Arukiyomi Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I'm curious... ever heard of Bar Hill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Very much indeed. Some of the characters in it were a bit too close to home but although that was uncomfortable I loved the writing. Years ago I read Under the Net and it went totally over my head. So, I was pleased to find a Murdoch book I really enjoyed. I'm glad you enjoyed it Are you going to keep on reading Murdoch, or did you read these novels just for the sake of the challenge? I can't believe you had a dream about the list! That's incredible. I thought I was the most obsessed person in the world when it came to the 1001 books list! I have dreams about secondhand bookshopping quite often, but I've never had a dream about a reading challenge yet. You can still hold on to the most obsessed person title, I'm not set out to steal it from you Waaaaiit....Are you saying I have a dirty mind? Never! March was a good month for the list: Theresa Raquin, Where Angels Fear to Tread, Elizabeth Costello, The Bell, The Talented Mr Ripley, The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Rasselas: Prince of Abyssinia and Kidnapped. A great month indeed! I haven't had any interest for any books on the list for a while now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arukiyomi Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I'm glad you enjoyed it Are you going to keep on reading Murdoch, or did you read these novels just for the sake of the challenge? I'll keep on reading Murdoch off the list. The Severed Head springs to mind.... but no, these are just for the challenge. I'm reading through CS Lewis' space trilogy as well outside the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 I've just finished 'The War of the Worlds' by H.G Wells and I was really disappointed. I found the one person narrative to be at times, rather tedious. It was saved by the second half of the book however. Now I'm about to start on 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arukiyomi Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 I don't think there are any plays on the list or poetry, just novels. no plays but there is at least one versified novel, Eugene Onegin by Pushkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted April 10, 2012 Share Posted April 10, 2012 I've just finished 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson and I really didn't like it. It's almost rambling prose couldn't hold my attention, even though this is only 81 pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Updated my list tonight and I am now upto 30, still a long way to go in comparison to some people on here. So far this is my progress 01. Justine - Marquis de Sade 02. Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Jules Verne 03. Crime & Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky 04. Around the World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne 05. The Death of Ivan Ilyich - Leo Tolstoy 06. Tess - Thomas Hardy 07. The Thirty-Nine Steps - John Buchan 08. Siddharta - Herman Hesse 09. All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque 10. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley 11. Animal Farm - George Orwell 12. I, Robot - Isaac Asimov 13. The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger 14. Foundation - Isaac Asimov 15. The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway 16. Casino Royale - Ian Fleming 17. Junkie - William S. Burroughs 18. On the Road - Jack Kerouac 19. Catch-22 - Joseph Heller 20. Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson 21. Money - Martin Amis 22. White Noise - Don DeLillo 23. Stone Junction - Jim Dodge 24. American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis 25. The Reader - Bernhard Schlink 26. Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho 27. Fear and Trembling - Amelie Nothomb 28. Snow - Orhan Pamuk 29. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon 30. The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 01. Justine - Marquis de Sade 02. Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Jules Verne 04. Around the World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne 05. The Death of Ivan Ilyich - Leo Tolstoy 09. All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque 12. I, Robot - Isaac Asimov 20. Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson 24. American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis 27. Fear and Trembling - Amelie Nothomb I definitely need to progress with the challenge .. those above are on my (mostly mental) TBR list. What were the highlights Brian? Which did you like best? With that many books on the list it's good to get recommendations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I definitely need to progress with the challenge .. those above are on my (mostly mental) TBR list. What were the highlights Brian? Which did you like best? With that many books on the list it's good to get recommendations Most of them have been pretty fantastic truth be told. I am only about 3 years into reading fiction (shocker I know) so its been a bit of a revelation. I loved the Jules Verne stuff, its just the kind of thing I would have loved to read as a kid and instead I was reading true crime and military books. Junkie also warrants a special mention, I found it utterly captivating and a far more readable account of the beat culture than On the Road. All Quiet on the Western Front and The Old Man and the Sea really stirred some emotions in me and books that I can see me returning to again and again over the years. I hated Tess (I was forced to read it at school) and I really didn't like American Psycho or Veronika Decides to Die either. If I could push people to read one book off the list though it would be Stone Junction, mainly because I know no one else who has read it. It is one of the very few fiction books I read when I was younger and the only reason I did was that the cover caught my eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Most of them have been pretty fantastic truth be told. I am only about 3 years into reading fiction (shocker I know) so its been a bit of a revelation. I loved the Jules Verne stuff, its just the kind of thing I would have loved to read as a kid and instead I was reading true crime and military books. Junkie also warrants a special mention, I found it utterly captivating and a far more readable account of the beat culture than On the Road. All Quiet on the Western Front and The Old Man and the Sea really stirred some emotions in me and books that I can see me returning to again and again over the years. I hated Tess (I was forced to read it at school) and I really didn't like American Psycho or Veronika Decides to Die either. If I could push people to read one book off the list though it would be Stone Junction, mainly because I know no one else who has read it. It is one of the very few fiction books I read when I was younger and the only reason I did was that the cover caught my eye. We have similar views I hated Tess too (I think many people did .. there's quite a mob of Tess haters here though there are lovers too .. I don't think there are many in-betweeners ) and was ambivalent about On the Road (was expecting to be thrilled but wasn't) and not overly fond of Veronika Decides to Die (just about managed not to abandon) but I loved The Old Man & the Sea .. it really was an emotional read which was surprising given the sparseness of the text. I really fancy reading All Quiet on the Western Front so good to see that you recommend it and I will definitely look out for Stone Junction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 (edited) We have similar views I hated Tess too (I think many people did .. there's quite a mob of Tess haters here though there are lovers too .. I don't think there are many in-betweeners ) One of the Hardys that I haven't read - must give it a go. I think I was lucky, as he never featured on the syllabus whilst I was at school (except for his poetry), so I've been able to ease myself into his work. Must say, I've enjoyed what I've read so far, even if it's a bit melodramatic at times. It helped that I started reading his novels (with The Trumpet Major) whilst working in Osmington, in full view of the settings! (BTW, hate to say it, but neither All Quiet on the Western Front or The Old Man and the Sea did much more for me - nothing much wrong, but nothing really grabbed me). Edited July 15, 2012 by willoyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argon9 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Oh, how that lists frightens me! So many books I would like to read, so little time to sleep or breath. I've never been the one for conscious reading from a list. I've never had the money to be picky and buy the latest bestsellers either. I'm more the girl that adopts books from other people who want to throw them away or finds them in a skip. I've always relied on libraries and second hand book stores which both are rare and far between in this part of the country. I only realize now that of the hundreds of books I've read only a few have had an author who is known to the world. These are the ones I've read. I might have read more but missed them due the fact that I've read a fair share of my books in another language and I do not always recognize the original/English title. Pre-1700 996. The Thousand and One Nights – Anonymous (These where read to me by an teacher long ago) 1700s 983. Gulliver’s Travels – Jonathan Swift (loved them as a kid) 938. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen 918. Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens 913. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens 911. The Pit and the Pendulum – Edgar Allan Poe (not entirely sure, I've read a fair share of Poe in Dutch though) 909. The Purloined Letter – Edgar Allan Poe 908. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas 906. The Count of Monte-Cristo – Alexandre Dumas 898. David Copperfield – Charles Dickens 896. Moby-Dick – Herman Melville (could not get trough it at the time and picked up an abridged version to finish it) 868. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll (read to me as a child by the same teacher who read 1001 nights) 848. Around the World in Eighty Days – Jules Verne (also read to me but I think it was an abridged version) 809. The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde 804. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (reading them, all of them, right now) 794. Dracula – Bram Stoker 1900s 781. The Hound of the Baskervilles – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Reading an collection of all Sherlock stories, this one is also there) 649. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley 610. The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien (Is there anyone alive who has not read it?) 564. Animal Farm – George Orwell 553. Doctor Faustus – Thomas Mann (I do think I read this one, and enjoyed it, but it might have been a book with a simular title) 547. Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell 494. The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien (The book that got me reading) 437. A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess (My current "side project" for the moments that Sherlock gets annoying) 320. Interview With the Vampire – Anne Rice 312. The Shining – Stephen King 301. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams (My favorite) 200. Foucault’s Pendulum – Umberto Eco 2000s None. I guess thats what I get for relying on second hand books. 28 books that I've read and reconized in this list. Its not much. May I aks how you other readers go about a list like this? Do you begin at the top and work your way down or you just read the books you come across in the bookstore/library? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I just read them as i fancy. I see little point in making reading a thing i have to do, that would make it chore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Welcome to the forum, Argon. I read random books from the list. Luckily, many of the books I wanted to read anyway are on the list, so I tend to choose what to read and then notice that it's on the list. I don't plan on reading the entire list; for me, it's just fun to check off books that I've read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted July 22, 2012 Author Share Posted July 22, 2012 I just read them as i fancy. I see little point in making reading a thing i have to do, that would make it chore. I read random books from the list. Luckily, many of the books I wanted to read anyway are on the list, so I tend to choose what to read and then notice that it's on the list. I don't plan on reading the entire list; for me, it's just fun to check off books that I've read. I go about the list the way Brian and Kylie do I don't want to follow the list religiously or make it a chore, I don't want my reading to be so regimented. Hej och välkommen, Argon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I've made a conscious effort to read more from the list for two reasons. 1) I like lists but 2) I would really like to read more classics, because I've read hardly any and I feel like they are "classics" for a reason! In theory, i would like to complete the list someday, but apparently I'd have to be reading two books a month from the list which is far too much and would leave me no time for anything else! I randomly picked a book from the library the other day which I've since discovered is on the list, though, and I'm always keen to read people's reviews of the books they've enjoyed from the list that I might like to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Generally random for me too - although I have picked a few to read because I knew they were on this list. I don't stand a chance of completing this though (I don't have enough years left) and there are some books on it I just don't fancy, but like Alex, I love lists! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argon9 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 Hehe, the only time I've ever read from a list was when teachers made the "obligatory reading/literature list" in highschool. I always ordered them from most tedious, fattest and hard to read to easiest and thinnest since I was always late with my reviews. I must say that it looks like a good list though and I just might pick some things up from it. Do you think there is anyone alive who has actually read all those books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 May I aks how you other readers go about a list like this? Do you begin at the top and work your way down or you just read the books you come across in the bookstore/library? I sometimes use the list to give me ideas, but whilst gradually totting up the score, reckon it'll be highly unlikely that I finish. There's also a fair number I have no intention of reading, but have got round that by setting a target of 1001 books from the list of all the books that have featured in the various editions (now numbering around 1294) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I love that idea Willoyd! That means I would never have to finish Catcher in the Rye! I've still only read 21 (although have loads on my TBR pile!) but I reckon if I meandered along through the years, if I was close enough it could be a retirement project. (Also much less expensive than other retirement projects I have in mind such as following mu football team around the country for every match they play and visiting all 92 league grounds...!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argon9 Posted July 22, 2012 Share Posted July 22, 2012 I sometimes use the list to give me ideas, but whilst gradually totting up the score, reckon it'll be highly unlikely that I finish. There's also a fair number I have no intention of reading, but have got round that by setting a target of 1001 books from the list of all the books that have featured in the various editions (now numbering around 1294) Making my very own 1001-books-to-read-before-I-kick-the-bucket-list sounds actually like a fun idea. Thank you for that Though I might just begin with a 100 or so books I've been dying to read for a while now. It also might help my disorientated family members who never know what to buy me for Christmas and birthdays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted July 23, 2012 Share Posted July 23, 2012 It also might help my disorientated family members who never know what to buy me for Christmas and birthdays. That's what I have been doing for a few years. I give my family access to my wish list which is a mixture of stuff I want to read off the '1001' list and various other books I fancy. It makes it easy for them and also means I get a book that I know I want rather than the latest Dan Brown offering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argon9 Posted July 24, 2012 Share Posted July 24, 2012 ...I get a book that I know I want rather than the latest Dan Brown offering Not a fan of Dan Brown I take it ^.^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Not a fan of Dan Brown I take it ^.^ I dont hate Dan Brown, he books are ok but I got given The Da Vinci code and was told it was the most amazing book ever. I know everyone has different tastes but surely no one can think it is the most amazing book ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Argon9 Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 I dont hate Dan Brown, he books are ok but I got given The Da Vinci code and was told it was the most amazing book ever. I know everyone has different tastes but surely no one can think it is the most amazing book ever. It was a bit boring at first but after a while they get this cryptex and then the horror began. First, papyrus is made of a plant, a grass, so it has rather long sucker like molecules who can take some damage. Vinegar cannot just "melt" it and vinegar freezes around -4. So they could have just smashed the damned thing and/or thrown it in the nearest fridge to figure out its "big secret" (knowing a bit of science ruins book/movie plots for me quite a bit T.T). After that I noticed every single one of the glaring plot holes and simplistic or obscure puzzles and the whole fun was taken out of it. I was told it was the "best book of the year" and that it had "some very refreshing and new ideas". I was so disappointed. I read "a digital fortress" after that and it was the exact same thing just with a computer instead of the Illuminati. (what have writers with the Illuminati anyway? Don't they see they have gone cliche by now?). .... but I digress, and agree. Its most definitely NOT the best book ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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