Monday, October 31, 2005

 

Those Top 100 Novels



There was a time when I devoured novels... but not the "good stuff." I read mostly pulp. These days, 90% of what I read is non-fiction and theology, so I'm still not reading the good novels... nonetheless, I have managed to actually read a few (a very few) of the novels in Time's Top 100. Here's my list:

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis
It's hard to argue that Lewis ever wrote a work of fiction that was better than this, although I'd suggest that Till We Have Faces is just as good.

Animal Farm: George Orwell
I read it as a teen and loved it, congratulating myself on having both enjoyed and understood a smart, funny novel. Of course, every time I re-read it, I get something new out of it and tell myself that I've never really understood it before.

Catch 22: Joseph Heller
So subversive, so much fun. I think everyone should read it by the time they're 25.

The Painted Bird: Jerzey Kosinski
Kosinski claimed (some say falsely) that this was based on his experiences as an orphan during World War II. The controversy over the degree to which it is fact-based has overshadowed the work itself, for many people. That's a shame. This is an amazingly powerful book. There are images in the book that are very believable, and others that seem to be presented as a child's fantastic interpretation of what he's seen. The line blurs again and again, lending all of it an other-worldly feel. It's not a pleasant book to read, and some of the images are grotesque and horrifying enough to stay with you forever... but given the subject matter (war through the eyes of a child), that's probably appropriate.

Slaughterhouse Five: Kurt Vonnegut
I suppose it's legit to argue that this is Vonnegut's best work. People who've read all of his stuff, however, are always going to have their own favorites, and I've never met a Vonnegut fan who names SH5 as his or her pick. I suppose my two favorites are Cat's Cradle and Breakfast of Champions, although SH5 is probably a fitting and appropriate way to introduce yourself to Vonnegut's stuff.

Here's a list of books on the list that I have started and never completed:

The Catcher In The Rye: J.D. Sallinger
I've tried to read it a couple of times and I have just hated Holden so much that I can't stay interested.

One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest: Ken Kesey
A friend told me once that I should read Kesey, that I'd love him. That might be true. I took his advice, but I overextended myself. I checked this book and Sometimes a Great Notion out of the library at once, started both of them, and never finished either.

On The Road: Jack Keroauc
Some people just aren't cut out to read and enjoy some kinds of books. Ten pages into this, I wanted to punch Keroauc in the face. Thinking back on it, I still do.

The Lord Of The Rings: J.R.R. Tolkien
I read The Hobbit in middle school and enjoyed it, although I can't remember a thing about it now. I decided to follow it up with the trilogy, and checked it out of the school library. I carried it around for a week, thinking "Gosh, this is a big book." I think I put it back without reading more than twenty pages of it.

Above, I mentioned that I have read a lot of "pulp," and some of it is actually very good.. I don't hesitate to recommend some of it, regardless of how Time Magazine would rank it. Having said that, it's worth your time to read the following:

The Shining: Stephen King
Desperation: Stephen King
Maximum Bob: Elmore Leonard
Diary: Chuck Palahniuk
The Exorcist: William Peter Bladdy
I Want To Buy A Vowel: John Welter
Frankenstein: Mary Shelley


Comments:
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Another person who read The Hobbit but not Lord of the Rings. I thought the former was great, but only read Fellowship of the Ring of LoTR and just gave up. I don't get into fantasy that takes itself too seriously (ie, too long, too much with the made up languages, etc).

I have had King's Desperation on my shelf, waiting to be read. Along with The Long Walk and book 7 of the Dark Tower series. Ah, way too many books and not enough time/discipline to read them all.
 
I enjoyed all the Chronicles of Narnia. I have them on tape and listened to them while we drove cross country last fall. I have always loved children's fantasy fiction, and those stories are still my favorites. My daughter's favorite book is Ella Enchanted. I loved it just as much as she did.

Happy Halloween! I wish you a ghost-free night.
 
Kelly- Desperation is great. They have been working on a mini series for it for some while now. I just hope it is as good as the book is. It's a real quick read so you should take it off of your shelf and read it.
 
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Actually I prefered "Prince Caspian" to "The Lion, the Witch, and the Warddrobe".

I was disappointed to find no Heinlein on that list of "great novels".
 
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