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

Liz wrote: "Amanda wrote: "Wasn't the Chabon on one version of the list?"

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay was on the 2006 & 2008 lists, but removed from the 2010 version."

Ah, well, that's something anyway. I guess it's obvious that I have the most recent edition.

Another one: Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban. Absolutely brilliant and largely ignored, sadly. For my money, the very best post-apocalyptic book of all time.

Reid wrote: "First of all, how can any self-respecting list omit Wallace Stegner?

I would also have to say I am surprised by the omission of The River Why by David James Duncan, The Amazing Adventures of Kaval..."

I agree with you about Wallace Stegner and "All the King's Men"! But I've never heard of Riddley Walker. Remember the list is international so many, many authors and books had to be considered. It is only natural that some of American's favorites would not make the list, don't you think? Of course, I'm assuming you are American, aren't I? Anyway, I would guess that every avid reader has at least a short list of books they think should have been included that were not.

Judith wrote: I would guess that every avid reader has at least a short list of books they think should have been included that were not.

Oh, of course. As with so many things around books, this discussion is more noodling about our favorite books than about any real indignation. There are, at a minimum, I would guess, 10,000 books that belong on the list, and no way to parse them, really. But it's fun to grouse a bit! Oh, and though born American, Russell Hoban has lived his entire adult live in England, and Riddley Walker is nothing if not very, very British.

I was surprised not to see anything by Alice Munro on the list! Munro is considered the Chekov of our time in terms of her mastery of the short story, and on a personal level, her books - Runaway: Stories in particular - have helped me through some very rough times. As I was reflecting in my blog (www.the-reading-list.com) last night, I don't know if I would have left academia if it hadn't been for Munro.

Leslie wrote: "I was surprised not to see anything by Alice Munro on the list! Munro is considered the Chekov of our time in terms of her mastery of the short story, and on a personal level, her books - Ru..."</i>

[book:The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo and Rose and Lives of Girls and Women were added to the list in 2008.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I might get torn apart for this but-- Harry Potter!

...I think i will be able to die quite happily without reading a Harry Potter book.

It's been said before but where is C. s. Lewis??

^ haha.. lol... however Harry Potter are great books. imo :)

Paul wrote: "...I think i will be able to die quite happily without reading a Harry Potter book.



tsk, tsk. You don't know what you're missing, hombre. haha.

I think that the reason I love the HP is series is because I was 11 when the first book came out. I started reading the series when the stories were well known, but before Rowling started capitalizing off silly merchandise. I wouldn't say that it's the most profound work of literature, but it definitley helped spark my love for reading. On the other hand, C.S. Lewis was shoved down my throat from years of attending Catholic high school, so I've never been able to love his books.

I didn't find the characters flat, although, yes the dialogue was cheesy at times. I think that the writing was appropriate for the intended audience, and I think that the character development as well as the dialogue strengthened as the series progressed.

Hey, at least you gave it a shot. I never got into the Babysitter's Club, but I remember seeing the movie. lol.

I have never read HP or Twilight. My friends keep trying to get me into it, but I do not read much YA. I find most of the time they are dumbed down and I hate that. I did read a book call Thirteen Reasons Why which is a YA and it was pretty good.

I haven't read a lot of classics so it is hard for me to say which should be on the list.

Amanda wrote: "I don't get the Harry Potter hype, and I'm glad it's not on the list. The characters are flat, the dialogue is cheesy, and the author straight up stole elements of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien's work. I ..."

I completely disagree. I find them delightful reads and have just finished rereading the series. You can dismiss almost all fantasy as stealing from Tolkien/Lewis, and a lot of it steals much more blatantly. I don't know that they belong on the list, but I think there is a certain snobbery of "if it's that popular, it must be bad" that goes on. They aren't great literature, but Rowling did a fine job of world-building and I like the characters very much.

I’m not sure your popularity argument holds much water Gini. Lord of the rings is immensely popular, so are a lot of books on the list.

As Amanda said, popularity and greatness are different things. I never missed an episode of Baywatch in my teens (along with millions of others), however I wouldn’t tell someone on their deathbed to stay away from the light until they had seen Pam and the Hoff in action.

That doesn’t mean Baywatch, and even Harry Potter don’t have their place.

That doesn’t mean Baywatch, and even Harry Potter don’t have their place.

Yes, and according to the editors and contributors, the place for the Harry Potter books is on the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up list. (You will also find books from the Narnia series on the children's list, as well as, Lord of the Rings...which is also found on the main 1001 Books list.)

Here is the spreadsheet for the 1001 Children's Books:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?ke...

See also this thread:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...

Oh no! Not another list!!!! (BTW, I was pleasantly surprised by HP - had avoided reading them for years, and yes, the later books are much darker and therefore better, than the first. I listened to several of them and the narrator does a fabulous job - I highly recommend him!!!)

I previously mentioned a few authors/titles that I feel are "missing" from the LIST, but just discovered another one. I am currently reading Dracula and could've sworn it was on the list, but it's not. It's a great read and classic!

Oh Thank you - somehow I missed it on my spreadsheet. I knew I saw it there before!

I am a few pages into Dracula....quite an interesting book. I have trouble finding stuff on the list. Sometimes I will think I saw something and then I cannot find it. I have an older list I think from 2006 along with the new 2010 list which just came out.

Jennifer (jennbunny) wrote: ".... I have trouble finding stuff on the list. Sometimes I will think I saw something and then I cannot find it."

Ctrl-f (PCs) or Command-f (Macs) is a wonderful thing. It works for web pages & spreadsheets. Hit the keys enter the title/name/word into the search box that appears & if the word/phrase appears on the web page or document, it will find it for you.

Liz wrote: "Jennifer (jennbunny) wrote: ".... I have trouble finding stuff on the list. Sometimes I will think I saw something and then I cannot find it."

Ctrl-f (PCs) or Command-f (Macs) is a wonderful thin..."

Thanks for the tip - I just tried it and it does not work for my list. (It does work for my other lists though.) I am not sure why. I will have to ask my husband when I see him tomorrow. I really appreciate your help with that!

It wont work on the "lite" version of the list. You will need full or developer if you want to search it.

...and even then i think the find function only works on the "all 3 lists" page.

"Black Boy" by Richard Wright

Paul wrote: "I’m not sure your popularity argument holds much water Gini. Lord of the rings is immensely popular, so are a lot of books on the list.

As Amanda said, popularity and greatness are different th..."

I certainly did not mean to imply that popularity was a standard of greatness, or that HP belongs on the list.

That doesn’t mean Baywatch, and even Harry Potter don’t have their place.

Yes, and according to the editors and contributors, the place for the Harry Potter books is on the 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up list.

Yes! I can die happy now that I know Harry Potter is on a list! j/k

i'm actually surprised that there isn't more Salman Rushdie on the list.

I just finished Afterward by Edith Wharton. It was really short, but so was The Turn of the Screw, and I found this book to be much more frightening.

Regine wrote: "I might get torn apart for this but-- Harry Potter!"

I definitely agree, but didn't have the nerve to say it(:

....the youth of today!! :op

For those of you who have looked at the book (1001 Books to Read Before You Die), do the editors provide commentary on why a book was selected for the list? Is there a discussion in the 2008 & 2010 editions about the rationale for dropping certain books (besides, of course, the need to meet the magic number 1001)?

Erik wrote: "I just finished Afterward by Edith Wharton. It was really short, but so was The Turn of the Screw, and I found this book to be much more frightening."


Yes! I found another one. lol.

I just finished Lorrie Moore'sA Gate at the Stairs. I think it's an important book to have on the list because it casts light on a sense of uncertainty and loss widely felt in post-9/11 America. On a personal level, I relate to Moore's sadness living as an outsider in an university town.... My full review can be read at: www.the-reading-list.com

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.

I'm reading The Odyssey at the moment and finding it surprisingly delightful. Leaving that aside, aren't The Iliad and The Odyssey two of the foundational books for world literature? How come they are not on the list?

And Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz. Is Mahfouz anywhere on the list?

Miramar and Midaq Alley are. :)

I'm reading The Odyssey at the moment and finding it surprisingly delightful. Leaving that aside, aren't The Iliad and The Odyssey two of the foundational books for world literature? How come they are not on the list?

The short answer is the list tracks the development of the novel and poetry and plays are excluded from the list (although there are a few nonfiction titles listed).

Dubliners!

Short stories or not Joyce is amazing.

Missing:

The English Passengers - Matthew Kneale
May They Face the Rising Sun - John McGahern
As I Lay Dying - William Faulner
The Perfect Spy - John LeCarre

And I agree on:

All The Kings Men
The Red Badge of Courage

Jennifer (jennbunny) wrote: "I have trouble finding stuff on the list. Sometimes I will think I saw something and then I cannot find it. I have an older list I thi..."

I have an older version of the Spreadsheet as well, and here's what I've found: For some reason, when using the drop-down menu to find a Title, anything beyond #1000 doesn't show up (like Dracula); however, the author (Stoker) does show on that drop-down menu. I mentioned it to the designer of the program and apparently she wasn't able to fix it.

Is The Professor's House by Willa Cather her best? It's her only title on the list. I've read several of hers that I've enjoyed, but I haven't read that one so I'm wondering what I've missed. Anyone recommend it?

Bill wrote: "Missing:

The English Passengers - Matthew Kneale
May They Face the Rising Sun - John McGahern
As I Lay Dying - William Faulner
The Perfect Spy - John LeCarre

And I agree on:

All The Kin..."

Definitely As I Lay Dying!

One more I thought of - what about one of Chaim Potok's books, like The Chosen?

The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk
The Stand by Stephen King

That they may face the rising sun is 30 on the 2006 list.

Linda wrote: "One more I thought of - what about one of Chaim Potok's books, like The Chosen?"

That's a good one! If someone made an American Lit 1001, I'm sure a great many of our nominees would make the list. Several Faulkner titles. More Willa Cather...just to name a few.

Linda wrote: "Is The Professor's House by Willa Cather her best? It's her only title on the list. I've read several of hers that I've enjoyed, but I haven't read that one so I'm wondering what I've ..."

I've never read "My Antonia", so I can't say what is her best; but I really enjoyed "The Professor's House".

This may sound like a stupid question, but I'm new so I'm allowed a few of those I hope. But why is there no Shakespeare on the list?

Amanda wrote: "Tenijha wrote: "This may sound like a stupid question, but I'm new so I'm allowed a few of those I hope. But why is there no Shakespeare on the list?"

There aren't any plays on the list- it's lim..."

Ah, thank you, I was just re-reading this thread and saw that someone had already asked this about The Iliad and The Odyssey too!