sjmccreary can't die until all the books are read

I'm feeling like a complete novice after browsing some of the threads here. But I decided to jump in anyway, just because so many of the books look good, and I love crossing things off of lists. According to LT, I have 95 of the combined 1001 books in my library. I think I've read some, pre-LT, that are not in my LT library, and quite a few of the 95 are in my wishlist collection. Until I begin listing them in the next post, I have no idea how many I've actually completed, but I'm going to guess around 25 or 30.

I won't be tearing it up here, but I'm hoping to make steady, if slow, progress. And I hope that the group reads will be an encouragement to try books I might not pick up otherwise.

1. 1984 by George Orwell - pre LT, I read this in high school
2. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
3. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria
4. Animal Farm by George Orwell - also read in HS
5. Beloved by Toni Morrison

6. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
7. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
8. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
9. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - another book read in school
10. Dr Jekyl & Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

11. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - maybe my first 1001 book, read in junior high
12. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
13. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift - pre LT
14. Half a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
15. Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow - I didn't actually complete this, but it is my rule that if I read past the 50% point, then I get to count the book

16. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - pre LT
17. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
18. A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne - pre LT
19. Kim by Rudyard Kipling
20. King Solomon's Mines by H Rider Haggard

21. Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset - I haven't read the entire trilogy - only the first volume - does that count?
22. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
23. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
24. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - pre LT
25. Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov

26. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
27. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway - another book from school
28. Portnoy's Complaint by Phillip Roth - pre LT
29. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
30. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carre

31. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - pre LT
32. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
33. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
34. Ulysses by James Joyce - another book that met the >50 sjmccreary:% rule
35. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - pre LT

I think that's all - a few more than I expected. Several others I've read part of or seen the movie, so they seem like they should be on the list, but unless I was certain that I'd actually read the book, I didn't list it.

ETA - books completed after joining the group:

36. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles
37. Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago
38. Portrait of a Young Lady by Henry James
39. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
40. The Female Quixote by Charlotte Lennox

41. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
42. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
43. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
44. Middlemarch by George Eliot
45. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

46. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
47. The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa
48. The Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell
49. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
50. The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth (>50 sjmccreary:%)

51. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
52. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
53. A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift - a 1001 read that I just discovered
54. The Third Man by Graham Greene - another 1001 book just discovered
55. Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - another 1001 book just discovered

56. Ivanhoe by Walter Scott - and another 1001 book just discovered
57. Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin
58. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
59. Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
60. Orlando by Virginia Woolf

61. Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong
62. The Colour by Rose Tremain
63. Sula by Toni Morrison
64. Disgrace by J M Coetzee
65. The Children's Book by A S Byatt

66. Drop City by T C Boyle
67. White Noise by Don DeLillo
68. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

We all started somewhere :) Welcome!

Thanks. Yours is one of those threads that makes me wish I had nothing to do but sit on the deck and read all summer!

Welcome! I find checking things off lists very satisfying, too.

The first time I went through the list, I also had a handful of books I *thought* I'd read, but I couldn't be sure, so I left them off. I guess I'll find out one way or the other when I attempt them again.

And although I didn't do exactly the same thing as your 50% rule, I did have a few books that I didn't technically finish, but I am counting them anyway because I know I am done with them! Some others, I started but will give them another chance sometime in the future.

That is exactly the way I feel about those 50% books. I'm finished and have no interest in trying again. There were quite a few that I started and didn't finish, but I'm still interested in trying them again. They aren't on the list. It got confusing when I know I read at least part of it, but I've seen a movie based on the book so I'm familiar with the story. Did I finish reading it, or not? I left those off. Like you, I'll find out when I try them again.

I also tick books off where I have read a significant portion but will never finish it. Likewise I also have books I think I have read, like Jude the Obscure but can't remember whether I have or not.

Welcome aboard and happy reading! :)

I also follow your 50 percent rule... too many good books out there to be struggling through something you're not enjoying!

I'm glad to learn that my 50% rule isn't in violation of one of the group's unwritten rules. Some people are purists, and I respect that. But, like you said, there are too many good books to waste time on the ones you're not enjoying. I don't have any problem abandoning a book before the 50% point, but I don't count it as "read" when I do that.

The only rule here is that there are no rules! If you wanna be a purist, be one. But if you realise that life is too short to muddle through crap that will never interest you, agree that there are just some things that you aren't going to like and move on. :)

I'm liking this place more and more!

#10 - "life is too short to muddle through crap that will never interest you". Amen, bro!!

36. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles

My first group read here. I don't know if or when I would ever have gotten to it otherwise. I watched the movie version years ago but don't remember much. When I started the book, I thought I'd follow it up with another viewing of the film. Now, I think I won't. I mostly enjoyed the book, but was thoroughly disgusted by Charles by the end.

37. Baltasar and Blimunda by Jose Saramago

Loved it. More comments on the group read thread, as the rest of the group progresses through the book.

38. Portrait of a Young Lady by Henry James

Well, I didn't hate it. This would have been better read with a partner. The characters seem to change over time and it's hard to be sure of the exact nature of each. I never liked Isabel Archer much, but was just beginning to warm to her when the book ended. Some people, you just can't help.

39. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I can't believe I waited so long to actually read this - I relied far too much on folks who advised that the movie closely followed the book (which it does) and assumed that I didn't, therefore, need to read the book. I didn't gain any new insights into the story from the book, but did come away with a feeling of deeper understanding of Scout and her family. Easy to understand why it is so beloved.

40. The Female Quixote by Charlotte Lennox

A late finish to the September group read. I had to skim through the last book and wish I'd skimmed one of the earlier ones instead. Tedious at times, ridiculous at times, hilarious at times. I have to give credit to Mr Granville for never wavering in his affections for Arabella. There was more than once when I was willing to kick her to the curb.

41. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

Rough going - glad I had it in an audio version. Confusing as many of the characters went by several different names. I thought it droned on and on about inconsequential things, like the scenery (which was lovely, but let's get back to the action, please), far too often. I found it interesting that the attitude towards the Indian people was very tolerant and open. They may have been referred to as "savages", but it did not seem as condescending as when Zane Grey used the same phrase in the early 20th century.

I think you are now primed to enjoy Mark Twain's essays on why James Fenimore Cooper sucks.

Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses
Cooper's Prose Style

#19 Thanks for that! I enjoyed it very much, and feel better about not loving Mohicans. Unless there is more Cooper on the 1001 Books list, I am quite happy never to read another of his works again.

42. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

Not being very impressed by his Old Man and the Sea when I was in high school, I would never have read anything else by Hemingway if not for this month's group read, and I would have missed this excellent book. I enjoyed it very much, and am now willing to read more by EH.

43. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

Beautifully written story of an unhappy, misfit man who moves with his aunt and 2 young daughters to the old family home in Newfoundland following the deaths of his wife and his father. Excellent descriptions of the dark, bleak, remote, and cold of the small community. I'm less intrigued by character studies than by other aspects of novels, but it reminded me a bit of For Whom the Bell Tolls in the way different individuals are revealed through time and adversity.

it IS beautifully written isn't it! That one has stayed with me for many, many years.

44. Middlemarch by George Eliot

First attempted a few years ago with no success, I had to switch to an audio version in order to get through this book. It's much easier for me to hear antique English than to read it. And still, I almost gave up again just because it is so slow getting going after the initial flurry of Dorothea getting married to Mr Causaubon. It took a long time to begin to care about any of these characters, and some I never did. I can understand why many people claim they love this book and read it over and over - it is complex in that there are so many people, so many relationships, so many encounters and conflicts and hidden agendas. It would easily hold up to repeated readings. I don't see one in my own future, however.

In the last third I finally realized that I was enjoying the book. What I liked best about was the way it depicts basic human nature in action. All the silly little, universal traits like replaying a conversation in one's own mind - dissecting and analyzing its content. And feeling slighted when another person doesn't give us the attention or credit we feel due. And the stubborn idealistic nature of young people to do things the hard way rather than listen to the advice of older, more experienced people.

In the end, I believe it is worth the time and effort to read it once.

45. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

My first exposure to this book was last year when I read its sequel, Charlotte Gray. I enjoyed that book quite a bit, but noticed that many of the review comments expressed an opinion that Birdsong was better. Hmm. The good parts of Birdsong were better than CG, but overall, I found that one to be more readable than this one. Still - I thought it was good, especially the chapters about the war and the battle scenes.

46. Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

Finally finished from the March group read. Very long, somewhat tedious. I'm glad I read it, but probably won't read it again. I will, however, have more interest in watching a film adaptation of it than before.

I wish I had something intelligent to say about the book, some insight. I understand and appreciate that Hugo's primary goal was to make an argument for the preservation of Medieval architecture and, so, many, many pages were devoted to the description and praise of various buildings and style elements. Perhaps if I had more knowledge of architecture, or Paris.... As several commented in the group read thread, the characters in the story are cartoonish - making it perfect for a Disney animation. I can certainly see that better now than I could a month ago. Several also commented that reading Hunchback first makes one appreciate Les Miz better. At least I have THAT to look forward to.

47. The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa

Finished reading just a moment ago. I found it to be rather melancholy - this examination of a changing world through the eyes of the group being left behind. Very nicely written, spare - lots of feeling and emotion and not so much details of action or dialogue. Recommended.

48. The Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

What a pleasant surprise to discover this book on the 1001 list. This is the kind of book I read when I want to read something I love. My introduction to Kurt Wallander - looking forward to the rest of the series.

49. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon

Interesting little book from the POV of a boy with what? autism? aspergers? Anyway, I enjoyed his struggles to do what he knew needed to be done, or to do something he'd decided to do. Even when those things were scary, or hard, or involved situations he didn't like, he summoned the courage to do them anyway. He was determined to reach his goals, and he did. A very nice example for me to follow.

50. The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth (>50 sjmccreary:% rule)

This was one of those books that, just from reading the comments of others, I suspected that I would not like - or finish. Well, I didn't finish, and I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it, either. Rather, it seemed that nothing was happening. I'm worried that I missed a climax that would have made 300 pages of build-up worthwhile. But it's hard to complete a book that instantly vanishes from one's awareness as soon as it is laid down. It's hard to even WANT to finish. There were no really likable characters, and little character development that I could appreciate. I hoped to experience more insights into the beginning of WWI (and that's what I'm afraid that I missed out on), but other than the setting being different military stations in pre-war Austria-Hungary, I got nothing.

>50 sjmccreary:% finished means I get to count the book and rate it. 3 neutral stars.

51. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Even though the dialogue is practically word-for-word the same as the movie, the book is so much better. I can't stay awake through the movie - I couldn't put the book down.

Sad to break this to you but yes, The Radetzky March really does pick up a lot shortly after the middle. The last third or so is completely wonderful. It doesn't exactly give you insights into how/why WWI began but a very good sense of the society into which it erupted in the Eastern part of the Hapsburg empire.
If you didn't like this one, though, don't try Professor Martens' Departure, my current read, also set in Eastern Europe/Russia in the early 20th century and even less action-packed.

#32 Drat. I was afraid of that. Sounds like I quit just at the wrong time. If I could get it back easily I would, but it was an ILL from the other side of the state, and I had to wrangle a renewal to get as far along as I did.

hey... if 50% finished counts, maybe you should start compiling a list of turgid novels and entitle it 500.5 Books you Don't Need to Finish Before You Die!

#34 Ugh - no thanks!

52. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

Loved it. This grandmother is a refreshing change from the stereotypical milk-&-cookies-always-smiling grandma. It makes me lonesome for my own granny, who shared many characteristics with this grandmother.

57. Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwn

Interesting - I'm still picking through the bits and pieces of the puzzle trying to get a clear view of the picture. I do like how African-American writing so often pulls in events from the past - even generations past - as being part of the present story. It is a fine line between not letting go of past injustices and refusing to recognize that we have a history that still affects us.

58. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Emma Bovary is a thoroughly unlikable and selfish woman who blames the world for her own unhappiness and dissatisfaction with her ordinary life. Her husband Charles isn't much better, a cuckold who willingly turns a blind eye to all his wife's abominable behavior while continuing to adore her.

59. Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain

Excellent first hand account of a young Brittish woman caught up in the throes of WWI.

60. Orlando by Virginia Woolf

An unusual story about Orlando - born as a boy in 16th century England who reaches middle age as a woman in 1928. Much is over my head and I'm eagerly awaiting the group read discussion, in hopes of having some of the holes filled in for me.

61. Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong

Story of a Vietnamese girl, and her mother and aunt, in communist North Vietnam. Nice insights into an unfamiliar culture.

62. The Colour by Rose Tremain

When a man takes a wife he doesn't love and emigrates to New Zealand to escape his past, it's no surprise that his heart really isn't in the farming life he has taken up in his new home. Then gold is discovered. There is quite a lot to think about here - greed and lust, love and determination. Everyone is in NZ hoping for a better life, but no one is defining that in quite the same way.

Oh, it's set in New Zealand! And it's a recent work which I am sadly lacking in so far as even distribution of the combined list goes. I'll have to see if I can get a copy from the library.

63. Sula by Toni Morrison

The audio production got in the way of the story - probably as excellent as her other books in print

64. Disgrace by J M Coetzee

Well-written, easy to read, disturbing in the way of Lolita - a middle aged college professor, a self-proclaimed philanderer, has an affair with a student and is sent away in disgrace. He goes to live with his daughter and witnesses her disgrace as her rural farm operation is attacked, ransacked and robbed, and she is raped. Thought-provoking while it was in front of me, but now, 3 weeks after I finished it, I can't even remember how it ends.

65. The Children's Book by A S Byatt

A very big story about a woman who writes children's stories in England in the late 19th C, her children, her friends and family, and the things that happen as the children grow up. It follows the family through the end of WWI. Interesting on many levels, hard to put a good reaction into just a few words.

66. Drop City by T C Boyle

California hippie commune moves to back-woods Alaska in 1970. Very good.

67. White Noise by Don DeLillo

Set in the mid 1980s, a college professor with an overwhelming fear of death struggles to come to grips with the intrusion of technology into daily life. When he comes into contact with a toxic airborne chemical, his fear goes into overdrive. The ridiculousness of some of the publically accepted notions are hilarious. I enjoyed this book more and more as it went on.

That sounds very interesting, and I also note that the 3 Goodreads friends who have read it have all given it 5 stars.

68. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Classic story that has spawned dozens of adaptations, so it was familiar and I kept waiting for the bits I knew. What I didn't realize, though, was how much I would have to wait through. This book is entirely too long, with too many characters that were hard to remember and keep straight during the 5 weeks I listened to this on audio.

One complaint that I was surprised to find upsetting was the way that Fagan was continually referred to as "the Jew". I don't recall any other character who was so consistently not called by name. And it's not as though Fagan displayed so much stereotypical "Jewish" behavior which could justify the constant reminder.