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Post by Pavan on Apr 17, 2019 7:04:20 GMT
A Midsummer Night's Dream The Importance of Being Earnest Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Moby Dick The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 1984
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2019 7:35:52 GMT
I've only read three of those (although I have no idea how I've gotten this far studying English/writing without reading Moby Dick ) - Frankenstein, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and 1984. Not totally in love with any of them, but I'd say 1984 is the best. Animal Farm is a good deal better, though.
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Post by Pavan on Apr 17, 2019 7:58:48 GMT
I've only read three of those (although I have no idea how I've gotten this far studying English/writing without reading Moby Dick ) - Frankenstein, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and 1984. Not totally in love with any of them, but I'd say 1984 is the best. Animal Farm is a good deal better, though. Thank you. You a major of Eng litt.?
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Post by pacinoyes on Apr 17, 2019 10:56:07 GMT
Those are all fine books, but 1984 is not like other books either, it's rather a testament/warning story of how we live, always. I mean I know people will scoff at this because Moby Dick is on this list, but 1984 could easily be read by someone 15 to 85 and every year in-between and ring true in different ways.
It's a top 10 book ever, it's more than that - it's a universal truth.
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Post by DeepArcher on Apr 17, 2019 13:46:44 GMT
1984. Not only among the best novels ever written, but one of the few most essential pieces of literature that I’d say everyone must read.
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Post by mikediastavrone96 on Apr 17, 2019 15:12:59 GMT
1984 is far and away my favorite of that list.
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Post by stephen on Apr 17, 2019 15:30:33 GMT
Moby Dick is my favorite.
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Post by Martin Stett on Apr 17, 2019 16:37:40 GMT
I have read all but Moby Dick. Well, I'm reading Frankenstein and haven't finished, but whatever.
Midsummer and Importance are both plays, and if possible I always recommend watching rather than reading plays.
Personally speaking, Midsummer is fun, but it lacks suspense. There's a magical reset button that's built into the narrative, so anything can happen and nothing means anything. On page, Shakespeare's humor may or may not work for you, depending on how familiar you are with his language. If you aren't practiced in the art of reading Elizabethan, it won't be too enjoyable. But if you read enough Shakespeare, there will eventually be a moment when it clicks and you realize that you understand everything without notes. So *shrug* depends on your Shakespearean reading comprehension and if you want to enjoy the book. If you just want enjoyment and you have low comprehension, watch it, don't read. I personally find this play to be middle-of-the-road for Shakespeare. Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, Twelfth Night are all better comedies. Among his other works, my favorites are The Tempest, The Winter's Tale, King John, Coriolanus, Romeo and Juliet.
Importance is fun, lots of funny Oscar Wilde wit, wordplay and sarcasm. It's a much easier read being much closer in language to today's English (and Wilde has a timeless, biting quality). It's an enjoyable play, and one that relies more on its language than its staging, so it makes for a better read than most Shakespeare (who writes more visual scripts).
Frankenstein is a bore, I'm sorry to say. The plot is ridiculous, but that would be okay if our characters weren't whiny babies. Which they are. "Thus not the tenderness of friendship, nor the beauty of earth, nor of heaven, could redeem my soul from woe[...] I was encompassed by a cloud which no beneficial influence could penetrate. The wounded deer dragging its fainting limbs to some untrodden brake, there to gaze upon the arrow which had pierced it, and to die - was a type of me." Now imagine a whole damn book of Frankie saying this in the most depressing, self-pitying tone possible. I can't find any horror in his interior monologues.
Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde is one I can't remember very well, but I quite enjoyed it. If nothing else, it's short and sweet.
Dragon Tattoo is a brutally violent read and not much of a detective novel, but the core relationship between Mikael and Lisbeth is spectacular stuff. It isn't about the violence or the mystery for me, but about these two broken people learning to put their lives together after tragedy. It's great stuff. As for the movie versions (if you're unfamiliar with them), Fincher captures all the heart of the novel, whereas Oplev creates a fairly rote TV movie.
1984 was one I read as a younger teen and hated. It's... silly. I have nothing against silly, but come now. Can't be much more in depth than that, sorry. Edit: Animal Farm is indeed better.
So I'd vote for Dragon Tattoo, personally. Ever read any Jane Austen? I'm a huge fan of hers, and you're looking mainly at classics here so I thought I'd give a shoutout.
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Post by Pavan on Apr 17, 2019 19:06:46 GMT
Ever read any Jane Austen? I'm a huge fan of hers, and you're looking mainly at classics here so I thought I'd give a shoutout.I like anything related to Victorian era. I read Dorian Gray and Dracula so far and wanting to read Frankenstein. Haven't read Jane Austen? could you suggest one?
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Post by Pavan on Apr 17, 2019 19:08:50 GMT
Thank you. You a major of Eng litt.? No problem, enjoy. Yeah, English/Communications (and minoring in Psych) - courses I've taken have generally focused more on writing than studying/analyzing literature, but that's a fun part of it too. awesome
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Post by Pavan on Apr 17, 2019 19:10:19 GMT
Moby Dick is my favorite. I bought this one a month ago and specifically waiting for free time where i can devote myself to it as I've learnt that it is one of the greatest novels ever written and a tough and long one too.
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Post by Martin Stett on Apr 17, 2019 19:35:52 GMT
Ever read any Jane Austen? I'm a huge fan of hers, and you're looking mainly at classics here so I thought I'd give a shoutout.I like anything related to Victorian era. I read Dorian Gray and Dracula so far and wanting to read Frankenstein. Haven't read Jane Austen? could you suggest one? Pride and Prejudice is the obvious choice. It's the best of her novels, fully capturing her wonderful humor while also creating a strong narrative as Elizabeth grows up through the course of the story. Emma was my first Austen, and it is one of her funniest. It can be a bit long in the tooth, but I find the whole book to be a blast. Austen never wrote a character as unsympathetic as Emma Woodhouse, and watching her innocently wreck the lives around her made me laugh a lot. Persuasion is one that I haven't read in a long time, but I remember loving pretty much everything about it. Also may be Austen's shortest major work. And I'm a sucker for Love and Friendship (no relation to the Whit Stillman movie, which is based on Lady Susan), a goofy Mel Brooks-style novella she wrote when she was around thirteen years old. It's pretty much what you'd expect from a thirteen year old setting out to parody all of her favorite novels and who hasn't learned what a second draft is yet (resulting in some hilarious moments towards the end where she tries to patch up plot points she seemingly forgot about). It shows boundless enthusiasm from someone discovering the joy of writing.
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Post by Pavan on Apr 18, 2019 9:51:30 GMT
I like anything related to Victorian era. I read Dorian Gray and Dracula so far and wanting to read Frankenstein. Haven't read Jane Austen? could you suggest one? Pride and Prejudice is the obvious choice. It's the best of her novels, fully capturing her wonderful humor while also creating a strong narrative as Elizabeth grows up through the course of the story. Emma was my first Austen, and it is one of her funniest. It can be a bit long in the tooth, but I find the whole book to be a blast. Austen never wrote a character as unsympathetic as Emma Woodhouse, and watching her innocently wreck the lives around her made me laugh a lot. Persuasion is one that I haven't read in a long time, but I remember loving pretty much everything about it. Also may be Austen's shortest major work. And I'm a sucker for Love and Friendship (no relation to the Whit Stillman movie, which is based on Lady Susan), a goofy Mel Brooks-style novella she wrote when she was around thirteen years old. It's pretty much what you'd expect from a thirteen year old setting out to parody all of her favorite novels and who hasn't learned what a second draft is yet (resulting in some hilarious moments towards the end where she tries to patch up plot points she seemingly forgot about). It shows boundless enthusiasm from someone discovering the joy of writing. Thanks man.
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Post by Pavan on Jun 29, 2019 15:22:16 GMT
Is Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami any good?
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