Which LIST book did you just finish? Showing 4,301-4,350 of 7,922

[Judith]

The Waves - Woolf

So unique and poetic!

[Shay]

Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "I've just finished Fear of Flying by Erica Jong which was an enjoyable read but I didn't exactly greet it with the same level of shock and awe it must have met with in the 1970's. I've only ever re..."

This is one of the books I'm not looking forward to reading. I don't like books that are smutty. What's the level of that in this book? Is it kind of like Lady Chatterly in that it seems tame now that we're years from when it was published?

[Tinkwelborn]

Genia wrote: "Finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog - I was so irritated by that book I actually shouted while ranting about it; an almost unprecedented occurrence."

Why? I haven't read it, but just curious.

[Tinkwelborn]

Just finished ''Confederates in the Attic'' by Tony Horwitz. (don't know if it's on the list or not. Suppose I should read the list?)

[Genia]

Tinkwelborn wrote: Why? I haven''t read it, but just curious. "

I wrote a review of it (which was perilously close to a rant) but, in brief, I found it overwrought, pretentious, hypocritical and incredibly annoying. The writing was sort-of-okay, even though I felt it lacked the energy which exists in truly good books where the author poured their heart out, but it wasn't enough to make up for the story and the misrepresented themes.

[Shovelmonkey1]

Shay wrote: "Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "I've just finished Fear of Flying by Erica Jong which was an enjoyable read but I didn't exactly greet it with the same level of shock and awe it must have met with in the 197..."

Hi Shay, it's not that smutty at all really. In fact if you've ever read any Wilbur Smith novels then i'd say his love scenes are probably more graphically described than some of the stuff in Fear of Flying. And the more "smutty" prose is concentrated at the beginning of the book with the later 2/3rds dealing with her analysis of her family and siblings. But I guess ultimately it's all subjective.

[Shay]

Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "Shay wrote: "Shovelmonkey1 wrote: "I've just finished Fear of Flying by Erica Jong which was an enjoyable read but I didn't exactly greet it with the same level of shock and awe it must have met wi..."

Thanks.

[Trice]

To Kill a Mockingbird - I'm lost in love for this book - wow.

[Lauli]

Sula by Toni Morrison. Another wonderful novel by one of my favourite writers. Sorry it got knocked off the list in the latest editions.

[Craig]

Reveries of a Solitary Walker by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Did not really feel like a novel, per se.

[Asa]

Finished Hammett's The Maltese Falcon yesterday.

[Shabbeer]

Finished The Algebraist by Iain Banks today!!!Tedious sometimes but nevertheless interesting enough to complete the book in a span of few days!!!

[Bucket]

Recently finished All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy - it was WONDERFUL.

[M]

I finished Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser yesterday. It's kind of good, but in need of a good editor. Dreiser's style is dry and slow, and his characters are very much clichéd in the first half of the book.

I can understand why it is on the list, though, it exemplifies the essence of American realism/naturalism.

[Lauli]

Masanobu wrote: "I finished Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser yesterday. It's kind of good, but in need of a good editor. Dreiser's style is dry and slow, and his characters are very much clichéd in t..."

That book is one of the most nerve-wracking experiences I've had. The last part of the book, Hurstwood's descent into poverty and marginality, turned my stomach inside out. It's a very powerful book, I think, in what it has to say about American society at the time.

[Judith]

Masanobu wrote: "I finished Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser yesterday. It's kind of good, but in need of a good editor. Dreiser's style is dry and slow, and his characters are very much clichéd in t..."

I agree totally. I just did not enjoy the book though I recognized its significance.

[Sarah]

For years I wanted to read Jane Eyre, and I have finally done so and loved it! Anybody see the new movie version? If so, is it any good?

[Sam]

Lords of the Sea: The Epic Story of the Athenian Navy & the Birth of Democracy

[Mairav]

Sarah wrote: "For years I wanted to read Jane Eyre, and I have finally done so and loved it! Anybody see the new movie version? If so, is it any good?"

I read the book many years ago, so that always makes it easier to enjoy the movie, but I totally LOVED the movie.

[Susanna]

Finished Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. Not really up my alley.

[Gini]

Mairav wrote: "Sarah wrote: "For years I wanted to read Jane Eyre, and I have finally done so and loved it! Anybody see the new movie version? If so, is it any good?"

I read the book many years ago, so that ..."

I haven't read it for many years, though I read it about 12 times when I was a teenager, and I want to reread it. I'm debating whether before or after seeing the movie is best, and leaning toward after, for this reason!

[Asa]

I've just finished Elizabeth Bowen's The Last September - very good.

[K.D.]

Just finished: Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos. Fantastic writing! Never seen something like this before. Maybe I should read Clarissa soon!

[Craig]

K.D. wrote: "Just finished: Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Choderlos de Laclos. Fantastic writing! Never seen something like this before. Maybe I should read Clarissa soon!"

Clarissa is definitely Richardson's best novel, in my ever so humble opinion.

[Craig]

Finished Amelia by Henry Fielding. This a close second to Tom Jones for Fielding's best works.

[Anthony]

I recently finished Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho. I wasn't impressed.

[Trice]

If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino - in some ways a meditation on reading in others just a story of a Reader. Loved what he did with this

[Linda]

Sarah wrote: "For years I wanted to read Jane Eyre, and I have finally done so and loved it! Anybody see the new movie version? If so, is it any good?"

One of my favorite all-time books!
I saw the new film over the weekend and it was good, although (based on my friends' response) I think it might be challenging to follow if you aren't familiar with the story and the sequence of events because it is presented as a flashback. And it did leave out one scene that I was disappointed about.

[Linda]

JF The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, mostly on audio. Long, but worthwhile. Now I want a quick one to recover!

[Leonard]

Trice wrote: "If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino - in some ways a meditation on reading in others just a story of a Reader. Loved what he did with this"

This is a great book, one of those post-modern books that reflects upon the reader.

[Kate S]

I just finished Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind it was OK. . .

[Leonard]

Kate wrote: "I just finished Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind it was OK. . ."

I finished his The Pigeon and it was humorous in a sad way.

[Drew]

Finished Your Face Tomorrow 3: Poison, Shadow and Farewell, the final installment of Javier Marias' amazing novel. I highly recommend this novel for people who like ruminative, discursive fiction. An interesting look at the uses and abuses of power with a consistent theme of the limits of language.

[Drew]

Trice wrote: "If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino - in some ways a meditation on reading in others just a story of a Reader. Loved what he did with this"

Me, too. A truly unique book.

[Judith]

The Death of Ivan Ilych - Tolstoy

I can see re-reading parts of this one again and again.

[Judith]

Trice wrote: "If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino - in some ways a meditation on reading in others just a story of a Reader. Loved what he did with this"

Oh, it is one of my all time favorite reading experiences.

[Emily]

Tracey wrote: "the Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett"

Too bad. I loved it - I hated the first 100 pages, and then I fell in love with the characters.

[laut]

Judith wrote: "Trice wrote: "If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino - in some ways a meditation on reading in others just a story of a Reader. Loved what he did with this"

Oh, it is on..."

I rather enjoyed If on a Winter's Night a Traveler as well.

As for what I just finished, that would be: Drop City. I felt it was much, much too long, but I did like the climax.

[Katherine]

I just finished The Book of Laughter and Forgetting by Milan Kundera. Some parts really frustrated me, but others I imagine will stay with me for years to come. I might get some feedback for this, but I don't think I would recommend it among all the other list books I have read so far.

[Asa]

I finished Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay yesterday - an entertaining and long read.

[Mikela]

Just finished The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. While it is not an easily loved book, it certainly was thought provoking. I really enjoyed it.

[Sophie]

Just finished The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery and am moving onto Franz Kafka's The Trial.

[Kristel]

The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes
4 stars
I read a translation by Alfred Mac Adam. This is the story of Artemio Cruz. The reader is introduced to Artemio as he lays dying. The story is told in a series of stream of conscious technique. Artemio takes us back in his life but not in chronological order and then back to the sick room where he is surrounded by his wife, daughter, granddaughter, the priest and Padilla. The author is really telling the story of Mexico through the life of Artemio. Artemio Cruz is not a real person but the revolution is real. Artemio suffers many losses of ones he loved, he hardens himself to feel nothing and he resolves to never look back, yet on his death bed, Artemio does look back. The book starts very slow and it is hard to know where you are but somewhere along in the book it starts to come together and then it is very good. Because this work, looks at time in an illogical way, the work is appropriately tagged magical realism. "Time exists in a kind of timeless fluidity and the unreal happens as part of reality. Once the reader accepts the fait accompli, the rest follows with logical precision (Angel Flores, Magical Realism in Spanish American Fiction. Magical Realism. Ed. Zamora and Faris, p. 113-116).

[Deanne]

Finished the brilliant First Circle by Solzenitsyn and Pnin by Nabokov a quick read.

[Mikela]

Just finished I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings This book brought out so many conflicting emotions in me that I'm hard pressed to describe how I feel about it.

[Judith]

"The Plague" - Camus

Not nearly as strange as his other works I've read. Really interesting character studies with many philosophical and social observations to ponder...

[Maggie]

Just finished "A Room With a View." A generic Victorian breakout piece I think. I enjoyed it. It must have been much more shocking when it was published,

[Mikela]

Just finished Foundation. A short light read. While not full of beautiful prose, I can understand why it is on "the list" and still an important book. Enjoyed it very much.

[Deanne]

Finished The Drowned and the Saved by Primo Levi. Levi talks about his time in Auschwitz as an italian jewish prisoner, he describes events that happened, what it felt like to be a survivor and how he survived. He doesn't come across as bitter even when talking about the letters he recieved following the publication of If This Is A Man in German.

[Drew]

Finished Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. I knew nothing about this when I started it, and likely would not have read it if I had. It is a series of sketches about a community of spinsters in a small British midlands village. I really enjoyed it--the writing is excellent, the characters are lovingly drawn, and a strong sense of human decency pervades all of the book's incidents. I will likely try something else by Gaskell.