Ludicrous Speed
Banned
I still read, but I read trash literature. Sex stories primarily. I have a beautiful mind. No need for pictures.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
62% of people pretend to have read classic novels
- Thread starter Messofanego
- Start date
- Status
PirateKing
Junior Member
Cheers. Just wondering why that would be a spoiler but I bookmarked the name. Any other books?
Sho_Nuff82
Member
I've read 5/10 (LOTR, 1984, CiTR, Jane Eyre, and TKaM) and seen Bride and Prejudice. I read Jane and CitR in high school, so I barely remember them, and I only watched Bride for the hot Indian women.
The feel of 60 pct.
The feel of 60 pct.
True story. That episode was the sole reason I read Great Expectations...I like the South Park version better.
XD.
Go read The Count of Monte Cristo. It's a classic novel that is probably the most entertaining book you will ever read.
I have no problem with people who haven't read many books, because it's pretty hard for most people to get the kind of big chunks of quiet alone time that you need to really dig your teeth into them. People who proudly say they don't want to read something, or even never want to read anything, instantly go on my mental ignore list.
Anyway, not all of those books are equally good, but they are all worth reading, even LOTR. The only one I haven't read is "A Passage to India," but it's in good company, so I think I'll get a copy.
Anyway, not all of those books are equally good, but they are all worth reading, even LOTR. The only one I haven't read is "A Passage to India," but it's in good company, so I think I'll get a copy.
Well yeah, they're part of the book.
I've read most of those because I had an AP English class in High School. I couldn't tell you much of anything about them anymore, though, except whether I liked them or not. My brain really doesn't retain story details for very long, unfortunately, so most would probably think I haven't read any of 'em.
They both are in high school curriculum in Russia, as compulsory reading.
I actually managed to read the odyssey, was a bloody nightmare negotiating the characters and the fact they're all related in some way or another
some guy wrote a book on this theme though a few years back, about talking books you havent read
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1433207982/
some guy wrote a book on this theme though a few years back, about talking books you havent read
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1433207982/
Messofanego
Banned
Tesseract
Banned
what would george costanza do?
Messofanego
Banned
You'll understand it when you read it.
As for other books, maybe you can elaborate a bit more what you mean in mysteris.
Are you looking for something that is structured like a classic mystery, where there is a big unanswered question that get figured out toward the end or are you looking for more general "make my head spin" type of writing?
If it's the latter, Borges' short stories (which is mostly what he wrote) are an obvious choice, they're very readible and very mindblowing.
If it's the former, then Chronicle of a Death Foretold fits the bill (I think, but regardless, it's a very good book).
Edit: and the Trial by Franz Kafka is both.
Cow Mengde
Banned
I read Romance of the 3 Kingdoms, Journey to the West, and Water Margin. Only classic novels I need.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
I really dug Catcher and Holden himself when I was 14. Even wrote a fanfic chapter for a class assignment. Having read over the synopsis a week or so ago, I thought he was a whiny bitch. So yeah, the Shinji comparison is pretty apt.
I read Romance of the 3 Kingdoms and Journey to the West, and found them both very very difficult to read.
Maybe it's the translation.
TheChewyWaffles
Member
I've ready every one of those books in the OP.
Or am I lying?
Of those I've read 1984, LOTR, catcher in the rye, great expectations and to kill a mockingbird. I can honestly say I enjoyed 1984 immensely and re-read it now and then but I wouldn't bother rereading any of the others.
Also I completely forgot what great expectations was about. So boring for me.
I'm surprised Shakespeare isn't on this list it do plays not count?
Also I completely forgot what great expectations was about. So boring for me.
I'm surprised Shakespeare isn't on this list it do plays not count?
I attempted to read Romance, and I was defeated by all the Chinese names.
I want to give it another go, as I am a lot more accustomed to Asian names than I was back in high school. Plus Dyansty Warriors has trained me for that moment.
But you need to give Genji some love!
DimmuBurgerKing
Member
I had to read almost all of those at some point in high school (Great Expectations in middle school, IIRC) and college...
Kenshin001
Member
I've read all those books.
Delicious Waffles
Member
I haven't read any of those. I did start LotR but it was incredibly monotonous and stopped a few chapters in.
joeyjoejoeshabadoo
Member
Out if those books I've read Lord of the Rings, A Passage to India, and To Kill a Mockingbird. I really enjoyed Lord of the Rings (read it a couple of times) and to Kill a Mockingbird but the only thing I remember of A Passage to India was that I hated it. As far as other classic novels not on the list I really loved The Count of Monte Cristo and Lord of the Flies.
Is is something that an English reader would find overly difficult?
I'm honestly asking, I'm just trying to set my expectation right, I'm not a stranger to reading difficult books, I read Proust and liked it, I read Ulysses and hated it
I read Tristram Shandy and said, nah, fuck it, I'll stick with A Cock and Bull Story 
.I heard it can be quite a slog for modern western readers.
SteveWinwood
Member
I've read like 6 of those.
3 for school. Kind of shocked catcher in the rye, 1984 and Mockingbird are up there. Not hard to read and not long. Bang em out in a weekend.
War and Peace was actual work to get through though.
I'll never read Jane Eyre. Gross.
3 for school. Kind of shocked catcher in the rye, 1984 and Mockingbird are up there. Not hard to read and not long. Bang em out in a weekend.
War and Peace was actual work to get through though.
I'll never read Jane Eyre. Gross.
Is is something that an English reader would find overly difficult?
I'm honestly asking, I'm just trying to set my expectation right, I'm not a stranger to reading difficult books, I read Proust and liked it, I read Ulysses and hated itI just want to know if this is something I can take to beach vacationI read Tristram Shandy and said, nah, fuck it, I'll stick with A Cock and Bull Story
I heard it can be quite a slog for modern western readers.
I haven't read Genji yet; I am reading it once I finish this current novel. But there are three different translations for this work. It seems like Tyler might be the best one for someone unfamiliar with the culture, as I hear he writes an intro prior to each chapter. I can get back to you once I finish Genji, which will probably be in October.
Megalosaro
Banned
Depressing? I thought Wuthering Heights was awesome. Heathcliff is awesome. I loved what he did to that one dude's sister. That dude's wrath was amazing.
Edit: Regarding Genji, the Tyler version is considered the definitive version for now. As a novel, I don't care for it that much though. Hearing about Genji's misadventures while trying to get laid is only interesting for so long. No need for a 1000+ pages of that shit.
SteveWinwood
Member
GoT is a lot easier to read than Lotr. It's still not that hard though as long as you actually want to read it (like most books).A need to read the Lord of the Rings book, I just started A Song of Ice and Fire series and this shit is an addicting read. I got the series last Tuesday and I'm almost through with the Game of Thrones book
Permanently A
Junior Member
Damn, I've only read like, 2 or 3 of those.
I should probably read more books than reading forums all day.
I should probably read more books than reading forums all day.
NekoFever
Member
The majority of people in the UK would have read at least a handful of Shakespeare plays in school, so they probably don't have to lie about it. Off the top of my head I did at least five and went into enough depth on all of them to know them pretty well.
I read a lot but I've only read three of the books in the OP (LOTR, 1984 and Great Expectations). Wouldn't feel the need to lie about the ones I haven't, though.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
I'd recommend reading Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea back to back. WSS is a prequel of sorts that changes your interpretation of everything in Jane. In a pretty horrifying way.
Elaugaufein
Member
I've read 4 of the top 10. Most of what it's done is made me decide that being a "Classic" is seriously overrated.
Lord of the Rings I found genuinely enjoyable. To Kill a Mockingbird isn't something I'd read myself but I can understand how its considered a classic. Great Expectations could replace sleeping pills and serve as minor punishment. Catcher in the Rye didn't even reach that level, I have a really good memory and I remember very little of the book and most of what I do remember was terrible, at least it was relatively short ?
Lord of the Rings I found genuinely enjoyable. To Kill a Mockingbird isn't something I'd read myself but I can understand how its considered a classic. Great Expectations could replace sleeping pills and serve as minor punishment. Catcher in the Rye didn't even reach that level, I have a really good memory and I remember very little of the book and most of what I do remember was terrible, at least it was relatively short ?
WickedCobra03
Member
I have read most of those, only because I felt like I had to. I think the hardest one for me to get through was War and Peace. Its actually a pretty good read, but crum, was it challenging to get through the how things were written 200 years ago compared with today. Even sentence structure was different.
I read it when I was about fifteen. Not sure I could actually remember much of it now. The only one of those I've read, although I attempted LOTR a few times (and have read The Hobbit)
I really enjoy that style of genre so I think I'll like it, plus like you said if you like the book it isnt hard at all to dive right in. Any similar books/series that are like those two that I mentioned?
SteveWinwood
Member
I'm not a fantasy guy, lots on here though so you'll get plenty of recommendations, but whenever people want something similar to game of thrones with it's houses, families, conflicts, and religions, I instantly say the Dune series. One of my favorites.
I am not all that well read considering my education level (B.Sc., B.Ed., M.Sc.). From those books on the first page, I have only read Lord of the Rings and Great Expectations. I started reading War and Peace last year, but became busy after the first 100 pages or so and never returned to it. While I have not read 1984, I have read Brave New World, We, and Fahrenheit 451. I typically like classic sci fi dystopias, so I will get around to it one day.
Also, if people force themselves through books without thinking about them, they won't get anything out of them. Anyone who reads Jane Austen and says it's a "period romance" wasn't paying attention and may as well not have read it.
A case in point is Jane Austen. I read all of her books over one summer in high school, and it was legitimately a life-changing experience for me. They stories aren't about who marries who. In the best Jane Austen books, the main character has to learn to choose between one person who is charming but actually empty, and another person who is a true good person.
A case in point is Jane Austen. I read all of her books over one summer in high school, and it was legitimately a life-changing experience for me. They stories aren't about who marries who. In the best Jane Austen books, the main character has to learn to choose between one person who is charming but actually empty, and another person who is a true good person.
SteveWinwood
Member
- Status