A Girl...

You really disliked Little Women that much??
Of course I got through 15 pages of Pride and Prejudice and and haven't picked it up since. So to each her own.

But really, with Little Women? Really?

You have Angela's Ashes in French? Way cool. I have the first three Harry Potter's in French and am contemplating ordering more from Amazon.
And I too question the Louisa May Alcott dis. I loved Little Women and even wrote a paper comparing it to Gone With the Wind. (Strange I know but it worked. GWTW is soo much better though.)
Good to find another book nerd.

I saw this on someone else's blog and have been meaning to do it. I think I may bite the bullet and take on the shame of having read so few of the selections!!!

I don't know if I should be horrified or proud that I read 90% of this list.

Also, I really liked Little Women. For an anal-retentive editor, I often surprise myself how much bad writing I'm willing to forgive for the sake of an excellent story. Hell, I even made it through the Devil Wears Prada without wanting to kill myself, and if there was ever a book that was badly written, it's DWP. The grammar was so abysmal I laughed out loud more times than I can count.

Well, hmmm... what a little puzzle you've posed. You actually identify your fourth favorite book as Emma but say you "LOVE" Love in the Time of Cholera which made me think that was your first favorite. So, *literally* the answer is Emma but *technically* it could be Cholera.
Or dysentary.
;)

For some reason, all I can think to say is you haven't read Charlotte's Web? Really?!?

(Watership Down is indeed awesome, btw)

Hmmm, I might give this a go. Interesting I've read a bunch of stuff you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole. I wonder if that's good or bad?

Rebecca is such a great book. Definitely worth reading!

i am going to do it right now before i get sucked in by the television. The Diviners is FABULOUS and The Fifth Business is by Robertson Davies, Canadian, and one of my favourite writers. Go and seek!

I love reading. I miss reading. Lately all I read is magazines. But I can wipe bums like no other! Sigh.

it'd be interesting to hear how the list originated 'cuz it covers everything from classics to sci-fi to fantasy to modern stuff to kiddie books. . . and while it'd be pretty much impossible to come up with any sort of book list that everybody would agree on, i have to say that this one is lacking a couple kind of significant titles. . .

like it has three steinbecks (all of which i dug) but no hemingway. . . and five harry potters but no wizard of oz or tom sawyer or huck finn. . .

and another book that really oughtta be on a list like that, in my mind, is lolita. . . ever since college i've done this thing where i ask someone what their favorite book is, and if i haven't read it, i'll check it out. . . this dude at some musty old used bookstore was all embarrassed when he suggested i read lolita, and while i can kinda see why, i remember specifically going back a week later to find the guy and tell him, "oh, dude, that book was like the best fuckin' book *ever*!". . .

but going back to books that are actually on the list, one book on there that's always kinda boggled me is gatsby. . . seeing as how that's generally what people are referring to when they talk about "the great american novel", i know that *i'm* the dumbass who just doesn't get it, but i've just never really dug that book. . . i've even read it maybe three times since the first time in high school thinking, "maybe *now* i'll get it", but i never do. . .

btw, i have to ask, do you find it annoying when i leave long-ass comments like this?. . . i know i have certain pet peeves with regards to comments on my blog and i always wonder if people get irked with my generally off-topic rambling. . .

I just have to recommend that you read the Alchemist. I loved it and I'm not even a "reader".

I decided a couple years ago that I was seriously lacking in the classics, and as such I waded my way through a few. A Tale of Two Cities was the first Dickens I had ever read, and I nearly didn't make it. He uses so much superfluous language that I could barely get through the first chapter, but after that I was hooked. IMHO, this is one of the greatest love stories ever written. I will confess that I'm a bit of a girlie man when it comes to movies and books, but this made me tear up at the end.

And I guess this post has gotten me excited enough that I'm going to have to do this meme now.

Is your favorite....My Antonia?

:)

I did the book meme a few days ago, and actually commented on much the same stuff that bloopy did, re: incompleteness. In a post from just yesterday, in fact, I was all "Where's the Twain? Where's the Hemingway? Where's the Scarlet Letter?"

jonniker: I actually tried to listen to the cds of The Devil Wears Prada and listening is a different story. For some reason, bad grammar that is AWFUL on the page is somehow EVEN WORSE when you listen to it. Couldn't get through the books on tape.

I couldn't get through Watership Down, or Angela's Ashes; take that for what it's worth.

This meme made my day. I did it over at my site and wasn't too ashamed by the number I'd never read and/or heard of.

My guess for favorite is either Pride and Prejudice or Wuthering Heights. I didn't cheat by searching the archives, although I was sorely tempted.

Re Little Women: Love the two movie versions I've seen; couldn't make it through the first five pages of the book. I just don't think Alcott's a good writer.

Re Watership Down and Charlotte's Web: Simon made me watch the movie of WD in order to convince me to read the book; I still don't know if I can manage it, though. I had a copy of the book as a youth and it pretty much freaked me right out. The psychedelic Art Garfunkle part of the movie only added to that. I grew up with the animated version of CW, so I'm kind of hesitant to change my memory of it with the original literature, but I'm almost positive I'll like it, so it's only a matter of time. I want to get a kitten and name him Templeton.

Re Rebecca: Simon and I dumped our loose change into a machine at the grocery store a while ago and ended up with a $100 gift certificate to Amazon. Guess what I'm buying?!

Bloopy: Yes, the list is uneven and largely random. Not sure where it came from or why. Also, I have no problem with long comments, none at all. Stop apologizing for everything already! :)

Re Gatsby: I was just talking to Simon about how my favorite books are not necessarily by my favorite writers. Fitzgerald, for instance, is wonderful, but by no means a consistent genius; most of his books are just good. Gatsby, however, was conceived and written when the planets were aligned and the music of the spheres were sounding in harmony. Sometimes brilliance is a fluke. See also Death of a Salesman.

Re Dickens: He annoys me and if I never read another of his books, that'd be awesome. I fully understand why he's a good writer, I just don't enjoy him, which is bizarre considering I love Hawthorne and they do the same sorts of things with their prose.

Re My Antonia: That would be my fifth-favorite book...but not my first. Good guess!

Re Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights: If I could read each of these once a year I'd love it. They're equally fantastic and dear to my heart, but neither one is my favorite.

Someone, however, has mentioned my favorite book in the comments already...Who could it be?

I agree with many of your comments. I actually slogged my way through Mists of Avalon, but more out of sure will than anything else. Life of Pi is definitely worth reading. Handmaid's Tale is a particular favorite of mine. I first read it as a 12 year old because my sister had recommended it to me from a college lit class she was taking. I've read it several times since, and each time I see how much my understand of the world has grown since the last. I'm curious why The Red Tent is on your black list? Thanks for the list. I'm excited to start checking off some that I haven't yet read.

This surprised me with how many books I have and how many I want to read. Check out my meme here:
www.opaqueprintproduction.com/jbblog.

Leah, I think we would have a lot to talk about.

Also: the best Austin EVER is Persuasion. Hands down.

Isn't The Red Tent some sort of religious allegory? I have a hard time with those. You should see the obnoxious comments scrawled all over my copy of The Book of Job...

Overall, the books on this list that I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole are things that I'm pretty sure I wouldn't enjoy. It has less to do with whether they're "good" books or not. Everyone says The Alchemist is wonderful, for instance, but I just can't imagine devoting my time to that when there are so many others I'm positive I'll enjoy more. Usually when I try to read something modern or endorsed by the NYT list during the twentieth century, I regret it. Plus, at work I spend all day reading new books about things I don't always care about, so I feel justified in spending my free time reading about things that really float my boat, e.g., tea parties and new summer frocks.

I did the book meme over at my place, as did my friend Yank in Texas.

Why was Harry Potter on there 5 times? That's the one I didn't quite get.

And the editor in me HATES Hawthorne. Leah, I'm surprised you like him. The one thing I had to read in HS I wanted to take a red pen and scribble punctuation all over it. A sentence should not go on for three pages!

You haven't heard of Outlander? Honestly that is my favorite book. It's not a hard read, or a super deep book (it's often considered a romance novel for lack of a better classification) but I have read it 7 times now and I am always finding new things to love about it. I have two copies if you want to borrow one just to see if you like it. =) The biggest problem I have with it is that it is the start of a series of currently 6 equally large books. It can be a big time commitment.

Emily--I love ridiculously long sentences when they're done with skill. Hawthorne is good at it, so he's allowed. He writes like the House of Seven Gables was constructed--all that Victorian fussiness done without regard to structure or purpose--just pure ornamentation for the sake of itself. By that same token, just because Hemingway can write novels made up of short declarative sentences doesn't mean everyone can do that. He's Hemingway, for crying out loud. (Not a huge fan personally, but I get why he's a big deal and people like him. Farewell to Arms didn't make me want to shoot myself or anything.)

Hrm. I just realized I didn't italicize the ones I want to read. If anyone's interested, let me know; otherwise I'll go do something else with my extremely valuable time.

My guess for your fave: Lolita?

In other commentary, I am another person who misses reading (along with Angella). Reading for pleasure, that is. My obstacle isn't kids, but rather being a freelance writer. I read a ton of nonfiction now, which can often be interesting, but isn't something I've ever truly *loved.* But looking over your list and its annotations was fun--like browsing the summer reading table at Barnes and Noble, it makes me want to gobble up a whole slew of classics.

Nonameslob guessed it! Lolita rocked my socks off. But if you're going to read it, make sure you get the annotated version and pay close attention.

I'd be very interested to see which ones you plan/want to read. I loved this meme and did it on my blog too because I'm a total follower.

Okay, per Janssen's request, I updated the list with itals for the books I'd like to read at some point. Some of them I don't think I'll end up liking, but I'm willing to give most things a try, even if it's only ten pages, because you never know... Last night, for instance, I finally watched Pulp Fiction after years of talking shit about Quentin Tarantino's self-indulgent directorial style. (I still think he's self-indulgent and a little unintentionally cheesy at times, but damn, he knows how to write a movie. Who knew?)

the thing that tripped me out the most about lolita was how it was so well written yet english wasn't nabokov's native tongue. . .

Please italicize Fall On Your Knees. You won't regret it.

I decided I should at least find out what Time Traveler's Wife is all about. My first thought was Quantum Leap, my second thought was Replay. I have a hard time getting past gimmicks, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

So you haven't read Anne of Green Gables? It's better as a young adult but it's still good. The Blue Castle is still the best LM Mongomery book though and the Emily of New Moon series is better because you can see that she cared so much more. Don't think about comparing it to the miniseries except to picture the characters in your head because the casting was perfect. The miniseries is a mishmash of Anne books #1, #2, and #4. The third installment was just blasphemy and should never have been made.

Here are a few more for you...
Banana Yoshimoto is an awesome Japanese writer, Aimee Bender rocks (novel and short stories...and if you are into short story collections, I really did like (most) of "This Is Not Chick Lit"), and you must read "The Wind Up Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami. Also, have you read Faulkner's "Light In August?"

I read a Faulkner in college and DID NOT like it AT ALL. The last comment I made out loud in the last English class of my college career was about why I didn't like Faulkner. I get it, I just don't like it.

I might try some Aimee Bender short stories. As a group, I don't like modern or contemporary novels, but I dearly love modern and contemporary short stories (Ellison, Boyle).

I am sort of sad that you didn't like THE ENGLISH PATIENT. It's my favorite book ever. It changed the way I thought about my own writing. There's even a line from it that I used to want to get a tattoo of!

I agree with Amanda that you should read FALL ON YOUR KNEES. Although you might not want to take a recommendation from me based on the above. :)

And TIME TRAVELLER'S WIFE is good as well. Give it a shot!

I read English Patient while accompanying my college boyfriend on a three-state research project and I almost died from the lack of other reading material available. I was stuck with it for four hours while stranded at the Las Vegas Department of Energy and then stuck with it for another four hours on the beach. Just thinking about the time wasted makes me sad. It is very unusual, though, so I can see how it would make an impression--good or bad.

I have to agree with a girl you know about The Alchemist. It is fantastic, and a really quick read. Thanks for posting this list; it made me realize that, while my number in the overall "read" category isn't too shabby, I have really gotten lazy about my reading. And now I have some new titles to check out!