Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Which LIST book did you just finish?
I just finished reading Vathek. Wow - what an interesting and fun read! I am finishing Fanny Hill also - a few pages left.
Rashomon and 17 other stories by Akutugama Ryonusuke. The first few stories, which included the two stories that Kurosawa used as a basis for Rashomon, were my favorite. Hell Screen, in particular, was a model of suspense and clarity. Really good stuff. The later, more modern stories reflected Akutugawa's growing depression, and were not as much fun to read. All in all, one of the better Japanese short story writers I have read.
On Beauty by Zadie Smith i really enjoyed it.
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
The Waves by Virginia Woolf. A new favourite for me. It's so wonderfully written, and the way she captures thought processes and sensations is so vivid! Five stars for me.
I finished Leonid Tsypkin's Summer in Baden-Baden this week. Enjoyable, but a bit of a chore to read.
A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham. An enjoyable read about grief, loss and relationships. No deep symbolism and hidden meaning - just a good story about people struggling for identity.
I finished The Namesake. The writing was beautiful, and the characters were very real, but I never really sensed a central narrative pull to the novel. While I was a little disappointed, I am interested to read more from Lahiri in the future.
Franny and Zooey, I loved it. This list has given me so many new books I otherwise would never have read and I'm enjoying it!
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Not my favorite list book but I can understand why it is on the list. Its inclusion makes me hope that some other memoirs/autobiographical works will eventually make it to the list? (i.e. War Child?)
The Shining, I absolutely loved it!
I just finished The Killer Inside Me. I liked it, but the end really confused me. I have no idea what happened.
Am currently reading Making Waves by Vargas Llosa. In fact I had the book in front of me when I first learned over the internet that he had received the Nobel. Talk about synchronicity.
A Woman's Life by Guy de Maupassant
Charity wrote: "A Woman's Life by Guy de Maupassant"How did you like it? I tried to get it out of the library the other day and they did not have it!
How did you like it? I tried to get it out of the library the other day and they did not have it!I enjoyed it immensely. I managed to snag a used copy online at Better World Books for $4. You could check them or other online vendors out for good deals if you're still interested in reading it this month. I, for one, think it was a worthwhile read.
"A Woman's Life"* - Guy de Maupassant ****
My local library doesn't have A Woman's Life either - I was planning on joining in the read for the first time this month. :-( Oh well, maybe next month.
Charity wrote: "How did you like it? I tried to get it out of the library the other day and they did not have it!I enjoyed it immensely. I managed to snag a used copy online at Better World Books for $4. You cou..."
Thanks- maybe I will try that.
Check out A Woman's life on-line. I found it for free.
Charity wrote: "I managed to snag a used copy online at Better World Books for $4. ..."Thanks for sharing that website Charity - 3.97 shipping worldwide is pretty amazing.
Woman's Life is also in French as Une Vie.
Sissy wrote: "Thanks for sharing that website Charity - 3.97 shipping worldwide is pretty amazing."Yeah, it is a pretty great site. Glad you like it!
I just finished Death in Holy Orders by P. D. James. While I love her writing, the story wasn't her best. But..her worst beats a lot of bests.
Gerrie wrote: "I just finished Death in Holy Orders by P. D. James. While I love her writing, the story wasn't her best. But..her worst beats a lot of bests."Sorry, not a list book.
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. Very vitriolic, but also very readable. Reminded me of some of V.S. Naipaul's non-fiction works in its criticisms of India. While it made me think, its arguments were not particularly balanced--more like an extended rant.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)by Stieg Larsson
Jo wrote: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1)by Stieg Larsson"
Not a list nook - this is a thread for the 1001 books only. ~Becky
Charity wrote: "Gerrie wrote: "I just finished Death in Holy Orders by P. D. James. While I love her writing, the story wasn't her best. But..her worst beats a lot of bests."Sorry, not a list book."
My mistake..
Finished A bend in the river by Naipaul, very interesting read which deals with the unrest in a recently independent African nation and how it affects the inhabitants.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde - FYI, it's pretty short.
The Shining. That was a fun read. The horror was very psychological at the beginning, but became more supernatural at the end. I enjoyed the pervasive sense of dread immensely.
Drew wrote: "The Shining. That was a fun read. The horror was very psychological at the beginning, but became more supernatural at the end. I enjoyed the pervasive sense of dread immensely."I am almost done with The Shining and agree totally with the sense of dread. I read it a long time ago and don't remember it being quite this good!
Enduring Love - McEwan. Bleh and very predictable, especially if you've read Amsterdam.
Finished Amelia by Fielding, enjoyable easy to read book from the 1750's.
The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells
Charity wrote: "The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells"I finished this (yesterday), too! I gave it 5-stars, and it's the best Wells I've read to-date.
Linda wrote: "Flora wrote: "I finally finished The Blind Assassin and while I liked it ok, I thought it was entirely too long. And I found it very sad. Its not my favorite Margaret Atwood and I really liked it much better than The Blind Assassin. I've also read Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood by her and loved both of those.I just finished The Woman in White and loved it. One of the best mysteries I've read in a while.
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Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Jorge Luis Borges (other topics)Juan Carlos Onetti (other topics)
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I was wondering if someone in the field would find ..."
Hi Sterlingcindysu: I listened to the book and the narrator was quite good, especially in the scenes in which Jim pretends to be someone else. And the morning after at his bosses' home and the whole entirely awkward weekend. Although I don't think the academe is much different than other workplaces, but intellectual and artistic pursuits tend to bring out the pompous in some people!