Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

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message 4651: by Lisa (new)

Lisa James (sthwnd) | 352 comments Bronwyn wrote: "The Picture of Dorian Gray. I liked it. Wilde's prose loses focus at times but overall a good read."

Been one of my faves for YEARS.....


message 4652: by Lisa (new)

Lisa James (sthwnd) | 352 comments Tani wrote: "I just finished Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles. I really enjoyed it a lot. The only problem now is that I want to read all the other Sherlock Holmes books and stories.

Hound was my hands down fave of his :) Huck Finn was a great one too. My kids read it in school too, LOL.



message 4653: by Lisa (new)

Lisa James (sthwnd) | 352 comments Ph wrote: "Farewell to Arms...For Whom The Bell Tolls it wasn't, but it was ok."

I've read everything Hemingway ever wrote, I adore him, but those 2 were at the BOTTOM of my list...LOL


message 4654: by K.D. (new)

K.D. Absolutely (oldkd) | 248 comments Amy wrote: "K.D. wrote: "Just finished What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt
WHAT I LOVED by Siri Hustvedt (the wife of Paul Auster)"

What did you think of it?"


Excellent, Amy! She writes better than her husband, IMO.


message 4655: by K.D. (new)

K.D. Absolutely (oldkd) | 248 comments Just finished The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Oscar Wilde


message 4656: by Robin (new)

Robin Reese (reesereads) | 119 comments I'm a huge fan of Henry James and just finished Daisy Miller. A sweet read that took just a couple of hours. Ah, what next?? This was my 8th book this week, I believe.


message 4657: by Jacqueline (new)

Jacqueline Quackenbush | 5 comments I just finished Don Quixote, which was a surprisingly easy and enjoyable read despite it's length. The last 150 pages or so did feel like a bit of a trudge for me, however, and I had to put the book down for a bit to get through them. Also, the second part as a whole was not as entertaining as the first. All the same, I really enjoyed it and gave it four stars.


message 4658: by Becky (new)

Becky (munchkinland_farm) | 248 comments Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein - audio version. Enjoyable enough.


message 4659: by Mikela (new)

Mikela | 378 comments Yelena, I know exactly what you mean about the rating of books. I sometimes spend more time agonizing whether to give a book a 2,3 or 4 (with hardly ever a 5) than it took to read it. Ok, maybe not that long but it's hard.


aPriL does feral sometimes  (cheshirescratch) Jacqueline wrote: "I just finished Don Quixote, which was a surprisingly easy and enjoyable read despite it's length. The last 150 pages or so did feel like a bit of a trudge for me, however, and I had to..."

I was surprised how good it was too.


message 4661: by Mikela (new)

Mikela | 378 comments At long last I gratefully finished The Master and Margarita.


message 4662: by Lisa (new)

Lisa James (sthwnd) | 352 comments I just finished & put down The Handmaid's Tale-Margaret Atwood. It was weird & sad, chock full of quasi-religious, quasi-cultish tones & punishments, as well as post apocalyptic. Different, very different. The ending was a surprise:)


message 4663: by Craig (new)

Craig | 241 comments Castle Rackrent -Maria Edgeworth (did not enjoy this much).
and

Caleb Williams -William Godwin (this is a wonderful and intelligent work).


message 4664: by Linton (new)

Linton Lewis (kemosabe) | 13 comments Genia wrote: "Melissa wrote: "The Catcher in the Rye Honestly, I don't see what all of the fuss is about, but it's another one of those books that people could never believe that I haven't read and ..."

I totally agree. I kept reading it waiting for something to happen, something to justify making this book a classic.


message 4665: by Judith (new)

Judith (jloucks) | 1202 comments I just finished "New Grub Street" by George Gissing

This one is a must-read for all of you here, I think!


message 4666: by Robin (new)

Robin Reese (reesereads) | 119 comments I just finished Oscar and Lucinda and frankly I'm just shocked! I really enjoyed each page.


message 4667: by Jennifer W (new)

Jennifer W | 251 comments The Sea. It was OK. I think I'm glad I listened to it rather than read it.


message 4668: by Sandi (new)

Sandi | 227 comments That does not sound like a 1001 list book...


message 4669: by Charity (last edited Jul 07, 2011 06:47AM) (new)

Charity (charityross) Sandi wrote: "That does not sound like a 1001 list book..."

Thanks! I deleted his/her posts. :)


message 4670: by Claire (new)

Claire (clairebear8) | 11 comments Jane Eyre and loved it.


message 4671: by Lauli (new)

Lauli | 263 comments Disgrace, by Coetzee. Harsh, but very moving and profound


message 4672: by whimsicalmeerkat (new)

whimsicalmeerkat Robin wrote: "I just finished Oscar and Lucinda and frankly I'm just shocked! I really enjoyed each page."

I'm curious why you were shocked?


message 4673: by Robin (new)

Robin Reese (reesereads) | 119 comments Denae wrote: "Robin wrote: "I just finished Oscar and Lucinda and frankly I'm just shocked! I really enjoyed each page."

I'm curious why you were shocked?"


The twists of plot; how it all ended. (I don't want to give any spoilers). I just wouldn't have guessed any of it and it surprised me. I loved the read and the writing, it was very engrossing.I'm glad not everyone behaves so foolishly!


message 4674: by Sophia (new)

Sophia | 26 comments Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenidies, from the original 2006 list.


message 4675: by Robin (new)

Robin Reese (reesereads) | 119 comments Sophia wrote: "Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenidies, from the original 2006 list."

So good!!


message 4676: by Elizabeth (Alaska) (new)

Elizabeth (Alaska) Robin wrote: "Sophia wrote: "Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenidies, from the original 2006 list."

So good!!"


Quite agree!


message 4677: by Sandi (new)

Sandi | 227 comments Started and finished Of Mice and Men.


message 4678: by Mikela (new)

Mikela | 378 comments Just finished Oscar and Lucinda and wish I could say I loved it, but in all honesty I hated it. The book was well written with such good character development that I felt I knew both main characters well. Am going to just absorb the ending a bit before I decide whether to give it 4 or 5*s.
**POSSIBLE SPOILER FROM THIS POINT**
Of the two, Lucinda was, in my humble opition, the only one that merited admiration. She was strong willed, kind, with her main flaw that she loved the wrong man. Oscar was a tepid milk toast with the backbone of jellyfish. He not only destroyed his life but also that of the woman he supposedly loved. His weakness was just mind boggling.


message 4679: by Robin (new)

Robin Reese (reesereads) | 119 comments Mikela wrote: "Just finished Oscar and Lucinda and wish I could say I loved it, but in all honesty I hated it. The book was well written with such good character development that I felt I knew both..."

So, you finished. Congrats. I'm curious, why would you give a book that you hated 4 or 5 stars? And yes, I agree about your distaste for Oscar, but he was very interesting in the type of strong actions that he did take, starting with his leaving home.


message 4680: by Linda (new)

Linda Read The Postman Always Rings Twice this week, as well as The Stranger for the second time. My son is reading Camus for a class, so I'm going to read The Plague as well, so I can help him on his paper if he needs it.


message 4681: by Mikela (new)

Mikela | 378 comments I know, it sounds strange doesn't it. The book was such a good represention of the times and place with his characters so well defined that I loved it, but at the same time it brought out so much anger in me that I hated it. Any well written book that can affect my emotions to that degree deserves respect.


message 4682: by Robin (new)

Robin Reese (reesereads) | 119 comments Mikela wrote: "I know, it sounds strange doesn't it. The book was such a good represention of the times and place with his characters so well defined that I loved it, but at the same time it brought out so much ..."

I get it. I just read a book that I thought was horribly cruel and I sobbed like a tragedy had REALLY happened, I was so angry at the writer, but it was a gorgeous book.


message 4683: by Mikela (last edited Jul 09, 2011 07:01AM) (new)

Mikela | 378 comments Robin wrote: "Mikela wrote: "I know, it sounds strange doesn't it. The book was such a good represention of the times and place with his characters so well defined that I loved it, but at the same time it broug..."

There are a few books I've read that put you on such an emotional rollercoaster that you want to throw them against the wall but can't somehow manage to put them down long enough to do so. A Fine Balance comes to mind, another terrific book.


message 4684: by Robin (new)

Robin Reese (reesereads) | 119 comments Mikela wrote: "Robin wrote: "Mikela wrote: "I know, it sounds strange doesn't it. The book was such a good represention of the times and place with his characters so well defined that I loved it, but at the same..."

Yes, I LOVED A Fine Balance and read it years ago, but still so many of the book's images haunt me. How excellent that writer's have this gift to get into our very souls and consciousness!


message 4685: by Judith (new)

Judith (jloucks) | 1202 comments "The Lives of Girls and Women" - Munro

A surprising coming of age story....a good read.


message 4686: by Julia (new)

Julia (juliatruter) Sophia wrote: "Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenidies, from the original 2006 list."

Fantastic book!! It's on my top 10.


message 4687: by Liesl (new)

Liesl (lowens) | 13 comments The Heart of Redness on one of the lists


message 4688: by Mike (new)

Mike | 78 comments I just finished "The Blind Assassin" by Margaret Atwood. Two stars! Not an easy read but I got throught it. This book was written as a story within a story within a story. Interesting style with a good story but not for me.


message 4689: by Asa (new)

Asa | 65 comments Jonathan Littell's The Kindly Ones - interesting, worth a read, but not for the easily disturbed.


message 4690: by Cindy (new)

Cindy (newtomato) | 195 comments I finished The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton last week. Excellent.


message 4691: by Genia (new)

Genia Lukin | 205 comments I'd finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall just a few minutes ago. It was quite good, on the whole, though some places encouraged skimming.


message 4692: by Darcy (new)

Darcy (darcy-elizabeth) | 34 comments I went on a two week vacation and finished Pride and Prejudice, Life of Pi and Wuthering Heights.

I actually wasn't a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, but I couldn't put either Life of Pi or Wuthering Heights down!


message 4693: by Bucket (new)

Bucket | 248 comments Darcy wrote: "I went on a two week vacation and finished Pride and Prejudice, Life of Pi and Wuthering Heights.

I actually wasn't a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice, but I cou..."


Yay! Someone else who wasn't thrilled with Pride and Prejudice! I'm with you... :)


message 4694: by Ian (new)

Ian | 143 comments Just finished The Godfather by Mario Puzo.
I was surprised to see it on the list. Having read it, I'm even more surprised.


message 4695: by Elizabeth (Alaska) (new)

Elizabeth (Alaska) Bucket wrote: "Darcy wrote: "I went on a two week vacation and finished Pride and Prejudice, Life of Pi and Wuthering Heights.

I actually wasn't a huge fan of Pride and Prej..."


I read Pride and Prejudice several years ago. On that basis, I won't be reading any more Jane Austen.


message 4696: by Mikela (new)

Mikela | 378 comments Just finished The Long Goodbyeand was thoroughly impressed. The twists just kept on coming right to the end. A very enjoyable read.


message 4697: by Kate S (new)

Kate S | 39 comments I just finished Alias Grace and enjoyed it as I have with most of Atwood's books. . .


message 4698: by laut (new)

laut | 28 comments Riona wrote: "I just finished Cloud Atlas and was blown away. I'm shocked that it's not more well-known for how good it is. I wrote a very detailed, glowing review if anyone is interested - I enjoye..."

Which was your favourite section? I really loved the middle two.


message 4699: by Gini (new)

Gini | 138 comments Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I read Pride and Prejudice several years ago. On that basis, I won't be reading any more Jane Austen. "

I'm such an Austenophile that it amazes me to hear people say they didn't like it. I'm not trying to be confrontational here; I'm genuinely curious. Why do you think you didn't like it? Do you enjoy other authors from the period? Other romance stories?

I still think it's one of the funniest books I've ever read. Austen has such an acid view of society that it makes me giggle continuously. But I know other people who don't think it's funny at all.


message 4700: by Elizabeth (Alaska) (new)

Elizabeth (Alaska) I don't like romance. Price and Prejudice was flat and uninteresting. Yes, I've read other books of the period and some even earlier. I'll probably try others, but I prefer Victorian literature.


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