Comments on: 2011 Resolution #3: Read 100 Unread Books

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:20:48 +0000

Infinite Jest and Gravity’s Rainbow together could take a whole year. This is quite an ambitious list, good luck!

By: AnnJo

AnnJo — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 04:06:42 +0000

You seem like such a nice guy. A year from now, after that list? Not so much, I fear. It puts me in mind of those of my younger relatives who won’t watch any movie that’s in black-and-white. A little, or rather, a lot more – call it “temporal diversity” might balance it out.

By: sjw

sjw — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:24:33 +0000

I’m going to suggest skipping _Windup Girl_. _And then we came to an end_ was very good.

And for Dawkins, reading three in a short time period is going to get repetitive.

You have a bunch of doorstoppers in there.

By: Systemizer

Systemizer — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:22:48 +0000

“2011 Resolution #3: Read 100 Unread Books”

You go Superman.

By: Briana @ GBR

Briana @ GBR — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 01:40:10 +0000

I have a similar goal but with all the things I’m doing, I have mine at 1 book a week. I have so many books in my Kindle but I vowed to not buy another book until the ones already in my Kindle are read. So everything else is on my wishlist

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:56:39 +0000

I would recommend just reading the abridged version of the Count of Monte Cristo…so little time, so many books!!

By: Mel

Mel — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 19:13:43 +0000

I second mer723 on Shogun – I tend to read a lot, but I have brain like a sieve, and often forget or jumble stories. Not so Shogun – several scenes were clear as day to me when I read them, and remain so today. I wouldn’t say it was life-changing, but I think it improved my mind!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:48:58 +0000

Good luck with Infinite Jest. I’m a fellow voracious reader who loves high quality fiction, and I consider that book to be as pretentious a pile of nonsense as I’ve ever encountered. I honestly think not one critic could make any sense of it, so they figured they’d better give it a great review so as not to be perceived as un-hip. A Soprano on Her Head is a great book, and highly recommended for anyone whose mind often gets in the way of any kind of performance (can include speaking in front of others). Richard Dawkins’ God Delusion is fabulous!

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:46:10 +0000

I “knew” the Franzen would get better and I skipped large parts of the Lamb.

There are way too many good books to keep going on bad books, I totally agree!

By: guinness416

guinness416 — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:24:20 +0000

Gretchen – one of the best “resolutions” I made for myself a few years ago was to stop feeling I had to finish a book once I started it. In my early twenties I felt I had to drag myself through something worthy or well-regarded because I wanted to impress with my impressive reading list or because my friends read it or the NYT said I should. Now I toss ‘em after 100 pages without a second thought if I want to!

I did finish Freedom though, I liked it better than The Corrections :)

By: Gretchen

Gretchen — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:13:31 +0000

“Freedom” is another example of an okay book that reviews (and NPR!) wet themselves over.

(While the middle was tedious, I did enjoy the ending and therefore, the book overall.)

What is your plan for books you don’t like? (ie, the Wally Lamb. terrible. Terrible. Sadly and annoying Terrible. )

By: elderly librarian

elderly librarian — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 18:49:01 +0000

I’m with Julia in the UK also. I would consider a lot of the list disappointing and tedious, but to each his own.
Many votes for the oldies but goodies — Count of Monte Cristo, Sons and Lovers, and the Idiot. (great old French film was made of that latter one) Leave 95% of this list unfinished if warranted. It would be good to investigate some great children’s literature to offer your kids too.

By: gail

gail — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 15:25:34 +0000

Great book list. Wally Lamb is amazing. Enjoy!

By: nancy

nancy — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 15:06:31 +0000

What a dark list. Depressed much?

By: christine a

christine a — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 12:57:53 +0000

I’m with Julia, reviewers certainly do rave about tedious self-absorbed nonsense (I’m thinking The Northern Clemency & White Tiger here) however, Best American Short Stories 2009 has several gems which literally altered my world view – Alice Sebold is a very fine editor.

By: Julia in UK

Julia in UK — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 12:23:00 +0000

Oh Trent you don’t have to read these books. Some of these authors are very tedious e.g. Richard Dawkins. Reviewers often seem to rave about books that nobody enjoys. I now get books out of the library, and if I don’t like them I take them back unfinished.

By: mer723

mer723 — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 12:10:18 +0000

Wow, I haven’t heard of about 95% of those books! However Shogun is one I have and read. I enjoyed it immensely. It will lead you to the rest of his books, all which have a common thread that you don’t realize. Good luck with your goals!

By: Charles Cohn

Charles Cohn — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 11:48:55 +0000

One book I consider very important is “Transcend” by Ray Kurzweil and Terry Grossman, MD. The most important chapter is the first chapter, in which the authors give us science-based hope that we could live forever. The remainder of the book consists primarily of health hints to help us attain this goal.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 09:33:24 +0000

An amazing list and some really excellent books on there – I’ve particularly enjoyed David Mitchell, Michael Chabon, JS Foer, Kazuo Ishiguro, and The Count of Monte Cristo (which I read on my iPhone having downloaded it from The Gutenberg Project for free – it was great to have it with me all the time, and so engaging!)

I have to agree with the people who’ve commented on American Psycho – be careful about what you put in your head, because you can never get it out again. I don’t know that I was ultimately glad to have given in to my curiosity about the book. FYI, even in Australia, a pretty liberal country from a publishing and censorship perspective, it has an R 18+ rating, and is sold in bookshops covered in plastic wrap. So we’re not being sissies about it – the content is STRONG. It’s pretty much up to how you cope with detailed depictions of sexualised violence against women, with no real redeeming features. The movie is massively watered down and doesn’t begin to approach the sheer nastiness of the book.

But, whatever your decision, good luck with the books on this list! I know what it’s like to keep a “to read” list, and I wish you great enjoyment from making it through yours.

By: J.

J. — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 03:43:13 +0000

big thumbs up for the Gaiman & Simmons books, as well as Bonhoeffer. Warning: Simmons’ duology is a long read, and it took me three attempts to get into Illium. But very rewarding, and even better than his Hyperion series.

For Bonhoeffer, see if you can get a hold of the newest English translation from Fortress Press, which is simply called “Discipleship” (closer to his original title) and includes extensive notes.