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The FBG Top 300 Books of All Time (fiction edition) | #6 A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin | Running list in posts #3 and #4 (29 Viewers)
- Thread starter kupcho1
- Start date
Don Quixote
Footballguy
I think the same applied for me. I think I read it around when I was in college. Remember loving it then and still have it on my bookshelf. But I think it had been so long that it did not come to mind when I was pulling together list.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Same. Was good, no idea what I would think now.
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
I reread it during covid when my daughter had to read it for high school and I think it holds up very well. Even though I enjoyed it when I first read it I actually thought I got more out of it as an older adult.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
Never read it.
kupcho1
Footballguy
I'm quite illiterate, but I read a lot.
7. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
guru_007: #2
Frostillicus: #2
Dr. Octopus: #6
Long Ball Larry: #6
rockaction: #25
KeithR: #34
ilov80s: #41
Total points: 614
Average: 87.7
I knew this book (spoiler: the highest ranking YA novel) would make the top 300, but 4 top 10s and a #7 ranking?
My reaction
| 7 | The Catcher in the Rye | J.D. Salinger | guru_007, Dr. Octopus, ilov80s, Frostillicus, KeithR, rockaction, Long Ball Larry |
7. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
guru_007: #2
Frostillicus: #2
Dr. Octopus: #6
Long Ball Larry: #6
rockaction: #25
KeithR: #34
ilov80s: #41
Total points: 614
Average: 87.7
I knew this book (spoiler: the highest ranking YA novel) would make the top 300, but 4 top 10s and a #7 ranking?
My reaction
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Worth a read. It’s super quick.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
I am surprised it was so high since it’s a very polarizing book. I read it at the right time in life, I think freshman year of college so it worked for me. However, I can see how just a few years later it might have been annoying and a huge miss.I'm quite illiterate, but I read a lot.
7 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger guru_007, Dr. Octopus, ilov80s, Frostillicus, KeithR, rockaction, Long Ball Larry
7. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
guru_007: #2
Frostillicus: #2
Dr. Octopus: #6
Long Ball Larry: #6
rockaction: #25
KeithR: #34
ilov80s: #41
Total points: 614
Average: 87.7
I knew this book (spoiler: the highest ranking YA novel) would make the top 300, but 4 top 10s and a #7 ranking?
My reaction
Sometimes you just read a book and it sticks with you through the years. As a human being, there is a definitive transition between childhood and adulthood and sometimes that's difficult. There is a certain innocence of being a child, an inherent unstained trait, whereas when you transition to adulthood you see the harsh realities of life and the struggles that one must face, oftentimes on a daily basis. When you reach adulthood, you look back at childhood and have memories, some are fond, some not so fond. But I think what you forget is what it was like to be a child and the transition you went through to become an adult. Painting with broad strokes here, sure and sometimes there is an underlying factor or experience which thrusts you into adulthood faster than you anticipated or in an unexpected manner. It’s like the old ‘60’s adage, don’t trust anyone over 30. Well, that is until it’s the ‘70’s and ‘80’s and now you’re the person over 30 and you have children that rely upon you. It’s tough when you’re younger and sometimes all you see is phoniness, be it a pretentious poster that feels a need to read every Pulitzer prize winner because someone else’s judgments on books/authors means something. But man, when you’re younger, sometimes you want to hold onto that innocence for so long as you can. And once it’s gone, you can’t get it back. Obviously if you read it when you are younger it will have more impact on you, whereas if you’re a bit older before introduced to it, you’ve already had the curtain pulled back a bit on life and well, you forget what it was like beforehand. Sure, I’ve known people that love this book, generally good looking, intelligent, successful people. And I’ve known people with an unnatural disdain towards this book, like my wife because this was also Winona Ryder’s favorite book and someone may or may not have had a major crush on her while they were younger, so right off the bat there is a prejudice there. But if a book hits you at just the right time, you can remember a bit how things were and put you in a frame of mind that sets you at peace (Siddhartha) with how life will flow along. I’ll end with just saying that the line where the book gets it’s title really sealed the deal for me. Just someone trying to protect the innocent(s). I’m not a very good writer at all, so this was probably a pretty poor summary, but I do enjoy reading. I should have one more super pretentious writeup forthcoming as well, so be forewarned.
kupcho1
Footballguy
Ouch
ETA: said the guy that listed the author of Lord of the Flies as Sir William Golding on his list.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Yeah, I read it later and did not really resonate with me. I liked Frannie and Zooey better, but did not rank that one either ultimately. I appreciated Salinger’s writing in The Catcher in the Rye more after reading Frannie and Zooey though, as understood a bit better that it was intentionally annoying.I am surprised it was so high since it’s a very polarizing book. I read it at the right time in life, I think freshman year of college so it worked for me. However, I can see how just a few years later it might have been annoying and a huge miss.I'm quite illiterate, but I read a lot.
7 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger guru_007, Dr. Octopus, ilov80s, Frostillicus, KeithR, rockaction, Long Ball Larry
7. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
guru_007: #2
Frostillicus: #2
Dr. Octopus: #6
Long Ball Larry: #6
rockaction: #25
KeithR: #34
ilov80s: #41
Total points: 614
Average: 87.7
I knew this book (spoiler: the highest ranking YA novel) would make the top 300, but 4 top 10s and a #7 ranking?
My reaction
Frostillicus
Footballguy
I had Catcher in the Rye as my #2. I read it either late in college or just out of college for the first time, and it was also one of the first "literary" works I read as I was just discovering there was more than Stephen King and John Grisham out there.
Holden really resonated with me. Just a few quotes:
“I don't exactly know what I mean by that, but I mean it.”
“People are always ruining things for you.”
“All morons hate it when you call them a moron.”
“Make sure you marry someone who laughs at the same things you do.”
“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”
“Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them—if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry.”
I'm older now. Probably a little wiser. So I don't know that this book would hit me as it did back in the day. I can read some of these quotes now and there is a little bit of the rolling of my eyes going on, but they were true to the character and they rang true to me when I read it. I though this book was absolutely ground-breaking, eye opening, world shifting, and everything esle you can imagine. If you didn't think so you're probably just a phony.
Holden really resonated with me. Just a few quotes:
“I don't exactly know what I mean by that, but I mean it.”
“People are always ruining things for you.”
“All morons hate it when you call them a moron.”
“Make sure you marry someone who laughs at the same things you do.”
“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”
“Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them—if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry.”
I'm older now. Probably a little wiser. So I don't know that this book would hit me as it did back in the day. I can read some of these quotes now and there is a little bit of the rolling of my eyes going on, but they were true to the character and they rang true to me when I read it. I though this book was absolutely ground-breaking, eye opening, world shifting, and everything esle you can imagine. If you didn't think so you're probably just a phony.
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
I read it in high school and was lukewarm on it, then read it in my 30s in response to wife's friend gushing about it as her favorite book. I liked it a little more the second time (probably because I was spending less time judging Holden than 14 year old me did), but it's still not really my thing. But there's no doubt that it really resonates with a lot of people, so that certainly says something positive about it.
dgreen
Footballguy
Until a few years ago, I almost never read books. I could count on one hand the number of complete books I read by the time I graduated college and probably only added about 10 (mostly econ-related since I was an Econ major - think Freakonomics and the like) to that list through my 20s and 30s. My last semester of college, I didn't even buy textbooks because I knew I wasn't going to read them. I don't remember the name of it, but I read one assigned novel in one of my college Lit classes. I think I was determined to read it since it's something I just didn't do. I would describe that experience as brutal. It was really hard to finish it, but I finished it.
Probably a few years after graduating college, my wife suggested that I try Catcher in the Rye. To my surprise, it kept my attention. It wasn't a chore to read. I literally LOLed a few times. I liked it. I'm pretty sure Catcher in the Rye and whatever book I read in that college lit class are the only two novels I've read, so I guess Catcher in the Rye is my #1.
Probably a few years after graduating college, my wife suggested that I try Catcher in the Rye. To my surprise, it kept my attention. It wasn't a chore to read. I literally LOLed a few times. I liked it. I'm pretty sure Catcher in the Rye and whatever book I read in that college lit class are the only two novels I've read, so I guess Catcher in the Rye is my #1.
kupcho1
Footballguy
Well, I ended up with the Bartsch version as that was what the library had on hand. I have no idea if the language is more or less beautiful than the Fitzgerald translation. In any event, it certainly was challenging!
I get why The Aeneid is an important work. Whether it is truly a Roman origin story, whether it is propaganda in favor of Augustus or critical of him, it almost beside the point. It's a fascinating look into an empire that is far back in history. The Aeneid makes Beowulf seem like a recent sensation. The fact that scholars are still arguing and interpreting the work speaks volumes.
Ain't gonna lie, though, it dragged at times. Often it was a laundry list of people, some of which were never before or again mentioned. And the list of kills. Yikes. Here's a taste from Book 10:
Caedicus killed Alcathous, Sacrator
killed Hydaspes, Rapo killed Parthenius
and strong Orses. Messapus killed Clonius
and Erichaetes, one thrown from his bareback horse,
one on foot. Lycian Agis came up just to
fall to Valerus, brave as his ancestors.
Salius killed Thronius, but Nealces
got him. His stealthy long-range arrows were well-known.'
Mind you, that's just a small portion of the action.
All in all, I'm glad I read it, but will almost certainly not be re-reading it.
The Winds of War and Siddhartha are in and I'll pick those up tomorrow.
Eephus
Footballguy
Straight up Gangsta ####
Dennis Castro
Footballguy
Interesting fact: Aldous Huxley died on November 22, 1963….the same day as John F. Kennedy and CS Lewis.
Eephus
Footballguy
ConstruxBoy
Kate's Daddy
Three dreamers...
krista4
Footballguy
I considered The Catcher in the Rye for my list. Ultimately, like some cited "time and place" as why they included it, I thought of "time and place" as why I didn't. I really enjoyed reading it, but upon later reflection I just wasn't so enamored. With this demographic (and relatedly at what age people might have read it), I am not surprised that it rated very well.
Long Ball Larry
Footballguy
I think I read catcher in the rye in high school. It just all made sense to me. I don’t know how “good” it is overall and maybe I should read it again to just see how it hits now.
kupcho1
Footballguy
When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.
6. A Game of Thrones (Vol. 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin
shuke: #6
Frostillicus: #8
scoobus: #8
guru_007: #10
Dr_Zaius: #13
Dr. Octopus: #16
Psychopav: #19
TheBaylorKid: #25
kupcho1: #36
Total points: 705
Average: 78.4
I think I might have had A Game of Thrones ranked higher if there was still any hope that the series would ever be finished, at least by Martin. I remember first reading the book and, after finishing chapter 7, thought I've never read anything like this before. There were real stakes in this story. In retrospect, it feels like I read it in a day, maybe two.
Which was a mistake.
Because what Martin does better than anyone I've come across is foreshadow major events if you pay attention (and read a little more slowly). I've reread the books more times than I care to admit, but each time I do, I find something new. This book is an amazing start to what could have been the greatest series of all time.
| 6 | A Game of Thrones (Vol. 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire) | George R.R. Martin | kupcho1, guru_007, Dr. Octopus, scoobus, TheBaylorKid, Frostillicus, Dr_Zaius, Psychopav, shuke |
6. A Game of Thrones (Vol. 1 of A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R.R. Martin
shuke: #6
Frostillicus: #8
scoobus: #8
guru_007: #10
Dr_Zaius: #13
Dr. Octopus: #16
Psychopav: #19
TheBaylorKid: #25
kupcho1: #36
Total points: 705
Average: 78.4
I think I might have had A Game of Thrones ranked higher if there was still any hope that the series would ever be finished, at least by Martin. I remember first reading the book and, after finishing chapter 7, thought I've never read anything like this before. There were real stakes in this story. In retrospect, it feels like I read it in a day, maybe two.
Which was a mistake.
Because what Martin does better than anyone I've come across is foreshadow major events if you pay attention (and read a little more slowly). I've reread the books more times than I care to admit, but each time I do, I find something new. This book is an amazing start to what could have been the greatest series of all time.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
The guy owes us nothing but I’ll never forgive that fat ******* for abandoning the series!
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
Don't have time to do a writeup right now, but just want to thank kupcho for urging me to read this, despite my prejudice against fantasy.
I can't recommend the first 3 books of this series enough to anyone, even if it doesn't seem anything like what you'd be into.
I can't recommend the first 3 books of this series enough to anyone, even if it doesn't seem anything like what you'd be into.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
I read the book before I saw the show and let's just say there's a few shocking/unexpected turn of events in the first book.
beer 30
Footballguy
my thoughts on the matter have been voiced in about every Game of Thrones thread on the board. There aren't a lot of people I hate in the world but I'd consider putting Martin on the list.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
He's really good at this. It might take 1,000 pages to see the results, but they all come home to roost. This a really well-written, cleverly-plotted book with interesting characters.
BTW, I've been listening to the audiobooks recently. I cannot stand the narrator. He's a fine reader, but the way he pronounces certain names drives me crazy. Now, maybe GRRM schooled him on his preferences and he's working from that - I don't know. The way, for instance, he pronounces Littlefinger's proper first name makes me want to hammer chopsticks into my eardrums.
Right. I read these books well before the HBO series started out. I ranked this one very highly for a few reasons.
First off, this book pulls no punches. It doesn't matter your social status, your age, anything, you are right close to getting thrown out a window if you don't watch yourself. And there is the underlying danger of the supernatural always lurking.
Secondly, I don't think this was the first POV book series, but it really was the best done that I've read so far. There are so many simultaneous story lines going about, it really helped me with the flow of the books knowing where we were at when I started the chapter. Obviously I didn't digest the entire book in one sitting, so it was nice to pick up after a chapter and then get right back into it.
Yeah, sucks he is never going to finish the book series, but such is life. It was a fun ride. The journey is the destination.
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
Peter Kreeft wrote a book called Beyond Heaven and Hell around the premise that the three meet after death and have a dialogue on their way to their respective final dispositions. I remember reading it when I was recently out of high school and thought it was an interesting exercise in trying to bring together various worldviews.
I don't know how well he succeeded but it was an interesting idea.
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
If you haven't read the books you might not appreciate this as much, but I was absolutely fascinated and not at all surprised that when the Game of Thrones TV show moved beyond the books not just the quality of the plot but the dialogue especially immediately dropped several notches. Martin has crafted a masterwork and it will be one of the all time saddest outcomes in literature if he's not able to finish the books.
Incidentally, he only just recently passed the milestone of the longest wait between books in the series. So while it's been WAY TOO LONG, not all hope is lost imo (at this point).
Incidentally, he only just recently passed the milestone of the longest wait between books in the series. So while it's been WAY TOO LONG, not all hope is lost imo (at this point).
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
What irritates me the most about it is that he was actively working on lots of other stuff, just not this series. If he had just taken the stance of "hey I'm getting older and I've made it and I want to enjoy what time I have left" I'd be disappointed but I'd at least understand. Working on everything else under the sun while pinky swearing the completion of the books is just around the corner is pretty annoying.
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
Personally I've lost all hope at this point. Maybe we get Winds, but no way A Dream of Spring is ever published in my opinion.
As an aside, for me personally Benioff and Weiss come off way worse than Martin for the whole saga. The fact that they couldn't match Martin's level once they ran out of book material is understandable, but the fact that they seemingly rushed the ending over the objections of HBO because they were just bored with the whole thing is pretty rage inducing. If they didn't want to put in the effort to give the show the ending it deserved they should have at least had the decency to pass it off to somebody else who would.
beer 30
Footballguy
Can't agree with you more on all fronts. For one of the greatest potential series in the genre, it ****ing amazes me how so many people responsible for bringing it to life bailed on it and just left it hanging. The writer, THE MOTHER ****ING WRITER bailed on finishing the series and then the two showrunners who gave life to the pages of what could have been an epic TV series do the exact same thing the last two years when you have a studio literally throwing you an unlimited budget to finish it out. Simply amazing to me.
As an aside, Martin has recently came out and pretty much said he doubts he will ever finish the series, including Winds. He's quit and until he dies and his estate agrees to partner with someone to finish it, we won't get the ending we are looking for. There are also rumors he's told his wife to destroy any notes regarding the series upon his death.
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
It has been YEARS since he has said or implied that the completion of the books is "just around the corner." His standard position on this for years now has been that he's working on it, does make progress despite his other endeavors, and they will be ready when they are ready.What irritates me the most about it is that he was actively working on lots of other stuff, just not this series. If he had just taken the stance of "hey I'm getting older and I've made it and I want to enjoy what time I have left" I'd be disappointed but I'd at least understand. Working on everything else under the sun while pinky swearing the completion of the books is just around the corner is pretty annoying.
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
What? Link to the bolded?
He posted on his blog a couple weeks ago something that was sarcastic. If you have a link that is a source other than that post I'd love (and hate) to see it.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
I think the TV show screwed Martin up. He supposedly gave the showrunners a few of the plot beats to come, but it became obvious that he was growing increasingly disillusioned with what they were doing. I think he's been rewriting some of those plot beats and is trying to make them fit into what he's already written. I also think he's gotten lazy and can't find the energy to make his way out of the knot he's tied himself into.
Been 14 years since the last volume came out.
Been 14 years since the last volume came out.
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
I'll trust you on that as I've honestly stopped paying attention. I can't remember the exact timing anymore, but it was roughly around when he released the sample chapters where I recall several statements implying it'd be within a year.
I've wondered about this myself. Given that the ending wasn't very well received, is he trying to craft a pivot? Personally I think the ending of the show could be fine if it was gotten to in the correct way, but he may feel differently given the large negative reaction.
beer 30
Footballguy
I had posted it in the Song of Fire & Ice thread in April. Clicked the link and the article isn't out there any longer so maybe it was tongue & cheek but it's been 14 years, I tend to think he's done with the series and just like poking the bear occasionally for the spotlight. Respectfully, **** him.
kupcho1
Footballguy
Literary rumors are often outstanding.
My favorite relates to the late John D. MacDonald, author of the criminally underrated Travis McGee novels (FYI, I had to include one on my list and went with the first one I'd ever read (but not the first in the series) #68 Darker Than Amber). Each of the McGee books' titles included a color from the first in the series, The Deep Blue Good-by all the way through until the final novel, The Lonely Silver Rain. Rumor had it that MacDonald had a final McGee book locked and loaded with Black in the title, in which McGee dies.
Never happened.
As luck would have it, I popped in on the @shuke reading thread and saw this post from about an hour and a half ago
If you're looking for a good mysteries series running from 1964 - 1984, that not only entertains but also provides a rough idea of what life and pop culture were all about back then, give it a go.
Frostillicus
Footballguy
I ranked Game of Thrones #8, the highest of the ASOIAF books I ranked (book #3 was somewhere too). As someone said above, this book pulls no punches and there is no plot armor. The majority of the fantasy style books I had read up until I got to this one pretty much protected their main characters. Oh sure, there was always one death to pull at the heartstrings, but if the good guys were a group of 7 you can bet 6 survived. And that was a winning formula.
Then comes this book. First Bran's fate introduces you that this might not be the same kind of book you're used to. Then the King dies. There comes all the death that comes with rebellion - some barelly noticeable, others slightly sad. Then, suddenly, the guy who is clearly the main character and set up to be the hero at the end of all the books dies. Beheaded. Out of nowhere. In front of his daughters. W. T. F.
Then Khal Drogo dies.
And throughout it all, "Winter is coming" and there's the glimpses of some kind of supernatural threat up north.
Fantastic book. Not your typical fantasy. Far superior.
Then comes this book. First Bran's fate introduces you that this might not be the same kind of book you're used to. Then the King dies. There comes all the death that comes with rebellion - some barelly noticeable, others slightly sad. Then, suddenly, the guy who is clearly the main character and set up to be the hero at the end of all the books dies. Beheaded. Out of nowhere. In front of his daughters. W. T. F.
Then Khal Drogo dies.
And throughout it all, "Winter is coming" and there's the glimpses of some kind of supernatural threat up north.
Fantastic book. Not your typical fantasy. Far superior.
kupcho1
Footballguy
Thanks for that spoiler-free review.
Speaking of spoilers, does anyone want to take a stab at the top 5? I'll neither confirm nor deny, but could be some bragging rights down the line.
@Dr. Octopus , please don't join in.
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
The Stand
Slaughterhouse Five
1984
To Kill A MockingBird
The Lord of the Rings
Darkhorse: Something Wicked This Way Comes
Ilov80s
Footballguy
That sounds right to me. Did Fahrenheit 541 come up? If not, that’s got a chance.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
That is a pretty good five. I don’t think we’ve had Wheel of Time (or whatever book one is called), which I thought might get ranked high by the fantasy fans on the board too. But I’m not sure what gets knocked out.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Looks like that was #66.
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