This week's topic is: Top Ten Tuesday Rewind (meaning I get to pick a past TTT topic and post about it. I picked: Top Ten Most Intimidating Books
Some that I have read:
1.) Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand-I had this book on my shelf for 3 years before I finally read it all the way through. I don't know which intimidated me more, the length or Rand's philosophy.
2.) The Stand by Stephen King-I was nervous about this book because it was so long. I don't know why I was concerned because I loved this book. Even though it's long, it reads quick.
3.) War and Peace by Lev Tolstoy-I have read this book twice, once in English and once in Russian. It's intimidating because it's long and is the masterpiece of Russian literature but it is one of my all time favorites.
4.) The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkein-I don't love fantasy and I heard this book was a difficult read so it sat on my shelf a long time before I got the guts to read it. It was so worth it!
Some that I am still too chicken to read:
1.) The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett-I don't know why but this book really intimidates me. I love historical fiction but I haven't been able to pick this one up.
2.) Les Miserables by Victor Hugo-Have you seen how long this book is? I started reading it in high school and enjoyed it but never finished. I am hoping to get to it this fall.
3.) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss-I have heard amazing things about this book but I think the length and the fact that it is fantasy have kind of scared me off. It's been on my nook for a year!
4.) Moby Dick by Herman Melville-I feel like I should read this but I have read such mixed reviews of it that I am kind of scared to pick it up.
5.) Ada or Ardor by Vladimir Nabokov-Ugh. I took a class on Nabokov in college and we read 5 of his books. This is one we didn't have time to read so I have owned it ever since. I didn't love any of Nabokov's work but feel like I should read it anyway. It intimidates me because I know how painful it is going to be.
6.) The Gulag Archipelago vol. 1-3 by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn- I received Volumes 1-3 of this book a few years ago and have yet to read them. Each volume is HUGE and full of sadness and despair. I feel like I am going to need to be in the right frame of mind for this one.
What books intimidate you? Leave me a link to your Top Ten Tuesday rewind so I can check it out!
I read Atlas Shrugged years ago, and at that time, it was the biggest book I had read. I was genuinely shocked, when I managed to finish it. I know what you mean about The Stand, I read it pretty quickly, it didn't seem as long once I started reading it. I still haven't read War and Peace, though I really want to. I took me a month to finish Anna Karenina and I'm just waiting for another month of nothing-to-do, so that I can read War and Peace! Great list!
ReplyDeleteWar and Peace took me a LONG time to read but I was glad I did it!
DeleteI still have not read War and Peace or Atlas Shrugged, the length of these books is keeping me from reading them. I finally got through The Pillars of the Earth last year and I am glad I did, it was a good book.
ReplyDeleteI hated Atlas Shrugged but am so glad I read it. I am hoping to get to Pillars of the Earth really soon!
DeleteI keep meaning to read Pillars of the Earth and The Stand, but the length slightly terrifies me. Love Fellowship of the Ring and Les Mis!
ReplyDeleteJennifer @ Feminist Fairy Tale Reviews
http://feministfairytalereviews.blogspot.com/2012/06/top-ten-tuesday-26-love-stories.html
The Stand is sooo good! If you like Stephen King, I think you will enjoy it.
DeleteCool topic choice!! I never finished The Stand.... it is pretty intimidating!
ReplyDeleteI did Childhood Fav's
I agree with Les Miserables! I want to read that book, but the size is daunting.
ReplyDeleteTop Ten Tuesday
War and Peace indimidates me too :)
ReplyDeleteI actually read Les Miserables in high school and loved our. Our history teach was actually giving us extra credit for reading a book that took place in the time period we were studying, so I started reading it while we were studying the French revolution. Of course I didn't finish it until we were onto the next unit, or maybe even two units later. At first she didn't want to give me the extra credit, but when I complained saying how long it was and that I actually started while we were studying the revolution she relented.
ReplyDeleteHa! You definitely deserved extra credit for sticking with it!
DeletePls dont bother to read The Name of the wind, it was such waste of time!
ReplyDeleteHow is the Stand?