Posted on 02/03/2014 2:13:32 PM PST by jocon307
Have you ever lied about reading a book? Maybe you didn’t want to seem stupid in front of someone you respected. Maybe you rationalized it by reasoning that you had a familiarity with the book, or knew who the author was, or what the story was about, or had glanced at its Wikipedia page. Or maybe you had tried to read the book, even bought it and set it by your bed for months unopened, hoping that it would impart what was in it merely via proximity (if that worked, please email me).
(Excerpt) Read more at thefederalist.com ...
I’ve read Moby Dick, Les Miserables (three or four times), A Tale of Two Cities, 1984. None of the others on the list. Others that people have lied about I would guess is The Inferno (I’ve read the entire Divine Comedy) and Paradise Lost - all read. I’ve read Emma, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Mansfield Park. I hated Mansfield Park and it may have cured me of Jane Austin. I’ve read all the Shakespeare tragedies and several comedies. I haven’t read the histories for some reason. Mr. Mercat and I were at Max McLean’s production of C.S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce. Afterwards Max came out and asked who had never read the book. Lots of hands went up. Then he asked who had read part of it (its quite short) and a bunch more hands went up. Then he asked for those who had read the whole thing to raise their hands. About 10 hands went up and this was in a very large theater filled to capacity. I was hoping he’s ask for more than once since I’ve read it three times. I feel like Herminie Granger.
The only one I’ve lied about was Moby Dick. And I had to lie about that for a high school English class.
But I don’t think the teacher was fooled.
Ditto. I read 1984 and Atlas Shrugged (note the screen name ;-). Have not read the rest.
(...every and I mean every female novel authoresses)
I did read most the Brothers Karamazoff. I hated it and by the end I wanted them all to die a gruesome death. I skipped a bit to the end and as I recall, they did.
You should try it. It’s a pretty easy read despite the length. I would like to find the 800+ page version as mine is 1100 :-)
I can’t even recall how many times I’ve taken Democracy in America with me on a trip with every intention of reading it. Maybe one day I actually will...
I think its supposed to be read out loud, in a bar, while you’re drinking. At least that’s what my son said.
10. Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand (Own it, paperback)
7. 1984, George Orwell (Own it, paperback)
5. The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith: (Own it, Hardback)
3. The Art of War, Sun Tzu: (Own it, Hardback)
I have read at least once:
9. On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin:(Own it Kindle Version and Hardback)
8. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens (Own it, Kindle Version)
4. Moby Dick, Herman Melville:(Own it, Kindle Version)
2. The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli (Own it, Kindle Version)
I have never read:
6. Democracy in America, Alexis De Tocqueville: Though in the paragraph after it mentions also The Federalist Papers, And The Constitution which I have read multiple times and own several different editions as well as "The Anti-Federalist Papers.
1. Ulysses, James Joyce: And after reading the first few pages have no interest in it whatsoever...
On Kindle, it weighs the same as a comic book. :)
“I read 2 of them. I have no problem saying I didn’t read the other 8.”
Same here. I’ve only read Tale of Two Cities and 1984.
Sorry, only one dies. And he was the one that might not even have been a brother....
“....I wanted them all to die a gruesome death. I skipped a bit to the end and as I recall, they did.”
LOL, I love it when a book lives up to your expectations!
10. Atlas Shrugged — I made it about a third of the way through before I set the book down and it got lost.
9. On the Origin of Species — Haven’t read it, don’t particularly want to.
8. Les Miserables / A Tale of Two Cities — I think I read the condensed/children’s versions when I was a kid.
7. 1984 — Read it, depressing end.
6. Democracy in America, The Federalist Papers, and The Constitution — unread, partial, read.
5. The Wealth of Nations — Unread.
4. Moby Dick — Read it.
3. The Art of War, Sun Tzu — [partially-]Read
2. The Prince — Unread
1. Ulysses — Unread
Interesting. I haven’t read Ulysses yet - I have the book on my shelf and occasionally consider picking it up to read, but haven’t yet done so. I did read Atlas Shrugged (twice), the second time out loud for the Freeper Book Club so my wife and I could read it at the same time. That did in fact make a big difference in my comprehension/memory of it. Maybe I’ll try that with Ulysses.
BTW - I also read 1984, Moby Dick, and The Prince. This list makes it look like I’ve been delinquent in my reading! :-)
Read “Paradise Lost.” It was a struggle though. Read the old English one that was made into an entertaining movie, but the name escapes me now. Also read a ponderous parody of for a paper in high school. Don’t recall it’s name either, but it was 50 years ago,,,,,, and I’m happy to forget about it! Fielding??????
I have Spengler’s volumes of “Decline of The West” in one of my bookcases, but never managed to make a dent into it! Having to constantly get out the dictionary,,,, well,,,, you know what I mean, But my favorite is still “Gravity’s Rainbow.”
Funny - just downloaded free Kindle edition of “Democracy in America” today. Let’s get to it!
It is a wonderful book and if read, you will be confused as to why being called an Uncle Tom is an insult rather than praise. Most of my government minority students in college claim to know why Uncle Tom is an insult whereas when challenged to explain ‘why,’ it becomes clear rather quickly they have not read the book.
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