Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Which LIST book did you just finish?
Listened to "The Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes. Really enjoyed it. Well written and kept me interested which is often difficult in the audio format. Definitely made my time doing yard work go by more quickly.
Ellinor wrote: "Finished Platero y yo. The descriptions are beautiful but I'm not really sure why it is a list book."I'm halfway through it and I would agree. Also not sure a child would enjoy it.
Maggie wrote: "Just finished The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler."I just finished this one too. I was surprised that I didn't love it, because I love film noir movies, including the Bogart and Bacall one based on this book.
Kai wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Just finished The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler."I just finished this one too. I was surprised that I didn't love it, because I love film noir movies, ..."
That was my first time reading noir, so I can't comment on how it compares to other books in the genre. I did enjoy Chandler's writing. His descriptions are spot-on! Any reason why you didn't like it?
"Sons and Lovers" - D H Lawrence. Hated "Women in Love" and "Lady Chatterley", so was dreading this one, but it was actually fascinating, and gave me a little insight into certain "mummy's boys" I have known!
Maggie wrote: "That was my first time reading noir, so I can't comment on how it compares to other books in the genre. I did enjoy Chandler's writing. His descriptions are spot-on! Any reason why you didn't like it?"I loved how Chandler turned a phrase - very creative. I wasn't crazy about his characters. They were wonderfully described, but pretty flat, and all the women were psychos. (Well, maybe not Silver-Wig, but she definitely wasn't making the best life choices.)
I'll read more of Chandler, but currently I prefer Dashiell Hammett and James M. Cain.
Just finished Atonement by Ian McEwan.Childhood events lead to much confusion, loss and sadness.
A child who mis-understands and then has to live with that mistake.
The scenes in France during the war and in the English hosiptals, are just horrific.
Remember and learn from the mistakes of the past, so they are not repeated in the future..
A tale of two cities and now I almost want to re-read it
Ooh - I've got that one on my "To read" pile. I probably would never have read Dickens but for this list - and I've thoroughly enjoyed every one of this I've read yet! x
Rachel (Sfogs) wrote: "Just finished Atonement by Ian McEwan.Childhood events lead to much confusion, loss and sadness.
A child who mis-understands and then has to live with that mistake.
The s..."
I've seen the movie. How much different is the book?
Haven't been on here in a while. Finished Bleak House, The Handmaid's Tale and Freedom. Definitely an odd smattering of 19th, 20th, and 21st century novels! All very memorable.Currently reading The Heart of the Matter.
I just finished The Quiet American. This was my first Graham Greene and I now kind of want to go and read everything he's ever written. Has anyone seen the movie? Is it worth seeing?
Just finished The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. This is a beautifully written book, but still it was only a 3.5 for me. Maybe it was driven by the philosophy and the characters were just the vehicles than the characters being the story and explaining the philosophy. "Can't do it justice!" But read the reviews.
Kirsten wrote: "I just finished The Quiet American. This was my first Graham Greene and I now kind of want to go and read everything he's ever written. Has anyone seen the movie? Is it worth seeing?"I haven't seen the movie, but agree the book was very good.
The Book of Daniel by E.L. Doctorow. I found it really inaccessible, all of the characters unlikeable, and some of the switches in tense, time and place more distracting and confusing than necessary. Something different, but not for me.
Mia wrote: "Fatelessness by Imre Kertész. I really liked this book!"That's good to hear, Mia. It's a phenomenal piece of work.
Kirsten wrote: "I just finished The Quiet American. This was my first Graham Greene and I now kind of want to go and read everything he's ever written. Has anyone seen the movie? Is it worth seeing?"The movie is very good. And your urge to keep reading Graham Greene is right on the money. "The Third Man", both the movie and the book, is especially worth your time.
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. There were times I loved the vivid descriptions of these absurd characters and other times I was bored.
Mekki wrote: "Rachel (Sfogs) wrote: "Just finished Atonement by Ian McEwan.Childhood events lead to much confusion, loss and sadness.
A child who mis-understands and then has to live w..."
I can't say, I haven't seen the movie. :-P
Just finished Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe.I didn't find this story riveting.
I just couldn't relate to the characters.
Rachel (Sfogs) wrote: "Just finished Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe.I didn't find this story riveting.
I just couldn't relate to the characters."
Not read the book but have seen the film.Being born in the north of England I totally "got" the characters and laughed at some part of the film - not sure how I will feel once I read the book.
I finished The Black Dahlia this past week. I'm glad it's over and although I usually like dark, noir crime/mystery novels, James Ellroy's book seemed excessive in places.
I just finished Graham Greene's The Heart of the Matter. Excellent, excellent, excellent. Not light or fun, but morally and spiritually challenging and thought-provoking. I am looking forward to reading more Graham Greene.
Tale of a Tub - Swift. Hard to get into this one
Finished Kafka on the Shore. I still wanted to read it, even though it was edited out of the most recent addition.
Emma by Jane Austen -- loved it even if a bit wordy in places.
Just finished 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (Incredible!), Interview with The Vampire by Anne Rice (Started out well, but became more and more repetitive as it went), and Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino (Still processing this lovely little piece).
I just finished Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. I found it very interesting and an easy read!
I just finished Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Love. Love. Love. I found it much more engaging than The Marriage Plot, which I didn't particularly enjoy, so I'm glad I gave Eugenides another shot.
I was organizing the books on my TBR list, looking at all the 1001 books, and can't believe that little bitty short story The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe counts! I sat down and read it right then and there!
Mod
I just finished The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. I really liked the seemingly randomness of characters and events, and overall I liked the book. But I'm still digesting it and trying to figure out how everything fits together.
I just finished
by John Irving. This is a book that had a great beginning then started to go downhill somewhere around the middle but turn out tobe nearly a 4-5 star book near the end. I'm happy i stuck with it.
Finished The Nose by Nikolai Gogol. Only 31 pages so didn't take long!What an odd little story!
A nose goes missing, and the adventures that follow~
Rachel (Sfogs) wrote: "Finished The Nose by Nikolai Gogol. Only 31 pages so didn't take long!What an odd little story!
A nose goes missing, and the adventures that follow~"
I just got the notification that you started this book. And then immediately after the notification that you finished it. Too funny! A quick one to check off the list for sure!
Ethan Frome - excellent sad short read though I disagree with Mrs. Hale's parting comment. Getting Zenna's focus off her poor pity me stance was a good thing.
Finished Middlemarch by George Eliot and I loved it! Can anyone recommend hunting for the 1994 TV adaptation of it?
Kat wrote: "Finished Middlemarch by George Eliot and I loved it! Can anyone recommend hunting for the 1994 TV adaptation of it?"Having never read the book (on my tbr),the 6 part series, which is on Netflix is good, once you get to know who is who -- the look alikes don't help.
Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
Books mentioned in this topic
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ernest Hemingway (other topics)Henry Miller (other topics)
Vera Brittain (other topics)
Will Self (other topics)
John Le Carré (other topics)
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That (thankfully short) book almost killed me. I suffered through every page."
I feel the same way. :(