Old news but good news - Page 2

badgoodDeb · 10-09-2008, 03:39 PM

I've only read 7 of the ones on the list -- but then I don't claim to be a "serious literature" reader --- just a novel reader. It's nice to see the list though. I'll have to get around to reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, and re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird. I was awfully young when I read that, and I probably have different perspectives now. Besides, I don't remember what I read.

Slite · 10-09-2008, 03:46 PM

Read 5 maybe 6 of those, not entirely sure, since I might have read some of them in swedish translations before I started to read in english.

But I was a bit surprised to see "Watchmen" on that list though

pilotbob · 10-15-2008, 10:27 AM

Jo,

FYI: I finished _Mars Girl_ and will start on Passage now.

BOb

CCLady · 10-15-2008, 10:59 AM

I've read 20 of the ones on the list (English major, you know). I agree with some of the selections, but. . .Gone with the Wind? What a piece of drivel (and I wish I didn't know so many people who think it's a text book)! Maybe it's me, but I think the American South angst is rather over-represented in general. I get awfully tired of it.

I'm not sure books written in other languages (Lolita, et al) should be included in a list of English language books - so much depends on which translation you have.

montsnmags · 10-15-2008, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CCLady

...
I'm not sure books written in other languages (Lolita, et al) should be included in a list of English language books - so much depends on which translation you have.

I believe Lolita was written in English by Nabokov, and then translated into other languages, so it would qualify as "English language".

Cheers,
Marc

bbusybookworm · 10-15-2008, 10:18 PM

I've only read 5 of these, but then again I've never really gone out looking for 'Great' books.

Still, there are some interesting books that I'm interested in reading, unfortunately I've got a large To Be Read pile from a splurge at fictionwise

bbusybookworm · 10-15-2008, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slite

But I was a bit surprised to see "Watchmen" on that list though

I was as well, but when you really look at it, if you ignore the fact that it was graphic novel as opposed to conventional one, its a very deep book, with a lot of layers.

Indeed the art helps to add on even more layers, and I have to say that every time I reread it, something new pops up. but then again, that pretty common with Moor's work. Still I personally like his League books better, as I love the depth of his work and the cross referencing he does.

Still I'm waiting for the Movie, and hoping the do a better job then they did on the League one.

CCLady · 10-16-2008, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I believe Lolita was written in English by Nabokov, and then translated into other languages, so it would qualify as "English language".

Cheers,
Marc

I had no idea. So I can blame my dislike of it on Nabokov himself, not a translator. Thanks!

montsnmags · 10-16-2008, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CCLady

I had no idea. So I can blame my dislike of it on Nabokov himself, not a translator. Thanks!

Well, you came blame him, but he's not listening anymore.

I've not actually read it myself, but I intend to do so soon (that, and Saul Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March, which also is on the Time list...but I want to read the latter more because of a musical connection than anything else).

Cheers,
Marc

gwynevans · 10-17-2008, 05:26 AM

There's some there I've heard of but never felt the need to read, such as American Pastoral, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird & The Grapes of Wrath, but I do wonder if that's a cultural thing or if I'm just a Philistine! :-)

Penforhire · 10-17-2008, 06:01 PM

Hmm, looks like I read sixteen of them that I can recall, about half of those for school.

And I'll agree the list is oddly skewed. Watchmen in the top 100? Sh'yeah, maybe of graphic novels, not of all English literature. Including it is a form of pandering to genres.

JSWolf · 10-21-2008, 12:04 PM

I did not count the number of books in the list, but there may possibly be a mistake. Lord of the Rings is listed as one book when it's actually a trilogy of 3 books. So that may make the list 102 books.

montsnmags · 10-21-2008, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I did not count the number of books in the list, but there may possibly be a mistake. Lord of the Rings is listed as one book when it's actually a trilogy of 3 books. So that may make the list 102 books.

Lord of the Rings is actually six "books" compiled into a single "novel". The six "books" are usually (and were originally) compiled into the three physical "books" (volumes) which form the full Lord of the Rings novel, in much the same way as Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu is considered one novel, but is generally provided in its multiple volumes.

While perhaps not 100% consistent in the editorial, the "Complete List" is stated at the top to be "All Time 100 Novels" and "100 Best English-language novels" rather than "books".

Cheers,
Marc

HarryT · 10-24-2008, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I did not count the number of books in the list, but there may possibly be a mistake. Lord of the Rings is listed as one book when it's actually a trilogy of 3 books. So that may make the list 102 books.

Tolkien wanted it to be published as a single volume, but that wasn't practical in post-War Britain, where paper was scarce and printing costs sky-high. It's perfectly reasonable to consider it to be a single book and, as you know, these days it is very often printed in that form.

BenG · 10-29-2008, 12:02 AM

I've read 23 of the books on the list, and started a couple more but never finished. And I've seen the movies based on a dozen of those I haven't read.

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10-09-2008, 03:39 PM	#16
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,501 Karma: 64095689 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	I've only read 7 of the ones on the list -- but then I don't claim to be a "serious literature" reader --- just a novel reader. It's nice to see the list though. I'll have to get around to reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, and re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird. I was awfully young when I read that, and I probably have different perspectives now. Besides, I don't remember what I read.

10-09-2008, 03:46 PM	#17
Slite Icanhasdonuts? Posts: 2,837 Karma: 532407 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mölnbo, Sweden Device: Kobo Aura 2nd edition, Kobo Clara HD	Read 5 maybe 6 of those, not entirely sure, since I might have read some of them in swedish translations before I started to read in english. But I was a bit surprised to see "Watchmen" on that list though

10-15-2008, 10:27 AM	#18
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Jo, FYI: I finished _Mars Girl_ and will start on Passage now. BOb

10-15-2008, 10:59 AM	#19
CCLady Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 92 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Culver City, CA Device: Kindle1, Kindle 3 wi-fi 3G, Kindle basic, Kindle Fire	I've read 20 of the ones on the list (English major, you know). I agree with some of the selections, but. . .Gone with the Wind? What a piece of drivel (and I wish I didn't know so many people who think it's a text book)! Maybe it's me, but I think the American South angst is rather over-represented in general. I get awfully tired of it. I'm not sure books written in other languages (Lolita, et al) should be included in a list of English language books - so much depends on which translation you have.

10-15-2008, 10:18 PM	#21
bbusybookworm Tech Junkie Posts: 1,027 Karma: 10080 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Earth Device: iPad, MotoXStyle, OnePlusOne	I've only read 5 of these, but then again I've never really gone out looking for 'Great' books. Still, there are some interesting books that I'm interested in reading, unfortunately I've got a large To Be Read pile from a splurge at fictionwise

10-17-2008, 05:26 AM	#25
gwynevans Wizzard Posts: 1,402 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: iPad 2, iPhone 6s, Kindle Voyage & Kindle PaperWhite	There's some there I've heard of but never felt the need to read, such as American Pastoral, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird & The Grapes of Wrath, but I do wonder if that's a cultural thing or if I'm just a Philistine! :-)

10-17-2008, 06:01 PM	#26
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Hmm, looks like I read sixteen of them that I can recall, about half of those for school. And I'll agree the list is oddly skewed. Watchmen in the top 100? Sh'yeah, maybe of graphic novels, not of all English literature. Including it is a form of pandering to genres.

10-21-2008, 12:04 PM	#27
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I did not count the number of books in the list, but there may possibly be a mistake. Lord of the Rings is listed as one book when it's actually a trilogy of 3 books. So that may make the list 102 books.

10-29-2008, 12:02 AM	#30
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,729 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	I've read 23 of the books on the list, and started a couple more but never finished. And I've seen the movies based on a dozen of those I haven't read.