Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Books on 1001 I won't read
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Lisa (OhThatLisa) wrote: "I read one DeLillo and that was more than enough. I probably won't be reading the other 5(!) on the list. Also will be avoiding (for as long as possible) any more Gunter Grass and Edith Wharton (..."five?! ugh...
LisaI watched Captain Corelli's mandolin and thought it was a truly awful film, dreaded reading the book. However the book was so much better than the film, and books are chopped to fit into the 2 hours or so time frame. It's up to you but I think you may be missing out, books often give you an idea of what a character is thinking, not always evident in a film.
Bucket wrote: "Danielle wrote: "Bucket wrote: "Danielle wrote: "Bucket wrote: "That's how I feel about Augusten Burroughs. But he's not a list author so it doesn't matter!"I've read A Wolf At The Table, and I..."
I'm not sure of the more subtle differences between Wolf... and his other works; only that Wolf was written in a serious tone, and covers his early childhood, as opposed to his humourous and chronologically later books. Based on Wolf, I have no idea if I would like his other writings.
I'm glad that I'm not alone in my tolerance and at times preference for darker material and viewpoints. I think that one of reading's greatest gifts is the ability to occupy someone else's perspective and experiences. I think that the darker experiences are just as valid as the lighter ones and of course optimistic works have their value too. For me, the point is to invite different and challenging ideas into your life.
It comes down to personal preference. Those searching for a completely resolved hardship tale, capped off with a brilliant personal recovery and shining career/personal life/philosophy, probably wouldn't be satisfied by Burroughs's conclusions.
Those who are curious about the evolution of growing tensions and abuse in a home, as well as the thought processes that a child would go through in this climate and their reactions and coping methods, would find it's a solid good read.
The writing itself isn't a master craft work and there is a bit of meandering, but it seems to stem from the author's own personal confusions and hurt over his memories and not necessarily out of a lack of skill.
I'm curious now about what you wrote about The Help; that is, that it "is intended as a feel-good story and doesn't tackle in depth the issues it purports to take on." I did read a movie review that mentioned that the reviewer found it a bit flat and that it skimmed over a lot of issues. I haven't read it yet or seen the movie. What has helped you form your decision to leave this one off of your list?
Augusten Burroughs is not a list author.
Chel wrote: "Augusten Burroughs is not a list author."You're right. Bucket did say, "But he's not a list author so it doesn't matter!" in her original posting mentioning him. I was simply curious, since in the process of discussing tiresome authors she brought up his writing in relation to Burgess's, who is a list author.
Danielle wrote: "Kelly wrote: "Not sure if I can bring myself to read Clockwork Orange. I walked out of the movie in college."I have the same trepidations... rape for the sake of entertainment is revolting, even..."
The rape scene depicted in A Clockwork Orange was Anthony Burgess' reaction to a real life assault on his wife by American soldiers, and is no more than half a page in the book. It is not graphic, and I believe its depiction was kept to a minimum to help construe the vulgarity of the act without letting people gorge on sexual details that would have distracted their attention away from the bigger picture.
Whilst violence and rape are heinous acts, they do occur in real life, and all start at the same point - a choice made, a choice between good and evil.
I don't want to give away any plot spoilers, but I do hope you decide to pick up a copy as the message of the narrative will show why its means were necessary. It's an interesting take on society and punishment, and no doubt was a cathartic experience after everything the Burgess's went through.
Also, the unique language makes for a refreshingly different read! I highly recommend it.
KOMET wrote: "As I intimated earlier, I have so many books in my place that I'm set on reading that I have no interest nor inclination to read Fielding. That is not a disparagement of him as a writer. Like ..."Du cote de chez Swann are one of my favorites books, hope you will enjoy it specially when read it in FRENCH.
Chel wrote: "Augusten Burroughs is not a list author."Yes, we were on a tangent. But Danielle and I went off on that tangent together and on purpose, as we indicated in our posts.
Danielle wrote: "Bucket wrote: "Danielle wrote: "Bucket wrote: "Danielle wrote: "Bucket wrote: "That's how I feel about Augusten Burroughs. But he's not a list author so it doesn't matter!"
I've read A Wolf At The..."
I read about 50 pages into The Help (Also NOT a list book - I promise we are aware of this, Chel!) and was struck already by the glossing over that an issue like racism was receiving. Then I read some reviews and found that the books gets even worse toward the end. Rather than tackling the issue head-on, the book wants to make you 'feel good' - like the world is a beautiful place where everything can become perfect and no one is really mean or evil - just broken or confused. The sense seems to be that the author was afraid to portray the white women in the town as they truly would have been - I guess that in the end they all come around, everyone says sorry, and everything is peachy keen. :)
Dbolden wrote: "Danielle wrote: "Kelly wrote: "Not sure if I can bring myself to read Clockwork Orange. I walked out of the movie in college."I have the same trepidations... rape for the sake of entertainment i..."
I really appreciate this input. I will put it back on the "To try" list!
Bucket wrote: "Chel wrote: "Augusten Burroughs is not a list author."Yes, we were on a tangent. But Danielle and I went off on that tangent together and on purpose, as we indicated in our posts.
Danielle ..."
Do you have a pick from the list that discusses equality in a more meaningful way than The Help?
Hmmm - this is a good question! I'm not sure if I've read enough list books to know! I think that To Kill A Mockingbird has a very realistic approach towards the race issue though race relations is not the entire focus of the novel in that case. The same goes for Huck Finn. I have high hopes for The Bonfire of the Vanities but I haven't read it yet.Does anyone else have any thoughts/suggestions on a 1001 book that handles race relations in a meaningful and realistic way?
Danielle wrote: "Bucket wrote: "Chel wrote: "Augusten Burroughs is not a list author."
Yes, we were on a tangent. But Danielle and I went off on that tangent together and on purpose, as we indicated in our posts. ..."
Bucket wrote: "Hmmm - this is a good question! I'm not sure if I've read enough list books to know! I think that To Kill A Mockingbird has a very realistic approach towards the race issue though race relations is..."Indeed a good question about the race relations thing. My personal opinion, living in a country like South Africa, is that you will have to look long and hard for the kind of book you're looking for. Have you ever read any books on Nelson Mandela - "A Long Walk to Freedom" is a good choice, but then again, you may feel the same way ... I'm a white Afrikaans speaking woman in South Africa and I'm a huge "lefty", so maybe I'm not the right person to comment on this ... :) I just found your comments interesting. :)
Bucket wrote: "Hmmm - this is a good question! I'm not sure if I've read enough list books to know! I think that To Kill A Mockingbird has a very realistic approach towards the race issue though race relations is..."I've read To Kill A Mockingbird and think that it's essential reading, not only for exploring racial themes but also of equality, childhood, morality, close knit societies as a microcosm of a larger society and last but not least, courage.
I haven't read Huck Finn... is reading Tom Sawyer first required? I am a huge fan of Mark Twain's wit, when I've come across it elsewhere. (He is possibly one of the world's most quotable men, in my humble opinion.)
Julia wrote: "Bucket wrote: "Hmmm - this is a good question! I'm not sure if I've read enough list books to know! I think that To Kill A Mockingbird has a very realistic approach towards the race issue though ra..."I haven't read anything by Nelson Mandala, thank you for the recommendation. Do you know of any titles on the list that reflect your views on racial themes, or your worldview in general? I would think that a white South African left-wing woman would have a fascinating taste in books!
Danielle wrote: "Bucket wrote: "Hmmm - this is a good question! I'm not sure if I've read enough list books to know! I think that To Kill A Mockingbird has a very realistic approach towards the race issue though Tom Sawyer shows up as a character at the beginning and end of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Huck is an important character in Tom Sawyer. The key relevant parts of the Tom Sawyer plot are
summarized in Huckleberry Finn and I think that Huckleberry Finn would work equally well as a stand alone novel.
Bucket wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I'm not sure if there's anything I won't read, but I've read 2 of Rushdie's books so far, & either I just don't "get" him, or something, but I am NOT looking forward to reading anythin..."The other one of his I read was The Enchantress of Florence. That was a LOT better than Verses, kind of like a seriously trippy fairy tale, LOL.
I was amused to find "FINNEGANS WAKE" by James Joyce on the 1001 list.Why?
Because if you start it, you must give up all hope of ever reading the other 1000 books on the list.
It is utterly impenetrable.
In fact, I just made this post on the Kindleboards:
I've found a way to actually have fun with "FINNEGANS WAKE" by James Joyce.
Just follow these easy steps:
1. Go to a bookstore.
2. Find a copy of "FINNEGANS WAKE" by James Joyce on the shelves. Remove it.
3. Hand it to a friend or stranger. Have them close their eyes, open to any random page, and stick their finger in the book.
4. Ask them to open their eyes and read the sentence directly under their finger.
5. Tell them if they can explain the meaning of that sentence you will give them $5.
I have tried this on innumerable occasions...
...and have never shelled out once.
And, oh, the laughs we share!
Todd
Will wrote: "I was amused to find "FINNEGANS WAKE" by James Joyce on the 1001 list...."My whole goal in life is to one day be smart enough to get farther than just the first page of that book. I've read about Adam and Eve on riverrun whatever the hell about fifty times and always, always, always give up....
I'll now make a semi-serious follow-up post about "FINNEGANS WAKE".How can a work be so critically acclaimed when hardly anyone reads it, and those that do consider it a massive chore?
What I'm really getting down to is this: Writing, it would seem to me, is an attempt to communicate (an idea, a feeling, a truth) to an audience. Why limit that audience to a few academics with access to the Unabridged Oxford Dictionary?
It's said that it took Joyce 17 years to write "FINNEGANS WAKE". Congratulations, James...
...you may someday reach that number of readers.
Todd
Todd and Will:I had somewhat the same reaction both of you did.
Who was his audience that he wanted to make his message so obscure?????
My only answer to why his works are so critically acclaimed is that he is a writer's writer, and the same people write the reviews and make up the lists of great works that write the good literature (or wish they could). Many academic writers would love to achieve the levels of symbolism and the variety of styles that set most of Joyce's work apart.
I've never taken a course where Joyce was taught. I wish I had so I could ask that very question.
Dubliners, which is not on the list, is my only foray in his writing. I'll not be reading Finnegan nor Ulysses, but what do you think of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man?
Danielle wrote: "Julia wrote: "Bucket wrote: "Hmmm - this is a good question! I'm not sure if I've read enough list books to know! I think that To Kill A Mockingbird has a very realistic approach towards the race i..."Ha-ha - I'm not always very popular, but luckily I don't care. Not sure about books on the list, but I've always enjoyed controversial political stuff - especially in my own country, but also Ghandi, Martin Luther King etc ...
Judith wrote: "Todd and Will: I had somewhat the same reaction both of you did. Who was his audience that he wanted to make his message so obscure?????"@Judith: Sorry for the confusion. "Will Todd" is my pen name, so GoodReads software automatically lists my first name as "Will". However, "Todd" is actually my real first name, and so that is how I always sign my posts. So the "both" of us are actually just the one of us!
Sorry for the confusion...
...but on the other hand, it's completely in keeping with a discussion of "FINNEGANS WAKE"!
Todd
(aka "Will Todd")
Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Dubliners, which is not on the list, is my only foray in his writing. I'll not be reading Finnegan nor Ulysses, but what do you think of [book:A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man|7..."I've read both "DUBLINERS" and "A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN".
While both are easily far more accessible than "ULYSSES" (and anything is more accessible than "FINNEGANS WAKE") neither left a lasting impression on me.
That said, "DUBLINERS" contains what many critics consider to be the finest short story ever written, "THE DEAD".
I can't say I agree...
...especially since some of those same critics put "FINNEGANS WAKE" on the list of 1001 books you must read before you die!
Todd
Thanks, Todd. I don't recall that any one story made much of an impact on me, but I certainly enjoyed the collection as a whole. Still, I may not be rushing headlong toward Portrait. ;-)
Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
Books mentioned in this topic
Dubliners (other topics)A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (other topics)
Dubliners (other topics)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (other topics)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Marcel Proust (other topics)Leo Tolstoy (other topics)
John Banville (other topics)
David Peace (other topics)
Was it The Enchantress of Florence? I've read that one - very very different from his other works. In fact, I'd call it a complete outlier.
As far as your question re: film versions, I wouldn't count it for myself, but there's no police here to lock you up for movie-watching instead of book-reading. :)