because i can't resist ...

[birdgirl_1107]

little_tristan posted a meme out of Amazon's list of "100 Books to Read in a Lifetime" and of course i immediately wanted to do it. and since i've otherwise been a productive little bee today, i'm going to indulge. and add my own little twist.

what i think is very interesting is how many of these books i had never heard of. had to do some searching on GoodReads

Comments

[akikotree]

So... what's the html for a strike-through? Your giving in to temptation is tempting me...

[birdgirl_1107]

Let me see. I believe it is the same as for italics but using an "s" instead of an i.

[birdgirl_1107]

Test successful! Yes, same as for bold or italics but using an "s". :)

I am eager to share the temptation. ;)

[akikotree]

Ah, thank you m'dear!

[little_tristan]

Wow, the things you learn about people from book memes! So many questions.

I don't think I've ever known anyone who actively disliked Great Expectations. Is it Dickens in general, or that particular book?

It's nice not being the only one who doesn't care for David Sedaris. Assuming it isn't just that one book. I keep trying, but his brand of self-immolation just isn't funny to me. I end up feeling ashamed for him and I hate that. I've got enough shame of my own, thank you very much.;)

Lastly, you didn't like The Wind in the Willows? We are talking about the illustrated book with the talking animals, right? Totally entitled to your personal feelings, but still, what's up with that?:D

Are you going to do your Top 100? I really want to see that list, too. *pretty please with fluttering eyelashes a'plenty*

[birdgirl_1107]

Definitely not Dickens in general. I loved Bleak House and also quite enjoyed Nicholas Nickleby. I've read Great Expectations twice - first time was in high school and then again for a course in university. I didn't relate to Pip at all - his ambition, his irresponsibility, his snobbery. Hated how he repudiated Joe, who was always so kind to him. I recognize that GE is a buildungsroman so we have to see Pip's character grow and develop but I didn't enjoy the journey.

This

I end up feeling ashamed for him and I hate that. I've got enough shame of my own, thank you very much.

is exactly why I don't like David Sedaris. Also, I felt that his humour, when directed at others, was often mean-spirited. Not funny.

It might be too much to say that I actively disliked The Wind in the Willows but it's not a book that I cherished as a child. Maybe it's because the version that I was given was very lightly illustrated. Also, I didn't relate well to books with only male characters. In some ways, I suppose I still don't. I find it harder to

[little_tristan]

Interesting. I love Bleak House, too! I think I went with A Tale of Two Cities to represent, but it was a challenge. Could just as easily have been Hard Times (which I used in my first novel and then later realized made a nice little symmetry-foreshadowing thing and was happy:).

I never looked at GE that way. Probably because I didn't read it for a class. Pip was a snob for sure and I ache for Joe whenever I read it. But the writing style and narration amuses me so I didn't look closer. Honestly, I never like anything that I'm forced to read and dissect. The best part of our crap school system's lack of reading is that even when we had to read a book, they didn't teach the book. I still enjoy rereading When the Legends Die, and am a collector of any and all books by people who knew Anne Frank. I have every version of her diary, too, including the meta-edition that includes all the published versions. Thank goodness that didn't get ruined

[birdgirl_1107]

You've read way more Dickens than I have. I avoided him for years, based on my dislike of GE. I will have to try A Tale of Two Cities and Hard Times. I also want to read David Copperfield.

Go you, with your rant about humour. It's so true that something isn't funny just because it is cruel. And calling a coworker "the retard" is plain wrong on so many levels.

If you do read TWitW again, I'll be curious to know what you think. But naked gay men first. Of course. ;)

I've started my top 100. Hopefully I'll get a chance to finish it this weekend. Maybe on Sunday when I'm over visiting my parents.

*enthusiastic book hugs are one of the best kinds*