Which Book Have You Read/Re-Read All Your Life?

[thinkpad]

Originally Posted by konrads

On Gutenberg, there does seem to be an EPUB and Mobipocket version of the book with images: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/25102

Thanks for pointing out the link to Gutenberg, I've downloaded both Nobody's boy and Nobody's girl in .mobi format with illustrations.

[konrads]

@FlorenceArt: I only had access to the book for several hours a week, so it took a while and I had a lot of time to absorb what I read.

@thinkpadx: You're welcome.

Civilisation: A Personal View by Kenneth Clark. One of two books I retain from my college days over thirty years ago (Calculus by Michael Spivak being the other). My thanks to the long forgotten professor who made Civilisation required reading. I also have the original television series on DVD but consider each a companion for the other, not a replacement.

Seven Japanese Tales by Junchiro Tanizaki (English translation). Unfortunately not available through Sony as an e-book, but Amazon had it.

The Penal Colony: Stories and Short Pieces originally in paperback Schocken Books; especially “Conversation with the Supplicant,”, the “Metamorphosis,” and a number of stories some only a paragraph or two in length. Some of these [in English translation] are available in public domain as e-books and some not. The exact book is available as e-book from Sony; $11.70 !

[SmartyPants]

Originally Posted by konrads

@SmartyPants: I was surprised nobody mentioned it either. Sure, the English language has its own 'orphan' story in Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist, but Sans Famille has always come across as far superior to that story. Characters like Vitalis, well, you don't see them that often.

agree. Although i could never quite manage Oliver Twist.
However Without Family is a very polular children book in Russia (where i am originally from), Oliver Twist - not so much.
have never heard about "nobody's girl", will def check it out, thanks!

Originally Posted by konrads

You know, there's one good thing to be said about e-books: it makes Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment more readable. (Or maybe that's just poor judgement on the publisher of my hardcover.)

Shame on me, but i just cannot stomach most russian classics...
Perhaps its because they were beaten into us at school, when we were nowhere nearly ready for them..

[konrads]

@SmartyPants: Well, I can't judge about Tolstoy or any of the others, but what I read of Dostoyevsky certainly does give the impression that the bloke could've used an editor. At times his novels is more of a stream of consciousness than a story that moves forward.

About Without Family being a popular children book: I knew there was a reason I like Russia so much. (Though, granted, that has more to do with the contrasts found in St Petersburg than a French novel.)

[FlorenceArt]

Originally Posted by SmartyPants

Shame on me, but i just cannot stomach most russian classics...
Perhaps its because they were beaten into us at school, when we were nowhere nearly ready for them..

I think that is most likely the reason. I read a few Russian classics when I was a teenager, for my own pleasure, and I liked them (well, I have to admit that I would never have finished War and Peace if I had not been stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do and nobody to talk to ). But I hated Balzac, Zola and Hugo, and it took me years to realize that Molière can actually be funny

[hidari]

Originally Posted by SmartyPants

agree. Although i could never quite manage
Shame on me, but i just cannot stomach most russian classics...
Perhaps its because they were beaten into us at school, when we were nowhere nearly ready for them..

Like some of the classics. But some are a true struggle. I lived in Russia for 7 years. I read the "Master and Margarita" in English and Russian. Definitely, the best Russian novel ever. I also like Victor Pelevin's "Чапаев и Пустота". Great book... "Clay Machine Gun". Read some Nabokov. One in Russian, one in French and mostly in English, Definitely a Master writer....

Gogol...Love for the Classics...He was ahead of his time.

[hidari]

I have finally read this whole thread. It took me a while. For my favorite rereads I only ..for the most part I don't reread books..

Siddhartha-Herman Hesse (often)

Haver reread more than once:
The Fall- Albert Camus
Zorba the Greek-Nikos Kazantzakis
Silence-Shusako Endo
Waiting for the Barbarians- J.M. Coetze
Possessing the secret of Joy-Alice Walker
The Invisible Man-Ralph Ellison
Hunger- Knut Hamsun

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by hidari

I have finally read this whole thread. It took me a while.

Wow - I'm impressed by your tenacity.

Many folk have used this thread to add new or previously unknown titles to their own reading lists. I hope people continue sharing their favorites, and adding to this resource.

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Wow - I'm impressed by your tenacity.

Many folk have used this thread to add new or previously unknown titles to their own reading lists. I hope people continue sharing their favorites, and adding to this resource.

I agree on both counts. And I should spend the time that hidari did and read and take some careful notes from this entire thread.

[hidari]

it was good. I divided it into three sessions between reading on my PP. I found about 4 books I want to read now to add to my never ending list.....!!! especially SciFi which I do not read anymore...So it is good to get a recommendation from people... I am stuck in NF, Lit,classics, and philosophy...these days... So with any Genre I do not read it is good to hear some tips for good reads. Keep up the thread Soldiers.....Viva los libros!!!

[SmartyPants]

Originally Posted by hidari

. I read the "Master and Margarita" in English and Russian. Definitely, the best Russian novel ever.
. Read some Nabokov. One in Russian, one in French and mostly in English, Definitely a Master writer....
.

wow... very, very impressed! "Master and Margarita" is somewhat of a cult book for every russian. have never read any english translations of it, but i know there are a few, and some are better than others. Also, the knowledge of russian history i believe is paramount in understanding all the intricate details of this book.
And Nabokov - i would only recommend whatever he either wrote in english, or translated himself. His writing style is so exquisite, wrong translation would ruin it totally.

Aaaah, being able to discuss books with like-minded people... i have to admit ever since leaving Russia i have been having trouble finding people who love reading as much as i do!

[hidari]

Ta for the return comments. Love Master and Margarita but it took me a while to read it in Russian. In Russia everyone told me who to read so it was easy to get good recommendations on Russian and Eastern European writers. Plus, I loved the fact that many western writers that were popular in Russia are not so popular today in the West such as O'Henry and Theodore Dreyfus. I read many a book on the Metro....

[Xanthe]

Books that I re-read every few years:

- All of Georgette Heyer's books
- Tom Clancy's "Red Storm Rising"
- Sharon Lee & Steve Miller's Liaden Universe series
- Elizabeth Peter's Vicky Bliss series
- Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series
- David Weber's Honor Harrington series, and his Prince Roger series
- Eric Flint's "1632" series
- Catherine Asaro's "Saga of the Skolian Empire" series


When I was much younger, the books also included:

- Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"
- Pat Frank's "Alas, Babylon"
- Gore Vidal's "Creation"
- Frank Herbert's "Dune" series
- Agatha Christie's mysteries
- Johann D. Wyss' "Swiss Family Robinson"
- Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series

But really, when a new book comes out in a series I enjoy, I usually re-read or re-listen to the series from the beginning to re-immerse myself in that author's universe. I usually read for escape, not inner enlightenment, though every now and then I go through a strong non-fiction phase.

[jonsbjons]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

I'm curious to see if anyone else has that one specific special book that they keep going back to re-read -- and never tire of or replace.

I'll share mine: The Annotated Sherlock Holmes set edited by W. S. Baring-Gould - a monstrous 2 volume set in a green slip-case.

http://www.amazon.com/ANNOTATED-SHER...8703201&sr=1-3

Now long out of print, I still have the original set I began reading in the 70's. I received this set as a gift when I was in college, living in tiny apartments on a tiny income - so I couldn't afford to buy - or have room to store - a lot of books. I used to start at the beginning, read straight through, and then start again. This set has the marvelous Paget drawings from the Strand Magazine publications and marvelous annotations (by folk dedicated to proving that Holmes & Watson were real people with real lives).

I recently purchased the new edition of The Annotated Sherlock Holmes - a 3 volume set edited by Leslie S. Klinger, but it just wasn't the same reading experience.

"Sherlock Holmes" - my reference book too)) Now read stories by Conan Doyle (and not only) in the "Strand".