I've made some more progress in the blah blah book club: I finished all the E.M. Forster on the Modern Library list. I think I liked A Room With A View the best, but that's because it was the least serious.
I'm now reading Edith Wharton, mostly because I already have two of her books -- and have seen both movies -- but also because The Post just reviewed a new biography of her, and she seems interesting.
But more importantly, I have a new goal. When I finally finish this list, I'm going to read all of the books mentioned on Lost. (I've already read 15 of them.) And then I'm going to polish off this list of the 100 Greatest Novels of All Time. (I've already read 26.)
Update: Thanks to Mean Bean Machine, I just found this list of the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. I'm glad they're giving me a long time to finish this, but I think that if I ever want to finish, I'd better get cracking.
18 comments:
I've now read 42 on the Modern Library list, including all the Forster ones. I also liked A Room with a View the best of the Forster's. I just started book one of the Alexandria Quartet.
I also liked A Room with a View the best. Guess we're all romantics at heart. E. M. Forster books have been made into great movies. I also really like Edith Wharton. I too saw that review about the new biography by Hermione Lee. Not too long ago, I read a biography of Virginia Woolf by the same author. Long but very good. I may have to check this one out too.
Jeff: I'm a fast reader, but you're totally kicking my ass on this project. I wish I had more time to read.
DSL: Crunchy on the outside, gooey marshmallow center, remember?
Right, now I feel like a total slug - there are at least five back issues of unread New Yorkers littering the rear seat of my car (sigh).
Funny, as Jennifer mentioned, I'm trying to get through back issues of the New Yorker so I can clear things out in preparation for moving.
I'm kind of intrigued by list readers. It seems so methodical. Do you guys feel like you're really getting enough out of the books? Plus, although I'm sure many would agree with a large chunk of those books, others are just the opinions of a few as to was is "great" or "necessary" and I'm sure plenty others are left off.
Paige Jennifer: I know what you mean -- I've been trying to finish this list for over 3 years. I used to have time to read. Now, it's only when I'm on planes and trains, or when I'm waiting for an appointment or something. I'm hoping to reclaim more reading time this summer.
DSL: It's not particularly methodical -- I just pick a book that I probably would have read anyway. I think I still get a lot out of it. Plus, being well-read will hopefully one day make me either a better writer or a better cocktail party guest.
Oh, and it keeps me from reading girly trash to pass the time.
I'd like to see a list chosen by some of the great writers of today.
The list of the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die seems to have been selected by modern literary critics, which is close.
When I pick off-list fiction, I tend to pick either (1) authors who influenced other authors I like or (2) authors who claim to have been influenced by authors I like. When I pick non-fiction, it's all about the subject matter. That's why I'm reading the biography of Bono.
Dara- I have a lot of time on the metro and at lunch to read. And I'm dating an English teacher who has lots of work to do in the evenings so that leaves me with some more spare time to read.
Debby- I'm mainly doing the list reading because I spend too much time at the library trying to find stuff to read. I definitely agree that the list is not comprehensive, and some of the books on the list I've read I might debate whether they're actually "great" books.
I guess I'm kind of surprised that nothing by Vonnegut made the 100 best list. Anyway, good luck on your reading!
Jeff: I have no time at lunch or on metro to read. And I would think that dating would give one less spare time for reading.
As for the comprehensiveness of the lists, I don't think that's the point -- it's that you're reading works that others consider seminal, and then draw your own conclusions. I will, however, concede that everything I've read has been well-written, even if I wound up not liking it very much.
Mad: That's not true. Slaughterhouse-Five is number 18.
Mad: Unless you're talking about the Guardian's list, which is (a) not limited to the 20th century and (b) British. I think it's somewhat biased towards Brits and works from the 19th century.
As long as you stick to the 100 list, you'll probably be reading good literature. It's debatable, but I'm not sure the same is true of all books on the 1,000 list. Did you also notice that most of those books have been made into movies. Just a random thought.
For instance, I loved Memoirs of a Geisha, but it is nowhere in the class of Woman Warrior, which is not even on the list.
So are you going to read the Bible from front to back? It's on the Lost list
I've already read all of the Old Testament -- and surprisingly, much of the New. I don't plan on re-reading it, lest I look like one of those weird people who studies the bible on the Metro -- or worse, like someone who might have listened to Kirk Cameron.
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