Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

What books have you read which you felt deserved to be on the list but had been overlooked.

Some books I think should be on the list are:

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Light in August by William Faulkner (I know there are already a few books of his on the list, but this one should definitely be on there too)

The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand (I was very surprised to see that Ayn Rand had been completely excluded from the list)

BTW-I'm going off of the 2006 list so I apologize if any of these books were later included in the 2008 one.

The Red Badge of Courage, Tom Sawyer, The Good Earth, and Roots should be on the list, to name a few.

"All the King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren

hi guys im new but i thik that the book "the family under the bridge" belongs on here

The absence of Ayn Rand lends substance to the list! What drivel. Awful prose, simpleton storylines, and works only marginally as an economic persuasion. Agree with Tom Sawyer, though Huck Finn did make the list.

I was surprised and delighted by the absence of Ayn rand!

Both Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead deserve to be on the list. I would also include Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet and The Giver by Lois Lowry. Even though it is technically Young Adult, it has a powerful message that applies to all ages.

I have seen Ayn Rand described as "a talented typist" and do not feel her absence on this list at all: of the very few 'did not finish' books in my life, hers are two.

"The Giver" is extremely powerful, and my first reaction was that this should be sold by prescription only, like "Goodnight, Mr. Tom," another YA.

Chel, you took the titles out of my mouth! Red Badge of Courage, one of the first realistic war stories, should be there, and definitely something by Pearl Buck. I also feel that leaving Ray Bradbury off the list is a big oversight - Fahrenheit 451 should be there at least. And I was annoyed/surprised that Pilgrim's Progress was dropped from the 2006 list.
BTW, I LOVE The Giver, Lyn, one of my all-time favorites, but a little too juvenile for this list perhaps (?).

The Dollmaker by H. Arnow, Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins, Travels with Charlie by Steinbeck are a few of my choices.

I will certainly concur with Red Badge of Courage, The Good Earth or something else by Pearl Buck, Fahrenheit 451, Pilgrim's Progress, and anything by Steinbeck.

I agree the Giver is probably too young, but it is such a great book.

There are 3 works by Steinbeck on the list: Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men (his two best IMO) and Cannery Row.

I actually meant to reply that they could add Travels with Charlie as anything by Steinbeck is great IMO. Sorry for the confusion.

AHH Amanda, that one is my favorite Steinbeck.

Linda wrote: "Chel, you took the titles out of my mouth! Red Badge of Courage, one of the first realistic war stories, should be there, and definitely something by Pearl Buck. I also feel that leaving Ray Bradbu..." I agree about Bradbury. I nominate Dandelion Wine and/or The Martian Chronicles.Alas,never read Fahrenheit 451. One of those books you think you know without having read it.

The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. It deserves a slot more than Paulo Coelho's The Devil and Miss Prym. How could 1001 editors miss that?

I'm a romantic, so I go for "A Severe Mercy" by Sheldon Vanauken.

Maus and Persepolis. I know they're graphics - but they both feel like novels.

I'm glad Pillars didn't make the list - I couldn't stand that book. =( Good Earth and East of Eden should both be on there. Everything Steinbeck wrote is amazing - maybe they felt the need to be selective and ignore Eden? Although they did select Jane Austen's Emma - and they could have certainly left that off and kept her other better works on the list.

I'd put The Book Thief on the list. It's so original and well done. I'm also surprised A Separate Peace isn't on the list, though I'm reading it myself for the first time, so perhaps I'll have a better idea why it's not there when I'm done.

Kuya Doni wrote: "The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. It deserves a slot more than Paulo Coelho's The Devil and Miss Prym. How could 1001 editors miss that?"

It was on the original list, which IMHO is a better list. I feel like, in attempting to revise the list every two years and pick up more contemporary books, the editors are tossing out a lot of tried and true classics for stuff that may not stand up to the test of time. I realize that part of it is attempting to balance the list so that it's not just Old White Guy Literature, but it's also just trying to resell the book every couple years.

Gini wrote: "Kuya Doni wrote: "The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. It deserves a slot more than Paulo Coelho's The Devil and Miss Prym. How could 1001 editors miss that?"

It was on the original list, w..."

You have a point. Thanks!

at least one donald goines. at least chester himes made the list

THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy
BLESS ME, ULTIMA by Rudolfo Anaya
THE BEACH by Alex Garland
THE BOTTOMS by Joe Lansdale
MYSTIC RIVER by Dennis Lehane
THE STRANGER by Albert Camus
IN THE WOODS by Tana French

Michelle wrote: "THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy
BLESS ME, ULTIMA by Rudolfo Anaya
THE BEACH by Alex Garland
THE BOTTOMS by Joe Lansdale
MYSTIC RIVER by Dennis Lehane
THE STRANGER by Albert Camus
IN THE WOODS by ..."

The Stranger by Albert Camus is on the list, but under the title The Outsider :)

Ah, good to know. Thanks.

Here's a dozen I came up with:

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

The City and the Pillar: A Novel by Gore Vidal

The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines

The Naked Civil Servant by Quentin Crisp

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

The Aspern Papers by Henry James

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

The Haunting of Hill House byShirley Jackson

I don't know why Persuasion by Jane Austen is left out of the list, but Mansfield Park is included. Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel, and in my opinion one of if not her best. Mansfield Park is just ok.

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

orginal Dragonball manga comic book!!! Flowers for Algernon!! The script to star wars..

Sprange Ben Lend Splotches Abruptly wrote: "Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates"

I agree with you!

Ivan - The Turn of the Screw is #789.

Maria - Persuasion is #933.

I agree with quite a few that everyone has listed. Revolutionary Road was very excellent!

Oops, my bad.

I think Cormac McCarthy's two better works are already on the list (Blood Meridian and All the Pretty Horses) - and don't know that The Road needs to be on there too (when so many other good works by authors not on the list are missing). That's my opinion anyways. =)

I also could not stand The Book Thief (personally). I returned it to the library midway through. It kept showing up in the goodreads recommendations (even now) so I checked it out - and was very disappointed after I started it. Although I have been generally disappointed by all the books recommended by goodreads (in the sidetab). Anyone else?

I would disagree with ALL THE PRETTY HORSES being a better work than THE ROAD. But to each their own!

I'm planning on reading THE BOOK THIEF ASAP. That's the reason I probably WON'T get all 1001 books read...too many great books to read that DIDN'T make it on to the list. Makes you think, what is the criteria to become a list book? Does anyone know?

Charity wrote: "Ivan - The Turn of the Screw is #789.

Maria - Persuasion is #933.

I agree with quite a few that everyone has listed. Revolutionary Road was very excellent!"

Cool, thanks Charity!

Michelle wrote: "I would disagree with ALL THE PRETTY HORSES being a better work than THE ROAD. But to each their own!

I'm planning on reading THE BOOK THIEF ASAP. That's the reason I probably WON'T get all 100..."

LOL - I think All the Pretty Horses is my favorite McCarthy work. Blood Meridian I had to push through (although I think it would make an amazing movie) and the Road I thought was just hum hum.

I just picked up two library books definitely not on the list. I have been trying to rotate between list books and regular books - sometimes I feel I just need to get through a quick pop lit. read especially after reading some of the list books. =)

Charity wrote: "I agree with quite a few that everyone has listed. Revolutionary Road was very excellent!"

yeah. this novel is very breathtaking. a masterpiece

Lonesome Dove.

K.D. wrote: "Sprange Ben Lend Splotches Abruptly wrote: "Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates"

I agree with you!"

So do I! Loved that book!

Pillars of the Earth?

Ivan wrote: "Here's a dozen I came up with:

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt..."

I agree about "Death Comes to the Archbishop" and so many of Faulkner's deserve to be listed and to STAY listed!

I think the point of the list is to have a little of everything: romance, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, children's books, etc. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, for example, would have gotten 5 stars from me. Why not, then, put this in and delete The Water-Babies from the list? Well, the latter is for children, better than Through the Looking Glass IMHO. So if you delete the same for Midnight, that would probable affect the intended even distribution of books belonging to different categories.

Joselito wrote: "I think the point of the list is to have a little of everything: romance, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, children's books, etc. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, for example, would have ..."

Makes sense, Joselito. I agree.

Yas wrote: "Pillars of the Earth?"

I like that, Yas! It is the best book I've read about medieval monks.

I agree with Michelle's Bless Me Ultima choice and Ivan's suggestion of Death Comes for the Archibishop. Both of those books feel like overlooked classics. Also multiple people mentioned The Good Earth which I think deserves to be on the list.

I know it's a western but I think that Shane by Jack Schaefer should have made it also. The World to Come by Dara Horn is an incredible book I wish was on the list too. As for science fiction, there's one I'll never forget called The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. It's like Bradbury in space and it predates many titles that are considered classic sci-fi today.

Yeah, seriously -- where's the Bradbury? If they are going to represent the different genres of writing, some are very underrepresented, horror and scifi being two of them.

First of all, how can any self-respecting list omit Wallace Stegner?

I would also have to say I am surprised by the omission of The River Why by David James Duncan, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, the total omission of C.S. Lewis, the fact that Barbara Kingsolver has written much better books than The Poisonwood Bible, All The King's Men by Robert Penn Warren, A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean, Sophie's Choice, and A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, just for starters.

Oh! And no Wendell Berry? If you haven't read Jayber Crow, by all means put it on your list!

Amanda wrote: "Wasn't the Chabon on one version of the list?"

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay was on the 2006 & 2008 lists, but removed from the 2010 version.