Discussion: What would be on your list?
So, as I mentioned in the community info, I used Peter Boxall's list of 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die more or less arbitrarily. Boxall compiled the list in consultation with a team of literary critics:
For discerning bibliophiles and readers who enjoy unforgettable classic literature, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die is a trove of reviews covering a century of memorable writing. Each work of literature featured here is a seminal work key to understanding and appreciating the written word.The featured works have been handpicked by a team of international critics and literary luminaries, including Derek Attridge (world expert on James Joyce), Cedric Watts (renowned authority on Joseph Conrad and Graham Greene), Laura Marcus (noted Virginia Woolf expert), and David Mariott (poet and expert on African-American literature), among some twenty others.Addictive, browsable, knowledgeable-1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die will be a boon companion for anyone who loves good writing and an inspiration for anyone who is just beginning to discover a love of books. Each entry is accompanied by an authoritative yet opinionated critical essay describing the importance and influence of the work in question. Also included are publishing history and career details about the authors, as well as reproductions of period dust jackets and book designs.
But of course, no one is going to agree with every pick. Several people have noted the absence of the Iliad or the Odyssey in the pre-1700s list. I'm rather surprised that Beowulf didn't make the list, as well as the absence of Chaucer, Dante, and Milton. And of course, it's a very Western-centric list, so no Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West, or Dream of the Red Chamber, or The Tale of Genji, or Heike Monogatari, just to name a few off the top of my head.
I think the compilers of the list wanted to weight it towards relatively modern works, but clearly they also concentrated on favorites rather than aiming for as diverse a sampling as possible. So for example, J.M. Coetzee and Charles Dickens got ten books each, J.G. Ballard got seven, Margaret Atwood six, and so on.
So, what books do you think should have made the list? *
* The first person who suggests Ayn Rand or Harry Potter gets smacked. **
** Okay, just kidding. But I'll be wishing I could smack you. ***
*** Seriously, I love Harry Potter, but let's not go there.
For discerning bibliophiles and readers who enjoy unforgettable classic literature, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die is a trove of reviews covering a century of memorable writing. Each work of literature featured here is a seminal work key to understanding and appreciating the written word.The featured works have been handpicked by a team of international critics and literary luminaries, including Derek Attridge (world expert on James Joyce), Cedric Watts (renowned authority on Joseph Conrad and Graham Greene), Laura Marcus (noted Virginia Woolf expert), and David Mariott (poet and expert on African-American literature), among some twenty others.Addictive, browsable, knowledgeable-1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die will be a boon companion for anyone who loves good writing and an inspiration for anyone who is just beginning to discover a love of books. Each entry is accompanied by an authoritative yet opinionated critical essay describing the importance and influence of the work in question. Also included are publishing history and career details about the authors, as well as reproductions of period dust jackets and book designs.
But of course, no one is going to agree with every pick. Several people have noted the absence of the Iliad or the Odyssey in the pre-1700s list. I'm rather surprised that Beowulf didn't make the list, as well as the absence of Chaucer, Dante, and Milton. And of course, it's a very Western-centric list, so no Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West, or Dream of the Red Chamber, or The Tale of Genji, or Heike Monogatari, just to name a few off the top of my head.
I think the compilers of the list wanted to weight it towards relatively modern works, but clearly they also concentrated on favorites rather than aiming for as diverse a sampling as possible. So for example, J.M. Coetzee and Charles Dickens got ten books each, J.G. Ballard got seven, Margaret Atwood six, and so on.
So, what books do you think should have made the list? *
* The first person who suggests Ayn Rand or Harry Potter gets smacked. **
** Okay, just kidding. But I'll be wishing I could smack you. ***
*** Seriously, I love Harry Potter, but let's not go there.