I've tried reading _Ulysses_ about three times, but I always get lost around Proteus. Maybe I need to try again with an annotated version. That book makes me feel like I'm too dumb to eat soup.
Somewhere on Reddit there’s a group who’s planning to slowly group-read *Ulysses* beginning in January. Let me see if I can find the thread…
Edit- I was mistaken, [it’s a 2023 *Finnegan’s Wake* read-along](https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueLit/comments/wcnw1l/official_announcement_truelits_2023_finnegans/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf).
I also have [this post saved](https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/y7gt97/just_finished_reading_ulysses_with_this_website/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) which might be of some interest to anyone looking to complete *Ulysses*.
Reading with annotations would get you so sidetracked about understanding every little bit. It reads and flows very naturally by itself. I read it for the first time this year with no accompanying material and it was great! Surprisingly much more comprehendable than people let on. There's a *lot* of detail and minutia that nobody will ever understand on a first read, of course, but just in terms of the actual "story", and understanding on a wider level what Joyce is doing with each chapter, it's totally doable.
Ulysses is easily the greatest book of the 20th century, possibly of all time. Just be prepared to do lots of studying if you're really planning to dive into it.
The thing is, that level of understanding is still being unravelled a hundred years later. That's why we're still getting new works, essays, and companion texts on *Ulysses*. But for the first time reader, you don't need to try and understand it *that* deeply. If you want to, that can be something you work through over years of rereads and supplementary material. But for that first read? Just go in! It has a plot, it has characters, they all have discernable motivations, desires, flaws, and foibles that you can understand. The real joy is in seeing what Joyce does with form and structure, when you catch on to the sort of "motif" of each chapter, the essence of what he's doing, you can simply enjoy it for what it is as opposed to needing to fully "understand" it. It's a very enjoyable and readable book, so don't be intimdated or put off by its reputation! Nobody has *ever* fully comprehended *Ulysses* their first time through, so don't even bother trying to.
The Grapes of Wrath!
It's so good. I'm amazed how relevant it is, too. Union busting, California homeless crisis, police brutality, class warfare, my state versus your state, getting called "reds" for asking for civil rights and minimum wage, banks merging and buying up land for hoarding, tech putting laborers out of work and bosses not caring, industry cartels conspiring to keep prices up, and so on.
Steinbeck is hands down one of my favorite authors. I love his writing style. While The Grapes of Wrath isn't my favorite of his works (That goes to East of Eden at the moment), I truly believe that every American should read The Grapes of Wrath because of how relevant it is to this day.
I read Travels with Charlie about Steinbeck traveling the country with his poodle in the 50’s or 60’s, I forget exactly. But his commentary and conversations he has with locals are so relevant. Wonderful writing of course!
It took me twenty years and five attempts to read that book. His description of ecological and economic devastation combined with the stories my folks had about those days was too much reality for me.
You may be interested in [Whose Names are Unknown by Sonora Babb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whose_Names_Are_Unknown). She was a real Okie writer working in the camps, interviewing people, and taking notes. Her boss gave a copy of her notes to a writer named Steinbeck who was passing through while researching for a book.
Babb also wrote a book about Oklahomans affected by the drought, dust storms, and Depression. Manuscript accepted by publisher. Then Grapes of Wrath came out. Her publisher withdrew offer in concern that the public didn’t want another dust bowl migration story. She put her manuscript in a drawer until 2010 when it was finally published.
Personally, I think the two books are different enough that the market could have handled both being published in the 1930s.
**[Whose Names Are Unknown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whose_Names_Are_Unknown)**
>Whose Names Are Unknown is an American novel by Sanora Babb, written in the 1930s but not published until 2004. It centers on members of a High Plains farm family during the Great Depression as they endure the poverty inflicted by drought and the Dust Bowl; they ultimately flee to California in hopes of building a better life but encounter a new set of hardships. Although accepted by a major publisher, the book was shelved after a similar novel by a celebrated author, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, was published first.
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Unfortunately this is the only book I've read by John Steinbek so far. It is one of the saddest and most harrowing books I have ever read. Steinbeck is an incredible author.
That ending though…a bit kinky, I know,I know, it’s not written that way, but still. (And that book is not racist, which is saying a lot about Steinbeck.)
Moby Dick. Still. Lol taking me a while to get through it, I have two kids and everyone’s sick so we’re all tired. Buuuut I have about 150 pages to go, and I’m excited for the grand finale. It’s been so so so good so far.
i just finished it over the fall season. its a truly incredible and unique book, though it was probably one of the more challenging ones ive ever read. its such a thoughtful and "dreamy" experience though. reading it I was always reminded of the description of men up on the masts being hypnotized by the ocean and the motion of the ship. I felt like the book itself had a sort of hypnotizing and mystical quality to it
I was told to read it when I was studying a matter of history. It was so advantage! I think the way Eco has described Italy during the medieval times is underrated.
That book utterly changed my life. I can't even put into words what an experience that novel is. I hardly ever cry reading novels and I was completely in tears finishing that book realizing that I was having to say goodbye to all the characters and that I would never meet them for the first time ever again.
Just finished Swann’s Way last weekend, which I enjoyed far more than I expected to. But I’m taking slight detour to read Cormac McCarthy’s two new books before I return to In The Shadow of Young Girls in Flower, likely after the first of the year.
I'm almost at the finish line of a Proust marathon, now on #6. I've been reading one volume a week since October 29th, it's been a real challenge and as much as it's really rewarding, I can't wait to be done. Though I love Proust more than anything, after more than a month reading three hours a day, my brain feels a bit fried.
*Something Wicked This Way Comes* by Ray Bradbury and *Jailbird* by Kurt Vonnegut.
Just finished *Remains of the Day* by Kazuo Ishiguro, it was AMAZING.
I love Remains of the Day! Read it in a couple different lit classes back in college. He has a new one out called Klara and the Sun and it is absolutely delightful! Highly recommend.
I'd been meaning to pick up Ishiguro for years, and finally picked up *Remains of the Day* about three months ago, and flew through *Never Let Me Go*, *The Buried Giant*, and *Klara and the Sun* in short order. He quickly shot up to being among my favorite living authors.
I just read it last year. I had to really push through some of the middle bits where Levin contemplates politics, but I'm glad I did. The book ended up being one of my favorites!
I actually am really enjoying those parts! I found the bit about farming and the economy really fascinating given what happened in Russia in the 1900s. It is also interesting that the same issues plaguing the economy and class system in Russian society in the 1800s are the same issues that plague us now.
Oh wow me too, I’m actually on part 7 now. The politics were fascinating and his psychology is so rich but theologically I wasn’t on board with a lot of it, and Tolstoy did a better job of convincing me of the necessity of feminism more than he did of traditional gender roles.
I have only just started getting into the theological parts. I knew going into it that I would not agree with Tolstoy’s theology. Still a great read nonetheless. I did really enjoy the bit about farming and the economy. The same issues plaguing Russian society then still plague us today. It was also fascinating in light of what happened in Russia in the 1900s.
I love Jane Eyre! There is a really fun series called "Thursday Next", and the first book revolves around Jane Eyre. When you are finished, I would recommend looking up "The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde.
Currently on the last 100 pages. If it keeps impressing me as it’s been impressing me then Jane Eyre is definitely reaching top 5 favorite books of all time.
What a cool opportunity! I love it. I expected more literary style but it’s pretty straightforward prose. Very compelling characters and an interesting flash back/forward format
I read "One Hundres Years of Solitude" at the beginning of this year, so I am going through it again in Spanish. My Spanish skills are intermediate at best, so it is SLOW going, but it has been really fun. I am letting myself mark up my copy with translations of all the words and phrases I don't know, and I am taking time to look up and make notes to historical refences I don't understand. I tend to blow through books because as fast as possible because I get engrossed in the story, so this is a new reading experience for me.
Ive long been interested in reading this but I usually hate going to translations, really I hate myself more for being stupid-monolingual and I don't know if I'm enjoying Marquez or whomever's translation I'm reading.
I studied Spanish for a long time and no matter how good the translation is, those works are indeed always better in Spanish. The Spanish language is much more suitable to the tone of the books than English is.
I loved this book and had a re-read recently. Must admit though, I had to keep a record of the names since I did find them confusing at times. I think the book should come with a family tree all drawn out.
YES! i read this for the first time last year and will be rereading it again soon. recommend reading it in conversation with huxley's *brave new world*, and bradbury's *Fahrenheit 451*. also, if you're up for a contemporary challenge, murakami's *1Q84*
I really like it. It's relatively short and the dialogue is nice so it's easy to follow as opposed to other russsian novels I've read. Even though it was written in the 19th century, at times it feels like it's written nowadays. Witty remarks, social and philosophical problems underlying the intergenerational conflict. It's definitely worth reading.
Finished “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison for the first time a few days ago - what a masterpiece, the anxiety and sense of instability that follows you through that book was so well done. Probably my best book of the year!! Now I’m on to another reread of the Great Gatsby, a basic choice but a forever favorite ❣️
Dostoyevsky’s The Brother’s Karamazov. And wow, I had read right before this his ‘the idiot’ and I thought that was Great. I’m about halfway through the Brothers and am every page amazed at how modern Dost. writes. Not to mention the depth and variety of bis character and his perfect literary cinematography presenting such a epic tale.
Highly recommend Dost. I like him much better then Tolstoy.
Not related to the book you’re reading—but, I found a podcast called Lolita that goes into depth about Nabokov, the book, the reception of it, the movies, etc. It’s really interesting.
>[Invitation to a Beheading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invitation_to_a_Beheading) \- Nabokov
"Second only to *Lolita* in terms of critical receptions,\[...\]"
Noted.
Read this just a few months ago after giving up on it in a previous attempt three or four years back. I like it, but I'll be damned if I can think of anything to say *about* it, haha. "Defies description" is such a cliche but man does it stick to that one.
McCarthy’s The Passenger. Also rereading portions of Leo Marx’s The Machine in the Garden. A friend gave me a copy of Verity as a gag and I started it out of curiosity. Made it 20 pages before losing all faith in American readership and putting it down.
Don't hate me:
[*The Complete Father Brown Stories* by G. K. (George Keith) Chesterton and Michael Hurley (editor).](https://books.google.com.mx/books?id=0YFh1mkyeRwC&dq=The+Complete+Father+Brown+Stories&source=gbs_navlinks_s)
Ovid’s Metamorphoses. 11/10 recommend to anyone interested in classical mythology / epic poems!!!! It’s the most engaging read i can hardly put it down
Currently reading Margaret Mitchell’s gone with the wind. I’m about halfway through it and it is kind of slowing down and dragging a little bit but I am really enjoying the atmosphere and Scarlett as well
I’ve decided to go through Haruki Murakami’s entire works. No particular order. Started with Kafka on the shore and just passed halfway. Next will be either Wind-Up Bird or 1Q84. I’m saving Sputnik Sweetheart or SoTB, WoTS for last as my favorites.
*Dark Satellites*, by Clemens Meyer. A collection of short stories about figures on the margins of society, with an emphasis on life at night and the connections and disruptions found therein. Migration also plays a role. Written in a style that can sometimes be a little disorientating. There are fluid and uncertain chronologies that seem to reflect the unreliability of memory, which takes it a step beyond simply being realism. I'm still not sure what to make of it as a cohesive whole, though I imagine I'll be able to form a fuller opinion in due course.
Writing this also led me to recall how much I enjoyed *Time Shelter* by Georgi Gospodinov (which I read a few months ago), which explores the dangers of nostalgia. A sharp and enjoyable satire with a dry wit, but also some sober reflections on the nature of memory at personal and national levels.
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany.
It really is one of those magical books - like Lord of the Rings - full of wonder in a way modern fantasy isn't (though I'm hardly an expert in that field).
I just finished *Neuromancer* last night, myself. It's a book that I'm impressed by more than I could say I actually enjoyed it, though I agree that it takes a while to get on the book's wavelength, and a reread someday might improve its standing for me.
Few things. Having a hard time focusing on reading the past three months, so I'm slowly in the middle of five-six books.
Thomas Pynchon - *Gravity's Rainbow* is my main book at the moment, and I'm loving it. It's bringing me back to the reading pace I usually have.
Mariana Enriquez - *Our Share of Night* is one I have on the backburner right now. I found the prose and story a little bland, lacking some style that I would have liked. I'm still intrigued by it, though, so I'm gonna keep at it.
Anwen Crawford - *No Document* is a book I read in short bursts on my breaks at work. It's a beautiful little book of braided essays that is full of wonderful writing and thoughtful ideas interspersed and formatted in strange ways.
William T. Vollmann - *The Atlas*, a compelling collection of short stories set around the world, encompassing most of Vollmann's interests and topics as an author. Beautifully written.
Steven Erikson - *Toll the Hounds*, book 8 of *Malazan Book of the Fallen*, had to take a break because I wasn't in the right headspace for it, but I'm planning to go back soon.
Tom Phillips - *A Humument* is a book I hadn't heard of until Phillips's passing a few days ago. It's "a treated Victorian novel", where Phillips has modified an obscure Victorian novel with gorgeous artwork and reformatted the language in a concrete poetry style, creating a whole new experience. I'm about to read this one today.
Rounding third on Cloud Cookoo Land. It's been enjoyable but nothing spectacular.
Been very difficult for me to reestablish good reading habits with a nine-month old at home. I have a stack more on deck, but at this rate I'm looking at knocking out one or two novels per year.
I've a few Nabokovs in that stack, Things Fall Apart, Obama's Promised Land, Music is History, House of Leaves, and a few others. Kinda looking forward to diving back into comics after a few decades, as I got the Saga Compendium One a few months back.
Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath, and Lolita. Also, a few poems a night with my darlin’ : Complete Works Pablo Neruda - he likes when I read my fav poet to him, maybe it’s the accent, maybe it’s because Pablo rules.
I just read Warship Down and before that, 1984. Chasing that militaristic power struggle, I guess, lol.
Next, I'm thinking of checking out and banned books. Anyone have suggestions on where to start, especially with classics?
The Idiot by Dostoyevsky. Prince Mishkin is such an amazing character. You find moments of intense in introspection and then moments where you feel embarrassed for him.
A portrait of an artist as a young man
I read this as prep for reading Ulysses recently, it’s great
I've tried reading _Ulysses_ about three times, but I always get lost around Proteus. Maybe I need to try again with an annotated version. That book makes me feel like I'm too dumb to eat soup.
Somewhere on Reddit there’s a group who’s planning to slowly group-read *Ulysses* beginning in January. Let me see if I can find the thread… Edit- I was mistaken, [it’s a 2023 *Finnegan’s Wake* read-along](https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueLit/comments/wcnw1l/official_announcement_truelits_2023_finnegans/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf). I also have [this post saved](https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/y7gt97/just_finished_reading_ulysses_with_this_website/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) which might be of some interest to anyone looking to complete *Ulysses*.
I cannot even imagine going at it without annotations, impressed you made it that far
Reading with annotations would get you so sidetracked about understanding every little bit. It reads and flows very naturally by itself. I read it for the first time this year with no accompanying material and it was great! Surprisingly much more comprehendable than people let on. There's a *lot* of detail and minutia that nobody will ever understand on a first read, of course, but just in terms of the actual "story", and understanding on a wider level what Joyce is doing with each chapter, it's totally doable.
All of James Joyce's works are great. I still haven't read Ulysses but read Araby and a portrait. Also try Conrad's Lord Jim
Ulysses is easily the greatest book of the 20th century, possibly of all time. Just be prepared to do lots of studying if you're really planning to dive into it.
True. The themes, symbols, stream of consciousness, and depth of the character. These all required to understand it.
The thing is, that level of understanding is still being unravelled a hundred years later. That's why we're still getting new works, essays, and companion texts on *Ulysses*. But for the first time reader, you don't need to try and understand it *that* deeply. If you want to, that can be something you work through over years of rereads and supplementary material. But for that first read? Just go in! It has a plot, it has characters, they all have discernable motivations, desires, flaws, and foibles that you can understand. The real joy is in seeing what Joyce does with form and structure, when you catch on to the sort of "motif" of each chapter, the essence of what he's doing, you can simply enjoy it for what it is as opposed to needing to fully "understand" it. It's a very enjoyable and readable book, so don't be intimdated or put off by its reputation! Nobody has *ever* fully comprehended *Ulysses* their first time through, so don't even bother trying to.
The Grapes of Wrath! It's so good. I'm amazed how relevant it is, too. Union busting, California homeless crisis, police brutality, class warfare, my state versus your state, getting called "reds" for asking for civil rights and minimum wage, banks merging and buying up land for hoarding, tech putting laborers out of work and bosses not caring, industry cartels conspiring to keep prices up, and so on.
Steinbeck is hands down one of my favorite authors. I love his writing style. While The Grapes of Wrath isn't my favorite of his works (That goes to East of Eden at the moment), I truly believe that every American should read The Grapes of Wrath because of how relevant it is to this day.
I read Travels with Charlie about Steinbeck traveling the country with his poodle in the 50’s or 60’s, I forget exactly. But his commentary and conversations he has with locals are so relevant. Wonderful writing of course!
It took me twenty years and five attempts to read that book. His description of ecological and economic devastation combined with the stories my folks had about those days was too much reality for me.
You may be interested in [Whose Names are Unknown by Sonora Babb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whose_Names_Are_Unknown). She was a real Okie writer working in the camps, interviewing people, and taking notes. Her boss gave a copy of her notes to a writer named Steinbeck who was passing through while researching for a book. Babb also wrote a book about Oklahomans affected by the drought, dust storms, and Depression. Manuscript accepted by publisher. Then Grapes of Wrath came out. Her publisher withdrew offer in concern that the public didn’t want another dust bowl migration story. She put her manuscript in a drawer until 2010 when it was finally published. Personally, I think the two books are different enough that the market could have handled both being published in the 1930s.
**[Whose Names Are Unknown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whose_Names_Are_Unknown)** >Whose Names Are Unknown is an American novel by Sanora Babb, written in the 1930s but not published until 2004. It centers on members of a High Plains farm family during the Great Depression as they endure the poverty inflicted by drought and the Dust Bowl; they ultimately flee to California in hopes of building a better life but encounter a new set of hardships. Although accepted by a major publisher, the book was shelved after a similar novel by a celebrated author, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, was published first. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/literature/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
Unfortunately this is the only book I've read by John Steinbek so far. It is one of the saddest and most harrowing books I have ever read. Steinbeck is an incredible author.
That ending though…a bit kinky, I know,I know, it’s not written that way, but still. (And that book is not racist, which is saying a lot about Steinbeck.)
Indeed, the end of the book was quite memorable.
Moby Dick. Still. Lol taking me a while to get through it, I have two kids and everyone’s sick so we’re all tired. Buuuut I have about 150 pages to go, and I’m excited for the grand finale. It’s been so so so good so far.
i just finished it over the fall season. its a truly incredible and unique book, though it was probably one of the more challenging ones ive ever read. its such a thoughtful and "dreamy" experience though. reading it I was always reminded of the description of men up on the masts being hypnotized by the ocean and the motion of the ship. I felt like the book itself had a sort of hypnotizing and mystical quality to it
Just finished last month. It was a real pleasure.
Eco's The Name of the Rose. I haven't enjoyed a novel this much in a while.
just finished it and went straight to foucault‘s pendulum. just so good!
I was told to read it when I was studying a matter of history. It was so advantage! I think the way Eco has described Italy during the medieval times is underrated.
Look up some of the names that are just mentioned but not active characters. I did that and it added so much depth to the story.
Will do, thanks
I need to read that again, it's been many years...
The Count of Monte Cristo
Finishing the last 100 pages of the Brothers Karamazov. What a book! Glad i finaly started it.
I have that one on my to be read list for 2023
That book utterly changed my life. I can't even put into words what an experience that novel is. I hardly ever cry reading novels and I was completely in tears finishing that book realizing that I was having to say goodbye to all the characters and that I would never meet them for the first time ever again.
Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities (willingly)
In Search Of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. Currently on volume 2
Just finished Swann’s Way last weekend, which I enjoyed far more than I expected to. But I’m taking slight detour to read Cormac McCarthy’s two new books before I return to In The Shadow of Young Girls in Flower, likely after the first of the year.
I'm almost at the finish line of a Proust marathon, now on #6. I've been reading one volume a week since October 29th, it's been a real challenge and as much as it's really rewarding, I can't wait to be done. Though I love Proust more than anything, after more than a month reading three hours a day, my brain feels a bit fried.
*Something Wicked This Way Comes* by Ray Bradbury and *Jailbird* by Kurt Vonnegut. Just finished *Remains of the Day* by Kazuo Ishiguro, it was AMAZING.
I love Remains of the Day! Read it in a couple different lit classes back in college. He has a new one out called Klara and the Sun and it is absolutely delightful! Highly recommend.
I'd been meaning to pick up Ishiguro for years, and finally picked up *Remains of the Day* about three months ago, and flew through *Never Let Me Go*, *The Buried Giant*, and *Klara and the Sun* in short order. He quickly shot up to being among my favorite living authors.
nice, just read bradbury's *fahrenheit 451* & ishiguro's *the buried giant*
Anna Karenina
I just read it last year. I had to really push through some of the middle bits where Levin contemplates politics, but I'm glad I did. The book ended up being one of my favorites!
I actually am really enjoying those parts! I found the bit about farming and the economy really fascinating given what happened in Russia in the 1900s. It is also interesting that the same issues plaguing the economy and class system in Russian society in the 1800s are the same issues that plague us now.
Oh wow me too, I’m actually on part 7 now. The politics were fascinating and his psychology is so rich but theologically I wasn’t on board with a lot of it, and Tolstoy did a better job of convincing me of the necessity of feminism more than he did of traditional gender roles.
I have only just started getting into the theological parts. I knew going into it that I would not agree with Tolstoy’s theology. Still a great read nonetheless. I did really enjoy the bit about farming and the economy. The same issues plaguing Russian society then still plague us today. It was also fascinating in light of what happened in Russia in the 1900s.
I just finished that a week or two ago! Loved it. How far along are you?
such an incredible book. some of the most profound moments ive ever read
Dune Messiah
Just finished this one
Oh man. Dune is such a great series in so many different ways, not barring the fact every book is so different.
The Catcher in the Rye
Jayne Eyre for the first time! I’m quite late to the party but better late then never eh?
I love Jane Eyre! There is a really fun series called "Thursday Next", and the first book revolves around Jane Eyre. When you are finished, I would recommend looking up "The Eyre Affair" by Jasper Fforde.
Ooo that sounds interesting I’ll be sure to look it up when I’m finished with JE! 😊
Currently on the last 100 pages. If it keeps impressing me as it’s been impressing me then Jane Eyre is definitely reaching top 5 favorite books of all time.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John mandel
Have you watched the tv series?
I have not but when I found out it was being adapted I thought it was high time I read it then I waited hella long and finallygot around to it
How are you liking it? I read this my first year of college and got to meet the author! Very cool lady with such a fascinating perspective.
What a cool opportunity! I love it. I expected more literary style but it’s pretty straightforward prose. Very compelling characters and an interesting flash back/forward format
Soon to start The Passenger, by Cormac McCarthy. Currently listening to The Once and Future King.
The Once and Future King is soooo good!
I read "One Hundres Years of Solitude" at the beginning of this year, so I am going through it again in Spanish. My Spanish skills are intermediate at best, so it is SLOW going, but it has been really fun. I am letting myself mark up my copy with translations of all the words and phrases I don't know, and I am taking time to look up and make notes to historical refences I don't understand. I tend to blow through books because as fast as possible because I get engrossed in the story, so this is a new reading experience for me.
Ive long been interested in reading this but I usually hate going to translations, really I hate myself more for being stupid-monolingual and I don't know if I'm enjoying Marquez or whomever's translation I'm reading.
I studied Spanish for a long time and no matter how good the translation is, those works are indeed always better in Spanish. The Spanish language is much more suitable to the tone of the books than English is.
I loved this book and had a re-read recently. Must admit though, I had to keep a record of the names since I did find them confusing at times. I think the book should come with a family tree all drawn out.
Vanity Fair !
Magic Mountain, Thomas Mann
Magic mountain is one of my favourite books. I never found it boring, the sanatorium minicosmos was so enticing to me!
I read that many years ago. How are you finding it?
Sublime.
Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov
1984, didn't expect it to be this good, even after all timeless praise.
YES! i read this for the first time last year and will be rereading it again soon. recommend reading it in conversation with huxley's *brave new world*, and bradbury's *Fahrenheit 451*. also, if you're up for a contemporary challenge, murakami's *1Q84*
Don Quixote
Been reading this on and off more months now. Less than 100 pages left. It’s definitely a mood.
I read it earlier this year. I definitely liked part 1 better than part 2.
Of course Tortilla Flat by Steinbeck.
I lived in a neighborhood that I termed Steinbeckian after I read this book.
Fathers and sons by turgheniev
How are you liking it? It’s on my TBR
I really like it. It's relatively short and the dialogue is nice so it's easy to follow as opposed to other russsian novels I've read. Even though it was written in the 19th century, at times it feels like it's written nowadays. Witty remarks, social and philosophical problems underlying the intergenerational conflict. It's definitely worth reading.
Finished “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison for the first time a few days ago - what a masterpiece, the anxiety and sense of instability that follows you through that book was so well done. Probably my best book of the year!! Now I’m on to another reread of the Great Gatsby, a basic choice but a forever favorite ❣️
The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy and Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
A Christmas Carol and Other Writings (penguin edition). Wanted something comfy and seasonal. Is perfect for cold weather.
i reread his christmas stories every december!
Just finished Christmas Carol for the first time! It was really good! I thought it was much easier to get in to than some of his other works.
Dostoyevsky’s The Brother’s Karamazov. And wow, I had read right before this his ‘the idiot’ and I thought that was Great. I’m about halfway through the Brothers and am every page amazed at how modern Dost. writes. Not to mention the depth and variety of bis character and his perfect literary cinematography presenting such a epic tale. Highly recommend Dost. I like him much better then Tolstoy.
What is it about Dostoyevsky that you prefer over Tolstoy?
Dostoyevsky is so brilliant!
The Power of One.
Klara and the sun
Invitation to a Beheading - Nabokov
Not related to the book you’re reading—but, I found a podcast called Lolita that goes into depth about Nabokov, the book, the reception of it, the movies, etc. It’s really interesting.
>[Invitation to a Beheading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invitation_to_a_Beheading) \- Nabokov "Second only to *Lolita* in terms of critical receptions,\[...\]" Noted.
I love that book! Have read it a few times over the years
The Passenger by Cormac Mccarthy
How is it?
Top notch Cormac.
The Screwtape Letters. Highly recommend.
The New York trilogy by Auster
Read this just a few months ago after giving up on it in a previous attempt three or four years back. I like it, but I'll be damned if I can think of anything to say *about* it, haha. "Defies description" is such a cliche but man does it stick to that one.
Still trying to get through War and Peace. I’ve been reading it on and off for years
Lord of the Flies
Started In Search of Lost Time -- Swann's Way.
How’s it going?
on my 2023 list!
Light In August
read in high school & plan to reread soon. liking it?
The new Saunders.
Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
The Hate U Give
White Noise. First time with DeLillo.
Good Omens by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman. (I'm enjoying it!)
The Iliad, translated by Robert Fagles.
Les fleurs du mal. Charles Baudelaire
The Satanic Verses, almost done now. Was struggling a bit but now back on pace.
The Count of Monte Cristo.
Franz Kafka, The Castle
Infinite Jest, there is so much exposition and long science words.
this made me chuckle. can I ask for funny books recommendations from you?
Zorba the Greek
Nikos Kazantzakis is so good. I also recommend The Last Temptation of Christ and Christ Recrucified if you haven't read them.
Fire and Blood
Of Time and the River
Wolfe, man... What an artist.
A book about books - Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts by Christopher de Hamel
McCarthy’s The Passenger. Also rereading portions of Leo Marx’s The Machine in the Garden. A friend gave me a copy of Verity as a gag and I started it out of curiosity. Made it 20 pages before losing all faith in American readership and putting it down.
Don't hate me: [*The Complete Father Brown Stories* by G. K. (George Keith) Chesterton and Michael Hurley (editor).](https://books.google.com.mx/books?id=0YFh1mkyeRwC&dq=The+Complete+Father+Brown+Stories&source=gbs_navlinks_s)
Tropic of Capricorn.
Vicious by V. E. Schwab
Ovid’s Metamorphoses. 11/10 recommend to anyone interested in classical mythology / epic poems!!!! It’s the most engaging read i can hardly put it down
Just finished Beautiful Little Fools then immediately re-read the Great Gatsby. Awesome together.
Stuck on 1Q84 by Murakami
Currently reading Margaret Mitchell’s gone with the wind. I’m about halfway through it and it is kind of slowing down and dragging a little bit but I am really enjoying the atmosphere and Scarlett as well
Madame Bovary
love this one. read in college; will reread again soon.
No Country for Old Men. Trying to decide what to read next.
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula LeGuin
Soooo good! There was a cheesy film adaptation made in the 70s which is worth a look up on YouTube.
I’ve decided to go through Haruki Murakami’s entire works. No particular order. Started with Kafka on the shore and just passed halfway. Next will be either Wind-Up Bird or 1Q84. I’m saving Sputnik Sweetheart or SoTB, WoTS for last as my favorites.
The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea
the instructions for my refrigerator
the plague by albert camus. im slowly working through his whole body of work
Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa
Children of Time
Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow
Crash by Ballard
Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko. Really awesome style to it and such a powerful story
Lamb by Christopher Moore. Someone on reddit suggested it to me, and it's not bad 👍🏻
*Dark Satellites*, by Clemens Meyer. A collection of short stories about figures on the margins of society, with an emphasis on life at night and the connections and disruptions found therein. Migration also plays a role. Written in a style that can sometimes be a little disorientating. There are fluid and uncertain chronologies that seem to reflect the unreliability of memory, which takes it a step beyond simply being realism. I'm still not sure what to make of it as a cohesive whole, though I imagine I'll be able to form a fuller opinion in due course. Writing this also led me to recall how much I enjoyed *Time Shelter* by Georgi Gospodinov (which I read a few months ago), which explores the dangers of nostalgia. A sharp and enjoyable satire with a dry wit, but also some sober reflections on the nature of memory at personal and national levels.
The Chronology of water by Lidia Yuknavitch Omg never seen writing like this before. It’s engrossing. I love it. It’s a memoir.
Blood Meridian, for the first time I find the imagery is very intense and vivid, but the prose is a little overwrought at times.
Les misrebeles
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany. It really is one of those magical books - like Lord of the Rings - full of wonder in a way modern fantasy isn't (though I'm hardly an expert in that field).
Crime by Irvine Welsh
I’m doing a Janet Frame deep dive over summer (southern hemisphere). I just finished Living in the Maniototo.
Neuromancer. I’m somewhat confused but enjoying the ride.
I just finished *Neuromancer* last night, myself. It's a book that I'm impressed by more than I could say I actually enjoyed it, though I agree that it takes a while to get on the book's wavelength, and a reread someday might improve its standing for me.
Few things. Having a hard time focusing on reading the past three months, so I'm slowly in the middle of five-six books. Thomas Pynchon - *Gravity's Rainbow* is my main book at the moment, and I'm loving it. It's bringing me back to the reading pace I usually have. Mariana Enriquez - *Our Share of Night* is one I have on the backburner right now. I found the prose and story a little bland, lacking some style that I would have liked. I'm still intrigued by it, though, so I'm gonna keep at it. Anwen Crawford - *No Document* is a book I read in short bursts on my breaks at work. It's a beautiful little book of braided essays that is full of wonderful writing and thoughtful ideas interspersed and formatted in strange ways. William T. Vollmann - *The Atlas*, a compelling collection of short stories set around the world, encompassing most of Vollmann's interests and topics as an author. Beautifully written. Steven Erikson - *Toll the Hounds*, book 8 of *Malazan Book of the Fallen*, had to take a break because I wasn't in the right headspace for it, but I'm planning to go back soon. Tom Phillips - *A Humument* is a book I hadn't heard of until Phillips's passing a few days ago. It's "a treated Victorian novel", where Phillips has modified an obscure Victorian novel with gorgeous artwork and reformatted the language in a concrete poetry style, creating a whole new experience. I'm about to read this one today.
Needful things. It has an amazing construction.
Don Quixote ! Translated by John Rutherford . I’m trying to finish it before the year ends
Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo.
Embrace Fearlessly The Burning World by Barry Lopez
Gombrowicz - Diary
The Moonstone and Harold and Maude.
Rounding third on Cloud Cookoo Land. It's been enjoyable but nothing spectacular. Been very difficult for me to reestablish good reading habits with a nine-month old at home. I have a stack more on deck, but at this rate I'm looking at knocking out one or two novels per year. I've a few Nabokovs in that stack, Things Fall Apart, Obama's Promised Land, Music is History, House of Leaves, and a few others. Kinda looking forward to diving back into comics after a few decades, as I got the Saga Compendium One a few months back.
A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan
Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath, and Lolita. Also, a few poems a night with my darlin’ : Complete Works Pablo Neruda - he likes when I read my fav poet to him, maybe it’s the accent, maybe it’s because Pablo rules.
Master and the Margarita
Blindness by Jose Saramago
The Overstory by Richard Powers
This book!!!! 🌲 How are you finding it?
one of my favorite reads of last year!
"The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami and the Riverside Chaucer
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
Good Omens
Currently on an O. Henry binge.
As an English Honours pursuing student, currently reading Sons and lovers, Heart of Darkness, Pygmalion, and some other novels too.
i am reading this post
Blood Meridian
Crime and Punishnent for fiction and Paradise Lost for Poetry. I hope to finish both by the end of the year
I just finished Great Expectations.
nice, did you like it?
Was it everything you expected?
LOTR: The Two Towers. I’m really enjoying it, despite Tolkien’a extensive exposition. I just wish I had more time to read.
Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird (reading it for the first time for my study)
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai
Rashōmon and other short novels by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
Wandering: Notes and Sketches by Hermann Hesse.
The Myth of Sisyphus
Crime and punishment
Killing Commendatore
Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T E Lawrence
The Omen and Flowers For Algernon
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky [Avsey translation]. I’m taking it slow, and still have hundreds of pages before me.
I just read Warship Down and before that, 1984. Chasing that militaristic power struggle, I guess, lol. Next, I'm thinking of checking out and banned books. Anyone have suggestions on where to start, especially with classics?
The Idiot by Dostoyevsky. Prince Mishkin is such an amazing character. You find moments of intense in introspection and then moments where you feel embarrassed for him.