I will be interested in looking through this list later. Need to go catch the keynote at Flex. Let me throw out a couple of other thoughts meanwhile -- Neuromancer and Vacuum Flowers :)
On 8/20/08, Jim Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Dana [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 1:46 AM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: Re: "Books to Read Before you Die" > > > > I think this list suffers from not knowing whether it wants to be a > > bestseller list of things you should read in order to keep up your end > > of a conversation (Harry Potter and the Bible are in this category I > > think) or a list of great literature. It is also omits everything > > outside the US. > > Well... the list was generated by British Librarians. That's still outside > the US, isn't it? > > Neener neener neener! ;^) > > > On 8/18/08, Jerry Barnes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee > > > > I agree that it is an important piece of literature but isn't it > > almost a cliche? > > Yes, but clichés are often clichés because they're true, aren't they? > > It reminds me of a line from "Diesel Sweeties": "Nothing everybody likes can > be any good." > > > > A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens > > > > > > I have it, but have not read it. It is on my medium list. > > > > Sentimental crap :) Read it to know what people are talking about but > > don't take it too seriously. > > This is another one (like Tarzan) that I think people should read just to > have an understanding of what the original story was - it's been retold, > spoofed, and paid homage to so many times the original's been all but > subsumed. Although unlike "Tarzan" this one (maybe because of its length) > generally survives more or less intact . > > > > The Prophet by Khalil Gibran > > > > > > Never read it. Probably never will. > > > > mmm not sure. A lot of people rave about this book. Have not read it. > > It's worth reading, I think. > > If nothing it definitely belongs on the "short list of short classics"... > sure you can slog through "War and Peace" or "Moby Dick" but this one you > can read in like a 1/2 hour! ;^) > > > I'd add: > > > > Beowolf > > Never read it... surprisingly since I voraciously anything even remotely > dealing with monsters or adventure as a kid. > > > > King Lear > > I'm still iffy about any plays being on "must read" lists. > > Nobody ever suggests reading the script for "Citizen Kane" - they say "go > watch it" so why do we constantly get told to read plays? I LOVE "Hamlet" > but I can't argue with those that say it's hard to read... because I don't > think it was meant to be read. It's an instruction manual for the actors. > ;^) > > Definitely see the play tho', especially if you get a chance to see it done > by a really good troupe. > > > Nine Princes in Amber - Roger Zelazny > > I love it and I think it's a definite classic of the genre.... but I'm not > sure about its overall "classitudity". > > If you're talking fantasy however I do think that the "Amber" series in > general is often, criminally, overlooked. I'm surprised how often I hear > that people have never heard of it... people that (rightly so) inhale > Tolkien, Moorcock, Leiber, Donaldson, etc > > Although I did find this recently: It's the original list of "Inspirational > Reading" that was published as an appendix in the first edition of the > "Dungeon Master's Guide" by Gary Gygax: > > http://ulmo.mux.net/fantasy/gygax.html > > It's another good list to dissect (although it was written in 1978, I > believe, so some many modern classics like the "Thomas Covenant" books > aren't represented). > > Jim Davis > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;203748912;27390454;j Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/message.cfm/messageid:266245 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/CF-Community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
