Books you should have read, but haven't
06-28-01, 03:40 AM
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Does anyone else out there feel guilty about books you've always wanted to or felt obligated to read, but never got around to them?
I can't believe that I've never read The Iliad, Hamlet (I think I'm the only person I know who hasn't read that...my high school did Othello and King Lear instead), Crime and Punishment, etc.
I can't believe that I've never read The Iliad, Hamlet (I think I'm the only person I know who hasn't read that...my high school did Othello and King Lear instead), Crime and Punishment, etc.
06-28-01, 06:11 AM
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I started A Clockwork Orange and Lolita at least 3 times each and never finished them. Not that I didn't like them, I just felt I wasn't giving enough attention.
I feel guilty about never reading To Kill A Mockingbird. About not reading enough Hemingway and Steinbeck. About never reading The Origin of Species.
And I feel guilty about the last 3 books on my shelf that I've read the first chapter and then put them down. I'll go back to them for sure, I always do, but lately I've been so picky about what I feel like reading.
Thanks for making me remember all the bad things I've done, literary-wise.
I feel guilty about never reading To Kill A Mockingbird. About not reading enough Hemingway and Steinbeck. About never reading The Origin of Species.
And I feel guilty about the last 3 books on my shelf that I've read the first chapter and then put them down. I'll go back to them for sure, I always do, but lately I've been so picky about what I feel like reading.
Thanks for making me remember all the bad things I've done, literary-wise.
07-03-01, 07:10 PM
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I've wanted to read Moby Dick but the grammar
really is too ponderous. I'll read it someday.
And I started The Arabian Nights but got distracted
by other events in my life and never finished.
I'll have to reread this one.
really is too ponderous. I'll read it someday.
And I started The Arabian Nights but got distracted
by other events in my life and never finished.
I'll have to reread this one.
07-11-01, 01:36 PM
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I never finished Mason and Dixon. I loved the half I read, but it requires concentration and complete involvement - something I just don't have the mind for when I'm too busy with work.
I feel guilty for reading the cliff notes instead of nearly every book we were supposed to read in high school. Though I have caught up on reading most of them since.
aob505 - I haven't read any Harry Potter either.
-Steph
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I feel guilty for reading the cliff notes instead of nearly every book we were supposed to read in high school. Though I have caught up on reading most of them since.
aob505 - I haven't read any Harry Potter either.
-Steph
Adult DVD Talk
07-11-01, 02:11 PM
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Originally posted by StephDunn
aob505 - I haven't read any Harry Potter either.
-Steph
Adult DVD Talk
aob505 - I haven't read any Harry Potter either.
-Steph
Adult DVD Talk
07-13-01, 06:08 AM
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Loads!!!
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Bleak House
The Brothers Karamazov
The Road to Wigan Pier
............................
............................
War and Peace....ha - only kidding.
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Bleak House
The Brothers Karamazov
The Road to Wigan Pier
............................
............................
War and Peace....ha - only kidding.
07-13-01, 08:23 PM
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The Illiad -- I bought it opened the first page and promptly fell asleep. It was during a hectic time at work and I never got around to even starting it so it's sitting on my shelf at my parent's house gathering dust.
For those of you who haven't read books by Dostoevsky you're truly missing out!! I have yet to come across a single person who has not liked his books!! Enjoy!
For those of you who haven't read books by Dostoevsky you're truly missing out!! I have yet to come across a single person who has not liked his books!! Enjoy!
07-31-01, 04:49 PM
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Eventually I am going to read Lord of the Rings, The Narnia series, and The Wizard of Oz. All of these are books I should have read years ago while I was in school. I am sure I will get to Harry Potter eventually, but that isn't high on my priority list.
01-15-03, 11:33 AM
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Despite having owned the first four books for a full year now, I've still to read any Harry Potter....
.... that said I am somewhat more concerned about my failure to get to grips with much in the way of "great" Russian or American literature. I have a copy of Anna Karenina on the "to read" book case so.... maybe one day!
.... that said I am somewhat more concerned about my failure to get to grips with much in the way of "great" Russian or American literature. I have a copy of Anna Karenina on the "to read" book case so.... maybe one day!
Last edited by benedict; 01-15-03 at 11:38 AM.
01-15-03, 03:05 PM
#16
Despite having owned the first four books for a full year now, I've still to read any Harry Potter....
Myself, I am very short in many of the classics. Wasn't there a top 100 books of all-time put out by the NY Times? I should probably find that, stop procrastinating, and just get started.
01-16-03, 08:39 AM
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I took a seminar on Yeats and Joyce, mainly because I wanted guidance when I read Ulysses. But it came at the end of the semester when I was busy writing papers, and I didn't get past the first two chapters.
I think I remember finishing Anna Karenina, but if I did, it's the only great Russian novel I've read. Too little time.
I think I remember finishing Anna Karenina, but if I did, it's the only great Russian novel I've read. Too little time.
01-16-03, 09:53 AM
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I feel [slightly] guilty for not finishing Pale Fire, before coming back to school, but only slightly.
Also some of the fantasy series I just "gave up" on because they were too tedious (eg - Wheel of Time, Sword of Truth, Song of Ice and Fire). I feel like I invested way too much time in reading the others to just stop before its over. But then again, I'll probably go back to A Song of Ice and Fire because I loved that series.
Otherwise, I only look forward to reading more. The more I think of books that I "should" have read, I just think that I WILL read them. I've never felt guilty for not getting to a book yet. It'll all come in due time.
Also some of the fantasy series I just "gave up" on because they were too tedious (eg - Wheel of Time, Sword of Truth, Song of Ice and Fire). I feel like I invested way too much time in reading the others to just stop before its over. But then again, I'll probably go back to A Song of Ice and Fire because I loved that series.
Otherwise, I only look forward to reading more. The more I think of books that I "should" have read, I just think that I WILL read them. I've never felt guilty for not getting to a book yet. It'll all come in due time.
01-22-03, 02:27 PM
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Originally posted by RaraFemina
Eventually I am going to read Lord of the Rings, The Narnia series, and The Wizard of Oz. All of these are books I should have read years ago while I was in school. I am sure I will get to Harry Potter eventually, but that isn't high on my priority list.
Eventually I am going to read Lord of the Rings, The Narnia series, and The Wizard of Oz. All of these are books I should have read years ago while I was in school. I am sure I will get to Harry Potter eventually, but that isn't high on my priority list.
And I agree that Harry Potter is a quick read- I got the set for Christmas and I finished them a couple weeks ago.
As soon as I get the chance I will be reading The Hobbit and LotR, hopefully I'll be able to get them finished before RotK comes out in theaters.
Last edited by hotaru_san; 01-22-03 at 02:31 PM.
01-23-03, 12:53 PM
#22
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I really need to re-read Frankenstein and Dracula. I read them when I was about twelve, and I'm sure I missed almost everything important.
I started the Illiad once, and immediately realized that the copy in the library was a bad translation. If someone puts three words I don't know on the first page, he's doing it to show off. I never got back to it.
Started The Sound and the Fury. It was during finals. Bzzt.
When I read great literature, I actually enjoy it more than the fluff I usually read. But I rarely read it because it requires a greater investment of energy and time.
If you want to read The Arabian Nights, I reccomend the Haddawy translation. It's much more readable than Richard Burton.
I started the Illiad once, and immediately realized that the copy in the library was a bad translation. If someone puts three words I don't know on the first page, he's doing it to show off. I never got back to it.
Started The Sound and the Fury. It was during finals. Bzzt.
When I read great literature, I actually enjoy it more than the fluff I usually read. But I rarely read it because it requires a greater investment of energy and time.
If you want to read The Arabian Nights, I reccomend the Haddawy translation. It's much more readable than Richard Burton.
02-05-03, 11:49 PM
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I always wanted to read "War and Peace," but everytime I start it I can't stay with it. It gets boring and I lose interest. For some reason I still feel that I should read it. Someday i will try again.
02-09-03, 05:58 AM
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Interestingly enough...I've read a lot of the books that people have mentioned here.
The ones that I haven't are the doorstops: War and Peace, Les Miserables and Anna Karennina. The latter seems like the best possibility for the short term.
I've never started any of the three. When I do, I'll plow on through. Eventually.
The ones that I haven't are the doorstops: War and Peace, Les Miserables and Anna Karennina. The latter seems like the best possibility for the short term.
I've never started any of the three. When I do, I'll plow on through. Eventually.