Thread: Books that are must reads before you die ?

Originally Posted by ControlFreak1

Has anyone tackled 'Les Misérables by Victor Hugo'? ...

Glad you mentioned that, that is Herself's favorite book and is definitely on my list!

The Dangerous Book For Boys - there's one for me.

Maybe not on my absolute lifetime list, but yes, and to be honest I'll probably read it before some of my "must-reads."

How about The Holy Bible .... It can be rough though (Lord forgive me) in places (you know like when you hit the first 9 chapters of First Chronicles, that will try most people) ....

For sure. And yeah, the begats, and the step-by-step instructions for priests (is that Leviticus?). But yes, at some point I'm just going to lower my head and plow through.

~Rich

Can an uncultured redneck throw a bone into the pile?

Not read most of the books in this thread, like most have started a few and never finished....

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan I think would hold it's own against any book IF an older non-modernized version is read. (They don't dare "translate" Shakespeare...but they'll mutilate Bunyan, who is easier to read anyway.) I think Bunyan's Pilgrim deserves more admiration that Shakespeare...I think he is really really really overrated...and I love the Merchant of Venice.

Now, you may laugh...but I've not read anything by C.S. Lewis that I wasn't thoroughly impressed with and very glad that I had. (This may be the easiest reading of any mentioned so far.) I've read Chronicles of Narnia and The Great Divorce multiple times. The work is great, don't snub your nose at the C.O.N because it is "kid" stuff. I really don't consider "kid" stuff at all. It's simply "kid safe" and moves fast enough that it will never be compared to War and Peace. Instead of laboring over a single thought for pages he brings one forward, tucks it away neatly, and brings it back to light several chapters, or several books, latter. The symbolism/allegory/allusion is as deep and tightly knit as you dare go. (Same goes for Pilgrim's Progress...Even more so.) Don't start with Lewis' Screwtape letters, as I don't think that'll "hook ya" quite like C.O.N. or The Great Divorce (a single afternoon's read, btw).

I've read very little of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. I particularly enjoyed Dostoevsky.

Most my reading is non-fictional. If you guys want to talk Puritans I'm game. (Again, don't laugh. They get a pretty shoddy representation in History classes nowadays.) Owens, Flavel, Edwards, Manton...and the lesser known Hugh Binning are Favorites. With the first three you'd better be prepared!lol Often, they are "tenacious" when pursuing a line of thought. They've each kicked my literary butt more than once.

Two more that just came to mind that I don't really hold up for others to marvel at, but thoroughly THOROUGHLY enjoyed are:
Tale of Two Cities
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh (another afternoon read.)

And I LOVE the movie The Count of Monte Cristo....always wanted to read Dumas' book...never gotten around to it.

The Bible is an easy one to get through as long as you don't have the original King James. There are certainly boring parts, but you can fly through those to the juicy parts. If you're serious about getting through it, pick up one of those Bible in a year book. It breaks it up into easy chunks that don't kill you with geneology. I've been through the Bible both ways, and the Bible in a year is easiest.

I've made good progress on Moby Dick. It's actually pretty enjoyable. I don't know why I had so much trouble before.

Well, you've just reminded me of more books on my list ...

Originally Posted by Soilarch

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan I think would hold it's own against any book IF an older non-modernized version is read. ... I think Bunyan's Pilgrim deserves more admiration that Shakespeare...I think he is really really really overrated...and I love the Merchant of Venice.

I remember reading Pilgrim's Progress years ago in an older version; can't imagine why anyone would feel the need to modernize it. You're the second person I've read who compared Bunyan favorably to Shakespeare; the first was George Bernard Shaw I think, in an essay titled "Better than Shakespeare."

...but I've not read anything by C.S. Lewis that I wasn't thoroughly impressed with and very glad that I had. (This may be the easiest reading of any mentioned so far.) I've read Chronicles of Narnia and The Great Divorce multiple times. The work is great, don't snub your nose at the C.O.N because it is "kid" stuff. ...

Yep, I've enjoyed what I've read of Lewis--including The Screwtape Letters in high school, which I should go back and reread. One of the pleasures of fatherhood is that you get to read works like The Chronicles of Narnia to your kids at night.

... If you guys want to talk Puritans I'm game. (Again, don't laugh. They get a pretty shoddy representation in History classes nowadays.) ... Often, they are "tenacious" when pursuing a line of thought. They've each kicked my literary butt more than once.

Have you read Sarah Vowell's The Wordy Shipmates by any chance? I haven't, myself, but I believe she writes about the underestimated literary and intellectual interests of the Puritans.

And I LOVE the movie The Count of Monte Cristo....always wanted to read Dumas' book...never gotten around to it.

Another one on my list ... The Man in the Iron Mask as well. One hundred twenty years, I tell ya, 120 years ...

~Rich

Thomas Sowell - Race and Culture: A World View

Originally Posted by rastewart

Another one on my list ... The Man in the Iron Mask as well. One hundred twenty years, I tell ya, 120 years ...

~Rich

You're ahead of me. I hate you.

()

[QUOTE=Quick Orange;516988]The Bible is an easy one to get through as long as you don't have the original King James. There are certainly boring parts, but you can fly through those to the juicy parts. If you're serious about getting through it, pick up one of those Bible in a year book. It breaks it up into easy chunks that don't kill you with geneology. I've been through the Bible both ways, and the Bible in a year is easiest.
QUOTE]

Ah, there are entire books written on this topic. According to the Flesch-Kincaid formula 94% of the King James Bible is at or below the 7th grade reading level, lower than USA Today or People Magazine, and in comparisons with the NIV, NASB, TEV, and NKJB was rated at a lower reading level.

Sorry

AHAAAAA!!! AAARRGGHHH!!!

Originally Posted by ControlFreak1

Has anyone tackled 'Les Misérables by Victor Hugo'? I have a very very old copy dated 18??, it's in English. I have some friends who are insane voracious speed readers, I think that one of them has read it.

In its original French, even. Just like "L'Assomoir" and "Germinal" by Emile Zola, I thoroughly hated every single line as I had to read them for school. A second reading years later slightly improved the feeling, but the reading is still marred by the school memories.

Originally Posted by ControlFreak1

The Dangerous Book For Boys - there's one for me.

It is on my wish list actually

Originally Posted by ControlFreak1

How about The Holy Bible, or is that just a given, it has been printed and published far beyond any other book, you would think that the world's best seller would have to be on the list, maybe it's just a given. It can be rough though (Lord forgive me) in places (you know like when you hit the first 9 chapters of First Chronicles, that will try most people), it is for the most part a history book but has poetry, romance, action, military statistics.

I did read the Vulgate from end to end, it actually was the Bible used for service in the church I attended. A few friends of mine actually read the "original" Greek version and assorted earlier texts, but they are majoring in Theology

I would also add "Saxo Grammaticus - Gesta Danorum" to the list, if you are into History books, wish to work your brain out and read the original version of Hamlet.

Originally Posted by ControlFreak1

Ah, there are entire books written on this topic. According to the Flesch-Kincaid formula 94% of the King James Bible is at or below the 7th grade reading level, lower than USA Today or People Magazine, and in comparisons with the NIV, NASB, TEV, and NKJB was rated at a lower reading level.

Sorry

AHAAAAA!!! AAARRGGHHH!!!

Just because a 7th grader can read it doesn't make it readable. It's far easier to digest when you don't have to tackle all the thees, thous, and dosts.

[QUOTE=Quick Orange;517128]

Originally Posted by ControlFreak1

Just because a 7th grader can read it doesn't make it readable. It's far easier to digest when you don't have to tackle all the thees, thous, and dosts.

When former President Truman was asked what he thought of the then new translations of the bible, as opposed to the King James, he said,"They took the poetry out of it." I agree with that sentiment.

I read Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress years ago and The Holy War. For C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain are standouts for me. I haven't read his fantasy novels.

I've read The Count Of Monte Christo a couple of times and I highly recommend it.