Old news but good news

PsyDocJoanne · 10-08-2008, 03:16 PM

Hi everyone,

I was surfing around for some reading recommendations, and ran across Time's list of the 100 greatest all-time English-language novels from 1923-2005:

http://www.time.com/time/2005/100boo...lete_list.html

While I'm sure this was likely posted here when it first came out (2005), I thought it might be worth posting again, given that there's a lot of good content, and it's still timely (after all, how many books released in the last 3 years would make this list?).

If nothing else, it might generate some good discussion...while I agree with most books on the list, there are some missing that I might like to see on there....what about you guys?

PsyDocJoanne · 10-08-2008, 03:31 PM

Feh. I realized I probably should have said what I thought was missing.

Two of these are excluded, I'm sure, because of when they were published. But I'm going to include them on my list, anyway...

1) Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad, 1902)
2) Siddhartha (Herman Hesse, 1922)
3) Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
4) Dune (Frank Herbert)
5) In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)

pilotbob · 10-08-2008, 03:39 PM

Gee, I've only read 5 (7 if you count LoTR as 3 books) of these. I guess I'm not very well read. I guess I've got to get to work. I've also started but not finished 3 of them.

Hmm....

BOb

Sparrow · 10-08-2008, 03:40 PM

Arghhhh!! I HATE, DESPISE, DETEST AND ABHOR!!!

"Possession" by A. S. Byatt.

Being reminded of its existence turns a good day bad.

Some of the other suggestions are ok though

.

PsyDocJoanne · 10-08-2008, 03:44 PM

I just did a count. I've read 22 of them, which isn't bad...but I've got quite a ways to go myself. Bob, we should pick one and read it together

pilotbob · 10-08-2008, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsyDocJoanne

I just did a count. I've read 22 of them, which isn't bad...but I've got quite a ways to go myself. Bob, we should pick one and read it together

Ok. I've wanted to read Slaughterhouse-5, Catch-22, and Lord of the Flies, and more but never got to them. Any of those interest you?

Although I would want to finish Mars Girl first... which I just started.

BOb

PsyDocJoanne · 10-08-2008, 03:57 PM

Hmmm.....those three are on my already-read list...but you could probably convince me to do Catch-22 again along with you....that one's in my personal top 5 of all time...

Could I maybe sell you on Tropic of Cancer or A Passage to India?

PsyDocJoanne · 10-08-2008, 03:58 PM

Oh, and BTW, I need to finish Wicked first. I'm about 1/3 of the way through.

pilotbob · 10-08-2008, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsyDocJoanne

Hmmm.....those three are on my already-read list...but you could probably convince me to do Catch-22 again along with you....that one's in my personal top 5 of all time...

Could I maybe sell you on Tropic of Cancer or A Passage to India?

The latter looks interesting, bonus its 3.95 for the Kindle. I couldn't even understand the Times review of ToC, how would I understand the book.

BOb

PsyDocJoanne · 10-08-2008, 04:12 PM

>I couldn't even understand the Times review of ToC, how would I understand the book.

Somehow I don't think that's true, but....

Let's do A Passage to India, then...it's only $4.58 on Fictionwise.

Maybe I'll start a post and see if anyone else is interested in reading along....

pilotbob · 10-08-2008, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsyDocJoanne

Let's do A Passage to India, then...it's only $4.58 on Fictionwise.

Maybe I'll start a post and see if anyone else is interested in reading along....

k.

I'll let you know when I'm ready to start it.

BOb

lmarie · 10-08-2008, 07:01 PM

I've read 9 of them (what hey? Under the Volcano? Had to read that during a philosophy seminar in the Yucatan penninsula 30 years ago...) and pieces of 3 or 4 others. I guess it's a start.

Greg Anos · 10-08-2008, 07:23 PM

I've read 10 of the list, but I'm not overly impressed with the list. No Twain, no Tolstoy, no Balzac, no serious S/F (except PKD's Ubik, which wasn't even his best work), and no Voltaire....

hidari · 10-08-2008, 07:32 PM

Well, I have read 47 of this list. However... some of the books On this list I would not recommend to anyone. Catch-22 is a beauty...
Love many of the books here....... The Sound and the Fury is excellent..but start with Part IV..then go back to Parts I, II and then III..makes the boos much easier to read.

Pynchon on the list...Ugh... Not sure if that was a good idea. But this is an American list fo great reads...

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsyDocJoanne

Hmmm.....those three are on my already-read list...but you could probably convince me to do Catch-22 again along with you....that one's in my personal top 5 of all time...

Could I maybe sell you on Tropic of Cancer or A Passage to India?

montsnmags · 10-08-2008, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

I've read 10 of the list, but I'm not overly impressed with the list. No Twain, no Tolstoy, no Balzac, no serious S/F (except PKD's Ubik, which wasn't even his best work), and no Voltaire....

"English language novels published anywhere in the world since 1923, the year that TIME Magazine began"

By "ALL-TIME" they mean "all of Time Magazine's history".

I was surprised to see I'd read 13 of them (maybe 12, as I can't remember which Pynchon novel I read as an early teen'. I would suggest my comprehension of it was limited, resulting in the corresponding limited memory).

Books I haven't read that are on the list, but which I would like to, are The Grapes of Wrath, To Kill A Mocking Bird, The Blind Assassin, Infinite Jest & Watchmen. There are others on the list, but I've listed the above as they are specific books I want to read, as opposed to authors that I'd eventually like to read (eg. Virginia Woolf, Cormac McCarthy).

Cheers,
Marc

10-08-2008, 03:16 PM	#1
PsyDocJoanne Loves her 505 and her Z4! Posts: 157 Karma: 631 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Weston, FL Device: Sony PRS-505	Old news but good news Hi everyone, I was surfing around for some reading recommendations, and ran across Time's list of the 100 greatest all-time English-language novels from 1923-2005: http://www.time.com/time/2005/100boo...lete_list.html While I'm sure this was likely posted here when it first came out (2005), I thought it might be worth posting again, given that there's a lot of good content, and it's still timely (after all, how many books released in the last 3 years would make this list?). If nothing else, it might generate some good discussion...while I agree with most books on the list, there are some missing that I might like to see on there....what about you guys?

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10-08-2008, 03:31 PM	#2
PsyDocJoanne Loves her 505 and her Z4! Posts: 157 Karma: 631 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Weston, FL Device: Sony PRS-505	Feh. I realized I probably should have said what I thought was missing. Two of these are excluded, I'm sure, because of when they were published. But I'm going to include them on my list, anyway... 1) Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad, 1902) 2) Siddhartha (Herman Hesse, 1922) 3) Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) 4) Dune (Frank Herbert) 5) In Cold Blood (Truman Capote)

10-08-2008, 03:39 PM	#3
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Gee, I've only read 5 (7 if you count LoTR as 3 books) of these. I guess I'm not very well read. I guess I've got to get to work. I've also started but not finished 3 of them. Hmm.... BOb

10-08-2008, 03:40 PM	#4
Sparrow Wizard Posts: 4,395 Karma: 1358132 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: UK Device: Palm TX, CyBook Gen3	Arghhhh!! I HATE, DESPISE, DETEST AND ABHOR!!! "Possession" by A. S. Byatt. Being reminded of its existence turns a good day bad. Some of the other suggestions are ok though .

10-08-2008, 03:44 PM	#5
PsyDocJoanne Loves her 505 and her Z4! Posts: 157 Karma: 631 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Weston, FL Device: Sony PRS-505	I just did a count. I've read 22 of them, which isn't bad...but I've got quite a ways to go myself. Bob, we should pick one and read it together

10-08-2008, 03:57 PM	#7
PsyDocJoanne Loves her 505 and her Z4! Posts: 157 Karma: 631 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Weston, FL Device: Sony PRS-505	Hmmm.....those three are on my already-read list...but you could probably convince me to do Catch-22 again along with you....that one's in my personal top 5 of all time... Could I maybe sell you on Tropic of Cancer or A Passage to India?

10-08-2008, 03:58 PM	#8
PsyDocJoanne Loves her 505 and her Z4! Posts: 157 Karma: 631 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Weston, FL Device: Sony PRS-505	Oh, and BTW, I need to finish Wicked first. I'm about 1/3 of the way through.

10-08-2008, 04:12 PM	#10
PsyDocJoanne Loves her 505 and her Z4! Posts: 157 Karma: 631 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Weston, FL Device: Sony PRS-505	>I couldn't even understand the Times review of ToC, how would I understand the book. Somehow I don't think that's true, but.... Let's do A Passage to India, then...it's only $4.58 on Fictionwise. Maybe I'll start a post and see if anyone else is interested in reading along....

10-08-2008, 07:01 PM	#12
lmarie Dilettante Posts: 153 Karma: 500 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Philadelphia area Device: EB1150, Cybook Gen3, Kobo Touch, Kobo Glo, Kobo Clara BW	I've read 9 of them (what hey? Under the Volcano? Had to read that during a philosophy seminar in the Yucatan penninsula 30 years ago...) and pieces of 3 or 4 others. I guess it's a start.

10-08-2008, 07:23 PM	#13
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,490 Karma: 37057604 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	I've read 10 of the list, but I'm not overly impressed with the list. No Twain, no Tolstoy, no Balzac, no serious S/F (except PKD's Ubik, which wasn't even his best work), and no Voltaire....

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