Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion
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Which LIST book did you just finish?
Peter wrote: "Interview with the Vampire by Anne RiceOn the whole I found this an enjoyable read from a genre that I don't often read, it sucked me in from the outset and I quickly became engrossed with it."
If you're interested, a new seven part adaptation starts tomorrow night on BBC2, or on iPlayer!
Glad to hear about Interview with the Vampire, Peter. I'm starting that soon.I finished The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch. Brilliant. My favorite of hers so far.
After the Quake by Haruki MurakamiA book of short stories! I didn't know there were any short story anthologies on the list.
The Green Man by Kingsley AmisBy today's standards the ghost is quite placid and easily dispensed with but its both comical and exhilarating in parts making it an satisfyingly quick read overall.
Foe by J.M. CoetzeeHelpful hint: I think it's important to take the time to read Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe before reading this book, if you haven't done so already. And Robinson Crusoe is a list book, too!
I just finished The Sea by John Banville★★★★★
This is a lush, intoxicating book. I was sorry to finish it, and will likely read it again. I understand that Seamus Heaney admired it, and that makes sense. I think most lover of Heaney's work will enjoy this book. Wow.
A Pale View of HillsKazuo Ishiguro's highly acclaimed debut, first published in 1982, tells the story of Etsuko, a Japanese woman now living alone in England, dwelling on the recent suicide of her daughter.Retreating into the past, she finds herself reliving one particular hot summer in Nagasaki, when she and her friends struggled to rebuild their lives after the war. But then as she recalls her strange friendship with Sachiko - a wealthy woman reduced to vagrancy - the memories take on a disturbing cast.
As a debut novel it is quite impressive and an excellent example of the unreliable narrator.
I can see why it is considered a classic, but it didn't do much for me:Notes from Underground: w/White Nights, The Dreams of a Ridiculous Man & selections from The House of the Dead by Fyodor Dostoevsky - 3* - My Review
I finished Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid yesterday. I understand that this book doesn't work for everyone, but I really enjoyed it. The book is a bildungsroman, a story of the narrator's journey from late childhood to the beginning of adulthood. You see a young woman navigating changes in her relationship with her mother, her teachers, and the British establishment. The language is clear and poetic. Five stars!
The Devil in the Flesh by Raymond Radiguet.Rather tame by today's standards and failed to really grip me.
The House of Doctor Dee by Peter Ackroyd.I enjoyed the Tudor half of this novel the half that takes place some 400+ years later held little interest for me. On the whole I found it rather muddled and this was particularly true of the final chapter.
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. Shocking, but not in the way I thought it would be. Shockingly boring. And I'm shocked this made the list.
Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
Books mentioned in this topic
To Have and Have Not (other topics)Tropic of Cancer (other topics)
Testament of Youth (other topics)
Kuinka kuolleet elävät (other topics)
Smiley's People (other topics)
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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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On the whole I found this an enjoyable read from a genre that I don't often read, it sucked me in from the outset and I quickly became engrossed with it."
LOL! Love your review!