You know I love my Mann. Of course both The Sound and the Fury and Absalom Absalom slipped your mind but I am SURE those will mentioned in round 2! ;) ... RIGHT?! Thanks for doing this series, Steve.
Steve, I am excited to tackle all these books you have mentioned. I no longer feel intimidated with these classics. I have binge-watching these starter kits since his morning. Thank you Steve for doing this.
I'm so glad that Thomas Mann has made it onto the list, I adored Death in Venice when I read it in university and have continued to read it again and again and love it more and more.
Thank you for this wonderful series of videos. Like many others, it's inspired me to reach for books that I had always meant to read but had been too intimidated by. Of course I'll add my voice to the shouting for more series like this, hopefully a nonfiction canon kit!
You've left out French literature almost entirely ;) But I really love this series! I'm also glad you didn't mention Proust. He's torture. Mrs. Dalloway is phenomenal. I adore it. I've never cared much for The Great Gatsby (it's just OK), but Mrs. Dalloway is so powerful and moving. I liked the Nick Adams stories by Hemingway. I'm adding the other books to my TBR.
Read The Magic Mountain (Der Zauberberg) years and years ago...oh my...I just checked it was 1982! Also The Buddenbrooks but never Tod in Venedig. My library got it so I'll give it a try. I read some of Hemingway's short stories. Books are part of my life since childhood but I got a bit stuck in my teenage years. But in 1975 I read The Lord of the Rings for the first time. It kicked kicked my reading right off and since then I picked it up time and time again! Thank you so much for this project, Steve! I'm looking forward to learn more from you!
How about a series on great literature from all regions? Latin America, Europe, Asia... I have a feeling that there are some gems in that wall of penguins that everyone should read no matter what.
Great list. I had a feeling Gatsby and maybe Dalloway would be on there. Have yet to read Wharton. covered Hemingway. I'm proud to say I've read Joseph and his Brothers (took me two years, on and off) as my first Thomas Mann experience. Sometimes I inadvertently plunge myself in with some authors
I hope you consider doing more starter kits someday on, say, the Romantics (or a Regency/Victorian period Pt. 2), Russian literature, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Mystery/Detective novels, etc.!
Thank you for this series. I am also eagerly awaiting a sequel. The mention of Thomas Mann has fueled some guilt at the back of my mind over never reading German authors, given that I am a native German speaker. I have started Buddenbrooks once but could not stick with it; now I will give Death in Venice a chance since you have recommended it (and it is much shorter).
I enjoyed all the books that you mentioned in this video except "The Great Gatsby". I know it is well loved, but I don't think it comes anywhere near "Death in Venice" or "The House of Mirth".
Steve! Would you consider making a video on this year's literature nobel prize winner? (and yes, I will keep asking the same question under your every video until you respond, since this was my Q&A question and it did not make it to neither of the four parts - and believe me, I checked - watched all four of them twice!). Hope you're doing well!
I don't have even 45 seconds of thoughts about Ishiguro's win, much less my customary 30 minutes! He's a good writer - he's never particularly appealed to me, but his craft is sound. And he's not an illiterate cokehead, which is also a plus. But those two lines would be the sum and total of any Nobel video I'd make - which hardly seems worth doing!
Hee - I know, it's a bit strange! But I think after last year's debacle, the Nobel committee was specifically TRYING for a pick who wouldn't inspire rants!
I may have missed it in your video history, but I was wondering if you did in fact ever make the “soup,ore” list of the western canon? I have found these videos so helpful in narrowing down where to begin with canonical works. If you have not yet done a “sophomore” western canon list, I would LOVE if you would do one!
I am immensely pleased that you have included The Lord of the Rings. Few would include it, as you say, but talk about highly influential! For once I have read every book but one, which is The House of Mirth, although I have read The Age of Innocence. I did not like Death in Venice and had hoped it would be atypical of Mann's work. Oh well...
This series was instructive, thank you. I'm far from a prodigious reader, but in the course of a life somewhat haphazardly have touched on most of these, and where you've revealed gaps, it's only given me food for thought. (Only last year did a Bocaccio come into my possession, and it sitting there is a precursor to my reading it, if I live so long.) One commenter thanked you for not including Proust, but felt you had neglected French literature. We all have our quibbles, but I share his view, with the exception of Moliere: one or two of his plays cast a long shadow into English lit & letters. (Library of America has a 2-volume edition of Wilbur's translations out this month btw.) Next go round, I would ask you to consider his inclusion. That said, advising "you have to read all" of Shakespeare only contributes to the intimidation factor. You don't have to read all; probably many of the comedies can be skipped, both narrative poems certainly. Though anyone who pursues this route is bound to read all of Shakespeare without your telling them. Your choices for poetry were idiosyncratic. Blake surely casts a greater shadow into our times than Donne (to use your criteria). Maybe poetry were best excluded, with an adjuration, "Get a good anthology." For the world I grew up in, Keats would be considered indispensable, but, as you know, there's only about ten poems that qualify as "canonical." Probably many poems qualify that way without the author being considered necessary beyond that poem or two. The omission of Eliot is perplexing, which may be further argument toward removing poetry as such from the equation of canonical inclusion altogether. It's all quibbles, as you know. The whole idea of canon-setting is a bit repulsive, unless your mind is the sort that needs a Harold Bloom to tell you what to think. But as a guide to the novice reader coming out of oblivion, this is marvellous, and I wish I'd had something like this to shine a light when I was starting out. UA-cam was not a "thing" then. I've begun Livy on Hannibal at your suggestion. Somehow I have two copies of that on my shelf.
Sad to see this series coming to an end, but thanks for doing it. could you possibly continue with your presidential series that you had going on? I have been getting back into presidential history, there has been a lot of books coming out as of late .
Did he mention William Blake in any of the starter-kit videos? Blake has had a bigger influence on my thinking than any other author. He was a visionary, even more so than John Milton or Dante.
If Lord of the Rings gets a mention for casting a long genre shadow, then I think The Catcher in the Rye should also be mentioned. I think it was Sophocles who said that he and his contemporaries were “borrowing from the banquet of Homer” - I often think that all YA writers are borrowing from Salinger’s buffet (this quote also works for Frank Miller and most of the Batman books that followed The Dark Knight Returns and Year One).
I am so looking forward to reading Thomas Mann, but I hate Hemingway, I have read a couple of is short books, and although his writing skills are fine, I find the plots and topics so stereotypical...
I understand why LOTR was made a footnote. But, having read the series and The Hobbit, I have to say that regardless of how popular it is, regardless of how it spawned an industry, I cannot see there being any literary merit to the writing that would be worth applauding. The stories were not original and just like the road that went on and on, so did the books. Where are editors when you need them? I even tried to reread the series when the movies came out. I made it through the first book and it was like torture to get through it. The books are now gone. Never blinked an eye when I got rid of them. If I ever want to read in this genre again, there are better books to consider.
I'm so happy you mentioned Mann! He's so overlooked here in booktube. The Magic Mountain was an amazing experience in my reading life.
I can't tell you how much this series means to me; thank you so much!
You know I love my Mann. Of course both The Sound and the Fury and Absalom Absalom slipped your mind but I am SURE those will mentioned in round 2! ;) ... RIGHT?!
Thanks for doing this series, Steve.
Oh, did I omit Faulkner? How careless of me ... #sorrynotsorry
I have watched and notetook all twelve now. I have read many, but am going to read everything again. Thanks so much fir doing this Steve.
Thank you for doing this series. I enjoyed it very much.
Steve, I am excited to tackle all these books you have mentioned. I no longer feel intimidated with these classics. I have binge-watching these starter kits since his morning. Thank you Steve for doing this.
I'm so glad that Thomas Mann has made it onto the list, I adored Death in Venice when I read it in university and have continued to read it again and again and love it more and more.
I loved Death in Venice when I read it last year. I will be attempting The Magic Mountain starting in November.
Thank you for this wonderful series of videos. Like many others, it's inspired me to reach for books that I had always meant to read but had been too intimidated by. Of course I'll add my voice to the shouting for more series like this, hopefully a nonfiction canon kit!
A nonfiction canon! What a great idea! Maybe for Nonfiction November?
Steve Donoghue Yes please!
Steve, I loved your Western Cannon series. Thank you for doing it.
Patience? We didn't want the series to end. We want the second season:) And I'm so glad you've mentioned Tolkien:)
You've left out French literature almost entirely ;) But I really love this series! I'm also glad you didn't mention Proust. He's torture. Mrs. Dalloway is phenomenal. I adore it. I've never cared much for The Great Gatsby (it's just OK), but Mrs. Dalloway is so powerful and moving. I liked the Nick Adams stories by Hemingway. I'm adding the other books to my TBR.
Read The Magic Mountain (Der Zauberberg) years and years ago...oh my...I just checked it was 1982! Also The Buddenbrooks but never Tod in Venedig. My library got it so I'll give it a try. I read some of Hemingway's short stories. Books are part of my life since childhood but I got a bit stuck in my teenage years. But in 1975 I read The Lord of the Rings for the first time. It kicked kicked my reading right off and since then I picked it up time and time again! Thank you so much for this project, Steve! I'm looking forward to learn more from you!
People should NOT miss Joseph and His Brothers. :D
HAH! The book's one fan pipes up! I love it!
How about a series on great literature from all regions? Latin America, Europe, Asia... I have a feeling that there are some gems in that wall of penguins that everyone should read no matter what.
Valentina García....thank you for suggesting this! I would love to see that too.
Valentina García I was about to ask the same. A series on countries would be nice, too.
Latin Ameica musts: Borges, Garcia Marquez, Juan Rulfo, Clarice Lispector, Jorge Amado, Cesaire
Europe: Camus, Sartre, Forster, Brecht, Lagerlöf, Bulgakov, Zamjatin, Cvetajeva, Ahmatova.
Asia: Tagore, Banerji, Luo, Tanizaki, Soseki, Kawabata, Hedayat,.
Africa: Achebe, Head, Ba, Al Sahib, Soyinka.
Great list. I had a feeling Gatsby and maybe Dalloway would be on there. Have yet to read Wharton. covered Hemingway. I'm proud to say I've read Joseph and his Brothers (took me two years, on and off) as my first Thomas Mann experience. Sometimes I inadvertently plunge myself in with some authors
Loved the Canon, thank you
I hope you consider doing more starter kits someday on, say, the Romantics (or a Regency/Victorian period Pt. 2), Russian literature, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Mystery/Detective novels, etc.!
Absolutely loved this series and am in the process. I look forward your making many more focused-reading projects.
I'm going to really miss this! But, I guess, I still have the videos to re watch!
I'm unreasonably happy that you didn't mention Ulysses. Another reason this is the best series on BookTube!
Insert Literary Pun Here I was so scared he would! I was thinking he's surely going to mention Joyce and Proust.
Oh, did I omit Joyce and Proust? How careless of me! #sorrynotsorry
oooo The Finale!! I have my coffee and my shortbread ready!!
Thank you for this series. I am also eagerly awaiting a sequel. The mention of Thomas Mann has fueled some guilt at the back of my mind over never reading German authors, given that I am a native German speaker. I have started Buddenbrooks once but could not stick with it; now I will give Death in Venice a chance since you have recommended it (and it is much shorter).
Thank you for this series, Steve!
I enjoyed all the books that you mentioned in this video except "The Great Gatsby". I know it is well loved, but I don't think it comes anywhere near "Death in Venice" or "The House of Mirth".
Steve! Would you consider making a video on this year's literature nobel prize winner? (and yes, I will keep asking the same question under your every video until you respond, since this was my Q&A question and it did not make it to neither of the four parts - and believe me, I checked - watched all four of them twice!). Hope you're doing well!
I don't have even 45 seconds of thoughts about Ishiguro's win, much less my customary 30 minutes! He's a good writer - he's never particularly appealed to me, but his craft is sound. And he's not an illiterate cokehead, which is also a plus. But those two lines would be the sum and total of any Nobel video I'd make - which hardly seems worth doing!
Steve Donoghue Thanks!! I am actually astonished that there is something you wouldn't have a rant about, haha
Hee - I know, it's a bit strange! But I think after last year's debacle, the Nobel committee was specifically TRYING for a pick who wouldn't inspire rants!
I may have missed it in your video history, but I was wondering if you did in fact ever make the “soup,ore” list of the western canon? I have found these videos so helpful in narrowing down where to begin with canonical works. If you have not yet done a “sophomore” western canon list, I would LOVE if you would do one!
I am immensely pleased that you have included The Lord of the Rings. Few would include it, as you say, but talk about highly influential! For once I have read every book but one, which is The House of Mirth, although I have read The Age of Innocence. I did not like Death in Venice and had hoped it would be atypical of Mann's work. Oh well...
This series was instructive, thank you. I'm far from a prodigious reader, but in the course of a life somewhat haphazardly have touched on most of these, and where you've revealed gaps, it's only given me food for thought. (Only last year did a Bocaccio come into my possession, and it sitting there is a precursor to my reading it, if I live so long.)
One commenter thanked you for not including Proust, but felt you had neglected French literature. We all have our quibbles, but I share his view, with the exception of Moliere: one or two of his plays cast a long shadow into English lit & letters. (Library of America has a 2-volume edition of Wilbur's translations out this month btw.) Next go round, I would ask you to consider his inclusion.
That said, advising "you have to read all" of Shakespeare only contributes to the intimidation factor. You don't have to read all; probably many of the comedies can be skipped, both narrative poems certainly. Though anyone who pursues this route is bound to read all of Shakespeare without your telling them.
Your choices for poetry were idiosyncratic. Blake surely casts a greater shadow into our times than Donne (to use your criteria). Maybe poetry were best excluded, with an adjuration, "Get a good anthology." For the world I grew up in, Keats would be considered indispensable, but, as you know, there's only about ten poems that qualify as "canonical." Probably many poems qualify that way without the author being considered necessary beyond that poem or two.
The omission of Eliot is perplexing, which may be further argument toward removing poetry as such from the equation of canonical inclusion altogether. It's all quibbles, as you know.
The whole idea of canon-setting is a bit repulsive, unless your mind is the sort that needs a Harold Bloom to tell you what to think. But as a guide to the novice reader coming out of oblivion, this is marvellous, and I wish I'd had something like this to shine a light when I was starting out. UA-cam was not a "thing" then.
I've begun Livy on Hannibal at your suggestion. Somehow I have two copies of that on my shelf.
^Sentence above is a bit confusing: I share his view on the Proust, less so on French novels as I'm not so familiar with them.
What about a book on the Western Canon? Is there one you would recommend for someone who would like to dig deeper?
Wikipedia
The Literary 100 by Daniel Burt
Sad to see this series coming to an end, but thanks for doing it. could you possibly continue with your presidential series that you had going on? I have been getting back into presidential history, there has been a lot of books coming out as of late .
Yes absolutely! The Presidential Library series is certainly going to return!
Roll on Western Canon Starter kit 2018 ;)
Are you ever going to do that western canon sophomore year idea you mentioned here?
Did he mention William Blake in any of the starter-kit videos? Blake has had a bigger influence on my thinking than any other author. He was a visionary, even more so than John Milton or Dante.
Bring on the next series :D
Yay for Wharton and Mann, not so much Hemmingway!
Steve: Have I missed something? A Western Canon Starter Kit without Don Quixote and without mention of Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy?
He included Don Quixote, where were you?
I’ve never read Wharton or Mann so I know what I need to do.
If Lord of the Rings gets a mention for casting a long genre shadow, then I think The Catcher in the Rye should also be mentioned. I think it was Sophocles who said that he and his contemporaries were “borrowing from the banquet of Homer” - I often think that all YA writers are borrowing from Salinger’s buffet (this quote also works for Frank Miller and most of the Batman books that followed The Dark Knight Returns and Year One).
I think booktubers pretend In Search of Lost Time doesn’t exist because they don’t want to read it
I am so looking forward to reading Thomas Mann, but I hate Hemingway, I have read a couple of is short books, and although his writing skills are fine, I find the plots and topics so stereotypical...
Agreed! I felt I had to include him on a list like this, but to put it mildly, I'm not his biggest fan!
I understand why LOTR was made a footnote. But, having read the series and The Hobbit, I have to say that regardless of how popular it is, regardless of how it spawned an industry, I cannot see there being any literary merit to the writing that would be worth applauding. The stories were not original and just like the road that went on and on, so did the books. Where are editors when you need them? I even tried to reread the series when the movies came out. I made it through the first book and it was like torture to get through it. The books are now gone. Never blinked an eye when I got rid of them. If I ever want to read in this genre again, there are better books to consider.
Tolkien? Seriously? No Kakfa, Joyce or Proust, but Tolkien....OK.
it's Steve's take on the Western Canon. We'd all have slightly different takes.
No one cares about Joyce or Proust.
Thank you for this series, Steve!