|
View Poll Results: Vote for the best book from this list (1901-1910) | |||
Kim by Rudyard Kipling |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
6 | 10.00% |
Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3 | 5.00% |
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
10 | 16.67% |
The Wings of the Dove by Henry James |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 | 3.33% |
The Virginian by Owen Wister |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
0 | 0% |
The Call of the Wild by Jack London |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
4 | 6.67% |
The Riddle of the Sands by Robert Erskine Childers |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
1 | 1.67% |
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
5 | 8.33% |
The Golden Bowl by Henry James |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3 | 5.00% |
Nostromo by Joseph Conrad |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
4 | 6.67% |
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
4 | 6.67% |
The Psammead Trilogy by Edith Nesbit |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
2 | 3.33% |
The Diaries of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
0 | 0% |
Before Adam by Jack London |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
1 | 1.67% |
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
11 | 18.33% |
The Getting of Wisdom by Henry Handel Richardson |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
1 | 1.67% |
Where Angels Fear to Tread by Edward Morgan Forster |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
0 | 0% |
Howards End by Edward Morgan Forster |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
3 | 5.00% |
Voters: 60. You may not vote on this poll |
![]() |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
![]() |
#61 |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 73,979
Karma: 315160596
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Norfolk, England
Device: Kindle Oasis
|
Well, I now have Before Adam, Adam & Eve diaries, Riddles of the Sands, The Virginian, The Wings of the Dove, The Golden Bowl, and Anne of Green Gables on my eReader. We shall see how I do.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#62 |
Grand Sorcerer
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 11,528
Karma: 37057604
Join Date: Jan 2008
Device: Pocketbook
|
My concern is that how many people are going to vote for other than their own nomination. (Atfer all, if they nominated is as the best, why would they vote for some other book?)
|
![]() |
![]() |
Advert | |
|
![]() |
#63 |
....
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 1,547
Karma: 18068960
Join Date: May 2012
Device: ....
|
Of the around half of the nominated titles that I've read (some long ago now) a few stand out for me, those being "The Call of the Wild" and "Nostromo", and to throw in something a bit easier and more fun then Ratty and Co.'s adventures. I haven't read "The Virginian" (as far as I recall) but has been close to the top of my "to read" list for some time, so its nomination has prompted me to move it up a bit more on that (thanks).
Although I have been a keen sailor all my life (but maybe because of that?) I found that "The Riddle of the Sands" was quite a mission to maintain interest in and get through; that being the only nomination I am indifferent about. Oh, and am not saying which I will vote for (if any) ![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#64 |
Connoisseur
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 71
Karma: 200092
Join Date: Mar 2014
Device: kindle pw1
|
Now with voting under way and everlod not yet having "explained" his nomination, some thoughts about "Nostromo", the book I voted for, from my pov.
Conrad tells us a tall tale. It is a rich adventure with all the ingredients: South America, wealth and deprivation, political irrationality, economic rationality, revolution, love interest, tragedy all around. Fully titled "Nostromo, A Tale of the Seaboard" the novel could well be named "The Rise and Fall of Nostromo". Nostromo is an individual who makes things happen, makes history even. And not from a position of power and/or wealth, but based upon his charisma, his mental and physical strength, the respect and trust of his peers. There are other strong characters in the book - for instance Martin Decoud or the Viola family. But Nostromo stands head and shoulder above them all. For me he isn't a character to like. Not in the first part of the tale when he does the "right" things like a superhero, and not in the second part when he manufactures his own downfall mainly out of an understandable feeling of entitlement. It all ends in tears. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#65 |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 73,979
Karma: 315160596
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Norfolk, England
Device: Kindle Oasis
|
All IMO, of course: The Adam and Eve diaries were fun, but nowhere near the best in this list. Anne of Green Gables is better, and I'm going to finish the book now I've started it, but it doesn't (yet!) beat my nomination.
|
![]() |
![]() |
Advert | |
|
![]() |
#66 |
....
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 1,547
Karma: 18068960
Join Date: May 2012
Device: ....
|
Further to Mandy314's comments, with which I concur, another thing that impresses me about Conrad's books (including Nostromo, of course) is the beautiful clear prose with no sense of pretentiousness or of having been over worked.
English was Conrad's second language and he did not learn that until he was an adult; I've often wondered if that is what has contributed to his clear and clean writing. John |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#67 |
Fanatic
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 513
Karma: 2644386
Join Date: Apr 2012
Device: iPhone, Kindle Touch
|
I'm not voting in this and this is why: polls like this remind me just how much I haven't yet read.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#68 | |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 73,979
Karma: 315160596
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Norfolk, England
Device: Kindle Oasis
|
Quote:
I'm currently reading Before Adam which is interesting, especially for the matter-of-fact acceptance of human evolution less than 40 years after the publication of The Descent of Man, but (half way through) doesn't have the depth of feeling of Kim or AoGG. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#69 |
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 73,979
Karma: 315160596
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Norfolk, England
Device: Kindle Oasis
|
[Admin note: The discussion of whether the poll should be anonymous or not has been moved to its own thread.]
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#70 |
languorous autodidact ✦
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 4,235
Karma: 44667380
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: smiling with the rising sun
Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage
|
The Wings of the Dove by Henry James is a marvellous and beautiful book that I love. However, it is not an easy one, even by James standards. It is one of his longest novels and perhaps even the longest, it is dense and subtle, oblique and evasive, it features some unusually nefarious main characters for James as well as fragility and innocence attacked, and it is heartbreaking. It is one of his late-period masterpieces and some say one of his best and perhaps even the best.
Milly Theale, a naive young American heiress, travels to London and soon becomes friends with Kate Croy. Kate is secretly engaged to Merton Densher, whom Milly happens to have a crush on, but Kate and Densher both have very little money. Kate discovers that Milly is somewhat sick, very possibly with an incurable and deadly disease, and concocts a devious plan - to have Milly fall in love with and marry Densher and have him inherit Milly's money when she dies in the presumably not-too-distant future, at which point he and Kate can then marry and be rich - and so pushes Densher to be especially caring towards Milly. Milly is quite unsuspecting, and unselfish as well, wanting to make others happy despite her own illness. Milly takes a sojourn to Venice - she thinks it a nice place to possibly die - and the others follow along, where Densher learns Kate's full plan and is torn about it, while Milly is falling for him and becoming sicker. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#71 |
Member Retired
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 3,183
Karma: 11721895
Join Date: Nov 2010
Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2
|
Hound of the Baskervilles. Easily the single biggest influence out of all those books.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#72 |
Wizard
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 1,638
Karma: 28483498
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ottawa Canada
Device: Sony PRS-T3, Galaxy (Aldiko, Kobo app)
|
"The Riddle of the Sands" by Erskine Childers introduced the modern spy thriller genre.
More details here, SPOILER ALERT; it includes a plot summary http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Riddle_of_the_Sands |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#73 |
Ticats win 4th straight
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 7,694
Karma: 31487351
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Raleigh, NC
Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#74 | |
Ticats win 4th straight
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 7,694
Karma: 31487351
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Raleigh, NC
Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite
|
Quote:
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#75 | ||
The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posts: 73,979
Karma: 315160596
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Norfolk, England
Device: Kindle Oasis
|
Quote:
Quote:
So, I've now read 12 of the 19. Enough. There are more decades to catch up on! Time for me to vote, and yes, I'm sticking with my nomination, Kim. Anne of Green Gables is close, but for me it doesn't have the taste of the exotic or the excitement that Kim has. Last edited by pdurrant; 05-24-2015 at 04:01 AM. |
||
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
![]() |
||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Literary 1901-1920 Vote • May 2014 | sun surfer | Book Clubs | 9 | 05-10-2014 07:07 AM |
MobileRead October 2012 MobileRead Book Club Vote | WT Sharpe | Book Clubs | 14 | 10-05-2012 05:09 PM |
Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club July 2011 Vote | sun surfer | Book Clubs | 56 | 07-19-2011 05:11 PM |
MobileRead January 2010 MobileRead Book Club Vote | Nate the great | Book Clubs | 129 | 01-16-2010 11:48 AM |
Your #1 Fiction read after 1901 (NO Sci-fi or Fantasy) | DoctorOhh | Reading Recommendations | 14 | 01-09-2010 08:46 AM |