The Sea by John Banville.
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Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jorge Luis Borges (other topics)Juan Carlos Onetti (other topics)
Flann O'Brien (other topics)
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