July 2008, Which book from the 1001 List are You Reading?

The book from 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die that I'm currently reading is Virginia Woolf's The Waves.

My review of Mansfield Park is In the Shadow of Mt. TBR. Next up is Emma.

I am reading Surfacing, by Margaret Atwood.

It is very unusual, I was surprised to find myself on p.134/ 186 as nothing that I could describe seems to have happened- it's not 'action-packed'. You keep on being led to believe one thing, but then finding something else out which casts things in a new light...

Currently working on both Amerika and A Pale View of Hills.

# 3 I thought Surfacing was a very powerful book. The only Margaret Atwood books I'd read before it were The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake, so Surfacing was a big surprise.

At the moment, my 1001 book is Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow. Starting it today!

On Beauty and Remembrance of Things Past (still...Volume 1...of course...)

-- M1001

#2 - KoolaidMom,

Great review! I too loved Mansfield Park. My fav character was Lady Bertram--I found her extreme selfishness and uselessness to be highly entertaining.

Ugh! I so wanted to slap the tar out of Lady Bertram! She was so self-centered. I was horrified at the part where she was so unwilling to get her lazy @$$ off the couch to even take her daughters out in public! Their future security and happiness depends on being out so they can be courted and married. No wonder Maria did what she did... she was just following her mother's example. Please yourself, and let everyone else deal with the consequences!

sorry for the rant, but I know too many Lady Bertrams around here... and their Sir Thomas is Sir TANF and Sir Welfare, and their Mrs. Norris is Aunt CPS.

Like I've said about the previous two, Mansfield could be updated to the current day without changing anything in the story. That's the essence of a Classic.

#8 - Yeah, I loved that "wanting to slap her" feeling she evoked in me. I think what I really liked though was Austen's masterful, nuanced way of describing her. The recent BBC movie version of Mansfield Park completely glossed over this character, and Mrs. Norris too.

#9, Nickelini I was just on the point of saying that! (hehehe, Mrs. Norris quote) I agree, the Lady Bertram of the BBC production seems like the worlds biggest ditz an opium addict. In the book, she actually says, "I'm so very stupid" and I was yelling "Yes! YES! she admits it!"

Of course she really means she's unable to concentrate, the Austen English and modern American English have a bit of a divide. How many times does someone call to another, "You look fagged"? In a high school room, there would be many titters and giggles when read aloud.

I am reading A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian and I am also a little more than halfway through Atonement. I was too frustrated with Atonement's subject matter and wanted something a little happier. I'll finish Atonement after this one.

I am reading Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.

I am reading The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

I just got started in Gullivers Travels which I had only read in young adult adaptations before.

I started the Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe. It's a lot longer than I thought it was. Almost through Volume 1.

Still in the middle of Anna Karenina. Also in the middle of Lolita. Also have The Wind-up Bird Chronicle checked out from the library. But I haven't been reading much lately. Need to remedy that....

Finished A Pale View of Hills and will FINALLY finish both Amerika and A Tale of a Tub by the end of the day today.

Next up is A Confederacy of Dunces and probably If on a winter's night a traveler, though I've kind of abandoned A la recherche du temps perdu and may need to return to that as well.

I'm halfway through Portrait of a Lady by Henry James. A few years ago I tried Wings of the Dove but found it completely impenetrable and gave up. I'm finding Portrait to be much more readable.

I'm about 300 pages into Vanity Fair by William Thackeray. Quite enjoyable.

I've just started Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey (only about 30-40 pages in) and I'm really enjoying it so far.

Just read A Modest Proposal which shouldn't even be considered a book because it only takes about five minutes to read. Either way, I've checked another one off the list.

@#21:
It may be quick, but it's one of the finest satires ever written, and well worth inclusion on the list! Hope you enjoyed it!

I just started Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin.

Finished Like Water For Chocolate and Quicksand. In the middle of Rabbit, Run. I like John Updike's style of writing quite a bit, though the protagonist is a bit unlikable.

Finished Swann's Way, or, rather, a very small chunk of Remembrance Of Things Past. Tough book to read. It has its writing moments, but you have to get through a *lot* of words to find the good pieces. Good thing I am reading other books in parallel because decidating myself strictly to Proust would be brutal.

-- M1001.

Just finished:
Sense and Sensibility
The Age of Innocence
Amsterdam

Next up:
Rebecca
The World According to Garp
The Count of Monte Cristo

I'm just starting Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Ooh, great choice, ktleyed. Methinks you'll like it!

I just started Catch-22.

#27 dczapka - You're right, I did like it - I loved it!

This week is Thank You, Jeeves by the great P.G. Wodehouse. I don't know how Wodehouse does it - all the Jeeves books have the same plot, essentially the same characters, and Bertie always makes the same mistakes and gets into the same kinds of trouble. Yet the formula doesn't get old! The books are hilarious.

@#29: Glad to hear! He's a brilliant author, and I'm really happy you liked his work.

Momentous day: having finished A Confederacy of Dunces, I've now officially finished 100 books from the list!

Next on the docket is If on a winter's night a traveler.

I'm still working on The Corrections, one of the best books from the list so far.

I'm reading The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. It is very descriptive and takes me back to my philosophy 101 class. I'm really into it though and I can't wait to dive in some more tonight.

#32--I'll have to take The Corrections off the shelf again. I read 2 pages a few years ago and felt like "wow, this guy is just showing off verbal gymnastics" It may have been my mood at the time because I know lots of people love it.

#33, after reading The Sea by John Banville, I've become immune to verbal gymnastics. Nobody loves to throw around their vocabulary weight more than that guy.

The Corrections does tend to ramble at times, particularly when it comes to Alfred's musings, but the basic storyline is fantastic.

I started reading House of Leaves yesterday, and as far as I know it's in the new edition (correct me if I'm wrong).
Very different, very interesting, very demanding read so far. And I only read 90 pages in about 6 hours. Slow going for me. But I really like it.

I've been reading a lot of books not on the list lately. The last 1001 I finished was Our Mutual Friend - I'd never read Dickens until this year and I've developed quite a liking for his books. I think I liked Bleak House even better though. I've started Daniel Deronda and am liking it a lot better than Middlemarch. I never managed to get more than half-way with that one. Next up is A Tale of Two Cities which I'm really looking forward to.

I'm glad to hear some support for The Corrections, as I agreed to purchase it from a friend for a mere $2. Hope it pays off!

I've just started Wise Blood, by Flannery O'connor.

Finished The Corrections started Everything is Illuminated

Just started The Way of all Flesh by Samuel Butler.

Since I've last posted, I've read The Poisonwood Bible (loved it, don't exactly get why people hate this one--if you hated it, please explain). I'm continuing to enjoy The Waves, and also enjoying Fugitive Pieces.

I'm currently reading Emma by Jane Austen. Ah, the stupid touchstones are getting on my nerves today, neither Emma nor Jane Austen is working!

Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Oh I loved bleak house! BBC also made a great series. I just finished Daniel Deronda today and started A Tale of Two Cities.

I'm reading Frøken Smillas fornemmelse for snø by Peter Hoeg

Read The Yellow Wallpaper and loved it. I had forgotten that I read it ages ago ~ it wasn't until I got to the end that it came back to me. Also read Fingersmith, which was just amazing.

I'm also starting Bleak House. I'm really happy to hear that people love it, because my copy has about 900 pages.

My other 1001 book right now is The Magus by John Fowles. About 100 pages in, it's starting to get interesting.

#46 I just read The Yellow Wallpaper for the first time last week and I loved it, too.

I've just started Cry, The Beloved Country (as I'm going to Africa next week, yay!).

>48 Killeymoon:: Killeymoon, that's an amazing book. My top read of 2008 so far!

At the moment I'm reading The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo.

I'm starting The Colour today.

I finished Brave New World last night, and although it was not exactly what I was expected when I began the book, it certainly made me think. Since that's what I primarily look for in a novel, I cannot say that this one disappointed me. The world in which the novel is set must have taken a very long time to create, especially considering how long ago the novel was written. Reading it in 2008 takes away some of the futuristic punch because so many of the scientific breakthroughs in the book do not seem so impossible today. However, looking back at how this book must have been looked at during it's initial release, I can absolutely understand why it is considered such an important novel. Very interesting social commentary.

I too started Bleak House this week. So far I'm finding it pretty easy going.

Finished The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which I loved, and am now reading Rebecca.

Two great novels, RedBowlingBallRuth! Enjoy!

54> I loved Rebecca. I am planning to read more of her works.

I finished Contact and Madame Bovary and am starting Tarka the Otter.

Just re-read The Yellow Wallpaper earlier this week. I'd read it a few times in college, but it gets a little more fascinating every time I read it.

Finally finished If on a winter's night a traveler. What a bizarre little book!

Time to take a break and read my Early Reviewer books before moving on in 1001-Land.

I've been working on The Plague by Albert Camus at home and am finding it brilliant. On the subway, I'm reading Kim. That one has been on my shelves for a while and I kept putting it off but it's really quite fun.

Bleak House is one of my favorites too. I hope you all enjoy it!

>literarysarah, glad you're liking The Plague! It is indeed a brilliant book, written with so much warmth and understanding and love for humankind...

Had to look at my previous post here to get my bearings:

Finished Rabbit, Run. Updike is a great writer, the master of mixing poetry with prose but the characters and the story are both very depressing. I originally planned to read more of the Rabbit series, but I think I will give it some time now.

Finished Exercises In Style. Took one day to read. Very original concept. One of those gems in the 1001 list. One simple story, written in 99 different styles.

Finished Passing, after reading Quicksand, it was the next step in reading Nella Larsen's work. Passing is a decent story and a one day read.

Currently reading Cocaine Nights and finishing up Within A Budding Grove, which is the first volume of Remembrance of Things Past. Proust...you are a wordy bastid...

-- M1001

I finished Infinite Jest yesterday. I'm overwhelmed! It took me a looong time to read, and for most of the last half I just wanted to finish so I could go read something else, as I'm a one-book-at-a-time kind of gal. However, now that I'm finished I miss it. I can't say that I understand it really, but I liked it and that's all that matters to me right now. I actually went through the book after I'd finished reading and marked some of my favourite passages, which I've never felt like doing before. It definitely left an impression on me.

I recently finished The Way of All Flesh, and then read a fairly short book, Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Sons, which was decent but not amazing.

Elee, I had a similar reaction to Infinite Jest. I actually ended up feeling that it was brilliant.

I've just read Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud (wasn't that impressed with this) and The Graduate by Charles Webb which I only found out as on the list after I'd started it (I enjoyed it but then I love the film).

Now I'm reading The Sea The Sea by Iris Murdoch which I'm reading for an online book club. I've read one chapter so far and can't say I'm liking it. I'm going to have to set myself a target of so many pages per day to get it read.

I'm just starting Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (even though I think it's one of the books deleted from the 2nd edition)

@#67:
Although I'm a HUGE Ishiguro fan (and therefore you should take all my related raves with a grain of salt), Never Let Me Go is really a fantastic novel. It hearkens back to the more openly mysterious work of A Pale View of Hills and is, as always, expertly paced. I hope you like it!

As for me, having finished one Early Reviewer book, I'm gonna hop back into the list with Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca.

I just finished The Colour and started Don't Move

I just finished The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and will be starting Jane Eyre.

#68 - dczapka - I'm loving it so far! I still have a ways to go in it, but I love the ease of his writing and as you say, it's expertly paced - I'm fascinated so far!

Glad to hear! I assure you, it gets better and better (until, perhaps, the end, but that my own quibbling criticism with the book).

In order to stave off my excessive familiarity with Rebecca (having seen the Hitchcock film recently), I'm countering it simultaneously with The Corrections, which I went into with a completely blank slate and am finding incredibly engrossing!

I've just started reading Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, and might also start reading Rameau's Nephew by Denis Diderot soon (I got interested in it because Hegel talks about it in the Phenomenolgy, which I'm reading with a group).

I'm nearing the end of Don Quixote. Love it!

As I Lay Dying, and it is excellent.

I just finished Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, an excellent, fascinating read. Plus, I'm in awe of how eloquent his writing is, it's such a pleasure to settle in with one of his novels and meet these new faces he writes about. This one will stay with me for a long time - I know it.

i just started Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.

A little more than an hour before midnight here on the East Coast, and I just finished The Corrections. What an amazingly compelling story -- but damned if it isn't one of the most depressing books I have EVER read. I'm really not sure I could ever get through this one again, even knowing what happens.

Further updates will have to come in the August 2008 thread!

I read Black Dogs by Ian McEwan.