9.28.2010

get your literary fix

i consider myself an avid reader and a fan of a wide range of literary genres. i've been steadily working my way through some of the "classics" and re-reading classics that i read as a child or in high school, but must not have been overly-focused as i have hardly any memory of doing so. in honor of my reading addiction i'm posting this link to The Modern Library's 100 top novels list. there are also links you can click on to see the top 100 non-fiction list, etc. as much as i consider myself an avid reader, and as smart as i'd like to think i am, i have to admit i've ready shockingly few of the books on these lists. and i was also surprised by some books left off of the lists.

my favorite books (to date) off of the lists: brideshead revisited (evelyn waugh...a summer 2010 favorite, beautiful book), the great gatsby (f. scott fitzgerald), to kill a mockingbird (harper lee...atticus is one of my all-time favorite characters), a prayer for owen meany (john irving...i was definitely captivated for the duration of this novel, but there's always something subtly, or not subtly, disturbing about irving's novels...i've read several and had the same thought each time...especially the world according to garp...disturbing)

books i've been stocking up but have yet to read: other evelyn waugh novels, henry james, e.m. forster, ayn rand is on the list for several of her books (i've just never been very interested in the genre, but i feel i HAVE to read her), and LOTS of books i'm ashamed to say i've never read!

books i love that were excluded from the lists: maya angelou's autobiographies, tolstoy, dickens, jane austen, the diary of anne frank,...oh crumb, i can't think of any others at this moment. of course.

check it out, see what you think, let me know which books you've read and your critiques. it'll be our own little book review. hutsoneister's book review. hmmm. i like books, i am critical, sounds like a career at which i could excel!

4 comments:

Kelsy Crutchfield said...

I've Read: 1984(-), Animal Farm(-), Lord of the Flies(++), Hunt for Red October(+), Fahrenheit 451 (+), Ender's Game(+++), Lord of the Rings (++), To Kill a Mockingbird(++++).

I'm not sure how to feel about not even having heard of about half the books on these lists.

Mendy said...

I know! I felt a little ignorant. And then there were a lot of books that I've never actually read, but that I know a lot about so I can sound more well-read than I actually am. Ahhh, deception.

I am flip-flopped with you on Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies. I would give AF a + and LOTF a - if we're just talking about my ENJOYMENT of the books. I can appreciate that LOTF is well-written, but I didn't necessarily enjoy it. I probably feel that way about a lot of books actually.

717 said...

you must read evelyn waugh's "the loved one." It's my favorite by him :) and who knew we had such similar literary/film taste!!

Mendy said...

I will add The Loved One to my list for sure! I also have Waugh's A Handful of Dust sitting on the shelf waiting for me to read it. I enjoyed Brideshead so much better than the movie, though.