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

There was a short novel by a French or Algerian novelist 10 years ago by the name of SMILE by Paul Smail. Anyone out there agree with me it was a gem?

Well, it looks as if everyone is keeping their favorite sleepers to themselves. Come on people, this is not like the favorite unknown tourist spot to be spoiled by too much publicity.

I have a sleeper book, but it is not on the list. I absolutely loved it.

My problem here is, even if I have some "sleeper books" in mind, I'm not sure "no one else have ever heard of" them yet (see the title of this thread above). I might name a sleeper book here and someone may say that it's not really unknown because the book is being made a required reading in all literature classes in his country.

I actually love reading obscure books, when I find them. I also have a love affair with the used book market that finding something obscure but enjoyable to read gives me more satisfaction than just buying something on the bestseller/classic/must-read list.

Some of them I remember fondly:
An African in Greenland - I really love this one even though I didn't actually find it, I bought it brand new from Amazon because I gave up looking for it in bookswap sites and secondhand bookshops.

Exercises in Style - Must be one of the weirdest books ever. But I love the concept.

The Invention of Curry Sausage - This one actually made it to the list and is not an obscure one in Germany. But the English edition is quite a rarity. Enjoyed this book tremendously, and made me frantically looking for currywurst.

It was a sleeper book when it first came out House of Leaves. But then its fame slowly spread until it appeared on the 2006 list.

I can't think of anymore. I'm too tied up with the big name novels.

Actually Exercises in Style is also on the list (the original one, at least).

I loved Budenbrooks by Thomas Mann. Not strictly a sleeper, but hard to get from a public library here (most are in stacks somewhere).

When I was about eleven, in 1985, i found a book called "The Front Runner", about an Olympic runner who happened to be gay. It was really compelling and it stayed with me. It was probably the first book I ever read that dealt with characters who were gay, and though I am not gay, it was fascinating and many images stuck with me and enlightened me. It's not a classic in the 1001 sense, but I really liked it.

My favorite book is The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Pretty much any of Donald Harington's books. I really enjoyed "Lightning Bug" after I read it in an American novel class and have read more of his novels since. They can be hard to find, but they're well worth the effort to locate. I keep giving people his books as gifts because I want them to read his work.

I read Swamp Angel by Ethel Wilson many years ago, back in my undergrad days, and it continues to tease my mind. Written in the 1950s, this novella tells the story of an ordinary woman's escape from her unhappy marriage in Vancouver into the interior of British Columbia.... I would like to read it again.

Ex Lit Prof
www.the-reading-list.com

One Foot in Eden by Ron Rash

I dunno if it's a sleeper (it was mentioned in the Satanic Verses? So probably not._.), but I liked The Golden Ass. The only reason I'd say it's a sleeper is because I couldn't find it in three of the huge Half Price Books in Everett and Seattle, WA. I finally did find it in a tiny bookstore called (I think) Lamplight Books in Pike's Place.

Closest I've got to sleeper(:

The Summer Book by Tove Jannson is excellent and I think of it often. It makes a lasting impression.

Chel wrote: "The Summer Book by Tove Jannson is excellent and I think of it often. It makes a lasting impression."

I agree, Chel. I loved this book, found it quite memorable and rather haunting.

Notable American Women - Ben Marcus

Title is satirical and in no way gives any clue to the plot of the book.

Like everyone else, not sure if this would be considered a sleeper.

I loved The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon: A Novel by Tom Spanbauer and I don't know anyone else who has read it. It's an excellent example of magical realism with an interesting take on the themes of race and sexuality.