Monday, August 11, 2008

The 100 Books You Must Read Before You Die (Part 3)

Putting together my own "100 Books" list has left me feeling like I am running a marathon. I started off strong and fast -- the first 25 books were easy to list, but I have been steadily growing slower as the numbers get higher... will I ever reach the end?

This post will include books 51 through 75 and several are books I've yet to read, but based on my own readings and the recommendations I've received I believe these books should be on the list. Of course... as author of the list, I reserve the right to amend it at a later date as necessary.

Please note these books are listed in alphabetical order. Other than that there is no order as to which comes first, except to say I thought of the first fifty books before I came to these, so they fall to the bottom end of 100 for a reason -- I either forgot about them (for shame!) or they weren't worthy of reaching to the top.

51. A Room With A View by E.M. Forster
52. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle+
53. Aesop's Fables by Aesop+
54. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
55. Carry On Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Lantham
56. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
57. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
58. Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
59. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens*
60. Democracy in America by Alexis DeTocqueville*
61. Emma by Jane Austen*
62. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift*
63. Heidi by Sarah Stephen*
64. The House of Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorn*
65. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling*
66. Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
67. The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett*
68. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
69. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
70. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
71. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
72. Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter
73. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
74. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackery*
75. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte*+

+ Aesop's Fables -- I realize there are 600 fables, so when listing this on my 100 Books list I had in mind a small collection (not complete), though if you felt inclined to read all the Fables, well then, good for you!

+ The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes -- I wanted to include Sherlock Holmes, but it was a difficult choice as to which book or compilation of short stories to include. In the end I chose the first compilation of short stories (12 in this book). I believe this book is a good introduction to the famous detective and since it consists of short stories it is a little lighter than diving into a novel. Overall a good place to begin when first meeting Holmes.

+ Wuthering Heights -- I almost didn't include this book on my list. I have never read it, but I did see the old 1930s movie and I hated the story. However, after a recent conversation with a friend (who's book selections I very much respect) I decided to put it on my list and read it. Then I can seriously judge whether or not it deserves a final resting place on my Top 100 list.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I LOVED Wuthering Heights! I read it in like 2 days! The characters are all horrid, but it makes for a good read. I taught it in AP Eng. too. Never cared for any of the film adaptations.