I liked it. I remember it being darker than the movie.
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums
This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
The FBG Top 300 Books of All Time (fiction edition) | #21 A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess | Running list in posts #3 and #4 (8 Viewers)
- Thread starter kupcho1
- Start date
kupcho1
Footballguy
Oops. It was guru_007. I blame my old eyes and small font.
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
Azkaban is my favorite followed by the 6th and 7th respectively. I think I may be being unfair to the 4th, as thinking back on it now I was really shocked by the ending and it was definitely a bold and correct call by Rowling, but I've always docked it points for all of the Quidditch in the beginning. As a sports and game aficionado the Quidditch parts of all of the books have always stuck in my craw because it's just such a laughably flawed game design, unworthy of such a great book series. But I guess that's my own bugaboo.
Frostillicus
Footballguy
I had Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King at #21.
It's part of the Dark Tower series, and was one of the most anticipated books of my life. The first three books were amazing, and had me completely hooked. Book 3 came out in 1991. Then, in 1997, we got the next book! But it was 95% flashback, and did not do much to advance the story. We wouldn't get that until 2003 with Wolves of the Calla. And it was was awesome. Who doesn't love Dr Doom robots with lightsabers riding horses?
It's part of the Dark Tower series, and was one of the most anticipated books of my life. The first three books were amazing, and had me completely hooked. Book 3 came out in 1991. Then, in 1997, we got the next book! But it was 95% flashback, and did not do much to advance the story. We wouldn't get that until 2003 with Wolves of the Calla. And it was was awesome. Who doesn't love Dr Doom robots with lightsabers riding horses?
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
Psycho by Robert Bloch
I'm pretty surprised this didn't make the top 300. This is one of the rare cases where the movie was as good as, or arguably better, than the book, but that should not take anything away from this book. There are some subtle differences, and you get a deeper picture into the mind of Norman. And the book version seems crazier, but one that still believes his mother to be alive.
I'm pretty surprised this didn't make the top 300. This is one of the rare cases where the movie was as good as, or arguably better, than the book, but that should not take anything away from this book. There are some subtle differences, and you get a deeper picture into the mind of Norman. And the book version seems crazier, but one that still believes his mother to be alive.
kupcho1
Footballguy
Phase 4: Counting down from 100
62. Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Long Ball Larry: #5
rockaction: #8
Total points: 225
Average: 112.5
61. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
rockaction: #1
turnjose7: #12
Total points: 226
Average: 113.0
60. The Complete Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
Psychopav: #5
KeithR: #26
turnjose7: #32
Frostillicus: #48
Total points: 227
Average: 56.8
Let's have a round of applause for another #1 selection, this one from William Shakespeare. Of course @rockaction isn't here to talk about it or his other top 10 selection.
| 62 | Notes From Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky | rockaction, Long Ball Larry |
| 61 | Hamlet | William Shakespeare | turnjose7, rockaction |
| 60 | The Complete Tales and Poems | Edgar Allan Poe | turnjose7, Frostillicus, KeithR, Psychopav |
62. Notes From Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Long Ball Larry: #5
rockaction: #8
Total points: 225
Average: 112.5
61. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
rockaction: #1
turnjose7: #12
Total points: 226
Average: 113.0
60. The Complete Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
Psychopav: #5
KeithR: #26
turnjose7: #32
Frostillicus: #48
Total points: 227
Average: 56.8
Let's have a round of applause for another #1 selection, this one from William Shakespeare. Of course @rockaction isn't here to talk about it or his other top 10 selection.
Eephus
Footballguy
There was some interest upthread about Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. The e-book version is currently on sale for two dollars.
The second book of the Wolf Hall series is also discounted but I haven't gotten to the first one yet
The second book of the Wolf Hall series is also discounted but I haven't gotten to the first one yet
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
I'm so glad to see the Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe make the top 60! I have 3 or 4 different versions of this compilation and I love pretty much everything in them.
Of course Poe is well known and I doubt there's anyone in this thread who hasn't been exposed to plenty of Poe in their time, particularly his short stories which are well known for their exploration of psychology, darkness, and the human condition.
It was also a great way to sneak some poetry into this countdown! Of course everyone's familiar with his most famous poem, "The Raven", which is truly a masterpiece. As a bonus (hey, another poetry post from Pav in the prose fiction thread!), here's my favorite EAP poem:
For MLS-
OF all who hail thy presence as the morning —
Of all to whom thine absence is the night —
The blotting utterly from out high heaven
The sacred sun — of all who, weeping, bless thee
Hourly for hope — for life — ah! above all,
For the resurrection of deep-buried faith
In Truth — in Virtue — in Humanity —
Of all who, on Despair's unhallowed bed
Lying down to die, have suddenly arisen
At thy soft-murmured words, ‘Let there be light!’
At the soft-murmured words that were fulfilled
In the seraphic glancing of thine eyes —
Of all who owe thee most — whose gratitude
Nearest resembles worship — oh, remember
The truest — the most fervently devoted,
And think that these weak lines are written by him —
By him who, as he pens them, thrills to think
His spirit is communing with an angel's.
Of course Poe is well known and I doubt there's anyone in this thread who hasn't been exposed to plenty of Poe in their time, particularly his short stories which are well known for their exploration of psychology, darkness, and the human condition.
It was also a great way to sneak some poetry into this countdown! Of course everyone's familiar with his most famous poem, "The Raven", which is truly a masterpiece. As a bonus (hey, another poetry post from Pav in the prose fiction thread!), here's my favorite EAP poem:
For MLS-
OF all who hail thy presence as the morning —
Of all to whom thine absence is the night —
The blotting utterly from out high heaven
The sacred sun — of all who, weeping, bless thee
Hourly for hope — for life — ah! above all,
For the resurrection of deep-buried faith
In Truth — in Virtue — in Humanity —
Of all who, on Despair's unhallowed bed
Lying down to die, have suddenly arisen
At thy soft-murmured words, ‘Let there be light!’
At the soft-murmured words that were fulfilled
In the seraphic glancing of thine eyes —
Of all who owe thee most — whose gratitude
Nearest resembles worship — oh, remember
The truest — the most fervently devoted,
And think that these weak lines are written by him —
By him who, as he pens them, thrills to think
His spirit is communing with an angel's.
Feels a little weird doing a full commentary on Hamlet if @rockaction rated it #1. Maybe he will come by and do one last entry in the thread. And if not, I don't think Hamlet probably needs one anyway.
I'll just say a couple of things. First, I think people have probably gotten the idea that I like things epic, and Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play.
Second, I mentioned it in the entry for The Killer Angels, this play has my favorite Shakespeare monologue including this excerpt:
"What a piece of work is a man, How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, In form and moving how express and admirable, In action how like an Angel, In apprehension how like a god, The beauty of the world, The paragon of animals. And yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust?"
I'll just say a couple of things. First, I think people have probably gotten the idea that I like things epic, and Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play.
Second, I mentioned it in the entry for The Killer Angels, this play has my favorite Shakespeare monologue including this excerpt:
"What a piece of work is a man, How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, In form and moving how express and admirable, In action how like an Angel, In apprehension how like a god, The beauty of the world, The paragon of animals. And yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust?"
krista4
Footballguy
There was some interest upthread about Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. The e-book version is currently on sale for two dollars.
The second book of the Wolf Hall series is also discounted but I haven't gotten to the first one yet
Bought, thank you! I'm heading on some long flights starting Saturday, so this is perfect!
Oliver Humanzee
Footballguy
I really like this book! It's basically The Seven Samurai/Magnificent Seven but with all the Gunslinger lore superimposed. King's seatpants inability to plot a story (let alone a series of novels) really bites him in the *** in these books and creates some truly ludicrous shoehorning and deus ex machining to make the events of the novels internally coherent.
THAT SAID
The conceit of Silent Powerful Stranger Assembles a Team of Freaks to Protect a Town generates some of Kings's best, most human writing. That the whole "ka-tet" of gunslingers are nerds and losers and junkies with troubled pasts is fertile soil for some of his best characterization--the Roland/Jake relationship being the absolute best.
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
Poetry was off limits, but Hamlet is a play and Poe is short stories.OH and I didn't do plays or poetry collections, because it would just make it so much more difficult to narrow down. Or actually w/r/t poetry collections, I'm not sure we thought they were eligible. But in any case, great picks with the Hamlet and Poe stuff.
Frostillicus
Footballguy
hello exactly!
kupcho1
Footballguy
Hmmm, am I moving too fast? Posting too many books each day? Let me know and I'll adjust if necessary.
59. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Don Quixote: #1
kupcho1: #19
Mrs.Marco: #40
Psychopav: #69
Total points: 234
Average: 58.5
57. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
turnjose7: #3
Dr_Zaius: #8
Total points: 235
Average: 117.5
57. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
rockaction: #7
Eephus: #9
ilov80s: #46
Total points: 235
Average: 78.3
Today we have the #1 pick from @Don Quixote as well as - to me at least - the most incomprehensible ranking for a book on the list. I'll leave it to you to determine to which of the other two books I'm referring.
On a completely and wholely unrelated note, I'd be very interested in hearing what it is about The Silmarillion that makes it better than, say, another (single volume) book by J.R.R. Tolkien? I believe I read it the year it was published (posthumously by Christopher Tolkien) and struggled to get through it. Don't get me wrong, I'm damned glad he wrote it as it led directly to another work of his. From Wiki:
Anyway, I'll be back to talk about War and Peace later today.
| 59 | War and Peace | Leo Tolstoy | kupcho1, Mrs.Marco, Don Quixote, Psychopav |
| 57 | The Silmarillion | J.R.R. Tolkien | turnjose7, Dr_Zaius |
| 57 | Tender is the Night | F. Scott Fitzgerald | ilov80s, Eephus, rockaction |
59. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Don Quixote: #1
kupcho1: #19
Mrs.Marco: #40
Psychopav: #69
Total points: 234
Average: 58.5
57. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
turnjose7: #3
Dr_Zaius: #8
Total points: 235
Average: 117.5
57. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
rockaction: #7
Eephus: #9
ilov80s: #46
Total points: 235
Average: 78.3
Today we have the #1 pick from @Don Quixote as well as - to me at least - the most incomprehensible ranking for a book on the list. I'll leave it to you to determine to which of the other two books I'm referring.
On a completely and wholely unrelated note, I'd be very interested in hearing what it is about The Silmarillion that makes it better than, say, another (single volume) book by J.R.R. Tolkien? I believe I read it the year it was published (posthumously by Christopher Tolkien) and struggled to get through it. Don't get me wrong, I'm damned glad he wrote it as it led directly to another work of his. From Wiki:
Anyway, I'll be back to talk about War and Peace later today.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Reposting in default color so I can read what I was tagged in.Hmmm, am I moving too fast? Posting too many books each day? Let me know and I'll adjust if necessary.
59 War and Peace Leo Tolstoy kupcho1, Mrs.Marco, Don Quixote, Psychopav 57 The Silmarillion J.R.R. Tolkien turnjose7, Dr_Zaius 57 Tender is the Night F. Scott Fitzgerald ilov80s, Eephus, rockaction
59. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Don Quixote: #1
kupcho1: #19
Mrs.Marco: #40
Psychopav: #69
Total points: 234
Average: 58.5
57. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
turnjose7: #3
Dr_Zaius: #8
Total points: 235
Average: 117.5
57. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
rockaction: #7
Eephus: #9
ilov80s: #46
Total points: 235
Average: 78.3
Today we have the #1 pick from @Don Quixote as well as - to me at least - the most incomprehensible ranking for a book on the list. I'll leave it to you to determine to which of the other two books I'm referring.
On a completely and wholely unrelated note, I'd be very interested in hearing what it is about The Silmarillion that makes it better than, say, another (single volume) book by J.R.R. Tolkien? I believe I read it the year it was published (posthumously by Christopher Tolkien) and struggled to get through it. Don't get me wrong, I'm damned glad he wrote it as it led directly to another work of his. From Wiki:
Anyway, I'll be back to talk about War and Peace later today.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Whoa I am surprised to see Tender is the Night make it. Two of my favorite posters had quite high too, that’s noteworthy. I’ll let them dive into **** Diver.
She smiled at him, making sure that the smile gathered up everything inside her and directed it toward him, making him a profound promise of herself for so little, for the beat of a response, the assurance of a complimentary vibration in him.
She smiled at him, making sure that the smile gathered up everything inside her and directed it toward him, making him a profound promise of herself for so little, for the beat of a response, the assurance of a complimentary vibration in him.
Last edited:
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Alright, my #1 — War and Peace. Although I wonder if it would have been as highly acclaimed if published under its original title, “War, What is it Good For?” (Absolutely nothing, hyuh)
By now, you have probably seen in my rankings my affinity for historical fiction (e.g., Wolf Hall, Lincoln in the Bardo, Midnight’s Children), as well as novels with some philosophical element to them. And there is nothing that meshes the two quite like War and Peace. You’ve got the Napoleonic invasion of Russia as the backdrop, mixed with the home front and a cast of hundreds, as well as some philosophy on the nature of war. It gets knocked for its length, but it never felt like it dragged to me. The initial part has a lot of setup and introducing the characters, which can make it a little bit hard to get into. But once it settles in, it is an epic ride.
While I did not rank Tender is the Night, I do like seeing it show up here. It was on my list that just missed the 70 cut. I had two Fitzgerald novels in my 70 and decided to break end of list “tie” with less represented authors.
By now, you have probably seen in my rankings my affinity for historical fiction (e.g., Wolf Hall, Lincoln in the Bardo, Midnight’s Children), as well as novels with some philosophical element to them. And there is nothing that meshes the two quite like War and Peace. You’ve got the Napoleonic invasion of Russia as the backdrop, mixed with the home front and a cast of hundreds, as well as some philosophy on the nature of war. It gets knocked for its length, but it never felt like it dragged to me. The initial part has a lot of setup and introducing the characters, which can make it a little bit hard to get into. But once it settles in, it is an epic ride.
While I did not rank Tender is the Night, I do like seeing it show up here. It was on my list that just missed the 70 cut. I had two Fitzgerald novels in my 70 and decided to break end of list “tie” with less represented authors.
krista4
Footballguy
Poetry was off limits, but Hamlet is a play and Poe is short stories.OH and I didn't do plays or poetry collections, because it would just make it so much more difficult to narrow down. Or actually w/r/t poetry collections, I'm not sure we thought they were eligible. But in any case, great picks with the Hamlet and Poe stuff.
Yes, I'm kinda familiar with Hamlet and the fact it's a play.
That's why I mentioned plays in my post. I'm not sure I would have had any on my list even if I'd considered them, but OH had to throw out plays in order to get his list down. He'd have at least one Pinter very high on his list.As for Poe's "Complete Tales and Poems", there's not poetry in there? Interesting title. There was also a Yeats collection of poems on the list in the 200s somewhere, which I assume was purely poems and not a mix.
shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
Pace is fine for me but I'd ask those who aren't doing write-ups.
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
Yes there are poems in Poe's Complete Tales and Poems. There are also tales, which is why it qualifies.Poetry was off limits, but Hamlet is a play and Poe is short stories.OH and I didn't do plays or poetry collections, because it would just make it so much more difficult to narrow down. Or actually w/r/t poetry collections, I'm not sure we thought they were eligible. But in any case, great picks with the Hamlet and Poe stuff.
Yes, I'm kinda familiar with Hamlet and the fact it's a play.
As for Poe's "Complete Tales and Poems", there's not poetry in there? Interesting title. There was also a Yeats collection of poems on the list in the 200s somewhere, which I assume was purely poems and not a mix.
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
Tolkien develops the mythology of Middle-earth by relating the story of it's creation through the end of the Third Age.
Presumably Tolkien will have two other books appearing later in the countdown, and appropriately so. Though I'm not sure I can say that either is better than this, which I consider to be one of the greatest works of artistic genius that I can think of. If you go into it expecting a traditional novel in narrative form, you will probably be disappointed. But if you think of it as The Bible of Tolkien's universe (which is really what it is - even the internal narrative within Tolkien's writings map out that it is one of several successors of Bilbo's "Translations from the Elvish" from The Red Book of Westmarch), you can appreciate its brilliance.
The book is divided into 5 parts. The first two are essentially the creation story of Tolkien's world. You can see Tolkien (who was a devout Catholic) struggling with the concept of evil existing in a world with a benevolent, all-powerful creator, and the way that Music of the Ainur addresses this problem is quite masterful. The largest part of the book, Quenta Silmarillion, is told in more of a narrative form and is primarily the tragedy of the Elves. Though within that work, the best part is the tragedy of a man: Turin Turambar. The story of Turin is up there with the greatest myths ever told and Turin ranks as my third favorite fictional character of all-time. The last two parts give more of a straight historical account of the Second and Third Ages, telling of the rise of Men.
I could go on and on about this book but that's probably enough for now. I'll let someone else add thoughts if they want. Last thing I'll say is that this is a huge sentimental favorite: my daughter is named Laurelin after the golden tree of Valinor. There's more backstory to that but I think I'll keep that part to myself.
Tolkien develops the mythology of Middle-earth by relating the story of it's creation through the end of the Third Age.
Presumably Tolkien will have two other books appearing later in the countdown, and appropriately so. Though I'm not sure I can say that either is better than this, which I consider to be one of the greatest works of artistic genius that I can think of. If you go into it expecting a traditional novel in narrative form, you will probably be disappointed. But if you think of it as The Bible of Tolkien's universe (which is really what it is - even the internal narrative within Tolkien's writings map out that it is one of several successors of Bilbo's "Translations from the Elvish" from The Red Book of Westmarch), you can appreciate its brilliance.
The book is divided into 5 parts. The first two are essentially the creation story of Tolkien's world. You can see Tolkien (who was a devout Catholic) struggling with the concept of evil existing in a world with a benevolent, all-powerful creator, and the way that Music of the Ainur addresses this problem is quite masterful. The largest part of the book, Quenta Silmarillion, is told in more of a narrative form and is primarily the tragedy of the Elves. Though within that work, the best part is the tragedy of a man: Turin Turambar. The story of Turin is up there with the greatest myths ever told and Turin ranks as my third favorite fictional character of all-time. The last two parts give more of a straight historical account of the Second and Third Ages, telling of the rise of Men.
I could go on and on about this book but that's probably enough for now. I'll let someone else add thoughts if they want. Last thing I'll say is that this is a huge sentimental favorite: my daughter is named Laurelin after the golden tree of Valinor. There's more backstory to that but I think I'll keep that part to myself.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
Anyone who ever tries to tell me Tolkien is too milquetoast and "good vs evil", I point them to this story. Good Lord, this is grim stuff.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Liking the avatar change!Reposting in default color so I can read what I was tagged in.Hmmm, am I moving too fast? Posting too many books each day? Let me know and I'll adjust if necessary.
59 War and Peace Leo Tolstoy kupcho1, Mrs.Marco, Don Quixote, Psychopav 57 The Silmarillion J.R.R. Tolkien turnjose7, Dr_Zaius 57 Tender is the Night F. Scott Fitzgerald ilov80s, Eephus, rockaction
59. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Don Quixote: #1
kupcho1: #19
Mrs.Marco: #40
Psychopav: #69
Total points: 234
Average: 58.5
57. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
turnjose7: #3
Dr_Zaius: #8
Total points: 235
Average: 117.5
57. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
rockaction: #7
Eephus: #9
ilov80s: #46
Total points: 235
Average: 78.3
Today we have the #1 pick from @Don Quixote as well as - to me at least - the most incomprehensible ranking for a book on the list. I'll leave it to you to determine to which of the other two books I'm referring.
On a completely and wholely unrelated note, I'd be very interested in hearing what it is about The Silmarillion that makes it better than, say, another (single volume) book by J.R.R. Tolkien? I believe I read it the year it was published (posthumously by Christopher Tolkien) and struggled to get through it. Don't get me wrong, I'm damned glad he wrote it as it led directly to another work of his. From Wiki:
Anyway, I'll be back to talk about War and Peace later today.
timschochet
Footballguy
Tolkien is arguably the most imaginative fiction writer ever. Nobody else, with the possible exception of Jack Kirby, has been more original in his creations. Though it’s true that elves, dwarves, and dragons are all much older than Tolkien, he is the one most responsible for our modern view of them. Tolkien pretty much created the fantasy world single-handed.
He is also very dry. And that’s my main problem. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks is a complete ripoff of Tolkien- so much so that if Tolkien’s estate had wanted to sue Brooks I think they would have had a decent case. But because Brooks is less dry, his writing more accessible, I enjoy reading him more than I do Tolkien. And I feel very guilty about this. To me Tolkien is a lot like William Shakespeare: I respect them immensely from a distance. I quote them. I don’t sit down and read them.
He is also very dry. And that’s my main problem. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks is a complete ripoff of Tolkien- so much so that if Tolkien’s estate had wanted to sue Brooks I think they would have had a decent case. But because Brooks is less dry, his writing more accessible, I enjoy reading him more than I do Tolkien. And I feel very guilty about this. To me Tolkien is a lot like William Shakespeare: I respect them immensely from a distance. I quote them. I don’t sit down and read them.
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
What do you mean by "dry"? The Silmarillion can be tough sledding, sure (it's not a novel, though - it's a history book). But LOTR has a ton of heart, more humor, and more complex characters in the first six chapters than Brooks has been able to create in his entire career. I give Brooks props for some good concepts and for really goosing the fantasy genre into the mainstream, but his characters are so one-dimensional that I never really cared about any of them.
kupcho1
Footballguy
kupcho1
Footballguy
It certainly gets knocked for its length, but more than that, it's become shorthand for boring. I've read books one half or even less the length of War and Peace and was bored senseless. A Fable - another book about war - comes to mind. Reading it was torture.
The length serves a purpose, however. There are a number of stories interwoven covering the lead up to, the conflict and aftermath of Napoleon's invasion of Russia. But more than that, it is a framework for Tolstoy to speak to class (Pierre Bezhukov, a bastage who is initially penniless and thought little of, receives his fortune and his reception changes immediately) and war in general. Its got a wide range of well drawn characters and plenty of action.
tl;dr: War and Peace has gotten a bad rap.
kupcho1
Footballguy
As the famous philosopher once said, "Let's play two."
59. The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day One) by Patrick Rothfuss
scoobus: #7
TheBaylorKid: #14
guru_007: #23
Total points: 239
Average: 79.7
55. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
rockaction: #2
guru_007: #17
KeithR: #29
Total points: 244
Average: 81.3
I was not aware of The Kingkiller Chronicle books until (well?) after the second one had been published. I was able to read both consecutively within a very short period of time. I recall enjoying them, but other than enjoying the way in which the books are structured (i.e., an oral history over a 3 day period), I honestly don't remember much about it. This could be due in part to the author's Martin-like inability to finishing the trilogy. Actually, I'm probably being unfair to Rothfuss as he's cited mental health as one potential cause of the delay.
| 56 | The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day One) | Patrick Rothfuss | guru_007, scoobus, TheBaylorKid |
| 55 | Macbeth | William Shakespeare | guru_007, KeithR, rockaction |
59. The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day One) by Patrick Rothfuss
scoobus: #7
TheBaylorKid: #14
guru_007: #23
Total points: 239
Average: 79.7
55. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
rockaction: #2
guru_007: #17
KeithR: #29
Total points: 244
Average: 81.3
I was not aware of The Kingkiller Chronicle books until (well?) after the second one had been published. I was able to read both consecutively within a very short period of time. I recall enjoying them, but other than enjoying the way in which the books are structured (i.e., an oral history over a 3 day period), I honestly don't remember much about it. This could be due in part to the author's Martin-like inability to finishing the trilogy. Actually, I'm probably being unfair to Rothfuss as he's cited mental health as one potential cause of the delay.
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
Great writeup. I ranked all of the big three Tolkien books, with this coming in lower than the big one, but it's still a masterpiece. That said, the first time I tried to read it I actually put it away for a few weeks after starting it because the background at the beginning is a bit much at first, but I'd encourage people to stick with it because the payoff is there in the end. In addition to the Turin arc that you mention, the story of Beren and Luthien is fantastic and more directly ties into later events in the Third Age. The arc of Feanor and his possessiveness of his creation ultimately causes a chain of events stretching thousands of years and ties so much of Tolkien world together.
I'll also say that if you fully absorb The Silmarillion and then go back and reread the big Tolkien novel it really gives one a whole new level of appreciation for the author's creation, because there are references between the two everywhere. The intricacy of the worldbuilding is just amazing.
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
Thanks for not spilling the beans on the big Tolkien novel. No spoilers!! Is it something about a farmer named Giles?
krista4
Footballguy
As the famous philosopher once said, "Let's play two."
56 The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day One) Patrick Rothfuss guru_007, scoobus, TheBaylorKid 55 Macbeth William Shakespeare guru_007, KeithR, rockaction
59. The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day One) by Patrick Rothfuss
scoobus: #7
TheBaylorKid: #14
guru_007: #23
Total points: 239
Average: 79.7
55. Macbeth by William Shakespeare
rockaction: #2
guru_007: #17
KeithR: #29
Total points: 244
Average: 81.3
I was not aware of The Kingkiller Chronicle books until (well?) after the second one had been published. I was able to read both consecutively within a very short period of time. I recall enjoying them, but other than enjoying the way in which the books are structured (i.e., an oral history over a 3 day period), I honestly don't remember much about it. This could be due in part to the author's Martin-like inability to finishing the trilogy. Actually, I'm probably being unfair to Rothfuss as he's cited mental health as one potential cause of the delay.
krista4
Footballguy
@Don Quixote , I just accidentally hit the "remove formatting" button above, instead of going to the color palette and changing it, and that worked, too. Could save 0.0001 seconds each time!
timschochet
Footballguy
If I could define dry I would tell you but I can’t. I can, perhaps show you an example: in the film The Two Towers the siege of Helm’s Deep is absolutely epic, it’s one of the greatest battles in cinematic history IMO. In the book The Two Towers it reads like a dull historical essay.
Psychopav
Help us, Joebi-Wan Brynobi, you're our only ho
Wow. Okay then. To each his own.
Aren't you a big Woody Allen fan? Not that I don't appreciate Woody Allen but I think dry would be an apt description for a lot of his stuff.
Now if you were to complain about Tolkien s obsession with walking in the woods I could at least empathize. But his battles are epic imo.
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
Obviously everyone's tastes differ so it's not like you're "wrong", but I will say that Helm's Deep is maybe not the best example from the standpoint that its role was greatly elevated in the movie versus the book so it will obviously feel a little more epic in the screen version. I was going to dig up some of the epic prose from The Battle of the Pelennor Fields, but I don't want to get too much into the weeds until we actually get to The Big Book That Everyone Knows Will Be High in the Countdown.
Eephus
Footballguy
57. Tender Is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1934)
Fitzgerald considered Tender Is the Night to be his greatest novel. It's certainly his most ambitious and the one that he devoted the most time to writing. He was troubled by its commercial failure on initial release and left notes for a posthumous revision that changed the opening of the book for a straighter chronological telling of the story.
Tender Is the Night is about the tragic downfall of young psychiatrist **** Diver who becomes the victim of external circumstances and his own character flaws. It's difficult to separate Diver and his wife Nicole from the lives of Scott and Zelda but the novel and characters stand on their own. The book isn't as masterfully structured as Gatsby; it's messier with more loose ends but Tender Is the Night contains some of Fitzgerald's finest writing and most eloquent dialogue.
Fitzgerald considered Tender Is the Night to be his greatest novel. It's certainly his most ambitious and the one that he devoted the most time to writing. He was troubled by its commercial failure on initial release and left notes for a posthumous revision that changed the opening of the book for a straighter chronological telling of the story.
Tender Is the Night is about the tragic downfall of young psychiatrist **** Diver who becomes the victim of external circumstances and his own character flaws. It's difficult to separate Diver and his wife Nicole from the lives of Scott and Zelda but the novel and characters stand on their own. The book isn't as masterfully structured as Gatsby; it's messier with more loose ends but Tender Is the Night contains some of Fitzgerald's finest writing and most eloquent dialogue.
I assumed he was talking about The Adventures of Tom Bombadil but hiding it to avoid bringing up the debate of whether poetry counts again.
Seriously, though, for those who like the older history of Middle-Earth, check out The Children of Hurin. I find the other great stories that Christopher Tolkien has put together to be challenging, The story of Beren and Luthien changed so much that Christopher's version of that is almost incomprehensible and seems like a completely different world. But The Children of Hurin is a pretty tight narrative that is fairly consistent with the story in The Silmarillion and actually adds some nice depth to that.
kupcho1
Footballguy
This will be my selection from your list. You've been the easiest to pick a book from given I've only read 2 of your top 10. But I like your write up on this one.
Eephus
Footballguy
Safe pick. High floor. Not a reach at #9.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Great name value and an Ivy League background. A no brainer pick.
kupcho1
Footballguy
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
I got tied up with stuff earlier in the week, but to complete my obligation on this [now properly spelled] book.
I read pretty much no fiction in elementary school outside of the Choose Your Own Adventure books, opting instead for lots and lots of sports stuff. We got assigned this book as summer reading heading into high school and it was the first fiction book that really just grabbed me. I think the message of conformity and distraction brought upon society by mass media was something that even in my young mind was kind of floating around, and Bradbury's novel really articulated things that I myself felt without maybe consciously realizing it. Bradbury's writing style has also always just felt right to me, even though I can't quite but my finger on it - it's somehow simplistic without being mundane, if that makes sense.
I'm a bit of a sucker for dystopian stuff as well - there are two more dystopian novels ranked above this in my top ten.
TheBaylorKid
Footballguy
Not a lot of talk about Brooks. I didn’t tank him but he would probably have a couple spots in my 60 to 75 range.
kupcho1
Footballguy
Happy Monday. Here we have two very different books tied for 53rd place.
53. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
Frostillicus: #7
KeithR: #13
Barry2: #22
Total points: 245
Average: 81.7
53. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Dr. Octopus: #4
chaos34: #20
timschochet: #38
rockaction: #42
Total points: 245
Average: 61.3
Two very different books today. BTW, this is the 12th book from Stephen King.
| 53 | 11/22/63 | Stephen King | Frostillicus, Barry2, KeithR |
| Flowers for Algernon | Daniel Keyes | timschochet, Dr. Octopus, chaos34, rockaction |
53. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
Frostillicus: #7
KeithR: #13
Barry2: #22
Total points: 245
Average: 81.7
53. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Dr. Octopus: #4
chaos34: #20
timschochet: #38
rockaction: #42
Total points: 245
Average: 61.3
Two very different books today. BTW, this is the 12th book from Stephen King.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Happy Monday. Here we have two very different books tied for 53rd place.
53 11/22/63 Stephen King Frostillicus, Barry2, KeithR Flowers for Algernon Daniel Keyes timschochet, Dr. Octopus, chaos34, rockaction
53. 11/22/63 by Stephen King
Frostillicus: #7
KeithR: #13
Barry2: #22
Total points: 245
Average: 81.7
53. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Dr. Octopus: #4
chaos34: #20
timschochet: #38
rockaction: #42
Total points: 245
Average: 61.3
Two very different books today. BTW, this is the 12th book from Stephen King.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
Flowers for Algernon is a powerful and heartbreaking novel about Charlie Gordon, a man with a low IQ who undergoes surgery to increase his intelligence. Told through Charlie’s journal entries, the story shows his rapid rise and tragic fall, revealing deep truths about human dignity, loneliness, and the cost of knowledge.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
I have this on deck to read next.
Don Quixote
Footballguy
Interested to see a write-up for this one. I’ve never read any King, but I’ve considered it as interested in the historical fiction angle.
Dr_Zaius
Footballguy
Yeah, I've been debating reading this one as well. It's on my wife's Kindle I believe. I tried and failed to get my wife who reads a lot to submit a list, but from what I recall she enjoyed it a lot in the beginning but thought that it drug on a bit.
Similar threads
