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

I've been listening to Anna Karenina and reading Great Expectations of late.

Just finished Naked Lunch which I found quite enjoyable after changing my expectations halfway through. I am currently halfway through The Trial and am also reading Les Miserables as my 'bath book'. My other books are in ebook format and I haven't gotten around to water/damp proofing it yet. Obviously Les Miserables is very long and although my baths are too I'm not expecting to finish it in a hurry...

As I'm nearly through Kafka I'm about to add Slaughterhouse 5 on to my other eReader and should start on that sometime this weekend.

I started The Tale of Genji. Unabridged. I have no fear.

Amber wrote: "I started The Tale of Genji. Unabridged. I have no fear."

An excellent approach.

Well Slaughterhouse Five was pretty short... Umm, really need to finish Kafka then pick another ebook to download.

S5 was a great for anyone thinking of tackling it - skips around a lot in time while still managing to be mostly linear and non confusing. And it's very short so easy to knock off in a few hours.

Started "A Question of Power" today, all about crazy. That should work for me.

Started "A Question of Power" today, all about crazy. That should work for me.

American Pastoral by Philip Roth

A Tale of Love and Darkness by Amos Oz

Re-read The Color Purple today and started The Shining (couldn't face Les Miserables today) which I'm about half through now. Also started re-reading Naked Lunch to try to get a better understanding this time around. Churning through a few books right now I guess.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

I think that it's last Jane Austen, which I haven't read from the list.

I'm not quite halfway through The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, which started off well but I'm a bit mired down in the all the religiosity at the moment.

I've started The Passion by Jeanette Winterson. I like it so far. I hear its a love story but i'm not up to that part yet.

Just started Vicar of Wakefield, cos, you know, why not?

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - one that I've been looking forward to as Murakami is one of my faves. It also has the odd distinction of being the first Murakami book I've read in English for quite a few years. Mostly because the Japanese version would require effort to get a hold of, haha.

Started The Monk on my Nook to read alongside The Vicar of Wakefield on my Kindle. So far it's pretty good, hilariously funny although I think I'm laughing at a lot of things that the author wasn't intending to be amusing but to the modern reader the totally OTT passions and convoluted plots and rationals for doing things are pretty hysterical.

There also seems to be a lot of forshadowing. The book sort of spoils itself with all of it's portents scattered throughout.

I'm enjoying it so far though - I will be interested to compare it to The Vicar to see how similar they are in style.

Started In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower by Marcel Proust. The first was incredible, can't wait to see how this one develops!

I just started reading Atonement and thoroughly enjoyed the first chapter :D Exited to see how this book turns out

Joana Marta wrote: "Started In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower by Marcel Proust. The first was incredible, can't wait to see how this one develops!"
I think the second book is my favorite so far. (I've just finished #4 and am about to start the next one.)

Just embarkening now one of the books that intimidates me the most - Ulysses. I tried to read this a year or so ago and gave up a few chapters in as I had no idea what I was reading; too many allusions. However I've located two annotated internet sites which is making it much easier to understand and so more enjoyable. Unlike the other books I'm reading I won't be knocking this one off within a few day, or even, as with Les Miserables, a few weeks. This is going to be a long haul but I think I have a good chance of actually enjoying the book now.

Fingers crossed.

Ursula wrote: "Joana Marta wrote: "Started In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower by Marcel Proust. The first was incredible, can't wait to see how this one develops!"
I think the sec..."

Good to know Ursula! :) I've seen some people saying the second is better than the first in some reviews too! :) which makes me really excited about it!

Joana Marta wrote: "Ursula wrote: "Joana Marta wrote: "Started In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower by Marcel Proust. The first was incredible, can't wait to see how this one develops!"
..."

I've just finished the first as well. Don't think I'll start the second straight away, but this is making me look forward to it when I do.

Argh! Attonment just came up on the Open Library so I've had to start that or lose my reservation. That means Vicar and The Monk have to be shelved for now. Also I'll have to start the 1001 chosen list book in a couple of days which will delay me a bit as well. I read fast and I'm reading a lot but 8 books is a bit much.

Then again, I'm about 60% through Vicar so it probably wouldn't take much more than an hour or so to finish...

Just started The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. I feel as if I should read this on an empty stomach and I've only read chapter 1.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Les rêveries du promeneur solitaire
Actually it was way down my list, but I saw it mentioned in another connection, and jumped to it. So far a slow start - and a bit confusing – I started out thinking it would be fiction, but apparently it is more like an essay.

The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy. So far a slow start but will carry on.

J wrote: "Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Les rêveries du promeneur solitaire
Actually it was way down my list, but I saw it mentioned in another connection, and jumped to it. So far a slow start - an..."

I think Reveries was meant as a part two of Rousseau's Confessions, which I guess must be his autobiography. I read Reveries without having read Confessions, and I think I missed out a lot. I might have to re-read it once I get around to read his earlier book.

I started KAFKA ON THE SHORE the other day (since I blew through Murakami's new book in about a day and a half, never having read any of his stuff before). I'm about 1/3 done. It's interesting, though there are some very triggering and upsetting scenes that I'm finding hard to get through.

I've never read Murakami before. I just assumed he'd be difficult.

To Kill A Mockingbird.

Slaughterhouse-Five

Sandi wrote: "I think Reveries was meant as a part two of Rousseau's Confessions, ..."


Yes, that makes sense. But just knowing that it isn't fiction helps a lot. Otherwise we have a book opening with a first person story teller, who spends 10-15 pagers telling how mistreated he has been by the entire world – but without actually telling what has happened.

The Betrothed

I've read Hardy's, The Woodlanders", and it is meant to entertain like a Shakespeare comedy. He only wrote a couple in this vein, I understand. A bit of a relief, actually.

The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman

The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman

Really draws you in from the start....

Starting Nights At The Circus out of the library. Not read any of Carter before, but think I'll enjoy this.

I've started Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin.

I have started How the Dead Live by Will Self and The World According to Garp by John Irving.

I'm 150p into Emma, and I'm a notorious Austen avoider. However, I am finding this book better than Pride & Prejudice... so hopefully I can finish it! Well, I have to, for Uni.

Minority Report by Philip K Dick

Started The Mill on the Floss for a group read. About 90 pages in and it's very funny.

Started The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde -- I can't believe I haven't gotten around to this one yet.

Good morning,

I've started to read a 1955 Pocket Books edition of *The Scarlet Letter* by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Jim

The Color Purple by Alice Walker. I read it before but that was years ago for a class and thought I would re-read it since I started the list.

I'm reading Nightwood by Djuna Barnes

I'm reading Nightwood by Djuna Barnes

Just starting Snow by Orhan Pamuk.

I'm trying to get hold of Dead Souls but while I'm waiting I'm reading The Woman in White. I just saw that this is right next to The Mill on the Floss in the list so they are very contemporary. This wasn't planned but it's often worthwhile to read books from around the same era to pick up differences/similarities in writing styles and social attitudes.

The Colour by Tremain

The Colour

Actually, I'm almost finished with this one. It is good, but I somehow knew much of what would happen before it did...Strange, because there are certainly twists and turns in the story.

I think I'll start at the bottom of the list. Zorba the Greek has been on my dresser gathering dust - time to see how it ranks up with the movie.

Nice primer before I try to get In Search of Lost Time out of the way (also gathering dust). I've read the first two volumes - time to man up and digest the rest.

Judith wrote: "The Colour by Tremain

The Colour

Actually, I'm almost finished with this one. It is good, but I somehow knew much of what would happen before it did...Strange, because there are c..."

Could you have read it before but just forgotten?