13 Books Nobody Has Read But Say They Have

[emmline]

Oh shiznit...I was supposed to brag? Fine. I've read Les Miserables unabridged in English once, and abridged in French twice. Yeah, I know it's not on the list. It should be though.

[cowtime]

Credit should be given for any book read in anything other than your native language.

[HDSarah]

Credit should be given for any book read in anything other than your native language.

Do children's books count? I read "Le Petit Prince" (The Little Prince, by Antoine Saint-Exupery) in French.

As for the list, I read The Name of the Rose and actually liked it. (Then I tried to get through Foucault's Pendulum by Eco and never made it.) I've also read A Christmas Carol and Moby Dick. I barely remember Moby Dick, but I remember enough to know I never would have willingly reread it, much less 4 times.

[Innocent Bystander]

(Just finished "Orphée" by Jean Cocteau, in French. Not a bad read, neither.)

I read 'em all except "Democracy in America" (never heard of it. Is it fantasy?)
Remembrance of things Past, Satanic Verses & Don Quixote. The only one out of those I might consider reading is Don Quixote - which I understand is actually a pastiche of an earlier book.

Oops. Never read Ininite Jest neither. Wow, that book sounds tedious the way they describe it on Wiki.

[Innocent Bystander]

ah. de Tocqueville. so it IS fantasy.

[s1m0n]

I've read Ulysses several times, and lots of the Canterbury tales. I've also ploughed through the Name of the Rose but regret doing so.

[Innocent Bystander]

People rave about "The Da Vinci Code" and shy away from "In the Name of the Rose". People are odd.

[s1m0n]

I haven't raved about the Da Vinci Code. Not even once.

[Innocent Bystander]

Now you're going to tell me that you're not odd. And you read Ulysses more than once.

[s1m0n]

I suspect the da Vinci Code has more resonance for people who grew up as churchgoers; particularly in the Catholic church. I didn't, so the tropes its author manipulates are much less present in my head.

[brewerpaul]

The da Vinci Code is quick easy reading which doesn't place a lot of demands on the reader. You most definitely have to pay attention to The Name Of The Rose.

I'll stand by my multiple readings of Moby Dick. Yes, it does indeed take a while to get moving. Yes, there are parts that are not essential to the plot line eg the long section on Cetology (biology of whales). I'll admit that I've buzzed through some of those sections during later readings of the book. However, this great novel has so much other great material that it's well worth the effort. The characters are beautifully crafted. The descriptions of whaling in the 19th century are fascinating-- we generally oppose whaling today, but back in the day it was an essential industry.
Melville uses many interesting literary techniques, some well ahead of his time, such as stream of consciousness writing. Don't give up on it so easily.

[Denny]

ah. de Tocqueville. so it IS fantasy.

ah, but of course!

[Anyanka]

Credit should be given for any book read in anything other than your native language.

I only ever read in other-than-my-native-language these days.

[mutepointe]

Credit should be given for any book read in anything other than your native language.

I only ever read in other-than-my-native-language these days.

We'll need more than that.

[Peewit]

I read Canterbury Tales for AP English, and À la recherche du temps perdu (Remembrance of things past) in AP French... in French. I enjoyed them both. From comments here, I may try In the Name of the Rose; and I have a copy of Ulysses. I liked Dubliners which is apparently a lot more accessible. Maybe I'll try it with Cliff's Notes.