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[sonicmj1]

1984 was a part of my English curriculum in high school, along with Animal Farm. I imagine it was the same for a decent amount of people.

I'm a bit surprised to see 1984 that high up in the poll. It's a relatively short novel and Orwell's prose is famously clear and precise. All of you non-book reading plebes should give it a shot.

Yeah, it's also a book I read in high school. It's short, and very readable. Definitely worth reading if you haven't done so yet.

But it's also a great book to pretend to read, because the thesis is so clear, and most of the main points of the book are easy to absorb through the culture. "Big Brother" already exists in the lexicon as a shorthand for intrusive government. It's sort of like pretending to have seen Star Wars.

 

[Peru]

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Never.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – Never.

Just don't read female authors huh?

 

[ThisWreckage]

Most people stop reading altogether out of college.

And? There's no excuse, really.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

nobody even bothers to pretend they read the brothers karamazov

I liked it :3 Took me like four months to finish though.

 

[sonicmj1]

Yeah.
I'm really puzzled by that one.


You mostly chose wisely.
Crime and Punishment is truly great, believe the hype, but you're not missing much with others you haven't read if you ask me.
Well, I guess there is significance to those books, some more than other, but they're not particularly good reads in my opinion.

I don't think of Pride and Prejudice as a life-changing work, but it was surprisingly fun to read.

 

[Chichikov]

Just don't read female authors huh?

Ummm, he read To Kill a Mockingbird, and it's ten time the book Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre are combined.

I don't think of Pride and Prejudice as a life-changing work, but it was surprisingly fun to read.

I honestly can't stand it and can't really stand Jane Austen in general.
I'm well aware that there are many people who do not share that opinion though.

 

[BigDes]

Just don't read female authors huh?

You know Harper Lee is a woman, right?

 

[Currygan]

Ummm, he read To Kill a Mockingbird, and it's ten time the book Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre are combined.

yeah let's just say I strongly, massively disagree with that

 

[BigDes]

Jane Eyre is worth reading just to give you the background to understand Wide Sargasso Sea

 

[Black Door]

People talk about and reference classic books so much you don't actually need to read them. (I've read Catcher and Mockingbird, though.)

I tend to stick to non-fiction when I get time to crack open a book. Actual human triumph tends to be more gripping.

 

[mre]

1984 by George Orwell – Yes
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – No
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – Yes
Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger – Yes
A Passage to India by E M Forster – No
Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein – Yes
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee – Yes
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – No
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Maybe (I remember it being assigned in high school but don't remember actually reading it)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – Yes

Edit: As soon as Harper Lee dies I'll read TKAM again, assuming her estate backpedals from the anti-ebook position she has taken and puts up a kindle version.

 

[michaelius]

I can tell people didn't read 1984 every time they show elections results

 

[Race to be King]

People talk about and reference classic books so much you don't actually need to read them.

Even if the people in question are professors of literature, this isn't true.

 

[Man_Flannel]

I remember a book I had to read in HS where there were a bunch of babies in jars and people were taking injections of green drugs. Anyone know what book I'm talking about? Not everyone read the same book, but I remember 1984 being one of them for the unit.

 

[Shake Appeal]

• 1984 by George Orwell – 26% Read.
  
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – 19% Haven't read, but I've read Anna Karenina and The Death of Ivan Ilyich.
  
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – 18% I've read a few Dickens novels, but not this one.
  
• Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger – 15% Read several times.
  
• A Passage to India by E M Forster – 12% Will never read.
  
• Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein – 11% Read, but it's mostly boring.
  
• To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee – 10% Read several times.
  
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – 8% Read, sadly. Perhaps the most overrated novel of all time.
  
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – 8% Read several times.
  
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – 5% Seen the movie!

These are some weird books to lie about.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

People talk about and reference classic books so much you don't actually need to read them. (I've read Catcher and Mockingbird, though.)

I tend to stick to non-fiction when I get time to crack open a book. Actual human triumph tends to be more gripping.

On a related note, the first time I watched Casablanca my brain was full of fuck from how many cultural references retroactively made sense.

 

[ComputerMKII]

This is the last book you'll ever need:

 

[cyberheater]

You mostly chose wisely.
Crime and Punishment is truly great, believe the hype, but you're not missing much with others you haven't read if you ask me.

I'll give it a go. I've still to finish the Arnie autobiography. Don't laugh. It's better then you'd think.

Well fuck it, I made it through the depressing slog that is Wuthering Heights, I get to brag about it.

Kate Bush was great though wasn't she.

 

[BigDes]

1984 by George Orwell – yes
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – no
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – no
Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger – yes
A Passage to India by E M Forster – no
Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein – yes
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee – yes
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – got halfway, got bored
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – yes
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – yes

 

[Roland1979]

I watched the South Park version of Great Expectations.

I watched the South Park version of The Lord of the Rings...

 

[Shake Appeal]

I remember a book I had to read in HS where there were a bunch of babies in jars and people were taking injections of green drugs. Anyone know what book I'm talking about? Not everyone read the same book, but I remember 1984 being one of them for the unit.

 

[Zeppelin]

1984 by George Orwell – Read it
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – Read it
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – Read it
Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger – Read it
A Passage to India by E M Forster – No interest
Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein – Read it
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee – No interest
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – Read it
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Read it
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – No interest

I did however once write a review in high school for a book I hadn't read that I got an A on. Can't remember the title though...

 

[BrokenEchelon]

I remember a book I had to read in HS where there were a bunch of babies in jars and people were taking injections of green drugs. Anyone know what book I'm talking about? Not everyone read the same book, but I remember 1984 being one of them for the unit.

Brave New World, it may as well be the sister book to 1984.

 

[BigDes]

The only time I ever saw War and Peace being taken off the bookshelf was when my Mom used it to kill a particularly large spider.

 

[cyberheater]

Just don't read female authors huh?

I do. Just can't stand period romantic drama stuff. "Oh the vapors. The vapors"...

I've read a few Patricia Cornwell’s book. They're pretty good.

 

[WhiskeyDiver]

I was forced to read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school, and read Catcher in the Rye in one of my college classes. Other than that, I have never claimed to read any of the other books listed, because I have never read them.

 

[BigDes]

I do. Just can't stand period romantic drama stuff. "Oh the vapors. The vapors"...

I've read a few Patricia Cornwell’s book. They're pretty good.

Neither of those books are really like that

Well Pride is kind of but it is a piss take

Jane Eyre isn't

 

[Shake Appeal]

I do. Just can't stand period romantic drama stuff. "Oh the vapors. The vapors"...

I've read a few Patricia Cornwell’s book. They're pretty good.

If it helps, Austen is always jokey and often scathing about "period romantic drama stuff".

 

[entremet]

And? There's no excuse, really.

It's not, but why cut yourself off from so many amazing people.

 

[Zeliard]

Most people stop reading altogether out of college.

People should look into getting a Kindle or other tablet to read stories during breaks, commutes, and general off-time. They're so portable and generally convenient as reading devices that you'll likely find your reading productivity skyrocketing through their use.

Yeah, it's also a book I read in high school. It's short, and very readable. Definitely worth reading if you haven't done so yet.

But it's also a great book to pretend to read, because the thesis is so clear, and most of the main points of the book are easy to absorb through the culture. "Big Brother" already exists in the lexicon as a shorthand for intrusive government. It's sort of like pretending to have seen Star Wars.

Very true. It's still a book people should read to get a proper sense of where those terms originated and how they are applied in the story, and Orwell was such an enjoyable writer in general due to his clarity of thought and language, and effortless insights. I'd recommend 1984 and Crime and Punishment in particular out of that list in the OP, the latter for its probing meditation into the mind of one of fiction's greatest protagonists.

 

[Messofanego]

1984 by George Orwell – Read it
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy – Read it
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens – Read it
Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger – Read it
A Passage to India by E M Forster – No interest
Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkein – Read it
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee – No interest
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky – Read it
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Read it
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – No interest

I did however once write a review in high school for a book I hadn't read that I got an A on. Can't remember the title though...

How long did War and Peace and Crime and Punishment take?

 

[Ian]

I've read 1984 and LOTR out of choice, and I read To Kill A Mockingbird way back when I was at school during English Lit. class. I enjoyed all three.

I know a guy who lies about what he reads, though he's generally a bit of a cunt tbqh :-/

 

[Peru]

I do. Just can't stand period romantic drama stuff. "Oh the vapors. The vapors"...

.

Obviously why you should read them and not just make assumptions.

 

[Chichikov]

Brave New World, it may as well be the sister book to 1984.

Yeah, I don't think it's as good of a book as 1984, but it's significantly more prophetic.

Spoiler

though that comic has an obviously overly simplistic view of both books, but that's fine for the point it's trying to make which I generally agree with.

I'll give it a go. I've still to finish the Arnie autobiography. Don't laugh. It's better then you'd think.

I won't, Pumping Iron was awesome and I like biographies in general (though I'm not sure this book is high on my to read list at the moment).

 

[Berto]

I have read 1984 and War and Peace. The funny thing is I read War and Peace when I was 17 years, but I dont think I would have the patience to do nowadays

 

[ThisWreckage]

It's not, but why cut yourself off from so many amazing people.

People that willingly shield themselves from seeking knowledge are not, by any definition, amazing to me.

 

[Hrothgar]

I've only read The Lord of the Rings and the Odyssee (well, less reading and more translating for my Ancient Greek classes, same for the Iliad) from that list.

 

[BrokenEchelon]

Yeah, I don't think it's as good of a book as 1984, but it's significantly more prophetic.

Spoiler

though that comic has an obviously overly simplistic view of both books, but that's fine for the point it's trying to make which I generally agree with.

I won't, Pumping Iron was awesome and I like biographies in general (though I'm not sure this book is high on my to read list at the moment).

Yeah, this is the full version: (large pic)

http://abetterkuwait.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/orwell-huxley.jpg

Since I was referencing back to Orwell's work, I figured I'd keep it short and to the point.

 

[Zeppelin]

How long did War and Peace and Crime and Punishment take?

No idea really. But I usually read about 40 pages/hour on average. One of my editions of War and Peace is also divided into three books, which I read some months apart.

 

[Reuenthal]

The only one I read from the list was 1984 which I loved. It was better than I expected and got me more emotionally invested in the main characters that I thought I would be.

 

[Chichikov]

People that willingly shield themselves from seeking knowledge are not, by any definition, amazing to me.

I like to read and I encourage people to read (even in this thread) but you're wrong, like, terribly terribly wrong.
Some people just never got in the habit of reading, and if you don't do it at a young age, it can be hard thing to pick up later, and yeah, some of those people are amazing.

The only one I read from the list was 1984 which I loved. It was better than I expected and got me more emotionally invested in the main characters that I thought I would be.

If you get into "the classics" (whatever that mean) you will soon discover that practically all of them are famous for a reason, you might not like all of them, in fact you most certainly won't, but you're pretty much guaranteed to discover books that will amaze you, move you, shock you and touch you there.

 

[dimb]

There are thousands of books that could be qualified as "classic novels". It's unreasonable to expect people to have read an unremarkable handful of them.

 

[cyberheater]

Obviously why you should read them and not just make assumptions.

I've seen some of the BBC adaptions of those books. It's just not for me.

 

[Into]

In this day and age where people create their own "character" online, through Facebook of the like, many chose to flat out lie about their likes and accomplishments.

I know a dozen people online who have seen Citizen Kane, love bungee jumping and extreme sports, because its the cool and clever thing to say. Yet in real life as i know them, this just does not fit the bill at all.

If person A lies about 1 thing, then person B has to lie about 2 things to equal them or be "better", then person C has to lie about 3 things and so forth. Until you get a selection of people who are not even real anymore, but just characters created, this spills into real life as they have to carry that character on their shoulders.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I'll just wait for the thug notes version.

 

[Peru]

I've seen some of the BBC adaptions of those books. It's just not for me.

You're obviously left with a very wrong impression of what they are, but if you're ok with living in ignorance about them, sure.

And just to add to that, adaptions of classics from this period can frequently be fundamentally off in tone. Especially when dealing with books that satirize, and books with strong narrators, aspects easily lost in fitting them in a period drama TV slot.

 

[Tenrius]

I honestly won't associate with anyone that doesn't read. It's such an enormous turn off. It's also one thing to be stupid, but it's another thing entirely to be brazenly stupid.

Why make such a big deal out of it? It's basically just a hobby.

 

[faridmon]

You're obviously left with a very wrong impression of what they are, but if you're ok with living in ignorance about them, sure.

And just to add to that, adaptions of classics from this period can frequently be fundamentally off in tone. Especially when dealing with books that satirize, and books with strong narrators, aspects easily lost in fitting them in a period drama TV slot.

If you are forcing recommending someone something, its better not to sound very forceful and rude by doing so, this will come off as pathetic.
Those Books are periodic and have elements of Romance and Slice-of-Life (even if it done in unusual way) and clearly he is not into it. Stop using the word ''ignorance'' just to make a point.

 

[rakhir]

On a related note, the first time I watched Casablanca my brain was full of fuck from how many cultural references retroactively made sense.

I had the same with 12 angry men. I would be really interested with a list of movies people lie they saw. Casablanca would be way up there, right?
I lied once that i had watched Almodovar movies while hitting on a girl.

 

[demon]

I read Crime and Punishment recently. It really wasn't nearly as laborious as I'd imagined it would be. In my humble opinion it's actually a pretty good book.