BBC's Big Read

[Scheherazade]

Another update. The books I *still* need to read (top 100):

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson

33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett

39. Dune, Frank Herbert

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

53. The Stand, Stephen King

66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

78. Ulysses, James Joyce

84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake

89. Magician, Raymond E Feist

95. Katherine, Anya Seton

99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot

Second 100:

102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo

119. Shogun, James Clavell

123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy

124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett

135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett

144. It, Stephen King

145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl

146. The Green Mile, Stephen King

148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett

149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian

150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz

151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett

152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett

153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett

156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier

159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling

160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon

161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville

162. River God, Wilbur Smith

163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon

165. The World According To Garp, John Irving

168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye

169. The Witches, Roald Dahl

172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams

175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder

180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery

182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh

188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine

193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett

196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry

197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett



146 down, 54 to go.

[kasie]

You are a model to us all, Scher, but I feel it is time for you to bite the bullet and give Terry Pratchett a go. If you find you like him, well and good, you have several titles to anticipate with pleasure; if you can't stand him, you can write off several items in one go. Personally, I'd recommend you start with a title on the second part of the list, 135 Weird Sisters and if you like it go straight to 197 Witches Abroad - they just happen to be two of my favourites.

[Scheherazade]

You are a model to us all, Scher, but I feel it is time for you to bite the bullet and give Terry Pratchett a go. If you find you like him, well and good, you have several titles to anticipate with pleasure; if you can't stand him, you can write off several items in one go. Personally, I'd recommend you start with a title on the second part of the list, 135 Weird Sisters and if you like it go straight to 197 Witches Abroad - they just happen to be two of my favourites.

Kasie, I love your sarcasm!

I have already read couple of Pratchett books like Mort and... The first one of the series, I believe... But I will make sure to collect Weird Sisters from the library next time I go there!

And I feel it is the time for me to admit defeat where Pratchett is concerned at least... I don't think I will be able to read all of his books.

[kasie]

Irony, please, Scher, irony! No, not even irony - I really think you are a model - you set yourself targets and actually work to achieve them. You inspire me - I set myself similar targets - then a week later I have forgotten them! Occasionally I remember, (read Tinkers by Paul Harding last week, so that could tick two lists, the Pulitzer prize winners and the 11 new authors for 2011 lists) but otherwise I've just let things slide - story of my life, really.

[mal4mac]

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien - sad, reflects the over-abundance of hobbit toshery in British society.
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen - suggest there are still *some* sensible people left in the UK...
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman - ... and a lot of trendy types chasing the latest fashion and their lost childhoods.
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams - and a lot of aging adolescents trying to remember their student days.
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling - see 3.
...
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens - our greatest author and he only makes it to 17?
...
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy - only 20?
...
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy - good one, Hardy deserves to be high, but higher...
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot - higher...
...
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens - much higher...
...
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson - good choice, but Stevenson should be above the Hobbit tosh mob of children authors (see 1,3,5)
...
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy - I'm surpised it isn't a lot higher, especially given the Oprah effect & all the hoo-ha about the film version...

62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden - good choice!
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding - every one remembers it from school, deserves to be here though...

79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens - should be much higher (like 1.)

The OP should find a better reading list, I hope never to read several of them again, and intend never to touch many of them.

I am dreading the moment I will have to read LOTR, to be honest. Not my cup of tea at all.

I have read about four Pratchett books so far; they are fun but not good enough to read 20 of them in one year, I am thinking. And to be honest, the fantasy genre is not my cup of tea either.

I used to be into fantasy, but grew out of it. Why do you feel the need to read it? If you don't want to read it then ... er.... don't read it! I've read Lord of the Rings and feel great relief that I don't need to read it again... unless held at gunpoint by an Ork. I've also read about four Pratchett books - kinda fun, but don't intend to read more - just reading new authors at random from the library new shelf I usually find something more fun than Pratchett (or at least something different!)

[Scheherazade]

The OP should find a better reading list, I hope never to read several of them again, and intend never to touch many of them.

I did not decide to read the books in this list because I thought they were the best the English literature could offer but because I wanted to fill a gap in my reading porfolio. Not having grown up in the UK, I felt that I lacked the background when I talked to people and this list did help me fill that gap to a certain degree... Now, I have a good idea what people read or did read while growing up.

Kasie> Without my lists, I often let things slip as well but they keep me "in line" by staring at me with silent disapproval (silence does speak louder than the words!) from the notice board they are hanging from whenever I neglect them.

[Scheherazade]

Another update. The books I *still* need to read (top 100):

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett

39. Dune, Frank Herbert

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

53. The Stand, Stephen King

66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

78. Ulysses, James Joyce

84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake

89. Magician, Raymond E Feist

95. Katherine, Anya Seton

99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot

Second 100:

102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo

119. Shogun, James Clavell

123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy

124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett

135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett

144. It, Stephen King

146. The Green Mile, Stephen King

148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett

149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian

151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett

152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett

153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett

156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier

159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling

160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon

161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville

162. River God, Wilbur Smith

163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon

168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye

169. The Witches, Roald Dahl

172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams

175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder

180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery

182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh

188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine

193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett

196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry

197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett


151 down, 49 to go!

[mal4mac]

Are you really going to read all of these? I'm a Brit. male, watch football, but I'd never read "They Used To Play On Grass." Just watch 'Match of the Day' once to get a feel for the British obsession with football...

Having grown up in the UK, I think I can save you some pain by pointing out ones that are loved by Brits with some literary taste:

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy [Garnett and Maude translations - if you move in Brit. high literary circles these names will be dropped... they're also only £1.99 in Wordsworth Classics - a great British publisher!]

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett [OK you should read one bit of Hobbit toshery - just to get a feel for this particular form of Brit. madness - Pratchett is at least quite amusing - but no need to read the series!]

78. Ulysses, James Joyce [first twenty pages only, even literary Brits will nod amusingly when you admit to giving up after 20 pages, they will admire you for your honesty, and then say (in a whisper) "Me too, but I'm not brave enough to admit it..."]

114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo

123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy [or watch the TV series]

159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling [I haven't read this - which is a serious lapse. Am I really British, I ask myself I have read his Indian Tales - not to be missed, will really give you a feel for "Empire"...]

169. The Witches, Roald Dahl

175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder [this is how Brits like to read philosophy - very lite, preferably a kids book]

180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery

182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh [Essential!]

[Veho]

I recommend Seton's Katherine. Good stuff!

[Scheherazade]

Having grown up in the UK, I think I can save you some pain by pointing out ones that are loved by Brits with some literary taste:

And who are those "Brits with some literary taste"?

Thank you very much, Mal. I will keep your recommendations in mind; however, at the risk of repeating myself, I would like to have the reading experience.

I would not give up on fish and chips without trying it for myself simply because someone described its taste to me.

Veho ~ Thank you. It is one of the books I will definitely read from that list.

[Paulclem]

As an adult - I had a size/ dimension problem with The Wind in the Willows that I didn't have as a kid. Are they big animals that drive animal sized vehicles or are they human sized animals that drive normal vehicles? Toad dresses as a washer woman, but in the original drawings, he's a normal frog perched on top of a horse. It was an odd experience reading it again. Graham doesn't make it clear - probably on purpose.

[mal4mac]

I would like to have the reading experience.

I would not give up on fish and chips without trying it for myself simply because someone described its taste to me.

I've never eaten tripe, and I don't read Terry Venables.

You can't have *every* British experience, shouldn't you at least try to avoid the really awful ones...

Fish & Chips, properly prepared, tastes wonderful...

[Abookinthebath]

Trainspotting. A truly excellent book, however I have lived in Scotland for many years now and still I can barely understand the language! Good luck with that one!

[Scheherazade]

Another update. The books I *still* need to read (top 100):

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame

20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett

39. Dune, Frank Herbert

44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas

53. The Stand, Stephen King

66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton

68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett

72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell

73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett

78. Ulysses, James Joyce

84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake

89. Magician, Raymond E Feist

95. Katherine, Anya Seton

99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot

Second 100:

102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett

114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo

119. Shogun, James Clavell

123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy

124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski

126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett

135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett

144. It, Stephen King

148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett

149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian

151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett

152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett

153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett

156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier

159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling

160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon

161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville

162. River God, Wilbur Smith

163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon

168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye

169. The Witches, Roald Dahl

172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams

175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder

180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery

182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis

187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh

188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine

193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett

196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry

197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett


152 down, 48 to go!

[mona amon]

I'm not taking on this challenge, but thought it would be fun to see how many of these I've already read. Here's my list -

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
40. Emma, Jane Austen
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, Sue Townsend
114. Les Misérables, Victor Hugo
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
129. Possession, A. S. Byatt
131. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
147. Papillon, Henri Charriere
161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway
177. Fantastic Mr Fox, Roald Dahl
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
179. Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. LawrenceLife of Lawrence
196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry