tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post5152670344445480746..comments2024-03-27T05:13:25.241-05:00Comments on The New Dork Review of Books: That One Book: The Ultimate 'To Be Read'Greg Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122230426442946518noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-3832944802492473462010-10-15T10:07:54.779-05:002010-10-15T10:07:54.779-05:00Mine is "Walden." I've read sections...Mine is "Walden." I've read sections of it and enjoyed much of what I've read, but it's daunting to me for some reason... I really need to get serious about it.Melodyhttp://www.melodyandwords.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-37493375491744759712010-10-01T12:10:20.909-05:002010-10-01T12:10:20.909-05:00Ulysses, Gravity's Rainbow and Swann's Way...Ulysses, Gravity's Rainbow and Swann's Way are on my list. I bought Ulysses about a year ago but haven't read a page. I've read a couple of chapters of Gravity's Rainbow, and while I didn't find it hard to read, I just couldn't get into it. I had to recheck Swann's Way so many times from the library that I just ended up buying it. I WILL read and finish them someday. Maybe I'll try to tackle one of them over the winter.Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06565969088071477612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-70875023001705271182010-05-04T18:34:51.375-05:002010-05-04T18:34:51.375-05:00I read Infinite Jest this last summer and enjoyed ...I read Infinite Jest this last summer and enjoyed War and Peace but i have had Ulysses on my shelf for 30 years and can't get past the first chapter. One of these daysAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-85794097283917419532010-04-04T21:51:04.128-05:002010-04-04T21:51:04.128-05:00I urge everyone who is holding off on Middlemarch ...I urge everyone who is holding off on Middlemarch to take the plunge. I reread Middlemarch this summer, and I still consider it one of my top ten - maybe my favorite book of all time. Books still on my TBR List: War and Peace; Decline and Fall by Gibbon; Finnegan's Wake; and Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow...bibliophiliachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15495943887513443615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-17319255037077775902010-04-04T10:19:59.194-05:002010-04-04T10:19:59.194-05:00Mine is a toss up between, oddly enough, Gravity&#...Mine is a toss up between, oddly enough, Gravity's Rainbow and Ulysses. Both books have been on my shelves for 5+ years, and I have never even opened either one. My eyes just skip right over them when I'm looking for a new book to read, like a magic invisibility spell has been placed on them.Trishahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13917705393662132891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-30523925024117766412010-04-02T21:11:30.329-05:002010-04-02T21:11:30.329-05:00More votes for Gormenghast and Foucault's Pend...More votes for Gormenghast and Foucault's Pendulum!E.J. Stevenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05602161955672303860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-46689361195012044732010-04-01T18:37:50.455-05:002010-04-01T18:37:50.455-05:00Good luck with Pynchon! :) People like to tell me ...Good luck with Pynchon! :) People like to tell me he's a genius, but none so far has given me proof, haha.<br /><br />My Have-To-Read? It's a toss up between the complete stories of Chekhov, and the complete stories of Hemingway. I've made a tiny progress with Chekhov, though. Sigh. Someday...Sashahttp://silverfysh.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-19065341428710346912010-04-01T08:39:58.614-05:002010-04-01T08:39:58.614-05:00That's an easy question. Mine is The Gormengh...That's an easy question. Mine is The Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake. I've had it sitting there forever.NancyOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12027036137062767840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-80638006647302041682010-04-01T08:29:57.540-05:002010-04-01T08:29:57.540-05:00@Matt. Don Quixote is a great read. I promise you ...@Matt. Don Quixote is a great read. I promise you will not be sorry to have finally read it.SariJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11576155931734364322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-92189471258804541862010-03-31T18:43:50.514-05:002010-03-31T18:43:50.514-05:00@Mozette - I actually conquered The Name of the Ro...@Mozette - I actually conquered The Name of the Rose a few years ago (with the assistance of a guide book). I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't easy! It's about two medieval monks trying to solve a murder. But there's a WHOLE lot of window dressing, too - like a several-page theological debate on whether Jesus Christ laughed.<br /><br />@every - Hmmm - not familiar with that Dickens' book, but judging by the brief description on Wikipedia, it looks pretty tough - long and complicated, like many of the "best" That One Books. ;)<br /><br />@Matt - Well, you've been tilting at windmills for years, so it's high time you find out what that means! Blliinnng.Greg Zimmermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08122230426442946518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-83743146017398735342010-03-31T18:01:40.039-05:002010-03-31T18:01:40.039-05:00I seriously need to read Don Quixote.I seriously need to read Don Quixote.Matthew Zimmermannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-88932343212303671202010-03-31T10:07:17.661-05:002010-03-31T10:07:17.661-05:00My dust collector is Our Mutual Friend by Charles ...My dust collector is Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. I bought it because I heard it was the best Dickens novel. <br /><br />I watch the TV show LOST, and the book was mentioned by the character Desmond as the last book that he wanted to read before he died (supposedly it's that good) - so he carried it with him everywhere he went. I thought this would give me some motivation to plunge through it, but it was to no avail. I repeatedly read page ONE, and think, "Not today. . . " <br /><br />Oh well, maybe someday. Until then I guess it will keep collecting dust on my shelf.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-54053131559051875742010-03-31T00:34:20.624-05:002010-03-31T00:34:20.624-05:00I would have to say 'The Name of the Rose'...I would have to say 'The Name of the Rose'. I've always wanted to read it; and last year, I received it for my birthday. And now, all it does is star me down whenever I approach the bookcase... and I pick out the book next to it or two or even three books down from it. I don't know what it is about it, but I just can't get myself to pick it up.Mozettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16267731815392625679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-78287582926780023192010-03-30T15:12:38.649-05:002010-03-30T15:12:38.649-05:00Whoa - hey, everyone, sorry I got a bit behind in ...Whoa - hey, everyone, sorry I got a bit behind in responding to comments. It seems like the two winners are Ulysses and War and Peace, though there are a lot of interesting books mentioned, some of which I'm not familiar with at all (King Hereafter, At The Back of the North Wind). <br /><br />Anna Karenina, Middlemarch, Atlas Shrugged, and any Henry James novel definitely fit the bill as That One Book in my book. <br /><br />Thanks all for your comments - I really enjoyed this discussion!Greg Zimmermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08122230426442946518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-69282196178521273022010-03-30T11:31:39.468-05:002010-03-30T11:31:39.468-05:00Another vote for Middlemarch and I am attempting A...Another vote for Middlemarch and I am attempting Anna Karenina(mainly due to the upcoming release of Android Karenina this spring,from the same folks who brought us Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)but if I had to pick just one "haven't read it yet" book, it would be Portrait of a Lady by Henry James.<br /><br /> I have several Henry James novels that I've been meaning to get to(Wings of the Dove,The Golden Bowl,The American)and have only succeeded in completing Turn of the Screw and Daisy Miller. I also have on hand a number of very long Fanny Burney novels(Cecilia,The Wanderer,Camilla)that I keep stopping and starting. Can't give up on Burney,her work was a major influence on Jane Austen so I must try again.<br /><br /> Also,Vanity Fair-I have seen both a BBC miniseries and a major motion picture version of this story(even have an autographed movie poster of VF,signed by Reese Witherspoon)yet the book's allure somehow eludes me whenever I attempt to read it. Onward into the book breech ,folks:)lady thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16287907577241697874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-33168208411858725952010-03-30T08:36:54.276-05:002010-03-30T08:36:54.276-05:00"My book" is definitely Ulysses. I read ..."My book" is definitely Ulysses. I read the Proteus section in college, and just haven't touched the whole thing.<br /><br />I tackled War and Peace last November, which was well worth the read.Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03031333610996926579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-20057291107400500292010-03-30T07:10:39.519-05:002010-03-30T07:10:39.519-05:00+JMJ+
Oh, man! I'm bubbling over with Catholi...+JMJ+<br /><br />Oh, man! I'm bubbling over with Catholic guilt just thinking about that book I've been putting off--and it's not even a sin! LOL!<br /><br />The book is <i>At the Back of the North Wind</i> by George MacDonald. I bought it the night after my mother and I went to watch the movie <i>300</i>. That's how long it has been waiting for me to read it.<br /><br />I've actually tried to read it a couple of times, but it never really caught my interest. What made me feel really bad lately was seeing that the colours on its spine had faded, from the direct sunlight that hits the spot on the bookcase where I happened to leave it for several months. It seems okay for old and read books to fade a little, but not for a virtually new book! =(Enbrethilielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03414765854670926854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-17838872829164119442010-03-30T06:06:48.995-05:002010-03-30T06:06:48.995-05:00mine is Les Miserables although a large part of th...mine is Les Miserables although a large part of this is because for some odd reason I have real trouble pronouning it.Jessicahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08861424110678889637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-91950310596504609152010-03-29T21:51:29.711-05:002010-03-29T21:51:29.711-05:00What a great question! Mine is King Hereafter, by...What a great question! Mine is King Hereafter, by Dorothy Dunnett. It's huge, the writing is small, and she is SUCH a dense writer...<br /><br />However, I have many books that fit this bill on my shelves... The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy is another one.<br /><br />It's strange because I often fall in love with massive volumes, though it takes me an inordinate amount of time to actually start READING them. For example, one of my favorite books of all time is A Place of Greater Safety, by Hilary Mantel. That book is MASSIVE.Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-69754448543022485212010-03-29T20:29:45.678-05:002010-03-29T20:29:45.678-05:00mine is foucault's pendulum by umberto eco. i&...mine is foucault's pendulum by umberto eco. i'm not sure why i keep passing it over for other books on my TBR shelf. it's sat there for about 6 years, maybe i should just bite the damn bullet and pick it up already!Danielle Zappavignahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10493099952285137131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-59029012502796358192010-03-29T20:23:36.230-05:002010-03-29T20:23:36.230-05:00My book is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I got it as...My book is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I got it as a Christmas present like 10 years ago and read part of it, but then gave up. <br /><br />Infinite Jest was also on the list, but I finally read that one this summer. Take that, Book!Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)http://sophisticateddorkiness.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-12649241343506536922010-03-29T19:37:50.380-05:002010-03-29T19:37:50.380-05:00Mine was Ulysses. It sat on my shelf for three yea...Mine was Ulysses. It sat on my shelf for three years. I tried twice and could not get passed the first chapter. I finally broke down, bought a guide and read it one summer. Once I understood what plot entailed I was entranced. Now I just have books that sounded good when I purchased them, but now do not hold a lot of interest for me. I have rule I enacted two years ago. Each January I go through my TBR pile and weed out books that have sat for two years. It keeps my TBR pile to manageable chaos.SariJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11576155931734364322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-7605178317700102122010-03-29T17:50:16.642-05:002010-03-29T17:50:16.642-05:00Mine is The art of the Tale. So much Talent in the...Mine is The art of the Tale. So much Talent in there. I read a few and moved on, maybe I should give it another crack.<br /><br />I wish you luck.Mynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07595087387069634003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-55525842993541521802010-03-29T17:32:51.179-05:002010-03-29T17:32:51.179-05:00@ A Bookshelf Monstrosity, I'm with you on Mid...@ A Bookshelf Monstrosity, I'm with you on Middlemarch. I loved the first half, but got bogged down after that. I only have about two hundred pages left to get through. It's awesome, but looooong.<br /><br />My other Ultimate TBR is One Hundred Years of Solitude. I'm about a hundred pages into that one and I really want to be able to say that I've read it, but I don't want to actually have to read it because it's just so... Gabriel García Márquez.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-27657689633812105452010-03-29T17:08:40.221-05:002010-03-29T17:08:40.221-05:00I have a few actually: East of Eden, Anna Karenina...I have a few actually: East of Eden, Anna Karenina, Les Miserables, Alexander Hamilton biography, In the First Circle, Drood and 2666 all count as THE BOOK for me :). I hear that most of those are pretty easy to get into though, so maybe I need a kick in pants too :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com