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I just finished Chandler's The Long Goodbye - definitely deserving of its place as a classic in noir. I think that Phillip Marlowe might be my new lit-crush.

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding. I liked it more than I expected!

I just finished Lolita. For a while it was making me fairly uncomfortable but the end was really quite touching. It's such a complex story of love, lust and taboo. Really an amazing journey.

Just finished the audio version of The Postman Always Rings Twice. Pretty good; I'd seen the movie years ago but didn't remember most of it. I'm a little surprised it's on the list, but it's a good read nonetheless.

Finished Lady Chatterly's lover, by D.H.Lawrence.
Metamorphoses by Ovid.
Both great books in different ways.

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. Light and fluffy. A fast read.

Just started my goal of reading at least ten books on this list, and finished Possession by A. S. Byatt last night. It was an amazing book, incredibly well-written, and I've come out of the book feeling like it's one of the best books I've read all year.

I'm finishing World without end by Ken Follett. a historical novel set in 14th century England. We meet the descendants of the characters of The pillars of the earth. Follett describes very well scenes of battle (100 years war)., the effects of the plague on English society and the way medecine was practised at that time.Even at more than 1000 pages it does not feel long and is totally captivating.

Just finished "Breakfast of Champions" by Kurt Vonnegut. I liked it, but I am not sure why. Maybe I was just programmed that way.

Just finished Enduring Love. Absolutely amazing. Can't wait to read all of McEwan's books on and off the 1001 list!

Callista -- I couldn't agree more! I read it years ago, but it has stayed with me, and continues to be one of my very favorites! A.S. Byatt rocks!

I just finished Alexander Solzhenitsyn's Cancer Ward which was fantastic!

I finished The Shining yesterday. Excellent! Truly incredible book. I love SK anyway, but this is definitely one of his best.

Recently finished I, Robot by Asimov and The Reader by Schlink. I gave both 3 stars (liked but not loved).

Although it didn't bowl me over, I did like I, Robert much better than Foundation. I found Foundation to be painfully dry and also fairly sexist. (Written a long time ago I know, but it I find it a big stretch to try to imagine a future where women are only wives/girlfriends - really takes me out of a book).

Strangely, I didn't even realized The Reader was on the list until after I finished - I just happened to pick it up at a used book store and thought it looked interesting. It was very quick read. I enjoyed it but didn't feel like it was nearly as deep as it seemed to be trying to be.

Kieffala - I agree! I think The Shining is one of his best. I really enjoyed it :-)

I just finished "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. Wow! What a book! A five star for sure.

I wish she had stopped writing earlier than she did. Some of the updates on each family member became a bit preachy or overstated and their evolutions were obvious enough from the rest of this beautifully written book for the reader to have drawn his/her own conclusions.

Mike, I'm glad you like Cancer Ward. For a long time I've wondered if Solzhenitzyn was a one hit wonder with A Day in the Life..., but hearing your opinion makes me a little more excited to read his other works.

I just finished Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace and am still not sure what I think of it. I can understand why it was listed on the 1001 list, it plays fast and loose with the standard novel format. Yet I'm still not sure whether or not I liked it.

Just read Brideshead Revisted in anticipation of the new movie. Read almost the whole thing thinking it was a treatise about the unnecessary tragedy that can result from abandoning logic for blind devotion to a religion. Towards the end, however, I realized it was exactly the opposite. Not only did the author fail to make his case, in my opinion, but it was terribly slow and almost boring to read. I read a couple short, fun, easy-breezy books between chapters.

Meanwhile, I saw the trailer for the movie, which seems to distort the story altogether. Maybe I'll like it better than the book, for that reason.

I will say that Waugh has a way with dialogue. And adjectives. My favorite: "He was often preposterous but never absurd." Been playing with that one for days.

Just finished The Monk -M.G.Lewis, this is one of the older books in the list and was quite controversial in it's day. Having read the book I can understand why, great story, some of the things which occur in the story makes me shudder.
Having read in a glass darkly, and enjoyed that too. I find gothic horror just the thing to read late at night curled up in bed.
One of my biggest fears would be being buried alive. AAAHHHHH!!!!

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. It would have been more fun to read if I hadn't seen the movie all ready and/or was younger. Still, it's worth reading at least.

Now I just finished Wuthering Heights and before that, Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood.

I'm in the middle of Native Son and starting Cold Mountain. I'm all over the map, apparently.

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I loved it.

I just finished The Names, by Don Delillo. I enjoyed the process of reading this, was interested in the characters and the different storylines. When I reached the end, though, my thought was, "huh?" I missed the point.

Just finished Pierre et Jean by Guy de Maupassant. Interesting story about the effects a secret can have even years later.

Seneca's "On Shortness Of Life" - it was amazing!!! Everyone should read this one!

Black Water, Joyce Carol Oates. Good book. I look forward to reading the other books on the list.

Denise,
That is how I felt after reading "Cosmopolis" by DeLillo! I enjoyed it and was interested but had that "huh?" feeling at the end.

I just finished reading "Disgrace" by J Coetzee, and I loved it. Well written and plotted. Unusual characters and a perceptive insight into contemporay South Africa. What did you think of "Slow Man"?

I am just about to start "The Brothers Karamazov." What were your impressions of the book?

Just finished "Burning Secret" by Stefan Zweig. It was brilliant!

middlesex by jeffrey Eugenides. this is the second reading and I loved it as much as the first time.

northanger abbey
took about a day
easy read!

I finished Life of Pi on my honeymoon, great book!

I just finished The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

I just finished Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. It was absurd. I couldn't help comparing it in my mind to the "war comedies" I had seen in movies and television like M.A.S.H., Hogan's Heros and Dr. Strangelove. It was definitely something different. I don't know if I would classify it as a book I would have to read before I died though.

I just finished Platform by M. Houellebecq and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a quick read, but had lots of ideas. Quite masculine...one of the first books I've read in a while that I would be more likely to recommend to my male friends than to my female friends (I'm female). I can't remember if I have ever read any other contemporary French fiction, this book made me want to try more.

Diana,

I'm glad that someone else feels the way I do... I was told that this novel was great and so humorous and to keep reading... I tried so hard... and I had to return it to the library... I was so not interested and don't really feel like I missed out terribly...

Just finished The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. I considered it a 3 star book - I enjoyed it but wasn't particularly impressed or blown away. It was also really hard for me to get into, the first half of the book just dragged. It also seemed like there wasn't much foundation for the romance between the male and female lead - I never really got why they fell for each other, they just sort of...did. However the story of the female leads disastrous and abusive marriage was very interesting and readable.

Just finished "Amok" by Stefan Zweig. It was great to read.

Galen, I've been meaning to read that French author.

Speaking of French authors, I recently finished Proust's Swann's Way, vol. one of Remembrance of Things Past. My subtitle: The Sublime and Occaisionally Tedious. It drags at points -- but the prose is often exquisite. I just loved the opening pages -- where he makes furniture -- yes furniture. It reminds me of Marx's Ideologies, where he reminds us of how alienated we are from everyday objects. Plus -- there is some pleasant plot business, with Swann and his courtesan.

Someone is reading The Corrections. I loved it. Franzen really raises the Mom character beyond caricature. You realize there's something heroic about maternal figures who want everything to work out for their families.

So - I'm proud of myself;), but I'll wait awhile to finish the set.

Less Than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis

Captain Corelli's Mandolin. It started so beautifully, but the ending was just not what I expected. Honestly, it ruined the book a litte for me! It was wonderful - until about the last 30 pages!

My classics group tried Proust last year. We read Vol 1 and everyone except me HATED it--they did not finish it. Well, one member said she loved his prose, but not enough to finish. The others thought it was worse than watching paint dry.

I was the only one who finished vol 1 and i have gone on to read 2 and have started 3. I plan to finish them all before the year is out (guess I'd better get back to them then!)

I was going through a very stressful time at work and at home and for some reason, this was the perfect read for me at the time--it took a lot of concentration to read and follow but once immersed in it, I'd be lost in his world. (strange as it was!)

The Zahir by Paulo Coelho. I do love his style, and this was no exception, but I don't think I got as much out of the book as I could have, as I wasn't really in the mood for it when I was reading it.

I just finished Breakfast at Tiffany's. It's always been one of my favorite movies ... don't know why I hadn't read it already!

What did you think? I read it a while ago - am thinking if I should read his new works.

Hi Holly,

Funny that your name is Holly! I also love the movie and the book.
I found the book quite different in many ways (the book is sadder for one thing). I don't want to give away the rest and be a spoiler.

Both are excellent!

Karen, you're my inspiration! I will get through at least a few more volumes of Proust. I would really like to know what happens to Swann, his courtesan, etc.

Just finished Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. What a lovely and difficult little book! After I finish some non-1001 books, I'm considering one of the following:

1. The Pursuit of Love & Love in a Cold Climate, by Nancy Mitford;

2. The Third Man, by Graham Greene;

3. North & South, by Elizabeth Gaskell; or

4. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Bronte

Any thoughts?

I just finished 'Saturday'. It was gripping, but the ending was kind of lame. I felt like the book was heading a certain direction, and then just flipped into a different kind of book than I thought I was reading.

But, a good read. Maybe a 7 out of 10 on that one.

Now I'm reading 'Queer' by Burroughs because it's on my shelf, but 'Slow Man' is next on the list.