I had considered myself well-read until.....

[catorman]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "catorman" <catherine at c...> wrote:
> --- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> wrote:
> > --- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Rachel Bray" <bray.262 at o...> 
> > wrote:
> > > I printed off the 100 Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900 
> > > (thanks to the Leaky Cauldron for the link: 
> > > http://www.npr.org/programs/totn/features/2002/mar/020319.ch
> > > aracters.html  )
> > > 
> > > After going through and highlighting all that I've read on 
> > > their list.....I am rather embarrassed.  I've only read 18 
> > > of them and 6 of those are considered "children's" books 
> > > (Winnie the Pooh, Cat In the Hat, Harry, etc.) and most of 
> > > the 18 was required reading in high school. 
> > 
> > Hmm...I've read thirty-six. A taste for mysteries and spy novels 
> > will take you far, I guess. But I'm probably twice your age, so 
I  
> > shouldn't be bragging.
> > 
> > Pippin
> > wondering why there's no science fiction on that list
> 
> OK - I'm upping the ante with 52 (but I was am an English graduate 
> and did a lot of 20th Century literature), but some of this really 
is 
> stupid, as To Kill a Mockingbird is in there three times.  A very 
> strange selection IMO.  Very male dominated, apart from Virginia 
> Woolf (I've read her work and don't rate it).  Why no Science 
> Fiction?  It also seemed to me that there were a lot of cult 
American 
> novels in there, and none of the English equivalents - the last 20 
> years in UK literature was really badly represented.  
> 
> BTW:  I think Lolita is superbly written - erudite, witty, 
cultured, 
> eccentric (and monstrous).  It's definitely well worth reading IMO.
> 
> 
> Catherine

Addendum:  I'm being my normal dim self (all that reading obviously 
doesn't help!) because I realised afterwards that I shouldn't have 
counted some books more than once.  So the figure is at 45.  I had a 
look at the Random house lists, and was not surprised to see Ulysses 
at Number One.  I've read Portrait, but could never bring myself to 
read Ulysses.  I'm also pretty sure that 9 out of 10 people who claim 
it is one of the best books of the Twentieth Century haven't managed 
to read it either.  I'm still more surprised about what isn't there, 
than what is.

Catherine