Favorite book titles?

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Originally Posted by kelby_lake

? A play is a book...

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Even as I qualified my choice of Mourning Becomes Electra by saying, "...it's a play, not a book...", I thought, "Well, the actual physical object is a book, and I expect that'll be pointed out." On the other hand, I knew that if I didn't make that qualification, it would be suggested that the word 'book' in this context meant a text intended to be experienced direct from the page - so a novel, non-fiction work, or even poetry - but not a play, screenplay. or the collected shooting scripts of the original series of Lost.

I figured out within ten minutes of subscribing to this forum that it doesn't matter what you say, someone'll say otherwise. And as a practising contrarian, I don't mind that at all.

It's published and read when it is studied by English classes. It's read by the actors and director and anyone involved with the show. And O'Neill's plays pretty mcuh have to be read as they are so unstageable.

I hate the idea of belittling plays just because the eventual product will be a show and it's not in continuous prose. Poetry's pointless reading unless you read it out loud and in its original language (although one might make a claim for the epic stuff).

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Originally Posted by MarkBastable

Even as I qualified my choice of Mourning Becomes Electra by saying, "...it's a play, not a book...",

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Actually, I nearly suggested it myself. It is a great title. I reckon you can get away with it. After all, many plays were written & were never expected to actually be 'played' or acted out. This practise can even be traced back to the Romans & Greeks (they had to make their own entertainment in those days as You Tube hadn't been invented).

An example of this in English literature would be Milton's Samson Agonistes.

All my favorites have been mentioned repeatedly.

I did get a kick out of two Dalkey Archive Titles:

In Candyland it's Cool to Feed on Your Friends-- James Chapman

Were We Were Going and What We Were Doing-- Damian Searls

Now if we are talking YA books, all bets are off, since I think quirky'catchy funny titles are almost pre-requisite of publishing these days.


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I also think that Faulkner is great with titles but most of the authors that I like come up with great titles. I like some Melville titles especially of his shorter work.

The Enchated Isles. The Bell Tower. Benito Cereno. The Pizza Tales (the name of all of the stories together). The Pizza.

Hmmm.... I enjoy the novels the Taiko and really my favorite title would be Crossroads of Destiny

If on a Winters Night a Traveller is such a fantastic book...just read it a couple of months ago and was amazed.

Hm, two nice titles that come to mind are F. Scott's The Beautiful and Damned (I love the omission of "the" in that title -- gives it a whole new meaning) and Poe's short story Fall of the House of Usher (particularly because of the pun).

It's interesting that titles got longer and more descriptive over time. Back when literature was more formal the title would often just signify the form -- for instance, "Sonnet #44" or "Ode on a Grecian Urn". Also true for poetry, as opposed to novels.

The Dark Light Years ~ Brian W. Aldiss. Mainly for its use of an oxymoron.

Bukowski has some brilliant titles ; Tales of Ordinary Madness, The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses Over the Hills, Play the Piano Drunk Like a Percussion Instrument Until the Fingers Begin to Bleed a Bit, What Matters Most is How Well You Walk Through the Fire...


Ask the Dust - John Fante
The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner
Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace
All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

The title but definetely not the book for this one:The unbearable lightness of being

Hello sadness
Good morning,midnight

Hi My Name is Red - I read My Name is Red recently. Superb book. It's one that I'll keep and go back to again. Fascinating history, plot and narrative structure.

I liked Snow by him too. Another one I will be reading again.

Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
Ulysses - James Joyce
The Lay of the Land - Richard Ford
The Outsider - Camus

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Originally Posted by Paulclem

Hi My Name is Red - I read My Name is Red recently. Superb book. It's one that I'll keep and go back to again. Fascinating history, plot and narrative structure.

I liked Snow by him too. Another one I will be reading again.

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Hello paulclem,if you enjoy the books with stream of consciousness technique in which Pamuk is an expert for me,i'd recommend you 'The silent house' (if that's the english title) which is my favourite of all time.
I'm glad you've enjoyed them,it's hard job to find good books.

plus;thank you for reminding
we really needed to utter its name under this thread.My Name is Red is the perfect example of a good,appealing title.
All best...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by My name is red

Hello paulclem,if you enjoy the books with stream of consciousness technique in which Pamuk is an expert for me,i'd recommend you 'The silent house' (if that's the english title) which is my favourite of all time.
I'm glad you've enjoyed them,it's hard job to find good books.

plus;thank you for reminding
we really needed to utter its name under this thread.My Name is Red is the perfect example of a good,appealing title.
All best...

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Thanks - I'll look out for it.