Literary anniversaries

[nwhyte]

A poll about books which are celebrating their anniversaries this year. Recommendations (including from me) in the comments.

Poll

As with the previous year, the best-selling book of 1916 was a forgotten work by Booth Tarkington, in this case Seventeen. The best-selling book of 1966 was Valley of the Dolls.

Comments

[redfiona99]

It's interesting to think that 'The Magic Finger' and 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' are from the same year as they feel so different. I recommend both, 'The Magic Finger' was the first Dahl I ever read, and I adore 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'.

[bopeepsheep]

Wide Sargasso Sea is a good read and highly recommended, but IMO you get the most out of it by reading it with Jane Eyre (alongside or after, up to you).

[seawasp]

"Rinkitink in Oz" is one of my favorite Oz books, and one of those significantly influential on the events seen in _Polychrome_.

I know I *read* "Valley of the Dolls", but I cannot remember a single thing about it!

I remember enjoying "The Magic Finger" immensely; Roald Dahl was one of my favorite children's authors, and one of the first I encountered to add the macabre so intensely.

Also loved "The Castle of Llyr" and both Heinleins.

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" I really didn't like at all, but I had to proofread a critical edition of it so I ended up reading it anyway. The same applies to all the fiction of Franz Kafka; it REALLY didn't work for me, but I had to proofread an entire collection of it, so I've read it.

[bibliofile]

The thing I remember most about Valley of the Dolls was that one of the older paperbacks had a bunch of pills on the cover.

(Also, I'm not sure Tarkington's Seventeen was quite forgotten until more recently? I believe it was reprinted in mass market paperback as recently as the 1970s (I worked in a used bookshop in the '80s).

[mizkit]

OMG, UNDERSTOOD BETSY!!!

[inuitmonster]

I recommend seeing a performance of Rosenkrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. Not sure I would recommend reading it as I don't think plays read that well.