Here it is again, because I'm a listaholic: Top 10 Tuesday brought to you courtesy of The Broke and the Bookish. This week's topic is
The Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read
I feel some major shame for having to record these, thinking about how I haven't brought myself to read these has given me pause on whether I consider myself an avid reader, which I am of course but they still make me blush. I blame it all on a deprived childhood. Yeah, that'll work.
Ok, enough excuses. Here's the list:
10. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I love the movie and have watched it maybe a hundred times. But sadly this is one of the only Austen books I haven't yet read. I want to, I really do. But I keep getting distracted...
9. The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald. This is a huge hole in my high school education. I cannot believe that this wasn't required reading. But alas because of that it lingers on the shame list.
8. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. Everyone keeps telling me how awesome this book is. I see a review every now and again and think to myself that I should pick that book up, but never have.
7. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Another potential literary gem left by the wayside.
6. Schindler's List/Ark by Thomas Keneally. I even bought this book thinking I should definitely read it. But I couldn't bring myself to do it-Holocaust books creep me out and give me nightmares. So I had to take a pass and eventually gave the book away.
5. The Illiad- I know the story from the Cliff's notes version provided by Edith Hamilton's Mythology, but never shouldered the epic poem. A major lapse in judgment I think.
4. Beowulf- Speaking of epic poems, I hate to admit that I never read this one. When I talk to friends about books we read in school, the almost always mention Beowulf with a groan. I am saddened that I cannot share their strife. But knowing me I'd probably be among that 1% that actually enjoyed the book.
3. Lord of the Flies – William Golding. Sad to say I don't even know what the book is about. I just know everyone has read it except for me and that it is constantly popping up on those 'must read' lists.
2.The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway. I lived in Oak Park for 2 years( Hemingway's birthplace) and still have yet to pick up a single Hemingway book. I've been inside his childhood home and never cracked his book. What the heck is wrong with me?
1. And this one is the worst: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells. I am actually, albeit distantly, related to H.G.Wells from my mom's side. He was my great grandfather's first cousin, and they were pretty close. But has that compelled me to read any of his books? Of course not. I can't believe I haven't gotten to it yet.
So those are my 10 biggest literary embarrassments. What do you think? Any literary skeletons in your closet? I do hope to get to all of these at some point in my life. Hopefully they will just stop coming out with great new books for a bit so I can catch up. Then again, what fun would that be?
10 comments:
Great list- I'm guilty of some of the same omissions :( Rebecca has been on my shelf for years now but I just can't seem to get started. Maybe it's just that I've seen the movie and was totally and completely creeped out by Mrs. Danvers. I can't imagine what would happen if I let her loose in my literary imagination!
The only one I've read is Sense and Sensibility. The other are mostly on my to-read list, some I even own but still haven't read yet..
Rebecca is the only one I care about -- it's a fabulous novel! I haven't read any of the others, except for the Austen. That's very cool about the familial connection with Wells!
I prefer every other Fitzgerald than The Great Gatsby, but I'm very much in minority. Same with the Brontes -- I love Wuthering Heights over Jane Eyre.
Rebecca was such a great book! I hope you get to it soon!
Oh, you should't be embarrassed. There are so many books we feel we "should" read, especially when it comes to classics. Oh, and I was one of those who was assigned Beowulf in school and I did enjoy it- as it was translated. I wouldn't have been capable of understanding a word otherwise. :)
I stumbled across Rebecca on accident and really loved it. (S&S is great too!)
I've got a few of these on my list as well. I didn't appreciate The Great Gatsby until I read it for the second time. It's still not my favorite Fitzgerald novel, but it's quite good. A Clockwork Orange was absolutely brilliant, but be prepared for challenging prose and disturbing imagery/plot.
The Illiad is one that I have to read it again, as it's been ages, but I know that I prefered The Odyssey. I liked Old Man and the Sea but it, again, was not my favorite Hemingway.
Lord of the Flies is one of my favorites -I've read it a few times, and I actually featured it last weekend on my Saturdays, Uncensored! post.
I can't wait to get to Sense and Sensibility and Beowulf, though I doubt I'll like the latter very much.
I would pass on H.G. Wells; no offense, of course, but he's never really done it for me.
Lord of the Flies explained my sons to me. And a lot of human history. I say, Thumbs up for Lord of the Flies.
And, if you really want to, you can knock Old Man and the Sea off in a couple of hours. But you have to really want to, as I found it tedious, tedious, tedious.
I have just recently read The Great Gatsby and I suggest you should really read it. Remove it from the shame list! haha! I have yet to read Rebecca but I can't seem to find a copy. I love the Gothic theme of the book.
Hi! I'm stopping by from the blog hops!! I am a new follower!! Love your icon photo, it's soooo cute!!
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