Which LIST book did you just finish? Showing 4,001-4,050 of 7,922

[Ana]

Just finished The red and the black by Stendhal. Fantastic!

[Denise]

Amalie wrote: "Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient. (My 60th book. Yes!!!)"

What did you think? I love Ondaatje's prose.

[Judith]

"The 42nd Parallel", on of the USA Trilogy by John Dos Passos.

This is not an uplifting book, of course, since it is about class inequity issues; but I would still have liked to see at least one of the characters find a satisfactory life...Suppose it would have marred Dos Passos' message though....

[Becky]

White Noise by Don DeLillo. It was o.k. - I'm not a fan of postmodernist fiction. To fully appreciate this book, I would need to take a class and have it explained to me.

[Becky]

Started and finished Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates - disturbing, haunting, real

[Lauli]

Surfacing by Margaret Atwood. A very interesting book, if quite disturbing. I commented on it on the post that refers to the book in Specific Books. I'll have to sleep over this one to come to a conclusion about it.

[Sissy]

Finished Everything is Illuminated over the weekend. Was worried from some reviews that I might end up disliking it - but loved it. One of my favorites from the 2010 list additions. Now reading his second book - perhaps believing that it might make the list in the future? =)

[Anthony]

Not that it really matters, but Everything is Illuminated wasn't a 2010 addition.

[Denise]

I just finished The Good Soldier. I honestly don't know what I think.

[Beth]

Becky wrote: "White Noise by Don DeLillo. It was o.k. - I'm not a fan of postmodernist fiction. To fully appreciate this book, I would need to take a class and have it explained to me."

With ya. Keep waiting to love DiLillo. NOt there yet.

[Beth]

Sissy wrote: "Finished Everything is Illuminated over the weekend. Was worried from some reviews that I might end up disliking it - but loved it. One of my favorites from the 2010 list additions. Now reading his..."

I really liked the second one too. The first one had me laughing in a chair by my dad's hospital bed when he was dying. No small feat. For that, if nothing else, I am a huge fan of Safran Foer.

[Lauli]

I, Robot, a very remarkable book, especially considering that it was written in the 1950s. Asimov was truly a visionary.

[David]

Christine wrote: "Just finished Smilla's Sense of Snow. I loved this book. I'm settling in now to watch the movie."

Don't get too disappointed. It is a good movie by itself, but it somewhat killed my fantasies on the book seeing the film too soon after I read the book.

[Christina Stind]

Beth wrote: "Becky wrote: "White Noise by Don DeLillo. It was o.k. - I'm not a fan of postmodernist fiction. To fully appreciate this book, I would need to take a class and have it explained to me."

I'm with you both. I haven't learned to fully appreciate him yet. I've read all of Mao II and parts of Underworld and didn't really like them. I have Falling Man on my shelf (I think that's on the 2010 list, right?) so I'll try that as my next DeLillo.

[Erin]

Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice. I think I would've liked it more if I hadn't had the movie stuck in my head...The next in the series, The Vampire Lestat, was much more intriguing!

[Sissy]

Tony wrote: "Not that it really matters, but Everything is Illuminated wasn't a 2010 addition."

Oops - sorry! Should have written one of the 2000+ year additions.

[Deanne]

Just finished The Case of Sergeant Grischa by Zweig, very moving book based on an actual incident. Published just after WW2 but set in WW1. Grischa a Russian prisoner of war escapes, and decides to walk home.

[Mike]

After eight weeks, I finally finished War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. A great read.

[Helen]

Just finished Crime and Punishment ..... my resolution this year is to read the Russians ... was told this was the most accessible .... stil deciding on the next to read ...

[Cindy]

Helen wrote: "Just finished Crime and Punishment ..... my resolution this year is to read the Russians ... was told this was the most accessible .... stil deciding on the next to read ..."

I'm finding War & Peace to be totally accessible. It's a large cast of characters, but it's reading like a soap opera.

[Dean]

Deanne wrote: "Just finished The Case of Sergeant Grischa by Zweig, very moving book based on an actual incident. Published just after WW2 but set in WW1. Grischa a Russian prisoner of war escapes, and decides to..."

A great movie with a similar theme is Paths of Glory by Stanley Kubrick.

[Christa]

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. Amazing Book!

[Shovelmonkey1]

Just finished The House of Dr Dee by Peter Ackroyd. Not as great as i'd hoped it would be but worth reading for the sheer oddness of the genres pulled together in this book.

[Becky]

Play it as it Lays by Joan Didion. Bleak - fortunately a fast read because I didn't care for it.

[Deanne]

Demons by Dostoevsky, great book, again based on actual events. Large cast of characters with an intricate plot but very accessible.

[Vanessa]

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. A fast read but really good!

[Becky]

-The Razor's Edge by J. Somerset Maugham - I listened to this book with no preconceived ideas - have not read anything by this author - and really enjoyed it. I think I enjoyed it more because I listened to it - the narrator brought life to the characters.

[Anthony]

American Rust by Philipp Meyer. A 2010 addition to the list, and I suspect it won't make it past the 2012 cut (assuming there is one). Nonetheless, it was an excellent book recommended for fans of Faulkner and/or noir.

[Inna]

Aithiopika by Heliodorus

[Karen]

I didn't like "White Noise" either. I don't think one should have to take a course to enjoy a book. It's fine to take to get even more out of a novel with help of professor or discussion group, but the story should keep one's interest. Otherwise, why bother - either writing or reading it!

[Linda]

The Handmaid's Tale. A little disappointed in the ending, because I'm a person who likes closure. Apparently this is taught in some high schools, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with my teenage daughter reading it because of the language and especially one graphic scene. I'm curious to see how the movie compares.

[Denise]

Becky wrote: "-The Razor's Edge by J. Somerset Maugham - I listened to this book with no preconceived ideas - have not read anything by this author - and really enjoyed it. I think I enjoyed it more because I li..."

I haven't read the book, but I remember being very moved by the movie, with Bill Murray doing an excellent job in the first non-comedic role I had seen him in. I believe there's more than one version, but that's the only one I've seen.

[Denise]

Linda wrote: "The Handmaid's Tale. A little disappointed in the ending, because I'm a person who likes closure. Apparently this is taught in some high schools, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with m..."

I loved the book when I read back in the 80's. The movie was worse than disappointing. It played like an afternoon school special and seemed to miss something crucial.

[April]

Hi! I just found this website and this group! I'm so excited to be a part of this. I was wondering where I can get a most recent list of the 1001 books. If anyone can help, that will be great!

I just finished reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen and I wasn't too impressed. This book seemed to awesome reviews from various critics! Anyone from Stephen King to Oprah loved the book! I guess I was feeling a bit down on myself because I didn't enjoy it as much as everyone else appeared to.

[April]

April wrote: "Hi! I just found this website and this group! I'm so excited to be a part of this. I was wondering where I can get a most recent list of the 1001 books. If anyone can help, that will be great!
..."

Nevermind about the list....I see where it is on this group. Thanks!

[Asa]

The last few days I've finished James Baldwin's Go Tell It on the Mountain, which was very good, and Asimov's I, Robot, which was interesting.

[Shay]

April wrote: "Hi! I just found this website and this group! I'm so excited to be a part of this. I was wondering where I can get a most recent list of the 1001 books. If anyone can help, that will be great!
..."

A lot of people who did not really like The Corrections liked his latest, Freedom. (Not a list book, though) A caveat to that would be that most people who enjoyed Freedom seem to be older, with kids, who live in the suburbs.

[Deanne]

Finished Troubles by Farrell, very funny in places and full of characters who seem to be several sandwiches short of a picnic.

[Invidia]

I read Never Let Me Go, and was pretty disappointed. It was a nice little book that'll leave you wondering with the ever troubling question Asimov plagued us with; but not for a sentence could I understand what was special about the book. The narration was dry, albeit the retrospective tone did achieve much, it's all that the writing did manage to convey to me. Stop, pause, fragment, turn it over and around in your head and it's still a simple sentence, and book, with no lasting impressions to offer.

[April]

Shay wrote: "April wrote: "Hi! I just found this website and this group! I'm so excited to be a part of this. I was wondering where I can get a most recent list of the 1001 books. If anyone can help, that w..."
Thanks! However, I think I will take a break from Franzen for awhile! LOL

[Laura]

Aishwarya wrote: "I read Never Let Me Go, and was pretty disappointed. It was a nice little book that'll leave you wondering with the ever troubling question Asimov plagued us with; but not for a sentenc..."

You state it well - that is exactly how I felt about the book. It was fine but, as you said, simple and without a lasting impression.

[Inna]

The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein

[K.D.]

Jane Austen's Emma. So-so.

[Anthony]

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain. Good, quick read. Somewhat by the fact that I've seen both Ossessione and The Postman Alway Rings Twice (1946) films several times.

[April]

The Handmaid's TaleMargaret Atwood 5/5 stars! Excellent book! Did anyone think of the Westboro Baptist Church after reading this? It packs a powerful lesson. Embrace your freedom and the freedom of others.

[Karina]

A Woman's Life by Maupassant. Exquisite!

[Beth]

Finished Mansfield Park. Liked it, but like other Austen better. End felt rushed to me.

[Cebrina]

April wrote: "The Handmaid's TaleMargaret Atwood 5/5 stars! Excellent book! Did anyone think of the Westboro Baptist Church after reading this? It packs a powerful lesson. Embrace..."

I also loved The Handmaid's Tale. I didn't get the Westboro Church from reading it, but I did think it was a compelling story. Many people focus on the women of the story, but I feel that the men were equally mistreated (just in a different way).

[K.D.]

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien. No debate. MONUMENTAL.

[Yrinsyde]

Just finished reading Solaris yesterday. A very curious and well written SciFi novel. It got me thinking and began many conversations with my husband as to what the 'ocean' was. What made me laugh though was the library mentions. Lem used his imagination to create future reaches of science but you can tell he is firmly stuck in the '60s with mentions of microfilm, microfilm readers and 'automatic librarians' (early computer catalogues).