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 3401:
by
[deleted user]
(new)
Aug 07, 2010 11:02PM
Finished House of Mirth just now. Was truly shocked by how much I enjoyed it. Looking forward to Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome.
reply
|
flag
Loved House of Mirth!Okay, I finally got back to the list and back to White Noise. I had so little left to finish but had set it aside for so long. Parts of it were very funny but all in all I'm not left with a good feeling about it. Wish I could give it 2.5 stars.
The book of laughter and forgetting by Kundera, which I loved. His sense of humour comes through even when he's writing about a time in his life which must have been difficult.
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood!I was glad when I was given the opportunity to finish this book. I loved both stories very much. Iris was quite the character and I loved her whole story as well as Laura's. This was a great book by Ms. Atwood. A fine example of why it should be on the 1001 books to read before you die list.
I thought I had it all figured out, but in the end she got me! She tied it up in a nice "stack of papers".
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. I didn't like it at all and could really only read 15 pages at a time. I forced myself to finish hoping it would all come together at the end, it didn't.
Finished Remains of the Day this weekend. The writing is simply beautiful, but I am not sure if I am in love with the plot. Excited to read Never Let Me Go to compare.
Sissy wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "Sissy, I love Margaret Atwood to pieces, but I could not get into "Blind Assassin," for reasons I do not completely understand. I love "Cat's Eye" the most and feel strongly that it..."A Handmaid's Tale was and awesome book. The Giver for grownups. I really enjoyed every moment. That's the only Atwood book I've read but can't wait to get into Blind Assassin and Cat's Eye!
Michelle wrote: "Almost two months later, Infinite Jest is finally done. Now all I want to do is re-read it..."Really? You have all the time? Awesome!
Just finished "Slow Man"* by Coetzee yesterday. This is only my second by this author. I read "Disgrace" years ago, which I really didn't care for. I liked "Slow Man" better and want to read a couple others he's written. He is interesting and very insightful about the type of characters he writes about.
Vernon God Little, DBC Pierre, very good.
The Hobbit. First book ever that I really had to think about whether or not I liked it. I did.
I finally finished Under the Net. I didn't dislike it as much as I expected to, considering I knew that it would be about nothing! I really enjoyed the writing and tone, maybe I will attempt another of Murdoch's books.
K.D. wrote: "Really? You have all the time? Awesome!"Haha I don't actually have the time, which is why I won't re-read it, but I really want to!
Under the Net - Iris Murdoch. Great book about really nothing at all!
Just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Interesting read. A bit frustrating at times but I'm reading her second English translation novel as well.
Just finished The Heat of the Day by Bowen, took a while but I finally got into it. Very atmospheric but it was written only 4 years after the second world war so she was writing about the London she knew.Nearly three weeks off work so I'm going to tackle some of the big books like Blonde and Clarissa.
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich* - Alexander SolzhenitsynAmazing! And his first novel, also!
Tarzan of the Apes - Edgar Rice Burroughs. Evidently Burroughs took up writing because he was checking the pulp magazines to make sure they were advertising his product as they were supposed to, and he was convinced that he could write as least as well as the stories in those magazines. So he wrote pulp fiction... that's pretty much what Tarzan is -- escapist, pulp fiction. It's ok, but I'm not really interested in reading any of the other Tarzan stories.
Just finished The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. What a great book! I wouldn't say exactly that I loved it but I found it amazing and will definitely put it down as a book I need to read again, maybe several times.After having read two by Tolstoy (Leo Tolstoy (Anna Karenina and War and Peace) and now this one by Dostoevsky, I think Dostoevsky is more easily read than Tolstoy ... But both are great writers!
I'm surprised that The Brothers Karamazov only made it to the 2006 list...
Judith wrote: "Just finished "Slow Man"* by Coetzee yesterday. This is only my second by this author. I read "Disgrace" years ago, which I really didn't care for. I liked "Slow Man" better and want to read a..."
For me, the best part of Slow Man is the accident scene. J. M. Coetzee described the feeling of a man flying when he was just bumped by the car. It is so scary but so brilliant!
This morning, I finished William Faulkner's opus The Sound and the Fury. First time that I could not compose a review right after finishing a book. I just don't know what to say as I am afraid that what I say will not do justice to a beautiful beautiful novel. Nothing comes close when it comes to the narrative. So truthful, creative and just plain brilliant.
The Siege of Krishnapur, funny, sad and dramatic, it's a time in history I really don't know much about. Makes me want to learn more.
Kitchen Confidential, if you have ever worked in a restaurant, seen "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel, or consider yourself a "foodie" this book is defintely for you. Even if you don't fit into any of these 3 categories chances are you will still find this book both entertaining and very well written.
I just finished Daniel Kehlmann's Measuring the World. Being a historical scientific novel, it is very informative and entertaining. Kehlmann is so good to turn normally-boring scientific statements, i.e., theories, observations and findings, in a very interesting if not funny (some reviews say that they laughed a lot of times) way. 4 stars glittering above me right now!
Just finished The Little Prince. I've read it several years ago and remember really loving it back then. This time around, it was okay but not amazing.
K.D. wrote: "This morning, I finished William Faulkner's opus The Sound and the Fury. First time that I could not compose a review right after finishing a book. I just don't know what to say as I am afraid that..."Oh K.D., I feel the same way about Faulkner's writing! I have never been disappointed, and I've read almost everything that he published.
K.D. wrote: "Judith wrote: "Just finished "Slow Man"* by Coetzee yesterday. This is only my second by this author. I read "Disgrace" years ago, which I really didn't care for. I liked "Slow Man" better and..."
It was a strange story for me. Elizabeth was such a surprise and such an enigma....Coetzee does "dirty old men" so well, doesn't he?! (Just kidding! His protagonists are much more multi-dimensional than that!)
I finished The Plot Against America. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
I just finished The Twilight Years by Ariyoshi, Sawako. I really liked this book written in the 50's by a Japanese woman. The story addresses social problems of the elderly in an industrial nation.
Northanger Abbey by Austen.50th book from both lists!
Just finished Aaron's rod by Lawrence, enjoyed it so much went onto read the notes in the book. Thinking of taking a trip out to Eastwood Lawrence's home and see his house.
Just finished Kafka On the shore by Murakami. I hev finished 25 books already 976 more! I hope I can finish 1001 before my mind blows! hahahaha!
I just fiinshed Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata5 stars
This is one of the stories that was part of the works for which the author received a Nobel Prize for Literature. It is from the second edition of 10001...
It is short. About 147 pages for those that want a quick read. It also is good. The story is about a young man whose parents have both died. He was psychologically affected by his father's affairs. He is invited to a tea ceremony by a fomer mistress of his dead father. He doesn't expect to go but goes because he is going to meet a young women. A potential bride. He also meets up with Mrs Ota, also a former mistress of his father. The book is a good look into the culture of the tea ceremony. It was written in 1958 and should be read in the context of that time period. It is a tragedy that is about desire, regret and sensuality that connects the living to the dead.
Kristel wrote: "I just fiinshed Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata5 stars
This is one of the stories that was part of the works for which the author received a Nobel Prize for Literature. It is from the secon..."
It does sound good based on what you've said. May have to look for that one, or boost it up my tbr!
Just finished Bel-Ami. Wasn't thrilled. I like Maupassant's short stories, but not sure if he was cut out for longer-form writing.
Last week I finished Rushdie's Midnight's Children and yesterday Bowen A world of love. Interesting and very different books.
Amanda wrote: "I just finished The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. I hearted it times five. New favorite."I absolutely love that book.
Amanda wrote: "I just finished The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. I hearted it times five. New favorite."Loved this book too. Chabon writes beautifully. Shameful that the book was dropped from the list IMO.
Just went on a long vacation and read several list books. Everything is Illuminated, Loving, Inheritance of Loss, Artist of the Floating World and Kafka on the Shore. I really enjoyed them all, but I think that Everything Is Illuminated was my favorite. I avoided it when it came out because it seemed like a marketing phenomenon (holocaust comedy, wunderkind author, etc) than a truly good book. Boy, was I wrong. It fell apart a little at the end, but I was shocked at how much Foer was able to accomplish in a relatively short novel. And the first 100 pages or so is some of the funniest stuff I have ever read.
The Three Musketeers - what a fun romp! I have heard that this is a precursor to the page-turner that is The Count of Monte Cristo - can't wait to read that!
Drew wrote: "Just went on a long vacation and read several list books. Everything is Illuminated, Loving, Inheritance of Loss, Artist of the Floating World and Kafka on the Shore. I really enjoyed them all, b..."
Ishiguro and Murakami have written two of my very favorite books (Remains of the Day and Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World), so I hope you enjoyed the ones you chose. Because of what you read and your comments on the Foer book, I think you've convinced me to give Everything a try. Thanks!
Just finished "Invisible Man" and I loved it.
Slaughterhouse-5. Very different. Feel like it is a novel my husband would enjoy more than I did.
Tony wrote: "Amanda wrote: "I just finished The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. I hearted it times five. New favorite."Loved this book too. Chabon writes beautifully. Sh..."
This book was awesome. I was thrilled that someone gave it to me as I'd never heard of it; and it was a great read.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
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...
