Thread: Books that are must reads before you die ?

This thread was started by me to note books, purportedly 'great' books that I had , despite multiple attempts, never been able to read through from beginning to end. As many threads do, this thread has taken a turn from its original intent. That is fine as members share favorite book suggestions.

So in that spirit I contribute a trilogy written by Thomas Flanagan. The Year of the French, The Tenants Of Time, and The End Of The Hunt. Three novels that are based on fact on the early years of the Irish rebellion. Wonderfully written IMHO.

Another trilogy written by another Irishman, Pulitzer prize winner William Kennedy. Billy Phelan's Greatest Game, Legs and Ironweed. Mr. Kennedy called this his 'Albany trilogy'. I've read and re-read Ironweed again and again. IIRC that is the book he won the Pulitzer for. Anyway ..... great stuff if you're looking for something to read.

I have always enjoyed books about the sea.

Three good ones for me were:

Moby Dick
The Old Man and the Sea
The Bedford incident

I am a bit old fashioned.....sorry.

Jerry
____

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

This thread was started by me to note books, purportedly 'great' books that I had , despite multiple attempts, never been able to read through from beginning to end. As many threads do, this thread has taken a turn from its original intent. That is fine as members share favorite book suggestions.

So in that spirit I contribute a trilogy written by Thomas Flanagan. The Year of the French, The Tenants Of Time, and The End Of The Hunt. Three novels that are based on fact on the early years of the Irish rebellion. Wonderfully written IMHO.

Another trilogy written by another Irishman, Pulitzer prize winner William Kennedy. Billy Phelan's Greatest Game, Legs and Ironweed. Mr. Kennedy called this his 'Albany trilogy'. I've read and re-read Ironweed again and again. IIRC that is the book he won the Pulitzer for. Anyway ..... great stuff if you're looking for something to read.

Hmmmm....well..in light of that...The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. It's one of those books that has a lot of detail and big complicated names and talks a lot about pre middle earth history. I even have it in hardcover. I've just never seemed to have been able to get the hutzpuh up to read it through...it's thick.

Originally Posted by Nightblade

Hmmmm....well..in light of that...The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. It's one of those books that has a lot of detail and big complicated names and talks a lot about pre middle earth history. I even have it in hardcover. I've just never seemed to have been able to get the hutzpuh up to read it through...it's thick.

If you like the mythology of Tolkien's world the I would say the silmarillion is really well worth reading. The unfinished tales are good but very disjointed as well.

Originally Posted by Castel33

If you like the mythology of Tolkien's world the I would say the silmarillion is really well worth reading. The unfinished tales are good but very disjointed as well.

I read The Hobbit years ago and I enjoyed it. I had intended to go through The Lord of the Rings trilogy but by the time I was done with The Hobbit I had had enough of the fantasy stuff. I used to like old horror fiction by the likes of H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and Robert E. Howard. The stuff from Weird Tales pulp magazine that Arkham House reprinted. Short stories by Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, and of course M.R. James ghost stories. Can't forget Ambrose Bierce either. Stuff like Moxson's Master really turned me on.

I must have read Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series 100 times if I've read it once. Agatha Christie and Dorthy Sayers are great recreational reads too. It doesn't always have to be 'literature.' Sometimes recreational reading is a good rest for the mind.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I read The Hobbit years ago and I enjoyed it. I had intended to go through The Lord of the Rings trilogy but by the time I was done with The Hobbit I had had enough of the fantasy stuff. I used to like old horror fiction by the likes of H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith and Robert E. Howard. The stuff from Weird Tales pulp magazine that Arkham House reprinted. Short stories by Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, and of course M.R. James ghost stories. Can't forget Ambrose Bierce either. Stuff like Moxson's Master really turned me on.

I must have read Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series 100 times if I've read it once. Agatha Christie and Dorthy Sayers are great recreational reads too. It doesn't always have to be 'literature.' Sometimes recreational reading is a good rest for the mind.

If you want good recreational reads, pick up Edgar Rice Burroughs. Any of his Tarzan books or the John Carter books. I'm also a big fan of any pulp sci-fi books from the 50's and 60's.

The original Conan novels help pass a rainy day.

Laugh if you will,but I used to enjoy the hardy boys mysteries when I was a kid....hard to put'em down once you start.Later in teen years I got into the Gor Sci-Fi fantasy series thanks to my Mom. Kudos again for the thread Jimmy regardles how it morphed. Makes me want to read which is always a good thing . +10 sir !

Originally Posted by mapleleafalumnus

The original Conan novels help pass a rainy day.

Used to read these constantly when out bush in the Army on a Surface to Air missile site, that and cowboy comics and porn...

I just finished reading the last book of Gillian Flynn, the "Gone Girl":
I enjoyed every page.