The Book I Must Read Before I Die

[Grouch]

Not to sound too morbid, but what book do you have on your to-read list that you feel you must, you absolutely MUST , read before you die? This is one that's been nagging at you for years, whispering to you from the bookshelf: "Reeeed meeee!"

And, of course, I'm perfectly aware that this group cannot possibly limit it to just one book--hell, even I can't!--so give me the top three must-reads on your list.

_____________________________________

I'll start:

1. Bleak House by the gentleman to your left
2. Ulysses by James Joyce
3. The Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian

[Dani257]

Pride and Prejudice

[MrsNormanMaine[$]]

I've read 'Bleak House', 'Pride and Prejudice' and the first couple of Aubrey/Maturin novels (I just couldn't get into them). I've never had the fortitude to tackle 'Ulysses'.

On my someday list....

1. Proust's A Recherche de Temps Perdu which I will have to read in translation as I don't think my French is good enough.

2. Balzac's La Comedie Humaine which again, will have to be in translation.

3. The Adams/Jefferson letters - assuming they have been published in a readable format.

MNM

[pageclot[$]]

I don't know!

There's not really anything out there that I'm dying to read (chuckle). This concerns me a bit, because there are probably fantastic books out there that I don't know I should read. Most of my favourite books that I have read came to me through coincidence or as a gift.

The books of Jonathon Carroll I've read because about 8 years ago, someone wrote out a list of books I had to read, and he was on it (also on it were Italo Calvino "If on a Winter's Night a Traveller" and Don DeLillo's "White Noise", and Robert Coover's "A Public Burning", all of which I've now read). "Instance of the Fingerpost" was a gift. Etc etc.

So I look to this thread to give me fantastic book ideas. I'm going to read "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Great Expectations" to my son when he's barely old enough.

pageclot

[ebrown2]

1) The complete HERMES by Michel Serres, in French if I have to.
Serres is an excellent but obscure French philosopher who specializes in the interconnections between science and the humanities. His series of interviews with Bruno Latour, collected in CONVERSATIONS ON SCIENCE, CULTURE AND TIME are interesting and revealing.

2) Giannalberto Bendazzi's beautiful and encyclopedic work, CARTOONS: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF CINEMA ANIMATION.
(maybe this summer)

3) The unabridged LIFE OF JOHNSON, by James Boswell.
(almost there!)

(in Shatner mode)
Too many...books

Too little...money and time

[tipu]

I can't just make up a list on the fly, forget a top three!... but on that list would be a manuscript that was turned down by the major publication houses 'cos they didn't want to be seen supporting such thought... Carl Sagan commented that he wished that the book was in print... apparently, Chester Dolan managed to get a small publishing place or whatever the term is to print it, 'cos me library has a copy of Holy Daze: Coming to Grips with Religion—the Holy Daze of Humanity...

... my brother found it in my school library when he came to visit last winter and it had to be returned by the time he finished... I hope to grab it when I've a few days with nothing else to do... I know, that's a dream...

[Alawston]

The WHOLE 'Comedie Humaine'? Eek. I ploughed through 'Le Pere Goriot' and decided to call it a day. I hope you do get round to 'Bleak House', Grouch, it's one of my all-time favourite Dickens novels.

My own list would have to include 'La Carte Postale' by Jacques Derrida, which still glowers accusingly from my bookshelf. I studied the first half for about a year, but the second half has still not been touched.

The other two would have to include 'The Dubliners' and 'La Vie de Marianne' by Marivaux. Actually, I've got to read Marivaux for an exam, if I convince myself it's my mission in life, it might even happen...

Andrew

[hypotenuse]

I WILL read Plato's Cave one day!! Comprehension is another matter....

Lynne

[Redlass]

Hmmm

Beowulf--in any translation
The Odyssey by Homer
The Idiot by Dostovesky

I was saving the latter because I wanted to read it in Russian. I took three years of Russian trying to learn enough to read the original. My Russian never got that good and now I'm afraid I've forgotten most of what I learned.

I wish there were ongoing language classes for adults that let you devote only a couple hours a month.

Heh

The one that I am reading at the time I would hate to die and leave it only halfway read...

Umm... Besides that, the book that I am going to write.

Shrug. No big book-reading aspirations besides that though... I usually read what I am going to read and don't stress on not reading what I haven't read.

Ander

[sylvanb]

WAIT A MINUTE! Let's clear something up here. The book(s) I really really want to read, or the books I think I ought to read? Elsewhere I told the story of my Mom's attempt to get the "classics" read before she died, by reading the first and last chapters. (She gave up that project and is still among the living at age 93).

I think finishing up Hardy's novels fits into both categories. "Return of the Native" is probably next.

[erik_kosberg]

The Diary of Smuel Pepys (the whole thing, not a bowlderized version)
Remembrance of Things Past (translated, I’m a wuss)
Grouch’s first published novel

[realtraveller]

That's easy: MY OWN!!!

If I die without finishing it, I'll kill myself.

[prettyinpink]

Two by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in Time of Cholera. . Also, by Julio Cortazar,Hopscotch .

[kchowell]

There are so many books that I need to get around to reading that it's nearly impossible to make a list.

Off the top of my head...

Love in the Time of Cholera
Joyce's Ulysses
Moby Dick

I'm sure that I'm missing several important ones, but that's a start.