It's the characters in Little Women who loved the Pickwick Papers so much- that's one of the reasons I hoped I'd like them!
Thanks for the Dickens recommendations. I struggle through because he's so bloody verbose, and the stories are wildly tangential. Maybe I'll try Bleak House if I can't get into the Pickwick Papers.
Only 47 on my list, but several are different from yours. I think you would enjoy The Time Traveler's Wife - if I have it around I'll set it aside for you. The Color Purple, though not my favorite on the list, is also a powerful read that you would probably enjoy.
Of the wide variety of Dickens I was force fed throughout school, A Tale of Two Cities was my favorite. Typically, I thoroughly dislike Dickens, so saying that is somewhat difficult to admit. I am uncertain how you would feel about it based on your list, but yes, evil knitting is pretty interesting. :)
I'm uncertain about The Time Traveler's Wife, only because another friend of mine read it and rather disliked it, or at least hated the ending. However, she did say it was worth reading, so maybe next time we get together you can bring it along!
Hmm. There seems to be a theme of recommending A Tale of Two Cities. I admit I've started it before, but never finished. Maybe I'll try it after Bleak House?
You should try Jane Austen! The two that most people really enjoy are Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, and either is a good place to start. I very much like Persuasion, as well. Emma and Mansfield Park were OK, and I would have liked Northanger Abbey a great deal more if I'd actually read the type of gothic novel Austen was parodying . . .
"Catcher in the Rye" I heartily recommend, though it may be over-hyped.
"Catch-22", depends on your sense of humor.
"On the Road" I found worth the read because of the style in which it was written, which isn't necessarily good, but is definitely interesting (he was all drugged up and wrote it in like a week...).
"Heart of Darkness" I personally found difficult to read, but it IS a good story. (The edition I read also contained a novella called "The Secret Sharer" which I probably enjoyed more.)
Haven't read "the Count of Monte Cristo", but I do recommend Dumas' "The Black Tulip" very highly. "Castle Eppstein" was also worth a read, although that was some years ago, so I don't remember it too well.
"Moby Dick" I have yet to finish, because of lengthy passages describing whaling in what I found at the time to be extremely boring detail. I may give it another try eventually...
Catcher in the Rye was the favorite of my best friend when I was growing up, but I had such a difficult time relating to Holden Caulfield that I gave it up early on. Not because I wasn't angry and rebellious in high school, not because he's male (I don't find it difficult to relate to male protagonists), just because I didn't like him.
I've also tried On the Road, and gave it up due to the writing style, I think. It was a long time ago.
Mm, yeah, I should try Dumas, in general. I think I'd like him, it's just that my reading list is always SO LONG!
Hi! You don't know me, but I found your blog from the MEPN entries. I am a recent applicant to UVM's program...still haven't heard back....but anyway, I continued reading some of your posts and I wanted to suggest "the count of monte cristo." I loved this book and surprisingly the movie was fantastic as well. Happy reading!
Hi, I'm still waiting on UVM.....i'm getting so anxious about whether I'll get in and if I do, will I be able to afford it :( ...or even make it through the first year! Yipes! In complete honesty, how "intense" was the first year? did you have any free time? Is a part-time job completely out of the question? Do you enjoy the MS portion better? Sorry for inundating you with all of these questions, but it is so hard to find info on UVM's program.
Re: bookspepperedmothFebruary 10 2009, 13:25:09 UTC
It's okay! I don't mind questions, and I remember being frustrated at the lack of information, too. The first year was very intense, yes, but most of us (including me) did have part time jobs. We also had several single moms who obviously spent a lot of time on outside commitments, and I had enough free time to meet my fiance and get engaged . . . so it's not all work!
I do enjoy the MS portion of the program much more (especially this second semester), and being able to work as an RN at the same time is rewarding.
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Thanks for the Dickens recommendations. I struggle through because he's so bloody verbose, and the stories are wildly tangential. Maybe I'll try Bleak House if I can't get into the Pickwick Papers.
Oh, and I'll definitely try A Town Like Alice!
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Of the wide variety of Dickens I was force fed throughout school, A Tale of Two Cities was my favorite. Typically, I thoroughly dislike Dickens, so saying that is somewhat difficult to admit. I am uncertain how you would feel about it based on your list, but yes, evil knitting is pretty interesting. :)
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Hmm. There seems to be a theme of recommending A Tale of Two Cities. I admit I've started it before, but never finished. Maybe I'll try it after Bleak House?
Thanks for the recommendations!
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"Catch-22", depends on your sense of humor.
"On the Road" I found worth the read because of the style in which it was written, which isn't necessarily good, but is definitely interesting (he was all drugged up and wrote it in like a week...).
"Heart of Darkness" I personally found difficult to read, but it IS a good story. (The edition I read also contained a novella called "The Secret Sharer" which I probably enjoyed more.)
Haven't read "the Count of Monte Cristo", but I do recommend Dumas' "The Black Tulip" very highly. "Castle Eppstein" was also worth a read, although that was some years ago, so I don't remember it too well.
"Moby Dick" I have yet to finish, because of lengthy passages describing whaling in what I found at the time to be extremely boring detail. I may give it another try eventually...
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I've also tried On the Road, and gave it up due to the writing style, I think. It was a long time ago.
Mm, yeah, I should try Dumas, in general. I think I'd like him, it's just that my reading list is always SO LONG!
Thanks for the tips.
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I should read the Count of Monte Cristo, you are right. Perhaps when I'm done with all this homework I am procrastinating!
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I do enjoy the MS portion of the program much more (especially this second semester), and being able to work as an RN at the same time is rewarding.
Good luck- keep me updated!
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