15 Books I’ll (Probably) Never Read
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- Опубліковано 9 кві 2023
- I was doing some thinking about classic literature recently, which got me thinking about some books some people say you have to read but I really just don’t want to. Are these essential books? Should I get over myself? Expand for more information. 👇
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The Pulitzer Controversy of 2012: • Do Book Prizes Owe Us ...
Titles Mentioned 📚
Moby Dick, Herman Melville
Ulysses, James Joyce
Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace
Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
The Art of War, Sun-Tzu
Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes
Richard Brautigan
War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
On the Road, Jack Kerouac
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, Lawrence Stern
The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
In Search of Lost Time, Marcel Proust
The Testaments, Margaret Atwood
Gravity’s Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon
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Wuthering Heights is good. Just go into it knowing that it is not a love story, it is a revenge story, and you will be fine.
Thanks for the feedback.
For Wuthering Heights, it is meant to be “toxic”. It is written to shown insanity of love and the possibility of love and hate being much closer than it appears. It isn’t meant to be held up as some grand love story to aspire to lol
Also, Don Quixote is really what pioneered the modern novel. I highly recommend reading it, it is an amazing book
people judging wuthering heights based on whether or not heathcliff/cathy is a Cute Spicy But Healthy Booktok-Approved romance to them is going to give me hives 😭
@@oleander7635 yes, Greg, out of all these books, you really should read WH. There's nothing like it.
I didn't do a good job explaining this at all in the video, but part of the reluctance re: Wuthering Heights is a desire to avoid clashing with the fandom who appear to have mistaken what the book is.
@@SupposedlyFun ignore what people say, and discover for yourself.
@@SupposedlyFun - you really should read WH just for your own benefit, and not to discuss it with those of the opinion that it is a great love story. It's actually a great revenge story with a side helping of the irrationality of some love, best summarized by Kate Bush's great song of the same name from 1978.
I didn't read WH as a book about great love story. I read it as a story about grief, rejection and classism. It's very well written, the characters stay with you, it's captivating.
And Don Quijote is brilliant!
+ you haven't heard that much about Tolstoy's characters probably because you're not European. The status of Russian lit. in Europe is different
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it!
IN SERCH OF LOST TIME by Marcel Proust has been one of the joys of my reading life. At first, I read the first, middle and last book of the group. I was in my 20's when I did. Although I am close to 80 years old, I have never forgot Proust. To me, the novels is like reading what I thought would be a normal book that turned out to be cream and a pure pleasure. If you don't read any of these novels, you will be missing out on a wonderful experience.
I've tried twice to read the first book and just could not muster enthusiasm to read more than 50 pages. I wonder, is this mostly a sort of journal where the narrator is reacting to various elements in his life? If it is a journal, it could take a lot of pages to reach some sort of conclusions.
So I've read almost all of these (Not the Silmarillion or Atlas Shrugged)! Lol.
I'm not here to convince you to change your mind (your reasons are all valid!) but here are my thoughts:
Moby Dick - Can remain unread. It's long and not a whole lot happens. I was bored a lot of the time.
Ulysses - Very, very challenging. Large parts wholly impenetrable. Better than Moby Dick because it's actually funny. Maybe try Portrait first, as you suggested?
Infinite Jest - One of the best books I've ever read, but it's NOT for everyone. I'm the target - white, educated dude. Also have a history of addiction, so it speaks to me.
Atlas Shrugged - No desire to read. Read Fountainhead and hated it.
Wuthering Heights - The best of the Brontes, but it's weird. It's not supposed to be a "traditional" love story. I prefer Jane Eyre.
Don Quixote - One of the best books I've ever read. Funny. Not a difficult read. Don't let the length discourage you.
Richard Brautigan - Trippy short novels. Feel dated now. Can be skipped.
War & Peace - AMAZING. Short chapters make it easy to read. Second only to Anna Karenina. Honestly, can't recommend this enough. But I would start with AK (shorter).
On the Road - Read when I was young. Made a big impression. Not sure if it would now.
Tristram Shandy - Along with Don Quixote, the birth of the modern novel, but not essential unless you want to "understand."
In Search of Lost Time - Very long, very challenging read. Sentences run entire pages. I got into it, but it's a real commitment. Juice may not be worth the squeeze.
Gravity's Rainbow - Very difficult. Can be skipped.
Testaments - It's fine. But not a patch on Handmaid.
Thanks for the fascinating channel. I have read and been exposed to so many great novels as a result. Really appreciate your candidness and honesty.
Thank you so much for the kind words and for the thoughtful, considered feedback on each book. I appreciate it! I definitely think Anna Karenina would have to be a test case for me before approaching War and Peace--I'm much more likely to dive into that one.
This is an older comment but you're absolutely right on all of these!
Anna K !!!!!
I will never read Ayn Rand. There's an on-going joke at work about a copy of Atlas Shrugged that showed up in our green room - we still don't know who put it there (horrifying!), who is the secret torie in the office!
Oh my!
I spent years semi-avoiding Moby Dick, meaning I did attempt it a few times but never got past the first chapter. Maybe not even the whole first chapter. Then someone suggested the audio with William Hootkins. Wow. Now one of my all-time favorite books, had a smile on my face the whole time because Ishmael is a huge snark-monster and there is a lot of humor! And it lends itself quite well to narration - there are whole sections written like a play (complete with stage directions). And William Hootkins does an amazing job as a narrator. I was gripped. Not a moment of tedium.
Ulysses, on the other hand, I'm still on your side of the "I really don't think I ever need to get to this - everyone please agree with me so I don't have to do it!!" I have a friend who just read it for the second time alongside an equally thick tome of commentary that explained wth Joyce was getting at. Nooooo! I'm also with you on David Foster Wallace, Jack Kerouac, Thomas Pynchon, and Ayn Rand - no interest at.all. Nope.
I read Wuthering Heights after listening to the Kate Bush song. I liked it, but I don't think you have to read it. Definitely not a love story.
I still want to get to Don Quixote. I think I need a buddy read to keep me going... (which is actually how I got through W&P, which I did enjoy, not just as an achievement 😉 Maybe same with Proust? Maaaybe? Or not. In no rush, at any rate. May run out of lifetime before there is enough urgency...
Lol, The Silmarillion. LOTR is one of my all-time favorites; one of few works I have read multiple times (and may again). And I got like three pages into the Silmarillion and gave up. 😅
Yes to Hootkins!!! He brings MD to life, doesn't he?! It feels like an immersive experience listening to him narrate. That audiobook is one of my all-time favorites.
Thanks so much! The Hootkins is on Scribd so I saved it in case I ever get the inclination. 😉
That's very funny about you DNF'ing Silmarillion after loving LOTR so much. Thank you for all the thoughtful feedback.
I read Moby Dick as part of my reading assignment for a graduate literature course and I'm glad that I read it. I have met writers who say that they turn to the writing of Melville when they are wanting inspiration for their own writing which I think is a big compliment to Melville. Ulysses I also read as part of a reading assignment for a different graduate literature course and I detested it but did enjoy both Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and The Dubliners. Someone from Ireland said that Ulysses should really be considered as drama and read aloud; I haven't tried that theory but I can understand that that might get the book to some sort of acceptance. I always reread Tolkien every few years starting with The Hobbit, then through Lord of the Rings, so The Silmarillion is always the next book. I think I have completed reading it at least once and I still feel that any future Tolkien re-reads will always include it in that order. Proust - never could manage past 50 pages or so and tried twice.
I've only read Swann's Way [vol. 1] of Proust's In Search of Lost Time and I absolutely think that volume is worth a read even if you don't continue on with the rest of the series! While there's 'philosophical' takes in the novel, it's really just so beautifully written that it flows easily. And Proust has so many incredible insights about time, memory, boundaries, societal conventions, and how marginalized people interact with the world/the world interacts with marginalized people in very different ways. This was by far my favourite book from my lit MA and I hope to read the rest of the series one day!
I would recommend reading the short wikipedia summary on the Dreyfus affair just for a bit of context there but other than that I think anyone could enjoy this book without being in an academic class setting.
I didn't realize the Drefus affair factored into that book. Interesting. Thank you for the thoughtful feedback.
Like aleksandrawilkos1278 says, I think you Wuthering Heights and Don Quixote are worthy books for consideration. WH is not that long. War and Peace established Tolstoy's reputation as a great writer. It is very readable except for the Russian practice of using so many given names to identify various characters. I would say that you NEED to read these 3 works. All 3 are not difficult reads and are on most book lists of the greatest novels in world literature.
The day I donated my copy of Infinite Jest I felt liberated.
It wasn't until today that I remembered that I used to own a copy of Infinite Jest and I felt the same when I got rid of mine! 😂
I was planning on reading it… and now I feel like I probably don’t need it in my life. Same with the book A Little Life I’m not sure if it’ll do me good I mean what if it breaks me and u cannot unread it once u read smth. So it’ll stay in my mind and bother me… or not? Any advice?
@@olgaotherstories8355 In the love-it-or-hate-it discourse on A Little Life, I am one of the people who absolutely hates it. So my advice is to leave it alone based on that.
Don Quixote was originally published in two volumes, separated by a decade. The publication history is fascinating as it greatly influenced the actual content of volume 2 - another author published an unauthorized “sequel” in the meantime and Cervantes incorparated it into his own novel. It’s amazing. Part 1 is very episodic because it’s a satire of every popular genre of literature of the time (while also being a satire of the chivalric romance, of course). I highly recommend giving it a try. Knowing a bit about Spanish literature of the time helps catch everything, but even without that knowledge, it’s a good time.
I've read 7 from your list and have 2 others on my TBR list.
Ulysses--just finished my reread yesterday morning. First time got hung up on a companion reading of a book of footnotes. This time I used a much more slimmed down guide by Daniel Muhall which gave brief overviews of what to look for in each section. I read and simultaneously listened to the great audio version done by Jim Norton which captures the incredible musicality of Joyce's writing. First time was climbing Everest, second time great fun.
Don Quixote is really two books written about 10 years (?) apart. I read the two books a year apart and was glad I did. First book has more of the iconic episodes and second book beautifully expands on the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
Moby Dick--great book. Time for a reread. Audio looks promising.
Wuthering Heights--a bit overwrought, but worth the read. Love and hate interfering with each other.
War and Peace--time for a reread. If you haven't read Anna Kerenina, I'd start there instead.
On the Road--read Kerouac's Dharma Bums instead. Good book and (I suppose) not so "Dudish".
Gravity's Rainbow--great fun when I read it in the 70's. Wonder what a reread would look like.
My TBRs are Tristam Shandy and Search for Lost Time.
Hope you try one or two (as long as you avoid Atlas Shrugged).
Thank you for the thoughtful feedback! Atlas Shrugged would have been the toughest book to sell me on from this list and the reception in the comments has done nothing to change my mind--so no danger there. I didn't know that the two parts of Don Quixote were written ten years apart.
I would suggest trying Moby Dick on audio. I read it that way a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised. The first chapter hooked me. And while I agree the non-plot driving chapters can feel unnecessary and tedious, I don’t personally think that’s true. It made me think a lot and I’m actually planning a reread.
Wuthering Heights is on my no-no list, but I’ve tried twice and I just don’t want to spend time with those characters. Same with On the Road.
I am going to try Tristram Shandy though. Elizabeth Gilbert mentioned it in her book Big Magic and actually made it sound fun. I might also give the Proust a try but who knows when. Sounds like a project for my 50s.
Thanks for the thoughts. I feel like audio is probably the only way Moby Dick would happen for me. Maybe someday!
I really liked you viedo and especially your appproach towards these novels! There are also a lot of books that I am planning on not reading (including Ulysses, anything by Cormac McCarthy and The Silmarilion, for example). But sometimes you get surprised! I listened to Moby Dick on audio, and I think that it is definitely the way to go if you'd like to give it a try. I sometimes zoned out of the descriptions a bit, and overall really enjoyed the story.
I'm also listening to Proust currently, and I do actually recommend it! Although there are lots of ideas discussed, I don't think it's philosophical in a dry way. It feels more like someone telling you a story, and sometimes digressing a bit and sharing their general thoughts on life with you because one element of the story reminded them of it (if that makes any sense). And it's very funny, which I was not expecting because I don't think people talk about this aspect of Proust's writing a lot.
And about Tolstoi: I have not read War and Peace, and honestly am not planning to anytime soon. But I did unexpectedly pick up and read Anna Karenina last month, and I found it great! It is long and there are some passages that dragged a bit in my opinion, but I found the exploration of the interpersonal relationships fascinating and timeless, and (again) I loved the humor of it!
Sometimes you do get surprised! That's good to know re: Proust. A narrative that sounds like a story is a good way to go, even if it contains a lot of information. Thanks for all the thoughtful feedback!
Very valid picks all around, although I do really appreciate having read Proust (such beautiful prose!) and Cervantes, for historical context and because it is genuinely not complicated and very entertaining.
Cheers!
Great video! I’d love to see another version with popular contemporary books haha that’d really start some grudges, I’m sure.
I’ve read both Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead. I really like Ayn Rand’s prose, not her politics, and her books are very, very capitalistic. If you’re not interested in the stories, they’re an easy skip.
Ulysses, Don Quixote, Infinite Jest, and In Search of Lost Time are on my to-read list and I love what you said about being put off by the people who love these books. Sometimes I like to read the book anyway just to prove my suspicions haha
Wuthering Heights is my book club’s current pick!
Thanks for the feedback on the ones you have read. A contemporary version would be interesting, but off the top of my head I can only think of authors who already take up too much oxygen. 😂🤣
Moby Dick is astounding. The closest American Lit ever got to the great European epic tradition. It’s funny and magical. The whaling chapters are filled with jokes and set off on their own.
Ulysses is a wild ride. You just need to be on its wavelength. It’s a comic novel and, in the end, quite moving. Every one of the 18 sections is written in a completely different style so if you don’t take to one just hold on till the next.
“Wuthering Heights” is a total original. A poetic vision of a completely malign universe. Every character is loathsome. It’s fantastic.
Don Quixote can be read in two sessions. Read part 1 and leave it be. It stands on its own. Then read part 2 another time. It’s such a fun read. Read the Edith Grossman translation.
Same with Proust. Read Swann’s Way and see if you like it.
“War and Peace” is one of the most humane reading experiences you’ll ever have. It is not difficult to read at all. It’s just long. But well worth it. Tolstoy created vivid characters that you feel you know better than your own friends. I’ve never met anyone who read it and hated it
Gravity’s Rainbow is a trip. Just be primed for some good old fashioned obscenity.
Don’t bother with Ayn Rand.
A library friend recommended going through the free Yale course on Don Quixote while reading it so I could appreciate what is supposed to be funny. I listened to Overdue Podcast that did a deeper dive and that sparked my interest. It's a February reading plan
That's an interesting idea!
I started it, cool thing!
The only one I'm going to try to sway you on is Wuthering Heights. I truly believe that it is a mistake to read it as a love story and I don't think that it was the authorial intent of that book. Instead, I believe it should be read as a book about obsession and its destructive qualities. Speaking not only from personal experience, but from anecdotal experience from many of my reader friends, the book is MUCH more successful when read in that light.
As for Moby Dick, unless you are really, really, REALLY into 19th century whaling the (original with, I think, Gregory Peck) movie is better. I do recommend that.
It is very interesting how fandom has made Wuthering Heights into something it isn't. There have been mixed responses to it in the comments but I think it trends toward the positive. Thanks for the feedback.
The Dubliners is an easy to read collection of short stories - no experimental language syntax. However, the stand out story is “The Dead”. Definitely read only that story it if you are not interested in the collection. Also, in the film adaptation, Anjelica Houston does a stand out job portraying the main character, Greta, in the last movie her father directed.
The characters in “Wuthering Heights” are not a likable group. However, Emily Bronte’s writing is remarkably vivid and imaginative. The story is about obsession and revenge, not love. The idea of it being a great love story probably goes back to earliest versions of Filmmakers interpreting the story and casting Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff.
I read “On the Road” as unassigned reading while in college, did not like it and couldn’t understand why it was so often referenced in articles. Don’t waste any time on it.
I had to read Brautigan’s “In Watermelon Sugar” and a few other stories as a course assignment for post-1950 American Lit. Did not find it intriguing - too experimental.
I don’t recommend it.
Unless, you have to read something you’re definitely not into as a course requirement don’t struggle with “I think I really should read ______ to say I read it.” Life’s too short and goodness knows there are an infinite variety of books one can try.
Yes, the film version of The Dead was a great swansong for John Huston. An Irish friend of mine after seeing the film said "That man knows and loves the Irish".
I've heard great things about The Dead (the story and the movie), so thank you both.
Wuthering Heights has had some mixed (skewing favorable) response in the comments, but there has been a fair amount of praise for the writing.
Thank you for the feedback!
I think you would love Moby Dick, actually. I don't think you'd find the Whaling chapters tedious. They weren't. I thought they added depth and conture to the narrative and I loved them. I highly, highly recommend reading the book and following along with the audio read by William Hootkins. It was 5 stars. So good, Greg. Please please don't let this one pass you by. It's funny and poignant and thrilling and spectacularly written.
Adding, I think your thoughts on Moby Dick would be so interesting in your larger conversation about the Great American Novel.
That's true--it would be very interesting for a Great American Novel conversation. Thanks for the insight!
I have heard many good things about War and Peace. The reason I have such affection for it is the musical Nastasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812. It adapts one story from War and Peace. It is humourous and lovely and looks at the different characters. The first song is called The Prologue and begins with telling you that the main character 'Andrey' isn't there and we're not going to look at the war of 1812. This is just side plot and just makes fun of itself saying:
And this is all in your program you are at the opera
Gonna have to study up a little bit if you wanna keep with the plot
Cuz it’s a complicated Russian novel everyone’s got nine different names
So look it up in your program
We’d appreciate it, thanks a lot
And then introduces all the characters with one word and repeats them throughout the song so you remember . . . maybe. And it's a musical that is playing a little with mode as the characters narrate how they are saying things and what they are doing. Some of the songs I really like are 'Dust and Ashes', 'Sonya Alone', 'Pierre and Anatole' and 'Pierre and Andrey.' From the vibes of the songs and having read Anna Karenina I don't think War and Peace is suppose to be hard work or an accomplishment. It's humourous and about characters and relationships. I think people just tend to aggrandize big classics. I know people who have said Jane Austen is very stiff and formal when she's utterly hilarious. I think some of that has to do with their place in canon more than their content. And that what is funny is based in understanding the setting.
I haven’t actually read it yet because it's big. But I plan to. And I understand not wanting to because of the length or not being interested in the subject. But I know it is a beloved novel not because of it's philosophy or literary merit but because of it's characters and story and humour. To me he's inna group with Dickens and Trollope, but funnier. His works are all about a Russian nobles whose influence and way of life is slipping away. And they are long because they were serialized.
Apparently, I'm even more passionate about this then I realized 😂😂
That's very interesting context about the musical--I had heard of it (and that it was inspired by War and Peace), but was not familiar with it at all. Thanks!
My New Year’s Day first read all in one day was The Dead by Joyce, which was perfect for the day and an amazing read. It definitely got me interested in reading more by him and trying one of the smaller novels or more short stories. I highly recommend starting there with The Dead.
Thanks for the recommendation!
I've read Moby Dick, Ulysses, Infinite Jest, Atlas Shrugged, Wuthering Heights, War and Peace, On the Road, The Life, and Opinions of Tristram Shandy Gentleman, In Search of Lost Time, and Gravity's Rainbow. I read most of them before I was 18 because I didn't have a phone and had plenty of time to read. I fell in love with stream of consciousness with Ulysses, and postmodernism with Infinite Jest, and that led me to read Gravity's Rainbow later on. I've read most of these books multiple times. I read Atlas Shrugged, but would not read it ever again. I just detest Ayn Rand. I need to reread War and Peace because I don't remember a lot of it, and I plan on rereading Proust's masterpiece every few years. Gravity's Rainbow and the novels of Thomas Pynchon are some of my favorite works, and I constantly reread his novels. I read Wuthering Heights in my sophomore year of high school and that kind of turned me off of reading for a while because we had to read it twice. But I don't know, I love reading I guess, and challenging myself with long, difficult novels. I know it's not for everyone, but some people do crossword puzzles, and I read Pynchon.
Everyone has something! Thank you so much for the detailed feedback on the titles you have read.
'I do things like get in a taxi and say "the library, and step on it"': how you sound right now
Hi. Love your thoughts. Proust you read because you love language and you love poetry and you want to slow down. Infinite Jest you read because you might also like to sit and watch Jackson Pollock paint or a famous mathematician work through a problem; not because you understand all of what they say, but rather you gain from simply being in the presence of someone who is at the top of their craft, watching them work is thrilling.
Excellent video!!!💯💯💯
I agree with many of your choices! Dubliners is quite short and easy to read, I really liked it! Portrait, though, not so much. I think the big misconception with Wuthering Heights is that it's a love story, it's really not. It's kind of its own world because of the location and the atmosphere so it doesn't read similarly to a more modern story about toxic relationships, whether it's a romantic one or something else. I feel like I would be really bothered by a story about a toxic relationship set in our times, but Wuthering Heights felt a bit more distant in some weird way.
Wuthering Heights is definitely interesting for the disparity between what it is and what people think it is. Thanks for the feedback.
I’ve been following you for a few years now so I think I have a fairly good idea of what you would probably enjoy, that said, I am confident that if you tried to read Atlas Shrugged you would throw it across the room.
Several of these I had to read in school ( Moby Dick, Ulysses) and I have no fond memories of either.
On the Road contains one of my least liked characters in literature, Dean Moriarty. I threw that one across the room
Atlas Shrugged sailing across the room would be a sight to see, for sure. The feedback for On the Road has been almost entirely negative, so that feels like a very safe pass for me. Thanks!
Your video intrigued me to check further into Wuthering Heights. I like forbidden love stories which it sounds like. I think I’m going to read it and check another one off my americas 100 greatest reads. Ty
I hope you like it!
I was totally with you until Wuthering Heights. It’s my favorite book but not because it’s a love story…I’m not sure what it is but I love it. It’s maybe more a study on the repercussions of abuse and neglect and the consequences on future generations. But the atmosphere alone just pulls me in every time.
Definitely a lot of comments defended Wuthering Heights as something that is not a love story. I don't think I explained this well in the video but part of my reluctance is a desire not to wade into that debate and end up irritating fandom.
Dubliners is a great entry into Joyce. It’s easier to read but at the same time beautifully-written!! The prose is just delicious!!
Thanks for the feedback!
I read ATLAS SHRUGGED in my college years because a professor I liked recommended it. It was easy to read, and I enjoyed it although I felt somewhat troubled by it. Later, I read some of the criticism of it and that criticism made sense to me. I thought back on my reading it and changed my opinion of the book. I, too, considered who the people were that praised it. I never considered the book or the author again.
I love Melville and I think there are versions that edit out the really tedious parts.
For very challenging books, that I am intimidated by, I have been using audio versions. That’s how I got through Infinite Jest and Ulysses.
I got a good audio recommendation for Moby Dick in the comments. Thanks for the feedback!
Here's my tip: read Wuthering Heights and stay away from people who call it a love story.
And here's another: read Don Quixote, but treat it like a short story collection. Or two regular-sized books.
Wow! Your description of people who read and enjoyed Atlas Shrugged, made me question who I am. I am an African American female who read this book 3 times. I enjoyed the characters and sometimes I wonder, "Where Is John Gault"?
People who call Wuthering Heights a love story have never actually read it, I think. What it is is extremely atmospheric. When I read it, I felt like I was physically there with the characters in a way I have rarely felt with anything else I've read. It isn't a favourite of mine, but I admire what it does. Had Emily Brontë lived, I think she would have surpassed her sister Charlotte in terms of ability and literary renown. Ulysses was very interesting for me. I read it in about five days several years ago, and recently actually bought an anniversary copy to reread. It is structured in very interesting ways, and that's part of the enjoyment of reading it. I do think you'd benefit from having a primer or reading guide for it. I'm not particularly a fan of Dubliners, and I think A Portrait of the Artist is a bit pretentious, but Ulysses does follow the same character from Portrait for part of the story, so I would say start with Portrait if you want to tackle Ulysses. Portrait is well written, for sure. I liked Moby Dick for the friendship between the narrator and another sailor, but, to be honest, the ending fell kind of flat for me, and I was disappointed by it. You're not missing out on anything by not reading On the Road or The Silmarillion. I didn't find much of merit in them anyway. Don Quixote is funny, though some of the episodes are better than others. War and Peace is interesting, but Anna Karenina is probably a better story. Anna feels more like a story, while W&P feels more like a history, or like he's using fictional characters to tell a history, a bit like Victor Hugo with Les Miserables.
I definitely feel like I would be more likely to read Anna Karenina than War and Peace--at least as a start. Thank you for all the thoughtful feedback.
Just discovered your channel -- provocative! I haven't over the years struggled as much as you have over books that don't initially interest me. I started Ulysses, for example, several times, and the subject matter just never struck me, as far as I got, as anything I wanted to dwell upon by reading beyond a few pages. [which did I keep picking it up, if as I said I wasn't struggling? Well, I read a lot. Perhaps, I thought, it was a matter of mood and I could now read Ulysses, but no.] I did read both Dubliners and Portrait of the artist as a young man with pleasure. They didn't inspire me to go back and finish Ulysses, much less Finnegans Wake.
I have, the past few years set myself reading projects, one of which is to test past prejudices to see if I've been wrong all these years. I read Wuthering Heights last year and did not like it. It is a miserable tale with nothing in it of value that I could see or find. This from someone who read (many years ago) all (that I could find) of Thomas Hardy and Franz Kafka.
War and Peace, however, I did enjoy and read about three times. At 88, however, I can't recall it vividly; so I wonder if I would still love it if I read it again which I'm not going to, being unhappy with the Russians at the present time.
I also have a love for Moby Dick. I vaguely recall reading it the first time at the base library at 29 Palms, with the whale processing removed. I subsequently read the whole thing at least once. There is quite a lot of excitement if one doesn't have the stomach for whale butchering, Ahab's hatred of the white whale, his taking the ship away from pure whale hunting to hunt this one whale, nailing the coin for the first to spot Moby Dick, the hunt at sea, Queequig's casket, Queequig with a harpoon in his hand hunting, Ahab tangled in harpoon lines stabbing Movb Dick as he is taken by Moby Dick into the sea. Ishmael the only survivor of the confrontation finding Queequig's empty coffin which he floats on until rescued -- good stuff!
I like Don Quixote, but it is so episodic I'm not positive that I read the whole thing. I've read it more than once, but maybe not the whole thing more than once. I recall some introductory English classes, where the professor would list a work and a note saying "sample." Perhaps something like that would be worthwhile with Don Quixote -- the tilting at windmill sequence if one could read that by itself would be worthwhile.
I read On the Road -- thought it light weight and uninteresting. But then I joined the Marine Corps during the Korean War and so had little respect for the Beat Generation which chose to "drop out" rather than engage in anything of a productive nature.
I could not get into Silmarillion although I tried to a couple of times. I loved the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings both of which I read several times.
With Proust I have done something like you are struggling with. I have read the first volume a couple of times and made it halfway through the second volume but "ought" to read the whole thing and haven't. And now in my old age do I want to take the time to tackle it once again? Probably not. But I did enjoy the first volume.
As to Ayn Rand, debated some of her followers on the web in the past. I'm not interested in her philosophy.
As to Sun Tzu, I've seen him mentioned in modern histories I've read. I can see reading him if one is an officer in the military with an interest in tactics.
I don't know if I will read Moby Dick either. It will almost definitely be on audiobook and but who knows what the next fifty years have in store.
I started Portrait of An Artist As A Young Man I started three times on aidiobook. In one day and I couldn't get into it. I didn't know Dubliners was easier, having had such trouble with his shortest book turned me off wanting to try either of them.
'I have never met a woman who liked Infinite Jest' there is never a truer sentence.
I read Anthem by Ayn Rand years ago and I was excited to read more of her novels and then I learned more about her and was like 'how about not.'
I read the Art of War because I write fantasy, I don’t remember it. It is written like a list of proverbs. Not the most engaging.
Wuthering Heights was brutal to me. I could see you enjoying it though as it looks at the complicated dynamics of intergenerational trauma. I think the story is definitely written yo be toxic not romantic and in some ways is more ethical than Jane Eyre who views Rochester as a good guy. But I'll take Jane Eyre every day because Jane is a very kind and wonderful heart of the story and that character does not exist in Wuthering Heights. It does end in hope not cruelty, about how we can break the family cycles but it is so dark and nihilist before that it was not pleasant for me. Though many people think the quality of prose and acknowledgment of the characters' flaw makes it interesting all the way through.
I too am really excited to read Don Quixote. I plan to read it on audiobook one day. If you ever wanted to casually buddy re-read it. I think that would be fun.
I got a recommendation in the comments for the Moby Dick audio narrated by William Hootkins, if you are interested. I did love the character of Jane Eyre but I HATED Rochester, so that was an interesting reading experience--and without a Jane, I'm not sure I could handle Wuthering Heights. Thank you for all the comprehensive and thoughtful responses! It's very helpful and fascinating to me.
One reason I like your channel is that you are honest when a book everyone is reading and loving just isn’t doing it for you. 🌻
I've read five of the entries on your list. When I was in my mid-twenties I read Proust over two years. It is a challenging but rewarding experience. It is a philosophical text but in the sense that the narrator is seeking to understand and assess his own life. I was probably too young when I read it, and I plan to reread it in the somewhat near future. I'm an ex-New Yorker who lived in Manhattan for twenty-four years including during 9/11. After that event I decided it was time to read all the books that I always wanted to read, and in a way I am still guided by that. Among the books I read were DQ and MD. I finished DQ, but I found it really, really boring, so I cannot recommend it. MD made a big impression on me. It's a book that rewards the reader who is well into middle age, so you may be drawn to it at a later date. I read Tristram Shandy in grad school, and couldn't get past the first two parts. I read WH in college and reread it three years ago. It's not boring, but the characters are all unlikable and, to me, bat-s--- crazy.
And Greg -- you are a serious reader.
I can see how being in New York on 9/11 would inspire you to read some of these books. Thank you for the feedback on the ones you have read.
What a list! I can't recommend you read anything that you (who knows your likes and dislikes) have discounted, but these are a few thoughts on the books I have read. I struggled through Moby Dick. The endless 'natural history' as the blurb euphemistically puts it is very off-putting, but if you can get through that the symbolism and description of human interaction is amazing. Ulysses I read in my 20's and whilst there is amazing writing, the imprenetrable nature of most of the book makes it a very demanding read. WH is not a romance. It is about obsessive love that leads to revenge and shows the very depth of human behaviour. A horrible mirror to what we are capable of doing. My favorite is the Proust. When I read the first book in translation to English, I could not believe that such a beautifully written book existed. I was often transported into the narrative. What he did for our understanding of what we percieve of as Time is nothing short of a miracle. I went on to read the entire 6 volumes and didn't regret a moment of the time spent on it.
You would enjoy Wuthering heights. To me, Heathcliff was portrayed unsympathetically, so you won’t feel like Bronte is glorifying a sicko. His character is contrasted with another who is younger than Heathcliff and heavily influenced by him, but who is able to be softened and redeemed. It’s a great story. The characters are incredibly vivid.
Thsnks for reply! I read Cutting for Stone years ago and liked it very much. I hope you will try Covenant of Water for a very fun surprise ending. You said you like family sagas...this is the grand daddy
That’s a good selling point!
I recently read In Watermelon Sugar/Richard Brautigan (1968).
I can only describe it as hippie, trippy, post-apocalyptic, poetic, weirdness. I don't come across that combination often!
At only 144 pages, it is worth trying.
Thanks for the feedback.
I've read three, and of those, I would only encourage you to read War and Peace. I saw an article listing the chapters that one can safely skim; wish I could remember where. I had the link to the article at the time I read War and Peace, but I wound up skimming only two or three of the philosophical chapters. It is a great book.
Thanks for the feedback on it!
ON THE ROAD by jack kerouac is one of my favorite books. I re-read it every so often. I have read his other books. I love the Beat Generation but Jack Kerouac is my favorite. It is a trip in America that is unique and original. Everytime I read the book, I get something new out of it. I think you should try it , but someone recommended it to me and it took a while for me to read it. It is influenced by Buddhism. I feel a strong sense of envy when I read it because the trip is awesome because he author is awesome.
Good for you for knowing what doesn't work for you! I think Moby Dick and Don Quixote are well worth reading, really didn't care for Ulysses nor On the road personally. I loved Fountainhead by Rand and has atlas shrugged on my TBR, also Infinite Jest because my friend (we are both liberal minded female) loved it, but it took her almost an year to finish. I want to read it because I listened to his Consider the lobster audiobook last year and was highly entertained. If you are curious, maybe start with Consider the Lobster and decide to commit to Infinite Jest. ..... then again, there are SO many books we want to read already!!😂
Now that you mentioned it, Anne Patchett recently recommended Consider the Lobster in a video on her bookstore's social media. That would probably be a good one to go with! Thanks for the thoughts.
Interesting list. I would like to read Don Quixote.
It’s gotten some mixed feedback in comments but part of me is still a bit curious.
Yep. You know when I first started BookTube I ended up with all these books I felt I “should” read. A few years later I started unloading them from my physical and virtual shelves and it was so liberating.
It does feel liberating to clear shelves of items you'll never read.
Don Quixote is not just funny, it's moving. It's not perfect by any means, but there are plenty of modern classics thought accessible which are harder to get through. What's great about it isn't that it's the first novel, but that it has such an accurate view of humans and the world: romantics are delusional, but they also have the best and most practical attitude towards life. There are also abridged translations that get rid of the side stories. Somewhere in my collection I have one.
War and Peace isn't as great as Anna Karenina, but it's still got so many transcendent moments. The way I describe it to people is: imagine if Mad Men and The Wire were the same show - on the one hand showing how the world has changed from the recent past, and on the other hand showing how political processes really work. It's not an Everest so much as a world. The characters are not as important as how the characters interact with each other. Yes the length can wear on you, but after you put it down it stays with you forever.
I think you may appreciate Moby Dick - the length of the book is part of helping the reader feel the journey personally, in a way. It is overall a great thing and the ending pays off (unlike some books, long or short, where you get to the end feeling like the writer stopped taking care of the reader.)
In other matters - deckled pages? Not a fan 😉
I used to be indifferent to deckled edges but they really are difficult to flip through quickly. Thank you for the thoughts about Moby Dick!
The only book you should read on the list is War and Peace.
There's been some love for it in the comments. Thanks for the feedback.
I know right😂 but it’s not fun as it was said. I can’t 😅
You should read Moby Dick. It's magnificent. I didn't find it tedious at all. War and Peace is worthy of your time too. Finally, I LOVE The Silmarillion. It is my favorite of all of Tolkien's works. I've read it 4 or 5 times.... I love the lore, history and world-building.
War and Peace wasn't all that hard of a read. I read it in a couple weeks, I think. I liked parts of it better than others but I enjoyed the overall experience and remember the characters fondly. I have actually been planning to reread it.
Thanks for the feedback!
I agree with not reading a few of these books that I have read and several that I haven't. I will disagree with War and Peace . It is an achievement but it is also a really great story. The names can be a challenge and there are some slow chapters about war, but for me it was such a good book because of the characters. I know several people who found it intimidating but once they got into it, they were hooked.
I don't love Wuthering Heights but it is meant to show a toxic relationship so it definitely succeeded at that.
Thanks for all the feedback!
Good morning. Atlas Shrugged is the only book I have thrown across the room and the only book I have ever put in the garbage. Don Quixote is one of my favorite books. Instead of reading The Testaments I would suggest the book I Who Have Known Men. It's translated from French. Have you ever read Underworld by Don DeLillo? That's my next mammoth.
It must have felt VERY satisfying to hear Atlas Shrugged hit the floor. I've never read Underworld because I really did not like White Noise at all and it put me off DeLillo ever since. Is it worth trying?
I know many people who are reluctant to read long books, which I don't understand. All else being equal, I don't see any difference between reading three 300-page books over a three-week period (my normal reading pace) and reading one 900-page book over the same time period. Actually, nothing makes me happier than being in the middle of a long book that I love -- although they may be harder to find than enjoyable short, page-turning novels.
Otherwise, I do agree with your take on most of these books, most of which I do not intend to read either -- although I did enjoy War and Peace.
It isn't the length of the book so much as the fact that several of these are books that are very long and have a reputation for either being very difficult or very tedious in parts (or both). Tedious is definitely not the word you want to hear when thinking about a book that is going to take time to get through. I hope that helps.
Richard Brautigan lives on my bookshelf and has for many years. Every once in a while, I pull him off the shelf and read a poem or two or In Watermelon Sugar, or Trout Fishing in America. He is my quintessential go-to sixties poet guy. He still has the best poem of the definition of Man/with his hat on/is about five inches taller/than a taxicab - ever written. Keep him on your shelf. He's worth pulling off and having a look at from time to time.
That's very interesting--thank you!
If you are saying should read, I don't want to read, convince me to read.... I think you should put these books aside and select all the other wonderful books on your pile of possibilities to spend time with! . My daughter was a English major and told me not to waste my time with so many of these books you mentioned!
Fair enough! So many books, so little time!
War and Peace IS fun. It’s a glorious and accessible romp. Tolstoy is also the sharpest most emotionally intelligent of all the Victorians. I love Austen and Wharton but Tolstoy is sharper than both.
You can skip Foster Wallace’s fiction, but you should definitely read the essay collection that named your channel. It is undeniably excellent.
I read the Lord of the Rings books when I was a teenager. They bored me senseless. I decided then and there that nothing on Earth could induce me to read The Silmarillion.
War and Peace surprised me by being one of the books with the most defenders in the comment section. I wouldn't have guessed! Thank you for the feedback. I agree that The Silmarillion would be a very hard sell.
I have tackled a few of these books
and largely given up on them.
Tolkien - I had The Hobbit read to me
and I enjoyed it
but I didn't get far into LOTR before
being bored by the style and annoyed at the lack of action
The one that intrigued me was Sunzi Bingfa
(Sun Tzu The Art of War)
which as I was doing a degree in Chinese
I did study - in part.
I have a bilingual text of it
and it is 140 pages including the introduction.
It is much more concise than might be thróught.
I met it also in the Peace Movement in the late 80s early 90s
so my associations with the text are very different.
I am not advocating you read it
but note a lot of the "deplorable people"
who "like" it
often have read "The Art of War as applied to Business"
not the original text
in Classical Chinese
or a good translation
into English.
Oh yeah, I forgot--- Brautigan.
I haven't read the collection you own, but I have read "In Watermelon Sugar", "The Hawkline Monster: A Gothic Western" and "Trout Fishing in America". Of the three, I probably like "The Hawkline Monster" the most, as it has a plot of sorts, though still trippy. I liked "In Watermelon Sugar" for what it was, and it is a quick, short read. I read "Trout Fishing in America" a few years back, and, maybe it was because I was older, but it just didn't do anything for me. I know it is his most widely read book, but of the three of his I've read, I liked it least--- but, again, I read the other two in my late teens/early twenties, so, who knows?
Fun fact--- my high school guidance counsellor loaned me "In Watermelon Sugar" to read, because she knew I was reading a lot of books from the 1960s and 1970s. I think she had forgotten that she had highlighted some naughty sections in her copy.
That is VERY funny about your guidance counselor! 😂
Most of the feedback on Brautigan so far has definitely been about Trout Fishing in America. Thank you for adding your perspective.
Don't go into Wuthering Heights thinking it's a romance. Just expect a story of revenge. It works out better that way.
Don Quixote is funny and worth it. Maybe take it in parts. There is an audio here on UA-cam that is good (and it is in parts).
It is definitely interesting that Wuthering Heights has been co-opted into being considered a romance. It is by far the book with the most defenders in the comments.
Ooohhh "Part of why I'm hesitant to read this book, is because of who does the talking about this book and what type of person is really enthusiastic about it" is why I haven't read a lot of popular titles. I totally relate.
👯♀️ 😉
I first read War and Peace for bragging rights...but was surprised when I finished, I really liked it and became invested in the characters and their stories. How come I've never heard ANY mention from you regarding The Covenant of Water?
I’m pretty sure I did mention Covenant of Water at some point and said that since I haven’t read the author’s other book yet, I would start there first.
Wuthering Heights contains some truly beautiful writing. I don’t like the book, but there is some great writing.
The jacket copy of On the Road lies about its thematic significance.
Despite having Don Quixote on my list of books I will never read, I tried to read it this month. DNF’d after 120 pages. It’s not that funny and i just couldn’t stay with it.
I read the first two volumes of Proust and found it rewarding and often beautiful. But, I have not felt compelled to go back and read more.
You can read Moby Dick and skip the chapters about 19th Century whaling. I think.
Gravity’s Rainbow …. It’s weird and, overrated, I think.
Ulysses is good, but too many people take it too seriously and make you feel like you have to understand it all.
I’m too old to read things I don’t really want to so I wouldn’t argue with you about any of these.
One of the most disappointing things in the comments on this video has been the number of people telling me that Don Quixote isn't actually funny. I feel like I've been lied to. But someone did suggest that the translation really matters there so 🤷♂️
Consensus regarding On the Road has... not been kind. I feel safe letting that one go. And surprisingly it's been similar toward Gravity's Rainbow.
Thanks for all the thoughts and feedback!
wuthering heights isn’t a romance novel and i kind of resent that books that misunderstand it like twilight gave that impression. if anything, it’s like a victorian gothic version of the film parasite lol. it’s like people are so used to calling out romanticized abuse in colleen hoover books that they forget that there are actual well-written books out there where the relationship is supposed to be psychologically explored as toxic, and perhaps an acclaimed classic is going to be one of those lol.
"Victorian gothic version of the film Parasite" has come SO CLOSE to having me sold on Wuthering Heights. Well done!
Ben at Doom Antidote (his channel name could be spelled differently) read Marcel Proust and it took him an ENTIRE YEAR! No, thank you. In every single wrap up video he always called it “in search of lost flipping time” 😅
Ha! I would not want to spend an entire year on a book.
tbh with you, i have not read any of these books!! lol! but there are a few that i think about reading and just tell myself i'll get to them eventually
So many books, so little time!
I will not try and change your mind on Moby Dick. I’m torn on reading Ulysses, Brian from Bookish told me I could take a pass on it. So there’s that. I would start with Dubliners. I had to read Finnegan’s Wake in college which I enjoyed, but it’s another one that kind of goes off the rails. You don’t have to read The Road or Tristram Shandy
Feedback for On the Road in the comments has been fairly savage, so I feel very safe letting that one go.
I would read War and Peace. I read the book in the early 1972 as the BBC were about to broadcast a 20 episode budget bursting tv series.I thoroughly loved the book and despite it being a chunkster of a read, please don’t let that put you off.
Thank you for the feedback! Maybe when I finish my Pulitzer Project I'll need another big thing to work on. 😉
I read Moby Dick as an adult and enjoyed it so much. I took time to visit Cape Cod and Mariner's chapel. I looked at the history of dependence on Whale oil, ropes, and whales. It was a month long venture and changed my view of history. So it might be something on your shelf for when you are old.
That's a fascinating way to approach it!
The closest I’ll get to Gravity’s Rainbow is the excellent Pat Benatar album of the same name. 🙂
I had a copy of The Testaments but sold it unread a while back. I’d just heard a lot of blaaah comments about it.
I might try Dubliners at some point because they are stories and I won’t have to read it all to know how I feel.
I never thought I was interested in Wuthering Heights until I saw a musical production live from Bristol Old Vic in the UK in 2021. Heathcliff was played by an actor I had seen previously in Hamilton in London and really enjoyed, so I signed up. It was brilliant! I have no idea how close it was to the book, but it was close enough to get me interested. I picked up a pretty copy at my local indie last year and hope to get to it this year.
The rest of these I’m not interested in, are too long, or Jackpot! all three!
Jackpot! 🎰
I've heard mixed things about The Testaments, which clearly hasn't been enough to convince me to stop being cranky about liking the ending of The Handmaid's Tale the way it is. It's interesting how a stage adaptation or a movie can get you to think about something differently.
You read war and peace because it’s the best. No body writes relationships and the complexity of human interconnections moving from micro to macro and back again.
Surprised how many of those I read. Admittedly a lot of them on audio, that really helped. So here we go:
Moby Dick was a surprise, really good on audio, but not the sotry I expected. It's more a book about whaling, whales and fishermen. The writing is really great, but I blanked quite a bit on some of the boring whale geneology. Go for the audio, if you pick it up.
Ulysses: I tried for the 3rd time last year, and decided I really don't care about a day in the life of a man. Tried reading and audio, but wasn't worth it. I liked The Dubliners and Portrait of the Artist as a young man, listened to that read by Colin Farrel. Really recommend that one! So much more accessible that Ulysses.
Infinite Jest: I was so surprised how much I liked it. I read it and listened to it with a time lag (I think I have a video on that actually). I still need to read more of him, as I like his style of writing.
Atlas Shrugged: Listened to it (also vlogged it) and was so surprised how much I enjoyed the experience. Really had me thinking about things. Still want to look more into her philosophy and listened to Fountain Head.
The Art of War was free on audible at some point and I can't remember a word of it. It's just some war theory that stupid guys adore.
Wuthering Heights was awful and still I want to reread it at some point to see if I missed something. I expected a love story, got people torturing each other. But I think for the writing it is interesting.
Don Quixote was rather fun in parts, but repetetive and the second part didn't grab me at all. Also went for the audiobook it was really well done. I listened to the free one in the audible members catalogue.
Never Heard of Richard Brautigan.
War and Peace, also listened to, it was so boring! So much war and characters I didn't care about. If you like how Tolstoy writes his characters you might like it. I can't connect with his writing. Also didn't really enjoy Anna Karenina.
On the Road was a book I really loved in my twenties, but am avoiding reread it for years as I think it's not working anymore these days.
Tristram Shandy is on my TBR, currently also available in the audible members catalogue.
So not interested in the Simarilion. Reading the Lord of the Rings was somewhat tedious for me already, despite my dad reading them at least once a year.
I have a "Proust for busy people" which is basically quotes and I keep thinking one of these days I'll look for an audiobook.
I hated the Handmaids Tale and avoiding Atwood's writing ever since.
And haven't read any Pynchon yet.
Okay, I got carried away. Would I recommend any of the books? Not really. My main motivation for most of them was wanting to have read them rather than wanting to read them. So especially the long ones count as achievements for me, but not all of them were actually enjoyable. I recommend audiobooks, as those always feel easier and less boring when I am not into a book. For most of the books I could see, why people still talk about them and what they did for literature, but that doesn't mean they are still enjoyable reads for everyone. I say skip the books if you don't feel like it or just sample them, to see if they grab your interest.
Thank you so much for the detailed and thoughtful feedback on these books and authors. 📚 🥂
Infinite Jest is not worth it. It is not a hard book as many claim it to be, it's just one of those books where you sit down to read it and instantly start making grocery lists and doing your taxes in your head. It's a meditation practice seeing that the brain has been wondering if cereal is a soup and trying to refocus on the book.
Richard Brautigan is an acquired taste. I like everything I have read of his but I would not recommend him to anyone.
Have you read Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac? If not, it has the same feel as On the Road and can be read in an afternoon. That would be a good way of seeing if On the Road is worth your time.
I have not read The Dharma Bums--that's an interesting recommendation. Thank you.
For awhile, I felt like the diagram of the intersection of books in this videos, and the books I haven't wanted to read was a circle, then you hit ones that I actually *did* read.
"Atlas Shrugged" was a page turner, but I wouldn't recommend it as a great book. I feel like I learned alot about the mindset of people with a certain political bent, but not really. The book completely glosses over race in America, so it's more like Soma for the neo-cons rather than an actual dissection of their thought.
"Wuthering Heights" is good. It's not a healthy love story, but it was well written and hooked me, though I liked "Jane Eyre" better. "Don Quixote" was good, but I think it really depends on the translation. It's a fun romp (feels shorter than 800 pages) that makes you think a little bit and it makes you appreciate the references to it a bit more. The middle section is a bit of a downer, but it ends well.
"The Art of War" is a severely misunderstood work (just like "The Prince"). If you're not in the military (or into military history), it's completely skippable.
"The Silmarillion" was good, and it gave me an appreciation of the lore and imagination behind LoTR, but the first third was like reading the most boring sections of the Old Testament. It kind of leans hard into Medieval and early Renaissance literature (like "Paradise Lost"), though it turns into a more traditional history structure towards the middle. I feel like there could be a "good parts" version of this out there, but it's not something for people who are casual fantasy readers.
Thank you for all the considered feedback on the titles you have read. Translation can make a huge difference with a classic. I read The Master and Margarita with a friend a while back and was surprised when she called the book funny--it turned out her translation was much better at capturing the book's sense of humor than mine.
I read Emily Brontë and Don Quijote when I was In high school and I loved them !!!
I feel like high school was the window for me to read Don Quixote and it was never assigned. 😩
I'm totally with you on Moby Dick, its length frightens me :) I wanna give an attempt though one day, I have no problems with pages about knots, just with the length itself, Ulyssess I actually tried as my parents have a copy and it did very little for me, but maybe I will try again one day, Infinite Jest was maybe the most painful book I have ever read, so at least I would not recommend it as the first Wallace one reads, Atlas Shrugged is extremely entertaining and original (I speak it as a European leftist) - her "philosphy" is naive for me, but storytelling - exquisite! Sun Tzu I own, but a friend borrowed it before I had a chance to read it (and it was never very high on my priority list anyway), Wuthering Heights I feels does not belong on this list, just an excellent book! Don Quixote I read in primary school so I do not remember much except that I enjoyed it quite a lot (I loved books about knights back then), with Richard Brautigan I cannot say - never heard about this writer :) War and Peace is excellent and I hated previous Tolstoy I read (Resurrection) so I was really reluctant with this one, Kerouac and Pynchon I haven't read yet, but I am willing to give them a try as some friends recommended their books, Tristram Shandy sounds like someting I might actually enjoy :) Silmarillion is a good book if you like LOTR mythology, it is written a bit like Old Testament, so if you enjoy reading Bible you will like this one as well (just kidding, probably would tire you to death), Proust is somewhere on my to read list, not very high, but maybe in 10 years or so I will read it (I love Anatole France who was an inspiration for Proust), Margaret Atwood is a bit outside of my interests for today so I will not comment
I've read one Richard Brautigan novella / short story, for school, and recently reread it. I still liked it. It was *So The Wind Won't Blow It All Away* . Maybe you could give it a go. I'm considering to try some more. Other things by the Beat Generation ( *On The Road* (= superfluous and overrated) , *Howl* ) I did not care for very much. From the list I've read 4 titles and I could have done without them. There are sooooo many more books out there, you should read what appeals to you. 🙂
Thank you for the feedback! I'm delighted to have found someone who has read Brautigan. On the Road is not doing well in the comments so I think I can safely let that one go for sure.
Greg, you are right to avoid reading The Testaments. I read it, and while it more than satisfied my curiosity about the inner workings of Gilead, it blunts the impact of The Handmaid's Tale.
I fully believe that we shouldn't read things that we don't want to, while balancing that with expanding past our comfort zone and challenging ourselves from time to time. What that balance looks like is different for all of us. Many of the classics have outlived their relevance, I believe. We are just holding on to them for dear life. Jane Austen is one of those for me. I use to absolutely love her, read her books several times, and then one day I realised that I had outgrown her even with the full understanding that she was all wit and irony; she just didn't have anything to give me. Kafka is someone that I read and (having grown a bit wiser) almost immediately realised that there were authors that actually wrote better and more timeless pieces than he did. Someone like Shakespeare, although not everyone's cup of tea, created characters in situations and with emotions that remain relevant.
Haven't read Ulysses, but after listening to people talk about it I am actually drawn to it. Started Don Quixote, and I think I might need to get a different translation because I found it too hard at the time. But it is also on my list, and I think I am going to do an audio as well.
Hated Withering Heights. Could not stand they main characters. But it seems like it is very polarised: people either hate it or love it. My sister loves it. Also On the Road. Hated it. Could not stand the characters.
Read The Art of War. It is one of those books that made sense in its time, and while there are some points that could stand with a little bit more explanation relevant to our modern times. We have evolved in too many ways for it to still stand as is.
100% agree with The Testaments and The Handmaid's Tale. I did not need more. I also feel she rode the wave of the series.
Thank you for the considered feedback. I do agree that it's important to balance your interests with things that expand your horizons a bit. It's also interesting how an author can mean a great deal to you at one time and then feel alien a few years later. Getting older is an evolution.
On The Road had an impact on me. I was engrossed and went down the rabbit hole of reading more about JK and his friends/the Beat Generation. It is strange how a book read during a certain time in your life can become a favorite or have the opposite effect.
It is very true that sometimes the right book finds you at the exact right time, and it's always magical when it happens.
I also have serious red flags about books that a certain kind of dude stridently asserts is a masterpiece. I just can't with most of the books on this list even though I have a bunch of them. I DNF'd Wuthering Heights and Moby Dick. Sometimes I wonder if they deserve a second chance. I have read On the Road and some Brautigan back in my college beatnik phase but I don't think you're missing out. Like other commenters, I recommend Dubliners. Fun video!
Thank you! I appreciate the feedback on the books you've read or tried to read.
Testaments also shows how society gets to Gilead and how it gets out. Try it!
Comments on it have been a bit mixed but trending toward positive. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
@supposedlyfun - good call on Moby Dick. Unless you're reading as an academic exercise, extracting symbolism and analyzing writing and storytelling methodologies, just watch the Gregory Peck/Richard Basehart film from 1956.
I’m a woman who LOVES David Foster Wallace. He was hilarious and a genius. Infinite Jest is a tough read only bc it’s all out of order and he doesn’t help you much with that. But I love his writing so much I did the work and found it very rewarding. It’s one of my favorite books. Maybe start with his other stuff to see how you feel about him.
Also, Ulysses is horrid.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on him!
I like your t-shirt. Wuthering Heights did it for me. It's one of the few I've reread several times. I have to admit I like listening to it on audio. It might be the same pull that people who like true crime or serial killers, except the subject matter is untenable relationships and surviving our families and our personal situations.
I don't know why Wuthering Heights is still called a romance. It's not a romance, and you cannot read it as a romance. It's really about two toxic people who are obsessed with one another and the aftermath of that toxic obsession.
It is definitely interesting to chart the gulf between the misinterpretations of Wuthering Heights and what it is actually doing, but something I did not do a good job explaining in this video is that part of my reluctance to read the book at all is a desire not to get caught up on that discourse. I have enough haters from a particular fandom. 🤪
Greg, I have been traveling and am now just catching up with your videos. Hope all is going well with Jamie.
I would not necessarily lump Richard Brautigan in with The Beats. I have a hazy recollection of his work being described as a bridge between the Beat Generation of the 50s (before my time - I was mostly reading The Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew at the time) and the counter-culture hippie generation (🙋🏻♀️). Speaking of hazy, I smoked a lot of pot back then but here's what I remember: On the Road is self-indulgent, navel gazing word vomit and In Watermelon Sugar and Trout Fishing in America are trippy, funny, moving, and endearing. Brautigan started out as a poet and is just worth reading, IMO. You may not like his work but but you won't want to throw it across the room.
People who think Wuthering Heights is a romance have only watched the old Hollywood movie with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. It is an extremely dark, twisted, gothic ghost story about obsession and revenge. Well worth your time but choose your time carefully. It will mess with your head.
I read both Moby Dick and War and Peace a million years ago and can safely say that you can live a rich and full life having read neither, but if you had to choose one for some reason, go whale hunting.
xo
You're not the first commenter to object to placing Brautigan with the Beats, which makes it interesting that the jacket of my copy does. Trout Fishing in America has been the runaway recommendation for his work so far.
Jamie is doing well so far! We're halfway through her treatments at this point. Thank you for asking.
That's great news about Jamie! ❤️🐾🙏
One more thing about Brautigan: one of his biggest champions? Kurt Vonnegut.
@@Nina_DP Okay, now THAT's how to sell Brautigan to me. 👏
War & Peace was one of the best and most memorable books I’ve ever read.
I liked Moby Dick and then when he went for pages on whaling, I hated it. And then it went back to story and I loved it. It was a trip.
I loved Ayn Rand’s books even thought I disagree with her beliefs.
I recently purchased a copy of Wuthering Heights. I heard “toxic” and was drawn to it. Not sure what that says about me.
On the Road- hated it. That’s all I remember about it.
I heard Brautigan was an inspiration to Murakami. That’s an intriguing thought.
I aspire to read some of the other ones on your list. I think I just get FOMO with the classics because at least half of the time, they end up as my favorites. The only books I can think straightaway for my list would be the rest of the Twilight Series and 50 Shades of Gray. 🤢
Fair enough (re: the books you would never read)! I can agree. I hadn't heard that Brautigan was an inspiration for Murakami. That's interesting. Thank you for all the feedback!
I took a course in college (30 yrs ago) called Great Books. Moby Dick and Don Quixote were two of the books we had to read. They were both so hard to get through, but I did enjoy Moby Dick more than Don Quixote. My advice: never force yourself to read anything, even if it's touted to be a classic. Go with your gut.
That's probably solid advice. Thanks!
WHATTTTTT you need to read Wuthering Heights
(sorry not trying to be crazy in your comments just want to show my love!)
I’ve not even finished the testaments (80%) and I honestly enjoy it more than the handmaids tale. Don’t get me wrong I think the handmaids tale is fantastic! But I’m a little bit more engaged in these characters and the format of the book is keeping me hooked. It definitely doesn’t feel like it overrules the original story, more like an extension of the universe. Kind of like how you could read the hobbit and lotr independently or together and it would make sense either way. I think people who liked the handmaids tale should always give it a chance, but of course it’s not a necessity or anything. Some people believe it’s like a continuation of offreds tale, cause the tv show did kind of expand I believe? But it’s really not, as I said, it doesn’t overrule her and to me it doesn’t feel like it expands unnecessarily on something that may be left alone
The only other recommendation or note I could make without knowing your interests intimately (like you yourself do) is that I don’t think lotr should be read in one sitting. That’s the way a lot of books, even long ones, are meant to be consumed nowadays, it kinda feels like? But I really don’t think hurrying and trying to log through chapters is a good idea here, when it’s meant to go slow even story wise. And I’m a person that loves that part of the books to bits! Even the hobbit I read a few chapters at a time maybe, sure I know them by heart now but even a few hours or minutes space from them might help the reading experience, not too long perhaps for someone who hasn’t read them before and doesn’t remember every detail already
I agree on Atlas Shrugged. I think I will hate-read that book and 1200 pages is a long/unhealthy amount of time to read that for.
I love Wuthering Heights. I was so surprised that people thought it was romantic. I read it expecting a romance and it was not. However it is interesting and I took a lot from it. I really enjoyed it once I re-oriented myself.
Interesting fact: Thomas Pynchon is descendent of William Pynchon, who had the first banned book in America. toxic
1200 pages if DEFINITELY an unhealthy amount of time to hate read. 😂
I did not know that about Thomas Pynchon!
I also had a hard time getting off the ground with a lot of these.
You might like The Broom of the System.
I read Dublineers and i found it interesting but i'm not going to read 600 pages of that style of writing.
I didn't liked Wuthering heights but i really liked The testaments.
Don Quixote is funny. One of the worst thing that education makes to people here in Spain is making teens read Don Quixote before they are ready to appreciate it.
I suspect a lot of people are assigned to read books before they are ready to appreciate what they say. But if they don't read them in school, they may never circle back--so it's tough to say. Thanks for your feedback.
The Rand and On the Road are the only two I doubt I will read, but I’ve definitely put off reading all the others so far too.
I’ve read half of Infinite Jest and I enjoyed what I read, but life got in the way. I won’t let the bro fans dictate what I read, so that’s not a factor for me.
Gravity’s Rainbow is probably a few years down the road because it’s definitely not going to be my first Pynchon.
Someone else suggested reading other Pynchon books as a sort of test case, and that seems like a good idea.
I think you should read all the books on that list that challenge your ideas and make you feel uncomfortable.I was attracted to your channel because I’m not like you and you have opened my mind to topics that I find uncomfortable…. I think that’s the zone we all grow in
Skip the books that are long and not ideologically challenging
"The Art of War" was interesting and not a hard read. It was cool in a historical way and because it shows up in so many different books. I am not at all an intimidating/soldier-like person, so.....
Thanks for the feedback.