I've read all of these except the Hamann book. I'll have to read that one. I must admit, I don't understand the whole reading snippets thing, I tend to be more like Lizzy. I will look at the first page or so, and read the liner notes. I do read books over again, if I've really liked them. I read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen every few years. I just read it again, and it never disappoints me. She had an absolute genius for saying, with great economy and style, so much about people and their relationships. I once had an argument with a good friend--you know Marcia--about whether she was a better writer than Tolstoy. I had just read War and Peace, which Marcia thought was a real masterpiece. Well, it is a great book. But I argued that Austen was a better writer because she didn't need 900 or 1000 some pages, which ever it is (I forget) to explain what society was like in her day. I said, he should have been able to tell that story more economically and the writing would have been better. I actually convinced Marcia, which pleased me, because after all she had spent a year at Oxford and was at the U. of Chicago in English grad studies. So, I felt quite proud of myself.
I haven't read Anthropology of an American Girl yet, either, but I really can't wait to - in fact, I'm thinking I'll probably go ahead and start it, even though I just started A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and am still in the midst of The Fountainhead. Hehe, I'm such an over-achiever, LOL.
Like I said at the beginning of my entry, I don't always flip through a book and read snippets. Sometimes, just reading the back and/or the liner notes is enough.
I'm trying to remember...was Pride and Prejudice the one that I read for the English course when I was homeschooling? I think it was; and I remember enjoying it, but I think I'll have to eventually read it again, just for recreational reading. Even the best books can be harder to enjoy when you HAVE to read them for a class, I've found.
Tolstoy scares me, LOL. At least, from what I've heard about his books. But I'm sure I'll end up reading him eventually, anyways. That's cool that you were able to convince Marcia that Austen was better, hehe. Since you mentioned the U. of C. English thing, I'd bet that Gaby would likely agree with you that Austen is better than Tolstoy, hehe. You'll have to ask her sometime. :)
I do read books over again, if I've really liked them. I read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen every few years. I just read it again, and it never disappoints me. She had an absolute genius for saying, with great economy and style, so much about people and their relationships. I once had an argument with a good friend--you know Marcia--about whether she was a better writer than Tolstoy. I had just read War and Peace, which Marcia thought was a real masterpiece. Well, it is a great book. But I argued that Austen was a better writer because she didn't need 900 or 1000 some pages, which ever it is (I forget) to explain what society was like in her day. I said, he should have been able to tell that story more economically and the writing would have been better. I actually convinced Marcia, which pleased me, because after all she had spent a year at Oxford and was at the U. of Chicago in English grad studies. So, I felt quite proud of myself.
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Like I said at the beginning of my entry, I don't always flip through a book and read snippets. Sometimes, just reading the back and/or the liner notes is enough.
I'm trying to remember...was Pride and Prejudice the one that I read for the English course when I was homeschooling? I think it was; and I remember enjoying it, but I think I'll have to eventually read it again, just for recreational reading. Even the best books can be harder to enjoy when you HAVE to read them for a class, I've found.
Tolstoy scares me, LOL. At least, from what I've heard about his books. But I'm sure I'll end up reading him eventually, anyways. That's cool that you were able to convince Marcia that Austen was better, hehe. Since you mentioned the U. of C. English thing, I'd bet that Gaby would likely agree with you that Austen is better than Tolstoy, hehe. You'll have to ask her sometime. :)
Thank you for the comment! :D
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