What kind of reads would you people suggest for a nice classic summer leisure list? I have a bunch of titles written down, and I have already started off fairly lightly. I just finished J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, which was a pretty sick start. Never knew it was so violent and dark. I'm moving on to the Louis Rhead version of Robin Hood and from there, I want to take on some Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Wolfe, etc. What do you people love reading/re reading?
Great Literature
- Thread starter Delphi
- Start date
skier_boy26
Active member
don quixote is always an arduous but rewarding read.
and although not "literature," the odyssey has been a favorite of mine over the past few years. Practically the only damn thing I've read more than once in that span.
and although not "literature," the odyssey has been a favorite of mine over the past few years. Practically the only damn thing I've read more than once in that span.
Hugh_Conway_jr
Member
Try some Beat literature on for size. Maybe start with some Kerouac ... "Dharma bums", "on the road"...so on. The Beat scene is huge and intertwined; it makes for a great literary and poetic undertaking.
skithe49th
Active member
right now reading chuang tsu's Art of War...pretty sweet teaches technique and how to go about things and get what you want. It's more of a political look at leading people around that military strategy and stuff.
summersover
Active member
if Homer is considered literature then the Iliad and Odyssey are amazing
Skavengers303
Member
definatly go with hunter s thompsons fear and loathing or hells angles, both are amazing books
also
gerogre orwell's-1984 or animal farm
lewis carals alice in wonderland/through the looking glass
aldus huxley's brave new word
into the wild, i forgot the guys name
between a rock and a hard place- definatly read that one
chuck what ever his last name is, prety much anything from him. choke and fightclub as my favs
neil strass-THe Game
i got more but those are probably my top
also
gerogre orwell's-1984 or animal farm
lewis carals alice in wonderland/through the looking glass
aldus huxley's brave new word
into the wild, i forgot the guys name
between a rock and a hard place- definatly read that one
chuck what ever his last name is, prety much anything from him. choke and fightclub as my favs
neil strass-THe Game
i got more but those are probably my top
king.tubby
Active member
truth. "desolation angles" is my fav by kerouac
poiuytrewq
Member
cool, i didn't know that. I had thought about reading that, but i didn't really want to read a technical book about past war strategy.
Definitely read "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'brien
Definitely read "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'brien
P4LSkier103
Member
take a look at Hemingway's Nick Adam Stories, if your looking for some good work from him. He has plenty others though
or michael savage: liberalism is a mental disorder. great book, and he does a fair amount of criticism to both sides.
or michael savage: liberalism is a mental disorder. great book, and he does a fair amount of criticism to both sides.
You can't just do this "great literature" thing on a whim. If you're looking for a good book to enjoy, that's one thing. If you're trying to obtain a greater appreciation of the bes English Literature has to offer, you have to take university level courses. In that case, actually, you'd probably want to start by reading the Bible (not for its own sake but for the sake of pretty much everything coming afterwards).
That being said, judging by the fact that you're starting with Peter Pan and Robin Hood, you're probably just looking for a good page-turner from a couple hundred years back, for which purpose I always suggest to non-English-majors "The Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins. It's fun.
That being said, judging by the fact that you're starting with Peter Pan and Robin Hood, you're probably just looking for a good page-turner from a couple hundred years back, for which purpose I always suggest to non-English-majors "The Woman in White" by Wilkie Collins. It's fun.
miker92
Member
these arent remotely what i would call "light summer reading" but theyre all books everyone should read. ive read all the ones listed and i threw in really quick generalizations of their topics.
-Slaughterhouse-Five. Kurt Vonnegut. Unconventional WWII story- main character randomly travels through time, experiences horrors of war from a strange perspective. Culminates with the brutal fire bombing of Dresden, Germany by the Allies, which Vonnegut witnessed. Very complex book, impossible to describe both briefly and accurately. It's a book that really forces you to think about different perspectives, what matters in life, etc.
-All Quiet on the Western Front. Erich Maria Remarque. The classic war novel. You were probably forced to read it in school. If you did so without experiencing some kind of drastic, horrible epiphany about war and human reality in general, you should read it again.
-1984. George Orwell. A look into the future of totalitarian government. This book should scare you shitless. Once again, hard to describe accurately here. I'm starting to get lazier as this post goes on.
-READ THIS ONE-Brothers and Keepers. John Edgar Wideman- True story about life in Pittsburgh's impoverished Homewood section. The author relates how his brother, Robbie, became disillusioned by his lack of opportunity, became entangled in the drug and crime scene, and ended going to prison for life for murder. A really deep exploration of the poor black inner-city experience of the '70s, which really hasn't changed much. Probably the single most important work for every naive rich asshole in the world to read. Once again, there's much more to it than I've said here.
-READ THIS ONE-The Confessions of Nat Turner. William Styron. Very long but doesn't seem so if you enjoy reading. Ridiculously well written, it is a complete psychoanalysis of the leader of the only successful slave revolt in American history. Displays all imagineable facets of the institution of slavery. I used to think some black jokes were funny before I read this book. Now I'm ashamed of myself for having never recognized the true meaning of racism, no matter how base its application. The manliest of manly men should cry at some point during this book. Don't attempt to read it if you are abnormally immature.
Others fully worth reading but that I don't feel like describing:
Huck Finn, Fahrenheit 451, Winesburg Ohio, Anthem, Peace Like a River, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tale of Two Cities.
There are plenty more, and of course scores more that I have yet to read. These should be a good start though.
-Slaughterhouse-Five. Kurt Vonnegut. Unconventional WWII story- main character randomly travels through time, experiences horrors of war from a strange perspective. Culminates with the brutal fire bombing of Dresden, Germany by the Allies, which Vonnegut witnessed. Very complex book, impossible to describe both briefly and accurately. It's a book that really forces you to think about different perspectives, what matters in life, etc.
-All Quiet on the Western Front. Erich Maria Remarque. The classic war novel. You were probably forced to read it in school. If you did so without experiencing some kind of drastic, horrible epiphany about war and human reality in general, you should read it again.
-1984. George Orwell. A look into the future of totalitarian government. This book should scare you shitless. Once again, hard to describe accurately here. I'm starting to get lazier as this post goes on.
-READ THIS ONE-Brothers and Keepers. John Edgar Wideman- True story about life in Pittsburgh's impoverished Homewood section. The author relates how his brother, Robbie, became disillusioned by his lack of opportunity, became entangled in the drug and crime scene, and ended going to prison for life for murder. A really deep exploration of the poor black inner-city experience of the '70s, which really hasn't changed much. Probably the single most important work for every naive rich asshole in the world to read. Once again, there's much more to it than I've said here.
-READ THIS ONE-The Confessions of Nat Turner. William Styron. Very long but doesn't seem so if you enjoy reading. Ridiculously well written, it is a complete psychoanalysis of the leader of the only successful slave revolt in American history. Displays all imagineable facets of the institution of slavery. I used to think some black jokes were funny before I read this book. Now I'm ashamed of myself for having never recognized the true meaning of racism, no matter how base its application. The manliest of manly men should cry at some point during this book. Don't attempt to read it if you are abnormally immature.
Others fully worth reading but that I don't feel like describing:
Huck Finn, Fahrenheit 451, Winesburg Ohio, Anthem, Peace Like a River, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Tale of Two Cities.
There are plenty more, and of course scores more that I have yet to read. These should be a good start though.
BigRodRiley
Active member
Salman Rushdie - Midnights Children
kylecross
Member
If you are in to philosophy and the sort, The Alchemist is the only book you would ever really need to read. (forget the bible) And it's a short read at that!
Otherwise Ender's Game is my favorite book that I have read to date and I would suggest it to anyone especially if you're going for a fun read.
Otherwise Ender's Game is my favorite book that I have read to date and I would suggest it to anyone especially if you're going for a fun read.
emopoppins
Active member
i dont read a lot of books but the last two i read happened to be bangers. 1984 by george orwell was just a fascinating fiction that examines oligarchy at it's finest. Malcolm X (the autobiography written by alex haley narrated by Malcolm X) is captivating in how it reveals the true human being behind the misrepresented "hatah". really, i had no clue malcolm x struggled like he did, and transformed from a man filled with contempt and hate to an understanding human being, only to be assassinated, when the metamorphosis had been completed. check it out dug.
ax_murderer
Active member
DUNE by frank herbert. must read best sci-fi ever written probably.ender's game is a fun and easy read, sick bookgreat gatsby for sure as intro to fitzgerland, my dad just got me a full works of fitzgerald im stoked.seperate peace, easy read but one of my favoritesrobert ludlum writes great action books easy reads very good
ax_murderer
Active member
halfway through, its goood
Anything by hemingway expecially garden of eden sadly unfinished but a great read also the sun also rises one of his most famous.
East of Eden by steinbeck is also a must read. Kinda long but definatly one of my favorites of all time.
Sherlock Holmes is a great read very entertaining but still keeps you thinking.
Catcher in the Rye a book that you will read quickly but very worth while.
The Good Earth a longer book but I found it very interesting. It follows the life of a Chinese pesant farmer from the time of a young adult to him becoming wealthy to the end of his life.
All things fall apart about the life of an African man and also how missionaries came in and trampled over the customs and belives of the Africans
The Pearl helped make stienbeck famous not my favorite but stilla good book.
There are so many great books you should just find stuff you like a keep reading alot.
East of Eden by steinbeck is also a must read. Kinda long but definatly one of my favorites of all time.
Sherlock Holmes is a great read very entertaining but still keeps you thinking.
Catcher in the Rye a book that you will read quickly but very worth while.
The Good Earth a longer book but I found it very interesting. It follows the life of a Chinese pesant farmer from the time of a young adult to him becoming wealthy to the end of his life.
All things fall apart about the life of an African man and also how missionaries came in and trampled over the customs and belives of the Africans
The Pearl helped make stienbeck famous not my favorite but stilla good book.
There are so many great books you should just find stuff you like a keep reading alot.
Dosh
Active member
A la Recherche du Temps Perdu by Marcel Proust is considered by many to be the greatest novel of the 20th century. You could spend all summer reading it at a fairly steady pace. It's a seven-volume book and has been the greatest piece of literature IMO that i have ever stumbled upon. I seriously get chills from the author's writing style. Lots of sections of the book and phrases that feel like Proust wrote them specifically for the reader. The books are as follows:1) Du côté de chez Swann/Swann's Way2) À l'ombre des jeunes filles en fleurs/In The Shadow of Young Girls in Flower3) Le Côté de Guermantes/TheGuermantes Way4)Sodome et Gomorrhe/Sodom and Gomorrah5)La Prisonnière/The Captive6)Albertine disparue/The Sweet Cheat Gone7)Le Temps retrouvé/Time Regained
Read it in that order as well.
Read it in that order as well.
skiP.E.I.
Active member
last summer I read The Whale, aka Moby Dick, most of the time it was kind of boring and felt like work, but I had to finish it, cause it was exciting in kind of a roundabout way. I also read George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, which is now one of my favourite books, I read it on a rainy day and then wished there was more of it. I would also recommend pretty much anything by Alistair MacLeod, especially his short story collection As Birds Bring Forth the Sun and other stories. The Boughwolfen by Al Pittman is another good short story collection, very "readable". I always like reading Dickens, guy knew how to make a good story, if nothing else. I've pretty much finished my LitClaim for now.
GhostfaceKillah
Active member
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Republic by Plato (I haven't read it, but it is one of my goals to read through the entire work)
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Republic by Plato (I haven't read it, but it is one of my goals to read through the entire work)
