Saturday, January 2, 2010

Three Greatest Novels.... Ever?



Last year, I purchased a used copy of Tolstoy's "War and Peace". It has been sitting on my shelf ever since, both beckoning and threatening. I wanted to read it when the weather got colder, as winter and Russian literature always seem so well-suited for each other. The time has arrived, and I have begun reading this behemoth classic novel. This ties in with one of my goals for 2010- to read at least 3 daunting, great novels. These novels will be daunting in both length and content, but this year I would like to spend time with truly great minds.


But which 3 novels to read? I found the following list of the greatest, most influential novels of all time, and I am pondering which selections appeal to me. I must have some interest in the novel itself, lest I fail in my goal. Don Quixote, The Brothers Karamazov, Moby Dick and Madame Bovary... Oh my! Any other suggestions? Joyce is right out - I understand that Ulysses cannot be read without extensive cliffnotes. No thanks! But for now, I shall content myself with Tolstoy.


3 comments:

  1. Dante's Inferno? Or maybe Les Miserables?

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  2. I did think about Les Mis actually! I'd love to compare the musical (love it) with the book. It's super long so it definitely fits the "daunting" description!

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  3. Moby Dick is truly a great book. It's one of those "everything" books.But don't be afraid of Ulysses. Joyce is cool, you just have to be comfortable with getting lost.

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me!