Small classics

[ravilobo]

Last few months, I have been reading some of the bulkier classics. It takes a lot of time to read them (Dickens!)

I have decided to finish thin classics before I start War and Peace. After that I will be busy for 6 months or more with War and Peace. By thin I mean less than 300 pages.

Here are some of them,

Old man and the sea
Stranger
Prophet
Catcher in the rye
Metamorphosis

Kindly let me know the books I should add in the list.

[armenian]

Notes From Underground, The Fall, A Clockwork Orange, The Human Comedy

[kelby_lake]

Of Mice and Men
The Great Gatsby
Les Enfants Terribles

[grace86]

The Death of Ivan Illych - Dostoevsky

[ravilobo]

Thank you guys! I have kept the list of these books on my desktop. I will be reading one by one. Meanwhile I hope some more will come.

I am going hold off Dostoyevsky for sometime, since I read three of his top books (Karamazov, C&P, Idiot) back to back. I am kind of zonked now. I need some kind of cheap entertainment to become real again.

[ravilobo]

The Death of Ivan Illych - Dostoevsky

By the way, The Death of Ivan Illych is not by Dostoyevsky! It is by Tolstoy. It’s a sacrilege!

[grace86]

Lol I am sorry I am at work, I am typing undercover!!!! My deepest apologies!

[ravilobo]

No big deal. Thanks anyway.

[mangueken]

You might want to try some these Japanese classics:
A Personal Matter - Kenzaburo Oe
Beauty and Sadness - Yasunari Kawabata
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion - Yukio Mishima
Some Prefer Nettles - Junichiro Tanizaki

all great books and under 300 pages.

[ravilobo]

You might want to try some these Japanese classics:



Talking about Asian writers, one of my favorite writers is, almost unknown R K Narayan. Probably all his books are under 300 pages.

I have never seen a writer so compassionate about his characters. Also his language is very simple. That is one of the reason he never received a Nobel. Nobel committee said that Narayan’s books are so simple that they don’t demand any effort from readers! He died couple of years back, so no more Nobel for him.

Interested readers can begin with one of his final books –“A tiger for Malgudi”

Narayan’s books never made any top 100 lists. Even though they deserve the place. However his books will always be there in my top 100 list, along with Dostoyevsky and Dickens.

[Etienne]

Candide by Voltaire (also many of his other tales)
Death in Venice by Mann
The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe
Petersburg Tales by Gogol (short stories)
The Small Prince by St-Exupery
The Iceland Fisherman by Loti

[johann cruyff]

Also:

Steppenwolf
Fathers and Sons
Turn of the Screw
Hadji Murad
The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge

[book_jones]

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
The Day of the Locust by Nathaniel West
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

It looks like we've already suggested 10,000 books for you to read. I'll just stick with my favorites up there that haven't been listed yet.

[Etienne]

Forgot Pedro Paramo by Rulfo, Monsieur Teste by Valery also Palomar by Calvino, etc.

[fleaaaaaa]

Three men in a boat, which I am currently reading by, Jerome K Jerome short, light and funny!

To Killing a mockingbird - Harper Lee

Brighton Rock - Graham Greene

If you like catcher in the rye try -
The Perks of being a wall flower - Stephen Chbosky


Oh and if you want something really easy, pick up a few Roald Dahl books, okay they are for kids but they are great too.

[armenian]

Human Comedy - William Saroyan

[kelby_lake]

Three men in a boat, which I am currently reading by, Jerome K Jerome short, light and funny!

To Killing a mockingbird - Harper Lee

Brighton Rock - Graham Greene


Love Pinky! :) :) Never liked To Kill A Mockingbird.

[mona amon]

Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabakov. I think it's not too long, and a very interesting book. :)

[Annamariah]

Oh and if you want something really easy, pick up a few Roald Dahl books, okay they are for kids but they are great too.

Roald Dahl's short stories are great too, if you don't want to read children's books (don't get me wrong - many of my own favourites are considered children's books :lol:)

[ravilobo]

Roald Dahl's ...

Heard about him; never tried his books.

Thank you for suggesting, will try them sometime.