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

[naamagatus]

--- 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. And I'm a 
> blasted English major for goodness sake!  Tis a sad, sad 
> day indeed.  :-/  Rather depressing.
> 
> I need to get to work on reading some of these.  Except for 
> Lolita.  That story line gives me the yucks.
> 

I thought I was well read too... I got 27 on the NPR list and then 
checked the Rondom house lists - 26 of the board's list and 37 of the 
reader's list. Some I wasn't sure I've read, and some I'm not sure I 
haven't read, so they probably cancel each other out. I also checked 
every Heinlin I saw, whether I remember reading it or not, since I 
had an obsessive SF reading spree during high school and read every 
Heinlin novel there was in the library (it was a pretty good library, 
too). In the board's list, it helped that I had a similar (though 
later) obsession with D.H. Lawrence (why didn't he make it to the 
readers' list, I wonder?) and E.M. Forster. But there are so many 
writers I haven't read at all - Saul Bellow, Aldous Huxley, Malcolm 
Lowry (who's he?), Theodore Dreiser, Edith Wharton, Willa Cather... 
and others.

I've never gotten up the nerve to read Ulysess either, Catherine, 
although it's sitting on my book shelf for over 5 years now. Maybe we 
should form a support group.. :-)

And yes, Lolita is wonderful. Definitely on my personal list of best 
books. 

Speaking of personal book lists, I know this is a long shot, but has 
anybone read novels by David Grossman? He's an Israeli writer whose 
books have been translated to English (and many other languages). 
Highly recommended. His best are (IMO) "See Under: Love" and "The 
Book of Intimate Grammar." Do try them. I'd love to know what 
Americans (and other non-Israelis) think of him.


Naama