Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
Odyssey by Homer
Oedipus the King by Sophocles
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
I have only read about half of these titles, but the Franklyn/Easton books look great on my Shelf
The Harvard Classics are much cheaper. you can find them for less than 5 bucks each on ebay. International collectors library is another one of the cheap sets with good titles
I've read those above - the only one I did not enjoy was "Lady Chatterley's lover" yawn
Oedipus is one of my all time favourites, I can read this 1000 times and never get tired of it.
Add, Outsider, 1984, The Great Gatsby, On the Road, To Kill A Mockingbird, For whom the Bell Tolls, ---
It's a shame young women are reading Twilight, rather than a real book like "Little Women" Josephine was my idol
Quote:
Originally Posted by JSizzle225
Here's the ones, I would label must read, out of my library:
Communist Manifesto
Art of War
The Prince
Common Sense
Civil Disobedience The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nightime (instant classic)
The Simulacra
Farenheit 451
Atlas Shrugged
1984/Animal Farm
Grapes of Wrath/Of Mice and Men
THe Hobbit Harry Potters (I said it)
The HitchHikers Guide to the Galaxy series
Add:
Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allen Poe
Only adults right? No Spots First Picnic, Light in the Attic, or Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?
I'd like to give Communist Manifesto a read as well.
Curious case, is a fantastic book - fell in love with the main character instantly.
I applaud the long list of books that HtownLove posted.
However, as the opinion of just myself, some of those books require the reader to bring an appreciation, or at least some education / instructional background, to the full enjoyment of those books. For example Dicken's works helps to know about the social structure and cultural context of English society at the time Dicken's was writing his novels. Same with James Fenimore Cooper, it helps to understand the broad cultural implications of the Emerging country from the British Colonial period and the social structure of the colonist came from.
Just to read some of these books, without preparation which would lead to understanding the context in which the author wrote his book, could result in just mental noise; the reader will only absorb the plot and the description of the characters (and actions) at the top level of the book. The reader might be unable to delve into the depths of the underlying themes and truths of human nature that can be gleaned.
It is only recently in human history that people other that the aristocracy and the higher levels of the middle class were both literate and had inexpensive printing of books available to them. Working people and farm laborers did not have the luxury of reading books, and if they did read, it most likely was limited to religious material IMHO. I am only repeating what we all already know from history books. Obvious example, Scarlet Letter, a 20-something today would have no comprehension as to why a woman is ostracized for have sex outside of marriage, just watch TV sometime. How could one understand ostracizing a woman for having sex without understanding Puritan culture and society structure?
Sorry for the rant. It just seems that one or two of these books on the above lists really need college level Lit courses to get the reader's head around the context, appreciation of the details, and the sub-text of the cultural unwritten (in the book) social codes the characters in the novels exist in.
My rant aside, the books on those lists are still great books.
Phil
lol, I don't mind the rant, I agree witth you there on a lot of them. That is why I said I have only been through half of them.
Even mainstays like Don Quixote and Moby Dick takes some careful reading.
Also most of my books are written in the language of the day (no updated speech), so that alone slows down my reading pace. My copies of Pope's Iliad from the early 1700's (the book came in a series) requires a PHD in various fields to complete it. The books are so old I just gave up after a while
Picked up Walden, A Farewell to Arms, and Common Sense/Rights of Man today. Started with Common Sense. It would have been a much better read had I been around during Revolutionary times. Paine makes some great points about the flaws in monarchy and hereditary succession.
I was always tempted the read The Catcher in the Rye, but the subject matter seemed a little too weird for me.
Ahaha. I don't know, I think it is more universal than you expect. You've never had a moment in life where you thought to yourself, "**********!"? I would agree is Ozgal, it is a good read. And an easy read, too.
I would recommend The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. You know, the one that had everyone up in arms over the meat industry, but really was supposed to be an expose on the working poor in the US. It is an excellent read, and also very relevant to a lot of issues we face today.
Edit mostly to be indignant about the fact that that totally wasn't a swear.
I would recommend The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. You know, the one that had everyone up in arms over the meat industry, but really was supposed to be an expose on the working poor in the US. It is an excellent read, and also very relevant to a lot of issues we face today.
.
OMG yes! That book (up until very recently) was my all time favorite book.
Ahaha. I don't know, I think it is more universal than you expect. You've never had a moment in life where you thought to yourself, "**********!"? I would agree is Ozgal, it is a good read. And an easy read, too.
I would recommend The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. You know, the one that had everyone up in arms over the meat industry, but really was supposed to be an expose on the working poor in the US. It is an excellent read, and also very relevant to a lot of issues we face today.
Edit mostly to be indignant about the fact that that totally wasn't a swear.
I only learnt of this book the other day, when reading Fast Food Nation. Now on my list
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I would agree is Ozgal, it is a good read. And an easy read, too. 
