karen.d Posted February 25, 2012 Author Share Posted February 25, 2012 (edited) Publisher: FeedBooks Length: 154 Pages Opening Line: 'Mr Sherlock Holmes, who was usually very late in the mornings, save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night, was seated at the breakfast table.' What's good about this novel? This is the second novel I have read within 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Book Challenge' . From the beginning, I knew that I was going to enjoy it. 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' is very well written and draws the reader in from the start. Even though this isn't the first novel in the series of 'Sherlock Holmes' books, Arthur Conan Doyle makes it possible for the reader to understand what is going on and who the characters of Dr Watson and Sherlock Holmes are, without reading the novels in a sequence. I also really like the humour within this novel, the writing in general has a lot of charm. The story is complex, but I even though there are many twists and turns within the plot, I felt that for the most part, I could still follow what was going on. Saying that, I didn't predict what was going to happen in the end, which I would have found disappointing. What's wrong with this novel? To be honest, I can't really find many negatives about this book. Being a fan of the tv series 'Sherlock', I could see how fans of this could find the novel of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' disappointing. This is because the story between the two versions are quite different. However, I found that both were equally as enjoyable. They both had their own identity, whilst still containing the essence of the plot and characters from within. Is this worth a read? Yes I think this is worth a read. 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' is a light and entertaining read. I look forward to reading more 'Sherlock Holmes' novels in the future. Edited February 25, 2012 by karen.d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted February 26, 2012 Author Share Posted February 26, 2012 Sunday Snippet I'm really not sure what to make of Barbara Erskine's 'Time's Legacy'. Like the main character of the story, I can't quite decide who she is (she is a priest, but has done a History degree and dabbled as a journalist!?) and as a reader, what sort of book this is supposed to be, as it has so many themes running through it.. The funny thing about this, is that even though I would normally have put this type of book down by now, I'm finding this fascinating. This may turn out to be complete drivel, but I'm curious to know how this is going to pan out. Have you ever read a book that was muddled in its writing, but for some reason, wanted to find out the outcome? Here's a 'snippet': Page 203- ' Aware of Ben's scrutiny, Kier lifted his hand restlessly and brushed his hair back from his forehead. Then he sat forward in the chair, his elbows on his knees. 'I expect you have been given some kind of garbled fabrication of what happened between Abi and myself?' 'Time's Legacy' by Barbara Erskine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 I got a book bargin at the supermarket today. I bought a hardback copy of 'The Passage' by Justin Conin for €7.90! I still have loads of books and ebooks to get through, but I couldn't resist buying this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 'Time's Legacy' by Barbara Erskine Publisher: Harper Collins ISBN: 978-0-00-730229-1 Length: 520 Pages Opening Line: 'An icy wind whipped in across the shallow water bringing with it the first breath of autumn. What's good about this novel? I found the opening segment of this novel showed great promise. I found how the author attempts to introduce a debate on the complexities of religion, to be interesting. I also found the plot within the past to be compelling. The central character Abi also showed promise. Being a Reverend, she isn't a stereotypical protagonist, so I found this approach to be refreshing. What's wrong about this novel? In my opinion, the potential of this novel is ruined by many different things. The writing within this novel is well paced, but it is also packed with of cliches which annoyed me. I also found the plot within the present day to start off well, but then rapidly change from being over dramatic, to down right ridiculous. The ending itself takes away any legitimate debate that Erskine is trying to illustrate throughout this novel, which I think is a shame. In my opinion, I think that Erskine has been a bit too ambitious with the weave of time in this novel. 'Time's Legacy' would have been much more effective and enjoyable, if the plot had just one linear storyline in the past. Although the main character Abi is quite well formed, I found that most of the the characters within this novel, mainly within the present, to be mostly 1 dimension and merely puppets to move the plot along. Is this worth a read? It frustrates me that I can't give this book a better review, because it has the potential to be a very good read. As it is, 'Time's Legacy' is a novel that you could read if you want to switch your brain off for a while and not care about whether a book is realistic or not. For me though, 'Time's Legacy' is a very disappointing read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted March 10, 2012 Author Share Posted March 10, 2012 'You Got Nothing Coming' by Jimmy Lerner Publisher: Corgi Books ISBN: 0-552-14965-9 Length: 413 Pages Opening Line: 'The prison shrink thinks I should talk about why I killed the Monster.' What's good about this novel? Even though this is the sort of book that I would never have thought of reading, there are many good elements to this novel. Whilst graphic in both content and language, I think that 'You Got Nothing Coming' is well written and even funny in places. It's a fascinating insight into how the prison's systems and sub systems, are created by both the prison officials and inmates alike. This isn't an easy read, but I sailed through this novel, because Lerner's tone is engaging and interesting. By writing this novel he isn't excusing any of his behaviour and, up until 3/4 of the way through the book, he does not even mention his crime. This is mainly an insight into his experiences whilst in prison. What's wrong with this novel? If I had to make a criticism about this novel, I would say that at times the writing is so well formed, it's as if Lerner is either writing from the perspective of an uncover investigative reporter, or even writing a fiction novel. I felt Lerner was the observer, rather than the inmate. What helped this though, was that 3/4 of the way through the novel, does go on to write an account of events, leading up to the time of his incarceration thus bringing the book back to his own life story. Is this worth a read? This is a book I wouldn't normally read, but I really enjoyed (possibly not the right choice of word for this type of book!) it. 'You Got Nothing Coming' is graphic both in detail and language, but everything is justified within the context of the book. If you're easily offended however, this book may not be for you. If you want to read an insightful and fascinating insight into an element of life that (hopefully) none of us will ever see, then this could be for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted March 11, 2012 Author Share Posted March 11, 2012 Sunday Snippet Moving away from the prison tales of 'You Got Nothing Coming' by Jimmy Lerner, Kim Edwards' 'The Lake of Dreams' is a completely different read. In fact, it echoes what is going on in my real life at the moment. The book is about a woman researching into her family's past and currently, my mum is doing the same with our family. Here's a 'snippet': Page 105: 'When I got back to the house, afternoon light was already pouring into the west windows, polishing the lake with a golden sheen.' 'The Lake of Dreams' by Kim Edwards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted March 19, 2012 Author Share Posted March 19, 2012 'The Lake Of Dreams' by Kim Edwards Publisher: Penguin ISBN: 978-0-14-312036-0 Length: 377 Pages Opening Line: 'Although it is nearly midnight, an unusual light slips through a crack in the wool, brushing her arm like the feathers of a wing.' What's good about this novel? The descriptions within this novel, are beautiful. Edwards' way of writing, immersed me into the story's setting. I found that the thread of story involving the central character's ancestors, to be very interesting and it echoes my family's attempt to trace our family tree, at the moment. What's wrong with this novel? There are a couple of things wrong with this novel in my opinion. I found the pace of this novel to be a little slow, particularly at the beginning. In fact it was so slow, that at times I found my concentration wandering. I also found the book to be a bit predictable and the ending to be a bit rushed and convenient. Is this worth a read? I think so yes. 'The Lake of Dreams' isn't a book that I would read more than once, but I still enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 (edited) Having already signed up to one book challenge, I really didn't need to start another one. However, When I saw the forum's '1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die' book Challenge, I couldn't resist signing up. Titles I have read, are highlighted in red: Pre-1700 1001. Aesop’s Fables – Aesopus 1000. Metamorphoses – Ovid 999. Chaireas and Kallirhoe – Chariton 998. Aithiopika – Heliodorus 997. The Golden Ass – Lucius Apuleius 996. The Thousand and One Nights – Anonymous 995. Gargantua and Pantagruel – François Rabelais 994. Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit – John Lyly 993. The Unfortunate Traveller – Thomas Nashe 992. Don Quixote – Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (Currently Reading) 991. The Pilgrim’s Progress – John Bunyan 990. The Princess of Clèves – Marie-Madelaine Pioche de Lavergne, Comtesse de La Fayette 989. Oroonoko – Aphra Behn 1700s 988. A Tale of a Tub – Jonathan Swift 987. Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe 986. Love in Excess – Eliza Haywood 985. Moll Flanders – Daniel Defoe 984. Roxana – Daniel Defoe 983. Gulliver’s Travels – Jonathan Swift 982. A Modest Proposal – Jonathan Swift 981. Joseph Andrews – Henry Fielding 980. Memoirs of Martinus Scriblerus – J. Arbuthnot, J. Gay, T. Parnell, A. Pope, J. Swift 979. Pamela – Samuel Richardson 978. Clarissa – Samuel Richardson 977. Roderick Random – Tobias George Smollett 976. Tom Jones – Henry Fielding 975. Fanny Hill – John Cleland 974. Peregrine Pickle – Tobias George Smollett 973. Amelia – Henry Fielding 972. The Female Quixote – Charlotte Lennox 971. Candide – Voltaire 970. Rasselas – Samuel Johnson 969. Julie; or, the New Eloise – Jean-Jacques Rousseau 968. Rameau’s Nephew – Denis Diderot 967. Émile; or, On Education – Jean-Jacques Rousseau 966. The Castle of Otranto – Horace Walpole 965. The Vicar of Wakefield – Oliver Goldsmith 964. Tristram Shandy – Laurence Sterne 963. A Sentimental Journey – Laurence Sterne 962. The Man of Feeling – Henry Mackenzie 961. Humphrey Clinker – Tobias George Smollett 960. The Sorrows of Young Werther – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 959. Evelina – Fanny Burney 958. Reveries of a Solitary Walker – Jean-Jacques Rousseau 957. Dangerous Liaisons – Pierre Choderlos de Laclos 956. Confessions – Jean-Jacques Rousseau 955. Cecilia – Fanny Burney 954. The 120 Days of Sodom – Marquis de Sade 953. Vathek – William Beckford 952. Justine – Marquis de Sade 951. The Adventures of Caleb Williams – William Godwin 950. The Interesting Narrative – Olaudah Equiano 949. The Mysteries of Udolpho – Ann Radcliffe 948. Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 947. The Monk – M.G. Lewis 946. Camilla – Fanny Burney 945. Jacques the Fatalist – Denis Diderot 944. The Nun – Denis Diderot 943. Hyperion – Friedrich Hölderlin 1800s 942. Castle Rackrent – Maria Edgeworth 941. Elective Affinities – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 940. Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen 939. The Absentee – Maria Edgeworth 938. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen 937. Mansfield Park – Jane Austen 936. Emma – Jane Austen 935. Rob Roy – Sir Walter Scott 934. Ormond – Maria Edgeworth 933. Persuasion – Jane Austen 932. Northanger Abbey – Jane Austen 931. Frankenstein – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 930. Ivanhoe – Sir Walter Scott 929. The Monastery – Sir Walter Scott 928. Melmoth the Wanderer – Charles Robert Maturin 927. The Albigenses – Charles Robert Maturin 926. The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner – James Hogg 925. Last of the Mohicans – James Fenimore Cooper 924. The Betrothed – Alessandro Manzoni 923. The Red and the Black – Stendhal 922. The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Victor Hugo 921. Eugénie Grandet – Honoré de Balzac 920. Le Père Goriot – Honoré de Balzac 919. The Nose – Nikolay Gogol 918. Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens 917. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby – Charles Dickens 916. The Fall of the House of Usher – Edgar Allan Poe 915. The Charterhouse of Parma – Stendhal 914. Dead Souls – Nikolay Gogol 913. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens 912. Lost Illusions – Honoré de Balzac 911. The Pit and the Pendulum – Edgar Allan Poe 910. Martin Chuzzlewit – Charles Dickens 909. The Purloined Letter – Edgar Allan Poe 908. The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas 907. La Reine Margot – Alexandre Dumas 906. The Count of Monte-Cristo – Alexandre Dumas 905. Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray 904. Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë 903. Agnes Grey – Anne Brontë 902. Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë 901. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – Anne Brontë 900. Mary Barton – Elizabeth Gaskell 899. Shirley – Charlotte Brontë 898. David Copperfield – Charles Dickens 897. The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne 896. Moby-Dick – Herman Melville 895. The House of the Seven Gables – Nathaniel Hawthorne 894. The Blithedale Romance – Nathaniel Hawthorne 893. Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among the Lonely – Harriet Beecher Stowe 892. Cranford – Elizabeth Gaskell 891. Villette – Charlotte Brontë 890. Bleak House – Charles Dickens 889. Walden – Henry David Thoreau 888. Hard Times – Charles Dickens 887. North and South – Elizabeth Gaskell 886. Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert 885. Adam Bede – George Eliot 884. Oblomovka – Ivan Goncharov 883. A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens 882. Max Havelaar – Multatuli 881. The Marble Faun – Nathaniel Hawthorne 880. The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins 879. The Mill on the Floss – George Eliot 878. Castle Richmond – Anthony Trollope 877. On the Eve – Ivan Turgenev 876. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens 875. Silas Marner – George Eliot 874. Fathers and Sons – Ivan Turgenev 873. Les Misérables – Victor Hugo 872. The Water-Babies – Charles Kingsley 871. Notes from the Underground – Fyodor Dostoevsky 870. Uncle Silas – Sheridan Le Fanu 869. Our Mutual Friend – Charles Dickens 868. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll 867. Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoevsky 866. Journey to the Centre of the Earth – Jules Verne 865. The Last Chronicle of Barset – Anthony Trollope 864. Thérèse Raquin – Émile Zola 863. Little Women – Louisa May Alcott 862. The Moonstone – Wilkie Collins 861. The Idiot – Fyodor Dostoevsky 860. Maldoror – Comte de Lautréaumont 859. Phineas Finn – Anthony Trollope 858. Sentimental Education – Gustave Flaubert 857. War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy 856. He Knew He Was Right – Anthony Trollope 855. King Lear of the Steppes – Ivan Turgenev 854. Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There – Lewis Carroll 853. Middlemarch – George Eliot 852. Spring Torrents – Ivan Turgenev 851. Erewhon – Samuel Butler 850. The Devils – Fyodor Dostoevsky 849. In a Glass Darkly – Sheridan Le Fanu 848. Around the World in Eighty Days – Jules Verne 847. The Enchanted Wanderer – Nicolai Leskov 846. Far from the Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy 845. The Temptation of Saint Anthony – Gustave Flaubert 844. The Hand of Ethelberta – Thomas Hardy 843. Daniel Deronda – George Eliot 842. Virgin Soil – Ivan Turgenev 841. Drunkard – Émile Zola 840. Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy 839. Return of the Native – Thomas Hardy 838. The Red Room – August Strindberg 837. The Brothers Karamazov – Fyodor Dostoevsky 836. Nana – Émile Zola 835. Ben-Hur – Lew Wallace 834. Bouvard and Pécuchet – Gustave Flaubert 833. The Portrait of a Lady – Henry James 832. The House by the Medlar Tree – Giovanni Verga 831. Treasure Island – Robert Louis Stevenson 830. A Woman’s Life – Guy de Maupassant 829. The Death of Ivan Ilyich – Leo Tolstoy 828. Against the Grain – Joris-Karl Huysmans 827. Marius the Epicurean – Walter Pater 826. Bel-Ami – Guy de Maupassant 825. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain 824. Germinal – Émile Zola 823. King Solomon’s Mines – H. Rider Haggard 822. Kidnapped – Robert Louis Stevenson 821. The Mayor of Casterbridge – Thomas Hardy 820. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson 819. She – H. Rider Haggard 818. The Woodlanders – Thomas Hardy 817. The People of Hemsö – August Strindberg 816. Fortunata and Jacinta – Benito Pérez Galdés 815. Pierre and Jean – Guy de Maupassant 814. The Master of Ballantrae – Robert Louis Stevenson 813. Hunger – Knut Hamsun 812. By the Open Sea – August Strindberg 811. La Bête Humaine – Émile Zola 810. The Kreutzer Sonata – Leo Tolstoy 809. The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde 808. Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy 807. Gösta Berling’s Saga – Selma Lagerlöf 806. New Grub Street – George Gissing 805. News from Nowhere – William Morris 804. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 803. Diary of a Nobody – George & Weedon Grossmith 802. Born in Exile – George Gissing 801. The Yellow Wallpaper – Charlotte Perkins Gilman 800. The Real Charlotte – Somerville and Ross 799. Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy 798. Effi Briest – Theodore Fontane 797. The Time Machine – H.G. Wells 796. The Island of Dr. Moreau – H.G. Wells 795. Quo Vadis – Henryk Sienkiewicz 794. Dracula – Bram Stoker 793. Fruits of the Earth – André Gide 792. What Maisie Knew – Henry James 791. The Invisible Man – H.G. Wells 790. The War of the Worlds – H.G. Wells 789. The Turn of the Screw – Henry James 788. The Awakening – Kate Chopin 787. The Stechlin – Theodore Fontane 786. Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. – Somerville and Ross 1900s 785. Lord Jim – Joseph Conrad 784. Sister Carrie – Theodore Dreiser 783. Kim – Rudyard Kipling 782. Buddenbrooks – Thomas Mann 781. The Hound of the Baskervilles – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 780. Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad 779. The Wings of the Dove – Henry James 778. The Immoralist – André Gide 777. The Riddle of the Sands – Erskine Childers 776. The Ambassadors – Henry James 775. The Golden Bowl – Henry James 774. Hadrian the Seventh – Frederick Rolfe 773. Nostromo – Joseph Conrad 772. Where Angels Fear to Tread – E.M. Forster 771. Professor Unrat – Heinrich Mann 770. The House of Mirth – Edith Wharton 769. The Forsyte Sage – John Galsworthy 768. Young Törless – Robert Musil 767. The Jungle – Upton Sinclair 766. The Secret Agent – Joseph Conrad 765. Mother – Maxim Gorky 764. The House on the Borderland – William Hope Hodgson 763. The Old Wives’ Tale – Arnold Bennett 762. The Iron Heel – Jack London 761. A Room With a View – E.M. Forster 760. The Inferno – Henri Barbusse 759. Tono-Bungay – H.G. Wells 758. Strait is the Gate – André Gide 757. Martin Eden – Jack London 756. Three Lives – Gertrude Stein 755. Impressions of Africa – Raymond Roussel 754. Howards End – E.M. Forster 753. Fantômas – Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre 752. Ethan Frome – Edith Wharton 751. The Charwoman’s Daughter – James Stephens 750. Death in Venice – Thomas Mann 749. Sons and Lovers – D.H. Lawrence 748. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists – Robert Tressell 747. Tarzan of the Apes – Edgar Rice Burroughs 746. Rosshalde – Herman Hesse 745. Locus Solus – Raymond Roussel 744. Kokoro – Natsume Soseki 743. The Thirty-Nine Steps – John Buchan 742. The Rainbow – D.H. Lawrence 741. Of Human Bondage – William Somerset Maugham 740. The Voyage Out – Virginia Woolf 739. The Good Soldier – Ford Madox Ford 738. Rashomon – Akutagawa Ryunosuke 737. Under Fire – Henri Barbusse 736. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man – James Joyce 735. Bunner Sisters – Edith Wharton 734. Growth of the Soil – Knut Hamsen 733. Summer – Edith Wharton 732. The Shadow Line – Joseph Conrad 731. The Return of the Soldier – Rebecca West 730. Tarr – Wyndham Lewis 729. Night and Day – Virginia Woolf 728. Women in Love – D.H. Lawrence 727. Main Street – Sinclair Lewis 726. The Age of Innocence – Edith Wharton 725. Crome Yellow – Aldous Huxley 724. The Fox – D.H. Lawrence 723. Ulysses – James Joyce 722. Babbitt – Sinclair Lewis 721. Aaron’s Rod – D.H. Lawrence 720. The Last Days of Humanity – Karl Kraus 719. Life and Death of Harriett Frean – May Sinclair 718. The Glimpses of the Moon – Edith Wharton 717. Siddhartha – Herman Hesse 716. Jacob’s Room – Virginia Woolf 715. The Enormous Room – E.E. Cummings 714. The Garden Party – Katherine Mansfield 713. Amok – Stefan Zweig 712. Antic Hay – Aldous Huxley 711. Cane – Jean Toomer 710. Zeno’s Conscience – Italo Svevo 709. The Devil in the Flesh – Raymond Radiguet 708. A Passage to India – E.M. Forster 707. We – Yevgeny Zamyatin 706. The Magic Mountain – Thomas Mann 705. The Green Hat – Michael Arlen 704. Billy Budd, Foretopman – Herman Melville 703. The Professor’s House – Willa Cather 702. The Artamonov Business – Maxim Gorky 701. The Trial – Franz Kafka 700. The Counterfeiters – André Gide 699. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald 698. Mrs. Dalloway – Virginia Woolf 697. Manhattan Transfer – John Dos Passos 696. The Making of Americans – Gertrude Stein 695. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd – Agatha Christie 694. One, None and a Hundred Thousand – Luigi Pirandello 693. The Plumed Serpent – D.H. Lawrence 692. The Good Soldier Švejk – Jaroslav Hašek 691. The Castle – Franz Kafka 690. Blindness – Henry Green 689. The Sun Also Rises – Ernest Hemingway 688. Amerika – Franz Kafka 687. Tarka the Otter – Henry Williamson 686. To The Lighthouse – Virginia Woolf 685. Remembrance of Things Past – Marcel Proust 684. Steppenwolf – Herman Hesse 683. Nadja – André Breton 682. Parade’s End – Ford Madox Ford 681. Quicksand – Nella Larsen 680. Decline and Fall – Evelyn Waugh 679. Quartet – Jean Rhys 678. The Childermass – Wyndham Lewis 677. The Well of Loneliness – Radclyffe Hall 676. Lady Chatterley’s Lover – D.H. Lawrence 675. Orlando – Virginia Woolf 674. Story of the Eye – Georges Bataille 673. Look Homeward, Angel – Thomas Wolfe 672. Les Enfants Terribles – Jean Cocteau 671. The Sound and the Fury – William Faulkner 670. Harriet Hume – Rebecca West 669. The Last September – Elizabeth Bowen 668. Berlin Alexanderplatz – Alfred Döblin 667. All Quiet on the Western Front – Erich Maria Remarque 666. The Time of Indifference – Alberto Moravia 665. Living – Henry Green 664. Red Harvest – Dashiell Hammett 663. A Farewell to Arms – Ernest Hemingway 662. Passing – Nella Larsen 661. Hebdomeros – Giorgio de Chirico 660. The Maltese Falcon – Dashiell Hammett 659. Vile Bodies – Evelyn Waugh 658. Her Privates We – Frederic Manning 657. The Apes of God – Wyndham Lewis 656. Cakes and Ale – W. Somerset Maugham 655. The Glass Key – Dashiell Hammett 654. The Waves – Virginia Woolf 653. The Radetzky March – Joseph Roth 652. The Thin Man – Dashiell Hammett 651. To the North – Elizabeth Bowen 650. Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons 649. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley 648. Journey to the End of the Night – Louis-Ferdinand Céline 647. A Scots Quair (Sunset Song) – Lewis Grassic Gibbon 646. The Man Without Qualities – Robert Musil 645. A Day Off – Storm Jameson 644. Testament of Youth – Vera Brittain 643. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas – Gertrude Stein 642. Murder Must Advertise – Dorothy L. Sayers 641. Miss Lonelyhearts – Nathanael West 640. Call it Sleep – Henry Roth 639. Thank You, Jeeves – P.G. Wodehouse 638. Tender is the Night – F. Scott Fitzgerald 637. A Handful of Dust – Evelyn Waugh 636. Tropic of Cancer – Henry Miller 635. The Postman Always Rings Twice – James M. Cain 634. Novel With Cocaine – M. Ageyev 633. Threepenny Novel – Bertolt Brecht 632. The Nine Tailors – Dorothy L. Sayers 631. Burmese Days – George Orwell 630. England Made Me – Graham Greene 629. The House in Paris – Elizabeth Bowen 628. They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? – Horace McCoy 627. The Last of Mr. Norris – Christopher Isherwood 626. Auto-da-Fé – Elias Canetti 625. Independent People – Halldór Laxness 624. Nightwood – Djuna Barnes 623. At the Mountains of Madness – H.P. Lovecraft 622. Absalom, Absalom! – William Faulkner 621. Wild Harbour – Ian MacPherson 620. Keep the Aspidistra Flying – George Orwell 619. Gone With the Wind – Margaret Mitchell 618. The Thinking Reed – Rebecca West 617. Eyeless in Gaza – Aldous Huxley 616. Summer Will Show – Sylvia Townsend Warner 615. To Have and Have Not – Ernest Hemingway 614. Out of Africa – Isak Dineson (Karen Blixen) 613. The Revenge for Love – Wyndham Lewis 612. In Parenthesis – David Jones 611. The Years – Virginia Woolf 610. The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien 609. Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston 608. Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck 607. Murphy – Samuel Beckett 606. U.S.A. – John Dos Passos 605. Brighton Rock – Graham Greene 604. Cause for Alarm – Eric Ambler 603. Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier 602. Nausea – Jean-Paul Sartre 601. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day – Winifred Watson 600. After the Death of Don Juan – Sylvie Townsend Warner 599. The Big Sleep – Raymond Chandler 598. Good Morning, Midnight – Jean Rhys 597. Tropic of Capricorn – Henry Miller 596. Goodbye to Berlin – Christopher Isherwood 595. Coming Up for Air – George Orwell 594. At Swim-Two-Birds – Flann O’Brien 593. Finnegans Wake – James Joyce 592. The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck 591. Party Going – Henry Green 590. The Tartar Steppe – Dino Buzzati 589. The Power and the Glory – Graham Greene 588. Native Son – Richard Wright 587. For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway 586. Farewell My Lovely – Raymond Chandler 585. The Hamlet – William Faulkner 584. Between the Acts – Virginia Woolf 583. Hangover Square – Patrick Hamilton 582. The Living and the Dead – Patrick White 581. The Poor Mouth – Flann O’Brien 580. Conversations in Sicily – Elio Vittorini 579. The Outsider – Albert Camus 578. Go Down, Moses – William Faulkner 577. Embers – Sandor Marai 576. The Glass Bead Game – Herman Hesse 575. Caught – Henry Green 574. The Little Prince – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 573. Dangling Man – Saul Bellow 572. Ficciones – Jorge Luis Borges 571. Transit – Anna Seghers 570. The Razor’s Edge – William Somerset Maugham 569. Christ Stopped at Eboli – Carlo Levi 568. Arcanum 17 – André Breton 567. Loving – Henry Green 566. The Pursuit of Love – Nancy Mitford 565. Cannery Row – John Steinbeck 564. Animal Farm – George Orwell 563. Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh 562. The Bridge on the Drina – Ivo Andric 561. Titus Groan – Mervyn Peake 560. Back – Henry Green 559. The Plague – Albert Camus 558. The Path to the Nest of Spiders – Italo Calvino 557. Under the Volcano – Malcolm Lowry 556. If This Is a Man – Primo Levi 555. Exercises in Style – Raymond Queneau 554. The Victim – Saul Bellow 553. Doctor Faustus – Thomas Mann 552. Cry, the Beloved Country – Alan Paton 551. The Heart of the Matter – Graham Greene 550. Death Sentence – Maurice Blanchot 549. Disobedience – Alberto Moravia 548. All About H. Hatterr – G.V. Desani 547. Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell 546. The Man With the Golden Arm – Nelson Algren 545. Kingdom of This World – Alejo Carpentier 544. The Heat of the Day – Elizabeth Bowen 543. The Case of Comrade Tulayev – Victor Serge 542. Love in a Cold Climate – Nancy Mitford 541. The Garden Where the Brass Band Played – Simon Vestdijk 540. The Moon and the Bonfires – Cesare Pavese 539. I, Robot – Isaac Asimov 538. The Grass is Singing – Doris Lessing 537. Gormenghast – Mervyn Peake 536. The 13 Clocks – James Thurber 535. The Third Man – Graham Greene 534. The Labyrinth of Solitude – Octavio Paz 533. The Abbot C – Georges Bataille 532. The End of the Affair – Graham Greene 531. Molloy – Samuel Beckett 530. The Rebel – Albert Camus 529. The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger 528. The Opposing Shore – Julien Gracq 527. Foundation – Isaac Asimov 526. Day of the Triffids – John Wyndham 525. Malone Dies – Samuel Beckett 524. Memoirs of Hadrian – Marguerite Yourcenar 523. The Killer Inside Me – Jim Thompson 522. Wise Blood – Flannery O’Connor 521. The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway 520. Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison 519. The Judge and His Hangman – Friedrich Dürrenmatt 518. Casino Royale – Ian Fleming 517. Go Tell It on the Mountain – James Baldwin 516. The Adventures of Augie March – Saul Bellow 515. Junkie – William Burroughs 514. Lucky Jim – Kingsley Amis 513. Watt – Samuel Beckett 512. The Unnamable – Samuel Beckett 511. The Long Goodbye – Raymond Chandler 510. The Go-Between – L.P. Hartley 509. Under the Net – Iris Murdoch 508. Lord of the Flies – William Golding 507. A Ghost at Noon – Alberto Moravia 506. The Story of O – Pauline Réage 505. Self Condemned – Wyndham Lewis 504. I’m Not Stiller – Max Frisch 503. Bonjour Tristesse – Françoise Sagan 502. The Ragazzi – Pier Paulo Pasolini 501. The Recognitions – William Gaddis 500. The Last Temptation of Christ – Nikos Kazantzákis 499. The Quiet American – Graham Greene 498. The Trusting and the Maimed – James Plunkett 497. A World of Love – Elizabeth Bowen 496. Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov 495. The Talented Mr. Ripley – Patricia Highsmith 494. The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien 493. The Floating Opera – John Barth 492. Seize the Day – Saul Bellow 491. The Roots of Heaven – Romain Gary 490. The Lonely Londoners – Sam Selvon 489. Giovanni’s Room – James Baldwin 488. Justine – Lawrence Durrell 487. The Wonderful “O” – James Thurber 486. Doctor Zhivago – Boris Pasternak 485. Pnin – Vladimir Nabokov 484. On the Road – Jack Kerouac 483. Homo Faber – Max Frisch 482. Blue Noon – Georges Bataille 481. The Midwich Cuckoos – John Wyndham 480. Voss – Patrick White 479. Jealousy – Alain Robbe-Grillet 478. The Bell – Iris Murdoch 477. The Once and Future King – T.H. White 476. The End of the Road – John Barth 475. Borstal Boy – Brendan Behan 474. Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris – Paul Gallico 473. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning – Alan Sillitoe 472. Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe 471. The Bitter Glass – Eilís Dillon 470. A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute 469. Pluck the Bud and Destroy the Offspring – Kenzaburo Oe 468. The Leopard – Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa 467. Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Truman Capote 466. Billiards at Half-Past Nine – Heinrich Böll 465. Memento Mori – Muriel Spark 464. Henderson the Rain King – Saul Bellow 463. Absolute Beginners – Colin MacInnes 462. The Tin Drum – Günter Grass 461. Naked Lunch – William Burroughs 460. Billy Liar – Keith Waterhouse 459. Cider With Rosie – Laurie Lee 458. Promise at Dawn – Romain Gary 457. Rabbit, Run – John Updike 456. To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee 455. The Country Girls – Edna O’Brien 454. Our Ancestors – Italo Calvino 453. How It Is – Samuel Beckett 452. The Violent Bear it Away – Flannery O’Connor 451. Catch-22 – Joseph Heller 450. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Muriel Spark 449. Cat and Mouse – Günter Grass 448. Solaris – Stanislaw Lem 447. Faces in the Water – Janet Frame 446. A Severed Head – Iris Murdoch 445. Franny and Zooey – J.D. Salinger 444. Stranger in a Strange Land – Robert Heinlein 443. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis – Giorgio Bassani 442. Girl With Green Eyes – Edna O’Brien 441. Labyrinths – Jorg Luis Borges 440. The Golden Notebook – Doris Lessing 439. The Drowned World – J.G. Ballard 438. Pale Fire – Vladimir Nabokov 437. A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess 436. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey 435. The Collector – John Fowles 434. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich – Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn 433. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath 432. Inside Mr. Enderby – Anthony Burgess 431. The Girls of Slender Means – Muriel Spark 430. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold – John Le Carré 429. Manon des Sources – Marcel Pagnol 428. The Graduate – Charles Webb 427. Cat’s Cradle – Kurt Vonnegut 426. V. – Thomas Pynchon 425. Herzog – Saul Bellow 424. The Ravishing of Lol V. Stein – Marguerite Duras 423. Arrow of God – Chinua Achebe 422. Albert Angelo – B.S. Johnson 421. Come Back, Dr. Caligari – Donald Bartholme 420. Sometimes a Great Notion – Ken Kesey 419. The Passion According to G.H. – Clarice Lispector 418. Everything That Rises Must Converge – Flannery O’Connor 417. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater – Kurt Vonnegut 416. August is a Wicked Month – Edna O’Brien 415. The River Between – Ngugi wa Thiong’o 414. Things – Georges Perec 413. The Crying of Lot 49 – Thomas Pynchon 412. Giles Goat-Boy – John Barth 411. Wide Sargasso Sea – Jean Rhys 410. The Vice-Consul – Marguerite Duras 409. The Magus – John Fowles 408. In Cold Blood – Truman Capote 407. Trawl – B.S. Johnson 406. The Birds Fall Down – Rebecca West 405. A Man Asleep – Georges Perec 404. The Third Policeman – Flann O’Brien 403. No Laughing Matter – Angus Wilson 402. The Joke – Milan Kundera 401. Pilgrimage – Dorothy Richardson 400. The Master and Margarita – Mikhail Bulgakov 399. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel García Márquez 398. The Cubs and Other Stories – Mario Vargas Llosa 397. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test – Tom Wolfe 396. Chocky – John Wyndham 395. The Quest for Christa T. – Christa Wolf 394. A Kestrel for a Knave – Barry Hines 393. In Watermelon Sugar – Richard Brautigan 392. The German Lesson – Siegfried Lenz 391. Dark as the Grave Wherein My Friend is Laid – Malcolm Lowry 390. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – Philip K. Dick 389. 2001: A Space Odyssey – Arthur C. Clarke 388. The First Circle – Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn 387. Cancer Ward – Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn 386. Belle du Seigneur – Albert Cohen 385. The Nice and the Good – Iris Murdoch 384. Myra Breckinridge – Gore Vidal 383. Eva Trout – Elizabeth Bowen 382. A Void/Avoid – Georges Perec 381. Them – Joyce Carol Oates 380. Ada – Vladimir Nabokov 379. The Godfather – Mario Puzo 378. Portnoy’s Complaint – Philip Roth 377. The Green Man – Kingsley Amis 376. The French Lieutenant’s Woman – John Fowles 375. Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. 374. Blind Man With a Pistol – Chester Hines 373. Pricksongs and Descants – Robert Coover 372. Tent of Miracles – Jorge Amado 371. The Atrocity Exhibition – J.G. Ballard 370. Jahrestage – Uwe Johnson 369. Troubles – J.G. Farrell 368. Mercier et Camier – Samuel Beckett 367. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou 366. Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick – Peter Handke 365. The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison 364. The Ogre – Michael Tournier 363. The Driver’s Seat – Muriel Spark 362. The Sea of Fertility – Yukio Mishima 361. Rabbit Redux – John Updike 360. The Wild Boys – William Burroughs 359. Group Portrait With Lady – Heinrich Böll 358. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas – Hunter S. Thompson 357. The Book of Daniel – E.L. Doctorow 356. In A Free State – V.S. Naipaul 355. House Mother Normal – B.S. Johnson 354. Surfacing – Margaret Atwood 353. G – John Berger 352. The Summer Book – Tove Jansson 351. The Breast – Philip Roth 350. Invisible Cities – Italo Calvino 349. Sula – Toni Morrison 348. The Black Prince – Iris Murdoch 347. Gravity’s Rainbow – Thomas Pynchon 346. The Honorary Consul – Graham Greene 345. Crash – J.G. Ballard 344. The Castle of Crossed Destinies – Italo Calvino 343. The Siege of Krishnapur – J.G. Farrell 342. A Question of Power – Bessie Head 341. Fear of Flying – Erica Jong 340. Breakfast of Champions – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. 339. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – John Le Carré 338. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum – Heinrich Böll 337. Dusklands – J.M. Coetzee 336. The Fan Man – William Kotzwinkle 335. Ragtime – E.L. Doctorow 334. Correction – Thomas Bernhard 333. Dead Babies – Martin Amis 332. Humboldt’s Gift – Saul Bellow 331. High Rise – J.G. Ballard 330. Willard and His Bowling Trophies – Richard Brautigan 329. Fateless – Imre Kertész 328. The Dead Father – Donald Barthelme 327. Grimus – Salman Rushdie 326. A Dance to the Music of Time – Anthony Powell 325. W, or the Memory of childhood – Georges Perec 324. Autumn of the Patriarch – Gabriel García Márquez 323. Patterns of Childhood – Christa Wolf 322. Amateurs – Donald Barthelme 321. Cutter and Bone – Newton Thornburg 320. Interview With the Vampire – Anne Rice 319. The Public Burning – Robert Coover 318. Ratner’s Star – Don DeLillo 317. The Left-Handed Woman – Peter Handke 316. The Hour of the Star – Clarice Lispector 315. Song of Solomon – Toni Morrison 314. Petals of Blood – Ngugi Wa Thiong’o 313. Dispatches – Michael Herr 312. The Shining – Stephen King 311. Delta of Venus – Anaïs Nin 310. The Passion of New Eve – Angela Carter 309. In the Heart of the Country – J.M. Coetzee 308. The Virgin in the Garden – A.S. Byatt 307. Yes – Thomas Bernhard 306. The Singapore Grip – J.G. Farrell 305. The Sea, The Sea – Iris Murdoch 304. Life: A User’s Manual – Georges Perec 303. The World According to Garp – John Irving 302. The Cement Garden – Ian McEwan 301. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams 300. If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler – Italo Calvino 299. The Safety Net – Heinrich Böll 298. Burger’s Daughter - Nadine Gordimer 297. A Bend in the River – V.S. Naipaul 296. Shikasta – Doris Lessing 295. Smiley’s People – John Le Carré 294. The Book of Laughter and Forgetting – Milan Kundera 293. The Name of the Rose – Umberto Eco 292. City Primeval – Elmore Leonard 291. Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole 290. Rituals – Cees Nooteboom 289. Rites of Passage – William Golding 288. Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie 287. Waiting for the Barbarians – J.M. Coetzee 286. Broken April – Ismail Kadare 285. Summer in Baden-Baden – Leonid Tsypkin 284. July’s People – Nadine Gordimer 283. The Comfort of Strangers – Ian McEwan 282. Lanark: A Life in Four Books – Alasdair Gray 281. Rabbit is Rich – John Updike 280. The Names – Don DeLillo 279. Concrete – Thomas Bernhard 278. On the Black Hill – Bruce Chatwin 277. The Newton Letter – John Banville 276. The House of the Spirits – Isabel Allende 275. Schindler’s Ark – Thomas Keneally 274. A Pale View of Hills – Kazuo Ishiguro 273. Wittgenstein’s Nephew – Thomas Bernhard 272. The Color Purple – Alice Walker 271. A Boy’s Own Story – Edmund White 270. If Not Now, When? – Primo Levi 269. The Sorrow of Belgium – Hugo Claus 268. The Piano Teacher – Elfriede Jelinek 267. The Diary of Jane Somers – Doris Lessing 266. The Life and Times of Michael K – J.M. Coetzee 265. Waterland – Graham Swift 264. La Brava – Elmore Leonard 263. Fools of Fortune – William Trevor 262. Worstward Ho – Samuel Beckett 261. Shame – Salman Rushdie 260. Money: A Suicide Note – Martin Amis 259. Flaubert’s Parrot – Julian Barnes 258. Neuromancer – William Gibson 257. Blood and Guts in High School – Kathy Acker 256. The Unbearable Lightness of Being – Milan Kundera 255. Nights at the Circus – Angela Carter 254. The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks 253. Empire of the Sun – J.G. Ballard 252. The Lover – Marguerite Duras 251. The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis – José Saramago 250. The Bus Conductor Hines – James Kelman 249. Dictionary of the Khazars – Milorad Pavi? 248. Legend – David Gemmell 247. Hawksmoor – Peter Ackroyd 246. Queer – William Burroughs 245. White Noise – Don DeLillo 244. Old Masters – Thomas Bernhard 243. Perfume – Patrick Süskind 242. The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood 241. Contact – Carl Sagan 240. Less Than Zero – Bret Easton Ellis 239. A Maggot – John Fowles 238. The Cider House Rules – John Irving 237. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit – Jeanette Winterson 236. Love in the Time of Cholera – Gabriel García Márquez 235. The Parable of the Blind – Gert Hofmann 234. Reasons to Live – Amy Hempel 233. The Drowned and the Saved – Primo Levi 232. Foe – J.M. Coetzee 231. Extinction – Thomas Bernhard 230. An Artist of the Floating World – Kazuo Ishiguro 229. Lost Language of Cranes – David Leavitt 228. The Old Devils – Kingsley Amis 227. Watchmen – Alan Moore & David Gibbons 226. Marya – Joyce Carol Oates 225. Matigari – Ngugi Wa Thiong’o 224. Anagrams – Lorrie Moore 223. The Taebek Mountains – Jo Jung-rae 222. Beloved – Toni Morrison 221. Enigma of Arrival – V.S. Naipaul 220. World’s End – T. Coraghessan Boyle 219. The New York Trilogy – Paul Auster 218. The Bonfire of the Vanities – Tom Wolfe 217. Cigarettes – Harry Mathews 216. The Child in Time – Ian McEwan 215. The Pigeon – Patrick Süskind 214. The Passion – Jeanette Winterson 213. The Black Dahlia – James Ellroy 212. The Afternoon of a Writer – Peter Handke 211. The Radiant Way – Margaret Drabble 210. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency – Douglas Adams 209. The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul – Douglas Adams 208. Nervous Conditions – Tsitsi Dangarembga 207. The Player of Games – Iain M. Banks 206. Libra – Don DeLillo 205. Oscar and Lucinda – Peter Carey 204. The Swimming-Pool Library – Alan Hollinghurst 203. The Satanic Verses – Salman Rushdie 202. Wittgenstein’s Mistress – David Markson 201. The Beautiful Room is Empty – Edmund White 200. Foucault’s Pendulum – Umberto Eco 199. Cat’s Eye – Margaret Atwood 198. The Book of Evidence – John Banville 197. London Fields – Martin Amis 196. A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving 195. Like Water for Chocolate – Laura Esquivel 194. The History of the Siege of Lisbon – José Saramago 193. The Trick is to Keep Breathing – Janice Galloway 192. The Temple of My Familiar – Alice Walker 191. The Melancholy of Resistance – László Krasznahorkai 190. Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro 189. Billy Bathgate – E.L. Doctorow 188. Moon Palace – Paul Auster 187. Sexing the Cherry – Jeanette Winterson 186. A Disaffection – James Kelman 185. The Midnight Examiner – William Kotzwinkle 184. The Buddha of Suburbia – Hanif Kureishi 183. Possession – A.S. Byatt 182. Like Life – Lorrie Moore 181. A Home at the End of the World – Michael Cunningham 180. The Things They Carried – Tim O’Brien 179. The Music of Chance – Paul Auster 178. Stone Junction – Jim Dodge 177. Vertigo – W.G. Sebald 176. Vineland – Thomas Pynchon 175. Amongst Women – John McGahern 174. Get Shorty – Elmore Leonard 173. Wise Children – Angela Carter 172. Señor Vivo and the Coca Lord – Louis de Bernieres 171. Downriver – Iain Sinclair 170. Regeneration – Pat Barker 169. Typical – Padgett Powell 168. Mao II – Don DeLillo 167. Time’s Arrow – Martin Amis 166. American Psycho – Bret Easton Ellis 165. Wild Swans – Jung Chang 164. Arcadia – Jim Crace 163. Hideous Kinky – Esther Freud 162. Black Dogs – Ian McEwan 161. Asphodel – H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) 160. The Heather Blazing – Colm Tóibín 159. Black Water – Joyce Carol Oates 158. The Butcher Boy – Patrick McCabe 157. Smilla’s Sense of Snow – Peter Høeg 156. The English Patient – Michael Ondaatje 155. Jazz – Toni Morrison 154. Written on the Body – Jeanette Winterson 153. The Crow Road – Iain Banks 152. Indigo – Marina Warner 151. Possessing the Secret of Joy – Alice Walker 150. A Heart So White – Javier Marias 149. The Discovery of Heaven – Harry Mulisch 148. Life is a Caravanserai – Emine Özdamar 147. The Secret History – Donna Tartt 146. The Emigrants – W.G. Sebald 145. The Robber Bride – Margaret Atwood 144. The House of Doctor Dee – Peter Ackroyd 143. The Virgin Suicides – Jeffrey Eugenides 142. The Stone Diaries – Carol Shields 141. A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth 140. What a Carve Up! – Jonathan Coe 139. On Love – Alain de Botton 138. Complicity – Iain Banks 137. Operation Shylock – Philip Roth 136. Looking for the Possible Dance – A.L. Kennedy 135. Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks 134. Trainspotting – Irvine Welsh 133. The Shipping News – E. Annie Proulx 132. The Invention of Curried Sausage – Uwe Timm 131. Disappearance – David Dabydeen 130. Felicia’s Journey – William Trevor 129. Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis de Bernieres 128. How Late It Was, How Late – James Kelman 127. City Sister Silver – Jàchym Topol 126. Pereira Declares: A Testimony – Antonio Tabucchi 125. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle – Haruki Murakami 124. The Master of Petersburg – J.M. Coetzee 123. Land – Park Kyong-ni 122. Whatever – Michel Houellebecq 121. The Folding Star – Alan Hollinghurst 120. Mr. Vertigo – Paul Auster 119. The End of the Story – Lydia Davis 118. Love’s Work – Gillian Rose 117. A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry 116. The Reader – Bernhard Schlink 115. The Rings of Saturn – W.G. Sebald 114. Sabbath’s Theater – Philip Roth 113. The Moor’s Last Sigh – Salman Rushdie 112. The Information – Martin Amis 111. Morvern Callar – Alan Warner 110. The Unconsoled – Kazuo Ishiguro 109. Alias Grace – Margaret Atwood 108. The Clay Machine-Gun – Victor Pelevin 107. Infinite Jest – David Foster Wallace 106. Forever a Stranger – Hella Haasse 105. The Ghost Road – Pat Barker 104. Fugitive Pieces – Anne Michaels 103. Hallucinating Foucault – Patricia Duncker 102. Cocaine Nights – J.G. Ballard 101. Silk – Alessandro Baricco 100. The Untouchable – John Banville 99. American Pastoral – Philip Roth 98. The Life of Insects – Victor Pelevin 97. Jack Maggs – Peter Carey 96. Underworld – Don DeLillo 95. Enduring Love – Ian McEwan 94. Great Apes – Will Self 93. Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden 92. The God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy 91. Mason & Dixon – Thomas Pynchon 90. Veronika Decides to Die – Paulo Coelho 89. The Hours – Michael Cunningham 88. Another World – Pat Barker 87. Glamorama – Bret Easton Ellis 86. The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver 85. Tipping the Velvet – Sarah Waters 84. The Talk of the Town – Ardal O’Hanlon 83. All Souls Day – Cees Nooteboom 82. Cloudsplitter – Russell Banks 81. Amsterdam – Ian McEwan 80. Intimacy – Hanif Kureishi 79. Elementary Particles – Michel Houellebecq 78. Sputnik Sweetheart – Haruki Murakami 77. Disgrace – J.M. Coetzee 76. The Ground Beneath Her Feet – Salman Rushdie 75. Fear and Trembling – Amélie Nothomb 74. Everything You Need – A.L. Kennedy 73. As If I Am Not There – Slavenka Drakulic 72. Cryptonomicon – Neal Stephenson 71. The Romantics – Pankaj Mishra 70. Timbuktu – Paul Auster 2000s 69. Pastoralia – George Saunders 68. Blonde – Joyce Carol Oates 67. House of Leaves – Mark Z. Danielewski 66. Super-Cannes – J.G. Ballard 65. Small Remedies – Shashi Deshpande 64. After the Quake – Haruki Murakami 63. The Blind Assassin – Margaret Atwood 62. The Human Stain – Philip Roth 61. How the Dead Live – Will Self 60. City of God – E.L. Doctorow 59. Celestial Harmonies – Péter Esterházy 58. Nineteen Seventy Seven – David Peace 57. Ignorance – Milan Kundera 56. Under the Skin – Michel Faber 55. The Heart of Redness – Zakes Mda 54. White Teeth – Zadie Smith 53. Spring Flowers, Spring Frost – Ismail Kadare 52. The Devil and Miss Prym – Paulo Coelho 51. An Obedient Father – Akhil Sharma 50. The Feast of the Goat – Mario Vargos Llosa 49. Life of Pi – Yann Martel 48. Choke – Chuck Palahniuk 47. At Swim, Two Boys – Jamie O’Neill 46. Fury – Salman Rushdie 45. The Body Artist – Don DeLillo 44. Don’t Move – Margaret Mazzantini 43. The Corrections – Jonathan Franzen 42. Atonement – Ian McEwan 41. Schooling – Heather McGowan 40. Platform – Michael Houellebecq 39. Austerlitz – W.G. Sebald 38. Gabriel’s Gift – Hanif Kureishi 37. The Book of Illusions – Paul Auster 36. Nowhere Man – Aleksandar Hemon 35. Dead Air – Iain Banks 34. Youth – J.M. Coetzee 33. Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides 32. Shroud – John Banville 31. In the Forest – Edna O’Brien 30. That They May Face the Rising Sun – John McGahern 29. The Story of Lucy Gault – William Trevor 28. Kafka on the Shore – Haruki Murakami 27. Unless – Carol Shields 26. Everything is Illuminated – Jonathan Safran Foer 25. The Double – José Saramago 24. Fingersmith – Sarah Waters 23. Family Matters – Rohinton Mistry 22. London Orbital – Iain Sinclair 21. Elizabeth Costello – J.M. Coetzee 20. Islands – Dan Sleigh 19. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon 18. What I Loved – Siri Hustvedt 17. The Light of Day – Graham Swift 16. Thursbitch – Alan Garner 15. The Colour – Rose Tremain 14. Drop City – T. Coraghessan Boyle 13. Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell 12. Dining on Stones – Iain Sinclair 11. The Lambs of London – Peter Ackroyd 10. Vanishing Point – David Markson 9. The Master – Colm Tóibín 8. The Plot Against America – Philip Roth 7. The Red Queen – Margaret Drabble 6. The Sea – John Banville 5. Adjunct: An Undigest – Peter Manson 4. Slow Man – J.M. Coetzee 3. On Beauty – Zadie Smith 2. Saturday – Ian McEwan 1. Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro As you can see, I have some way to go until I finish this! Edited September 18, 2012 by karen.d Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 Sunday Snippet Even though they are probably the most iconic romantic characters in a novel, I'm not sure if I like Catherine and Heathcliff in my latest read 'Wuthering Heights'. So far in my opinion, Catherine is a spoilt, unpleasant woman and Heathcliff is rough and moody. I may change my mind throughout the course of the novel and feel free to convince me otherwise, but at the moment, I find both characters rather unlikeable. Here's a 'snippet': Page 111: " This is insufferable!" he exclaimed. "It is disgraceful that she should own him from a friend, and force his company on me!" 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted April 1, 2012 Author Share Posted April 1, 2012 I'm more or less on the home straight with 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte. I didn't know it were possible for one book to contain so many unpleasant characters! Here's a 'snippet: Page 256: ' Seven days glided away, every one marking its course by the henceforth rapid alternation of Edgar Linton's state.' 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte Publisher: FeedBooks Length: 331 Pages What's good about this novel? I began reading this book filled with the anticipation that 'Wuthering Heights' was going to be a novel filled with cliched romance. The reality of this novel however, is completely different. The writing within this novel is extremely good. The way in which the story is told by Mr Lockwood, the prospective tentant of Thrushcross Grange and Mr Lockwood's maid, drew me in. Although I have to admit, it took me a while to get into this novel. Although on paper the characters within this novel are unpleasant, irrational and in most cases totally unlikeable, I felt drawn to find out what was going to happen to them all. One element that really stood out for me with 'Wuthering Heights', is the atmosphere of sadness and torment that is created by Emily Bronte. At times it is overwhelming, but I have never read a book that could envoke so much emotion within one novel. I felt as if I was being carried on the wave of torment, along with the characters. What's wrong with this novel? The only negative that I can find with this novel, is the ending. The latter part of the novel builds in anticipation for something to happen, only for there to be a slight anticlimax. Is this worth a read? Saying that I love this book, considering its content is a rather weird thing to say, but I do love this book. I think that the complexities in emotion and character, make 'Wuthering Heights' one of the most intriguing novels I have read so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I see Shroud by John Banville is on the above list...I can certainly recommend anything by Banville! Great reviews above. I have the first two of Follett's new series, although I haven't read them yet. I was lucky enough to run across the second one at the last library sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 I see Shroud by John Banville is on the above list...I can certainly recommend anything by Banville! Great reviews above. I have the first two of Follett's new series, although I haven't read them yet. I was lucky enough to run across the second one at the last library sale. I have never read anything by John Banville so far. In general, it has been good taking part in the '1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die', because it is encouraging me to step outside of my reading comfort zones. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed by 'Fall of Giants'. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arukiyomi Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Can you Banville fans explain why on anyone should read The Newton Letter? I thought it was terrible. What point did I miss? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Can you Banville fans explain why on anyone should read The Newton Letter? I thought it was terrible. What point did I miss? That is one I haven't read as of yet, it's waiting on the shelf for me. I've read 10 others though by Banville, and also the 4 of his Benjamin Black series. The only one of Banville's that slightly disappointed me was Birchwood. Can't even remember why now. But the rest were so very outstanding, it didn't bother me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 I'm a little disappointed by 'The War of the Worlds' by H.G Wells. At the beginning, I thought that the one person narrative in the book was a great way to draw me into the story. Ninety pages in however, I'm finding this style of writing, flat and at times, rather boring. Considering this book is about alien invasion I hadn't anticipated feeling bored whilst reading this! It is a contrast with the last book I read 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte. In my opinion, this book successfully uses mostly one person narrative, to create a very interesting book. So it's a shame that 'The War of the Worlds' is not as effective. Here's a 'snippet': Page 90: 'One may picture the orderly expectation, the officers alert and watchful, the gunners ready, the ammunition piled to hand, the limber gunners with their horses and waggons, the groups of civilian spectators standing as near as they were permitted, the evening stillness, the ambulances and hospital tents with the burned and wounded from Weybridge; then the dull resonance of the shots the Martians fired, and the clumsy projectile whirling amid the neighbouring fields.' 'The War of the Worlds' by H.G Wells Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 Hi Karen I'll have to agree with you on this, but I find a lot of the Classics a little bit challenging . I actually have to change my mindset when reading one,since most of them use old outdated launguage and phrases ,and they also tend to ramble on and on and on ( kinda like I do Some of their sentences are longer than modern book's entire paragraphs . It seems odd to think that when they read the War of the World on radio that time that so many people went into panic mode, thinking it was truly happening. It isnt really written to make it sound as personable as it would have been while being told by a news reporter,do you think ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted April 8, 2012 Author Share Posted April 8, 2012 Hi Karen I'll have to agree with you on this, but I find a lot of the Classics a little bit challenging . I actually have to change my mindset when reading one,since most of them use old outdated launguage and phrases ,and they also tend to ramble on and on and on ( kinda like I do Some of their sentences are longer than modern book's entire paragraphs . It seems odd to think that when they read the War of the World on radio that time that so many people went into panic mode, thinking it was truly happening. It isnt really written to make it sound as personable as it would have been while being told by a news reporter,do you think ? I don't think I'm having problems with this book, because it's a classic. The writing within it isn't particularly old fashioned. What I am having a problem with, is the use of one person narrative. It worked in 'Wuthering Heights'; in fact the book improved for me once it had introduced the narrative of the maid, but with 'The War of the Worlds' I don't think this works as well. The narrative within this book not only tells the main character's experiences of the event, but the brother's. I think it may have worked better, if it had a more traditional approach and simply told the story. Oh, and regarding your comment about people being convinced that the book was real after hearing an adaptation on the radio, I don't see how they audience believed this. This is because the novel is told in past tense. Maybe the radio producers changed the tense of this novel to the present, I don't know. If anyone has any info on this, I'd be interested to hear if the radio version is told in the past, like the book or in the present. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 8, 2012 Share Posted April 8, 2012 (edited) Hi Karen I asked the hubster about your question regarding the radio version, and the announcer reported the story as if it was happening LIVE . They interrupted a regular radio program and came on to say that we were being invaded by aliens . I think it was Orson Welles that was announcing it ,who had quite a commanding voice . Here's an article about it on Wikipedia . It was the day before Halloween ,so I think it was done as kind of a spooky story,but it got out of hand . http://en.wikipedia....radio_broadcast I read it a long time ago, so really don't remember much about the writing, if I liked it or not . I saw the really old version of the movie, I think done in the 50's maybe, and it seemed stupid . The remake with Tom Cruise scared me spitless. I don't like scarey movies anyhow ! Here's the link to the actual radio broadcast if you would like to listen to it . http://archive.org/details/OrsonWellesMrBruns Edited April 8, 2012 by julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Hi Karen I asked the hubster about your question regarding the radio version, and the announcer reported the story as if it was happening LIVE . They interrupted a regular radio program and came on to say that we were being invaded by aliens . I think it was Orson Welles that was announcing it ,who had quite a commanding voice . Here's an article about it on Wikipedia . It was the day before Halloween ,so I think it was done as kind of a spooky story,but it got out of hand . http://en.wikipedia....radio_broadcast I read it a long time ago, so really don't remember much about the writing, if I liked it or not . I saw the really old version of the movie, I think done in the 50's maybe, and it seemed stupid . The remake with Tom Cruise scared me spitless. I don't like scarey movies anyhow ! Here's the link to the actual radio broadcast if you would like to listen to it . http://archive.org/d...onWellesMrBruns Thanks for the links julie, I will listen to radio broadcast and tell you what I think! I can see how this could work and scare a few people, seeing as it was read out live. I have only seen the Tom Cruise version and even though it is a bit too Hollywood blockbuster, I think this works better than the original novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Here's the link to the actual radio broadcast if you would like to listen to it . http://archive.org/d...onWellesMrBruns I've just listened to this and thought that it was brilliant. The radio adaptation works much better than the book in my opinion, because the story is mostly told in the present, rather than the past in the book. If I had listened to this at the time of broadcast, it would have terrified me. It's so convincing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pontalba Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Hi Karen I asked the hubster about your question regarding the radio version, and the announcer reported the story as if it was happening LIVE . They interrupted a regular radio program and came on to say that we were being invaded by aliens . I think it was Orson Welles that was announcing it ,who had quite a commanding voice . Here's an article about it on Wikipedia . It was the day before Halloween ,so I think it was done as kind of a spooky story,but it got out of hand . http://en.wikipedia....radio_broadcast I read it a long time ago, so really don't remember much about the writing, if I liked it or not . I saw the really old version of the movie, I think done in the 50's maybe, and it seemed stupid . The remake with Tom Cruise scared me spitless. I don't like scarey movies anyhow ! Here's the link to the actual radio broadcast if you would like to listen to it . http://archive.org/d...onWellesMrBruns I just can't resist.....I agree as far as Tom Cruise being enough to scare anyone spitless...or, as my first husband was wont to say, "It's/he is enough to puke a buzzard". Sorry, maybe you can tell I don't like Cruise. heh It was indeed the Late Great Orson Welles that narrated the radio program of The War of the Worlds, he was absolutely fablous. and I don't throw that word around casually. I read it so long ago I don't remember most of it. But I do remember the first film version, I liked it pretty well. Gene Barry played the lead character. That didn't hurt a bit IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 I just can't resist.....I agree as far as Tom Cruise being enough to scare anyone spitless...or, as my first husband was wont to say, "It's/he is enough to puke a buzzard". Sorry, maybe you can tell I don't like Cruise. heh It was indeed the Late Great Orson Welles that narrated the radio program of The War of the Worlds, he was absolutely fablous. and I don't throw that word around casually. I read it so long ago I don't remember most of it. But I do remember the first film version, I liked it pretty well. Gene Barry played the lead character. That didn't hurt a bit IMO. It's ok not to like Tom Cruise. I wouldn't say that his version of the film is great, it's over the top in places, but I prefer it to the novel. I will have to try and get hold of Gene Barry's version and compare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julie Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Hi Karen I'm glad you enjoyed the radio version of the story. It was also during a more naive time ,and back then, the "alien, UFO" thing was just kinda taking hold,when a few people were brave enough to come forward and say they saw a UFO ,so I think maybe it was good timing ,the fact that lots of people used radio as entertainment and would have had it on, and the "narrator",so to speak that sounded so convincing . In today's world, they couldnt pull that off ,with all the big tragedies like 9-11,etc .. it'd be a very POOR thing to do and would probably get the radio station closed down permanently . Hi there Pontalba I'm sure not a Tom Cruise fan either. In fact, in my opinion, he's a nutcase . I rarely EVER watch movies of any type. I think one night we watched the really old War of the World's version,which I wasnt too impressed by, but if I were a bigger movie fan, I might have liked it a bit more . The one with Tom Cruise wasn't an absolutely terrific movie ,the only thing I remember about it is the part when he and the little girl are in that basement,and the alien type thing kept running its' long arms down into there trying to find them. STILL gives me cold chills. As I said, I'm not a scarey movie person, so it doesnt take much to set me on edge . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karen.d Posted April 9, 2012 Author Share Posted April 9, 2012 Hi Karen I'm glad you enjoyed the radio version of the story. It was also during a more naive time ,and back then, the "alien, UFO" thing was just kinda taking hold,when a few people were brave enough to come forward and say they saw a UFO ,so I think maybe it was good timing ,the fact that lots of people used radio as entertainment and would have had it on, and the "narrator",so to speak that sounded so convincing . In today's world, they couldnt pull that off ,with all the big tragedies like 9-11,etc .. it'd be a very POOR thing to do and would probably get the radio station closed down permanently You're right, this sort of broadcast would not be allowed now. In a society full of fear and suspicion, staging this kind of broadcast would cause chaos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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