Thank you so much for the completely intriguing suggestions, everyone! I now have a final list and a list of alternates.
I'm oddly excited about this simple little undertaking.
Anyway, in no particular order,
1. Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves
2. Daniel Deronda by George Eliot
3. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
4. La-Bas by J-K Huysmans
5. Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
6. The Last of the Wine by Mary Renault
7. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
8. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (I've read "Foucault's Pendulum" and am looking forward to this one)
9. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
10. Songs of Three Islands by Millicent Monks
11. The Castle of Ontranto by Horace Walpole
12. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (this looks fabulous--thank you Carnalis)
I'll be posting little bits and pieces as I finish each one.
Sick joke
1 hour ago
21 comments:
oh the name of the rose is a great book...i have read 3 on the list...perhaps i will check a few of these out as well...
Which three? I'm curious.
enjoy!
This is going to be fun.
Castle of Otranto - yessas, you are a confirmed romantic. Eco, master of citation, uses the trick with the manuscript. Happy reading!
OMG! Three Men in a Boat is one of THE funniest books ever written! Kev and I sat up in bed, years ago and laughed ourselves silly (we couldn't stop) over just one passage that struck our funny bones. You will love it!
Kat
I took a course in Uni that encompassed a good number of the early Gothic novels. The Castle of Otranto is a good one.
I'm ambivalent about, "In Cold Blood". I've seen it on the shelves at thrift stores and I'm just about to pick it up, but I know it will really disturb me, so I bail on it.
A most commendable choice dear lady. Good luck with it all.
I feel strangely satisfied that one of my suggestions (In Cold Blood) made it to the list! I wonder why? Probably ego, as usual. You won't be sorry. It's a great read. They don't call it a classic for nothing.
In Cold Blood
Daniel Deronda
The Name of the Rose
it's been at least 20 years or more since i've read these! gawd, i feel old. xoxox
Kylie and Megan--thanks, I will! my brain is a bit dried out and I need something to kickstart it...
mago: the Gaddis is still under consideration. I was a little intimidated by the comparisons to Pynchon, whom I've never been able to read through. My sister got interested in "The Recognitions" after I mentioned it to her, so she may be the first to read it.
Kat: both Sarge and Hedgie love 3 Men and I've always felt that I've been missing out...
"In Cold Blood" suits me because of my predilection for true crime, and my grad degree in forensic psych. I can stomach quite a lot of gruesomeness for some reason...
Warden: I picked up "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" a few days ago and finished it!! Very strange and interesting book. I couldn't put it down. So anyway, it's not going on my list.
UB: you've got my number. "In Cold Blood" will be my first read, I think.
Savannah: Did you like "Daniel Deronda"? I'm very curious.
I haven't read any of those, so how proletarian am I? I'll be interested in your recommendations (or diatribes). And no, I haven't even read Three Men In A Boat, though I think I've absorbed most of the plot through some kind of cultural/social osmosis.
Heh good luck. I've read Daniel Daronda years ago but can't remember it and The Name of the Rose, I think there's a movie about it too. Just bought The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo and Iron Horseman for the plane trip.
Nick, 3 Men seems to be iconic "over there" but here, not at all! Funny, huh?
I hope to be able to post at least one diatribe. You know I love to. ; )
Baino, your book choices are great. And yeah, there's a "Name of the Rose" movie--pretty darn good too! So I do know the plot and the solution to the mystery...
(Blogger ate my first comment, argh). Great choices. I've read 9 of these (not read 4, 10 and 11, never heard of them either). Intrigued to hear what you think of them.
Mme, you are very well read! I will report back...
I read "Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" last spring, but I was disappointed in it. It was between two of Waugh's, so it didn't stand a chance, I suppose.
I liked the time jumps. And interesting about girlhood. It wasn't at all what I expected!
Now, funnily enough, Sarge and I have an ongoing argument. I have decided that I like no Waugh really but Brideshead, and Sarge loves most Waugh with the exception of Brideshead. Go figure.
I'm going to read in my next life. ha. I never seem to find the time with my five men around. Of course if I didn't blog so much....
Betsy--it is hard to find time to read. People see you with a book and assume you're not really doing anything and they can interrupt! lol
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