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.
Dante's Inferno? Or maybe Les Miserables?
ReplyDeleteI 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!
ReplyDeleteMoby 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.
ReplyDelete