These 10 big books are worth your time - MUST READS!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- Here are 10 big books I think are worth every minute of your time. Happy reading!
🕯 You'll find links to my other platforms and the bookclub on my TH-cam homepage. Make sure to subscribe to my monthly newsletter!
How to read and finish big books: • How to read big books ...
Hey all - here's an important note. I held up the Iliad, but confused it with the storyline of The Odyssey, which is the other poem by Homer. I do recommend them both. Apologies for the mistake! :)
John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” - probably my favorite book of all time.
I will add it to my reading list!
Yes. Yes. Yes. 💯
War and Peace and The Count of Monte Cristo. Check out Clarissa by Samuel Richardson if you enjoy big books.
I strongly agree with the older books on your list. I think you are spot on. The newer books are not my favorites but I can see why you picked them. Good job!
Great to hear that! 🥰
I'm currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo and its just amazing.
Oh ENJOY!
Best book I've ever read!!!!! Enjoy my friend 😊😊
I read Jane Eyre a few years ago. I looked at it as a project, "I SHOULD read this." I wasn't expecting to fall in love with it. But instantly did! I've read it twice since then and I hope to be re-reading it the rest of my life.
I definitely want to take on Hunchback. I read Les Miserables a few years ago. It was not the easiest read, but I did enjoy it. (For the most part.)
And, of course, I adore The Lord of the Rings. I will never stop re-reading it, until my eyeballs fall out!
It funny how we can sometimes have an opinion about a book and be reluctant to pick it up, only to end up loving it!
You said sorry for recommending two Hugo’s. Don’t be sorry, it’s YOUR list-you do you! 😊
I'm so excited to see this video starting to get some of the traction that your awesome channel deserves. I sincerely hope and believe that it is indicative of the explosion of growth that will soon transpire. Very much deserved!
And thanks for this terrific video, as well. I've read and strongly agree with most of your choices and, based on your recommendation, will soon read the others. Thanks again!
Wow. This is so incredibily kind of you! This community is the best thing ever and I wish I could just meet you all in real life! I'm astounded by how many views and subscribers this video has given me. It seems to have reached likeminded people. Your encouraging words are much appreciated. Thank you for the gift! Have fun reading the other books. I hope you'll all like them! 🤎
@@ProseAndPetticoats keep up the great work - hope your channel continues to expand. What are your thoughts on Charles Dickens, if any. I have just finished Les Mis and A Tale of Two Cities - great periods in French history these classic novels are set in. Will be reading more Hugo in due course :)
I generally prefer longer books. If I'm going to invest time and effort in reading something, I might as well be in that world (or in that topic, if nonfiction) for a while. That's assuming, of course, I'm enjoying it. If you're slogging through a book and hating every minute of it, it feel like it will never end!
My favorites are Anna Karenina, War and Peace and Gone With the Wind. Highly recommend to lovers of classic readers!
I adore Anna Karenina. Someone else already recommended Gone With the Wind, so I put it on my list!
The count of Monte Cristo is in my top 10 favourite books of all time! I was very happy when you said that you like it so much in your video review! I also want to read War and peace for such a long time, even have a very beautiful hard cover illustrated edition, but the length of the books is so intimidating 😭
Likewise, I called in sick and read it for like 20 hours over 2 days. It's wonderful.
This is your sign to start reading War & Peace! I know, big books can be intimidating :) And yes, Monte Cristo is a masterpiece!
Haha love this.
I am reading War and Peace a chapter a day. OK it will take time but why rush? I can find 15-20mins a day with a coffee. It is well worth it.
@lyramidsummer5508 That's similar to how I read it. (10 pages a day NO EXCUSES). I LOVED IT. I will read it again one day. Enjoy and you will finish it before you know it.
Your editions of books are amazingly beautiful, definitely pieces of art.😻
The amount of post-its in your books!!! 🤩
The Count of Monte Cristo! One of my all-time faves!
Yesss 🤗 great to hear!
@@ProseAndPetticoats Have you read The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins?
@@jeffreykaufmann2867 I haven't picked up any works of this author yet. Should I add it to my list?
@ProseAndPetticoats Definitely. It's one of those books that u have to read before you die. It's plot construction was revolutionary for It's time (1859) and the novel was inspired by a true event:
One day Wilkie Collins was taking a walk in the countryside and saw a Woman who seemed very agitated. He asked her:" Madame, you seem to be in distress, may I be of some assistance?"
"Sir, I have escaped from the Asylum!
@@jeffreykaufmann2867 Haha all right, I will be adding it to my list!
A big book I recommend is A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth.
Your recommendations are always appreciated, and I'm excited to dive into these reads. Subscribing to your newsletter sounds like a great way to stay updated on your book club and other platforms. Looking forward to more great recommendations and discussions! 📚🕯
I'm so happy to hear this. Thank you! 🤎 glad to have you here.
Thank you too💚
It’s really rare that I see list like this, and completely agree with every book on the list. Well done. 👏🏻
Glad to hear that 🤎 Thank you so much for watching!
Good luck with what you choose to read, I hope you get some great stories. Currently reading the Count of Monte Cristo. Very good but I maybe some time!
Happy reading!
Nice recommendations! Good taste. You have some very nice editions of those books. That LOTR cover is very appealing
Oh yes, that edition is so pleasing to the eye! Have you read all of these?
@@ProseAndPetticoats No I've only read and partially read some of these but I like what I've read so far. I think the rest are right up my alley
Already read pillars of the earth and lord of the rings. Amazing stories.
Kingsbridge series by ken follet one of my fav of all time
Which you mention first book ( pillar of the earth ) ....my God , what a book !!!!!
The Hunchback from Notre Dame is also one of my favorite books of all time. ❤ I loved your suggestion, thank you!
That's amazing and so rare! I like you already 🤭
One large book I'd highly recommend is Gone With the Wind. Just checking it now, Amazon has the various versions at over 1,000 pages. That surprised me because it really doesn't feel that way! Even if you've never seen the movie, it's like a movie in your head. It's also not a sappy romance like everyone thinks. If it was, I never would have bothered with it. (That's what I thought Jane Eyre was, and that's why I avoided it for years.) It really is more character studies and family drama (in the good sense of the word) and a look into a place and time with a lot of change and upheaval. I'm in my 50s and have been re-reading it since I was in 8th grade. My beloved paperback is pieces. I finally had to retire it. It now lives safely in a plastic baggie, on my bookshelf. I'm surprised it hasn't crumbled into dust by now. But I can't bear to get rid of it. It's been with me all these years.
That's so beautiful, I love this. I haven't read Gone With the Wind, but I know it's a popular one. I will add it to my list because you love it so much. :) has this author written more works, and have you read them?
@@ProseAndPetticoats “Gone With the Wind” is Mitchell’s only novel; she died shortly after being struck by a car in 1949. Although many people clamored for a sequel, Mitchell refused to write one, preferring to leave Rhett and Scarlet’s fates to the imagination.
BTW I love how you pronounce the Spanish and French names! They roll off your tongue beautifully!
Just stumbled upon your channel amidst a reading break. Fantastically inspiring content, thank you!
I'm so glad you enjoy my content! Thank you for your kind words 🤎
@ProseAndPetticoats Thanks for your kind response. And yes, I really like the style of your videos! After years of mainly being submersed in dense and theoretical study books, I recently reconnected with reading literature. Though, some exceptions aside, I'm basically completely new to reading classics, and I think I'm really onto something here. I just found out you're starting an online book club. Will definitely join!!!
@@avalokiteshvaravalon Can I ask what you were studying? It's good to hear you now find joy in fiction novels!
Yes, tomorrow we start the first bookclub ever, I'm so excited. Always welcome, anytime. 🤎
@ProseAndPetticoats Thank you! I just became a member, so exciting. 😊 I studied psychology, now working as a therapist.
@@avalokiteshvaravalon Thank you so much. I'm looking forward to our discussions!
Great selections! As a Hugo lover, I highly recommend his THE MAN WHO LAUGHS, maybe his best novel, preferably in the Isabel Hapgood translation if you can find it.
I loved reading it! Have a video on my channel, should you be interested 🥰 He's my favourite author.
Great recommendations! I have just discovered I like long books after avoiding for years. I just read and enjoyed the Makioka Sisters by Tanazaki which is a chunky one. I loved Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver too. That’s a beautiful copy of Jane Eyre you have.
Thank you Rachel 🤎 Great that you have found your love for long novels again. :) The copy of Jane is by Chiltern Classics!
Mmm, the late author Somerset Maughan suggested leaving ' must reads ' for a few years - after which, amazingly many must reads become don`t bother`s !!!!!
I appreciate your selections, even if I have some serious reservations. New readers should also note that publishers are well aware of the visual attraction of ' big books ' and have, over many years employed a range of techniques to turn modest size books into big books ; larger typefaces, additional leading and spacing, heavier paper and so on and so on.
So, people should be conscious of the fact that big does not necessarily equate to better - far from it, just highly subjective in a very competitive and aggressive marketplace.
That being said, you still provide some interesting and informative insights, to aid readers to reach their own conclusions - so well done :)
Thank you. I am surprised that publishers would make books bigger (nowadays - I'm not speaking about classics). My experience as an author is the other way around: my publisher sets a wordcount limit and makes books smaller by adjusting the font, spacing etc, to make the books less expensive... (I'm traditionally published, so I don't have a say in this.) I 100% agree with you; of course a big book could be less good than a smaller one. I love all book sizes and it doesn't really influence me when I buy. :) Happy reading & thank you for watching!
@@ProseAndPetticoats Hello, and thank you so much for finding the time to respond - and feel assured, I will only ever seek to make a positive contribution to your interesting page.
In that spirit, may I also suggest another book, which should become part of your library - if I may be so bold !!!
" The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde " 19th Century author, playwright, poet and man of letters, and considered possibly the most brilliant creative mind of the time. My volume, printed in 1998 ( 11th impression ) is a large book at over 2000 pages, and includes all of his stories, plays, poetry and commentaries, even though in1998 the typeface was small and crammed onto each page. His work is still enormously popular today, stories such as " The Picture of Dorian Grey " or plays such as " The Importance of Being Earnest ", performed by theatre groups around the world today :)
Of course, you may indeed already own a copy of Oscar Wilde, so please forgive any assumptions I may have made, but Wilde represented the dizzy height of creative literature, a successful career cut drastically short by the bigotry of the times he lived in.
However, I would humbly suggest he should be added to your ' Must Read ' list !!!
Thank you once again - I appreciate your intelligence as well as your insights :)
I have read razor edge by him too. It is also an excellent movie with same title. Bill Murray is major actor. It came out in 1984
@@MrTorleon Wow, Oscar Wilde is one of my favourite authors! I have read his book and all of his plays and short stories :) I was meaning to make a video on it in the future haha. Great recommendation, you have excellent taste, sir ;)
@@vincentzevecke4578 The Razors Edge is by Maugham - and geerally very good; the film benefited by the presence of Clifton Webb as Elliott Temperton (from memory - a marvellous, tragic character). Did you mean to say that Wilde wrote The Razor's Edge...? That's how I read your post - DID he in fact write a play with that title? It's quite possible! I must ransack my bookcases.
I loved your picks, but I cheered when you held up "Les Miserables", because I love that one, and consider it one of my favourite reads ever. You also reminded me that I haven't yet read "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", and it's now at the top of my list, because I think I would also love reading that. Thank you.
That's amazing!! 😍
Great video certainly Les Mis, War & Peace and The COunt of Monte Cristo are in my top ten books, not read Notre Dame de Paris yet or Lord of the Rings although I did read The Fellowship of the Ring when I was a kid. Thanks for sharing.
That's great! I'm sure you'll get to read the others one day. So many books to read! 🥰
I would recommend The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu. An amazing novel written ten centuries ago by a Japanese woman. Very long, but worth every page.
It was in my World Literature class, and I would like to read the entire work. Love your recommendation :)
I know it isnt a novel, but a big book I feel you'd find fascinating is Fingerprints of the Gods by Graham Hancock.
In short, its a massive critique of archeology, ancient history and egyptology. He outlines why he thinks humanity's history goes back far further than what experts believe.
He also has a Netflix mini series as well called Ancient Apocalypse. His discoveries are great for the imagination, and makes for a very interesting topic of conversation after you read/watch what he's discovered.
Thank you so much for the recommendation. I will add it to my list 🤎
Hello Emmelie! I hope you are doing well. This was a great video and I really enjoyed it (especially when you mentioned my most favorite author of classic literature which made me smile). With the exception of Les Miserable, I have read all of the classic literature books you mentioned and also TLOTR and enjoyed them all. I also pronounce Don Quixote the same way you did so I think you are correct. I look forward to your next video and the start of your book club next week. Have a great week!
David, you HAVE to read Les Misérables. You're killing me 😂 haha I can imagine. Dumas deserved to be mentioned , The Count of MC is a masterpiece ♡
@@ProseAndPetticoats You are correct. My book book reading list this year is pretty much filled up. However, if you put it in your book club list for next year, I guarantee you I will read it. :)
I feel the same with Count of Monte Cristo. Read it twice, in 2014 and 2020. France released a 3 hour movie adaptation this year and I heard a miniseries version is coming this fall
I have confidence in a miniseries, but one movie seems way to short 🤭 I'll be looking forward to it.
Really interesting choices, and although I haven’t read all of them I totally agree with them.
Although I would pick Wuthering Heights over Jane Eyre if you had to chose one Bronte novel. Thankfully there nothing stopping anyone reading all of the sisters’ different works.😊
Wuthering Heights was too short to make the list :D but I love that one, too. I'm glad you agree. I was most impressed with The Tenant of Wildfell Hall!
Great!!! These books are gorgeous, so are you! have a nice day.
How kind of you! Thanks 🤎
❤📚❤️ I read Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett last year, and I loved it! I'm reading Middlemarch by George Eliot now and again loving it. I have The Count of Monte Cristo on my tbr. 😊
I'm so glad you enjoyed Pillars! Oh, you will enjoy The Count - you're in for a treat :) I will be reading Middlemarch this fall, yay!🤎
@@ProseAndPetticoats Great!!
Read romola and u will love it even more.
@@ratherrapid Thank you! I've marked it on my Goodreads.
You did fine with your pronunciation of Don Quixote ... I haven't read all the books on your list; I have read War and Peace, which was a struggle which took me several years. I read Lord of the Rings, and the good thing about that is that I'll never have to read it again. The Count of Monte Cristo, and Les Miserables, I read in abridged editions - I fear this may have spoiled me for reading the whole of the books, though I hope not. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Jane Eyre, I have tucked under my belt - the HB of ND is a difficult read. I have no good memory of reading Ken Follet's other books, so am reluctant to devote time to your recommendation. And I've never heard of the author of your last book. I think that we are ready for certain books at different times in our lives - probably, I should have read LOTR either when I was much younger, or maybe not later: I still remember closing it on page 1,000 and muttering "thank God, it's over!".
Quite big books I've read, and would recommend to you - Crime and Punishment; Barnaby Rudge; Kidnapped; Quentin Durward; and, if you can find them, some of the novels - not all - by Ernest Raymond: if he could do nothing else, he was a genius with dialogue. Now a question: I've never read Marcel Proust - I have steered resolutely away from him; should I overcome my instinctive avoidance?
Hi Robert, thank you so much for stopping by. It's interesting to hear your experience with the novels/authors I'm recommending here.
I have read Crime & Punishment recently (I have a video on it, should you be interested). The others I have never heard of, so I will look into them and add them to my list.
As for your question: I still have to read Proust myself, but I plan on starting to read In Search of Lost Time this year. I'll make sure to record a video. :)
Already read most of them, and yep, they are great, my fave is the Cervantes one: Don Quixote is so funny!
New subscriber here. The translations of the Iliad and Odyssey by Robert Fagles are outstanding. (Much better than the old Rouse translations.) The more recent translations of both by Emily Wilson are also worth a look. I am no stranger to reading books with more than a thousand pages but War and Peace has never held my interest.
I agree that they're outstanding. I've heard indeed that Emily Wilson did a great job, too. I'm glad you decided to stay! Happy to have you here, and I'm looking forward to our bookish conversations.🤎
Wonderful list. I was very glad to see Lord of the Rings and War and Peace are on your list. It surprised me that the Hunchback of Notre Dame (Notre Dame de Paris) is your favorite book. Lord of the Rings is mine!
Haha well, I'm glad your favourite book is on my list! Thank you 🤎
Shantaram a n amazing must read big book
I had to read the Iliad in high school - no options. Probably as a teenager's protest, I read the Aeneid. - It's what happens to the losers after the Trojan War, leading to the ultimate founding of Rome. I was surprised (after all, this was a read-in-protest book) how interesting it was.
And, yes, Lord of the Rings was/is one of my favorites.
We never read or studied any interesting books while I was in school. Did you like The Aeneid? I still have to read it :) Yay for Tolkien!
Almost all these books are on my tbr! I was really enjoying The Pillars of the Earth but I am currently obsessed with Dune and all other books have fallen aside for the moment. I will get back to it soon though, it was very good.
I must admit that Dune had me so confused, but I am happy to hear you are enjoying it so much. Happy reading!
A couple of notes. "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was by atheist Hugo and saved the cathedral which was going to ruin. Next you might want to go on to Emile Zola. Also in French there is "The Red and the Black" by Stendhal.
Further abroad from Japan there is a contemporary novel "Sea of Fertility" by Yukio Mishima in three volumes, one of my favorites. Further back in time try the Chinese classics. My favorite is "Jin Ping Mei"(the golden lotus), but there are also "The Water Margin", "Dream of the Red Chamber", "Journey to the West"(aka "Monkey"). These are long. A hint, if there are Chinese bookstores near you, they may have translations from China which will be much cheaper than Western ones.
Hello there. Victor Hugo was not an atheist, but your other fact is absolutely right (about his book saving the cathedral).
Thank you for your recommendations. I will look into these and add them to my list! 🥰
Oh and I've read Zola and Stendhal. Thank you!
The Betrothed is a personal favorite, seldom found on lists. Give it a try.
I will be checking it out!
The Count is what I answer when someone asks what my favorite book is (outside of the Bible)!
Great video! Just discovered your channel!
@@ToddsBookTube91 Thank you! I'm glad you found me 🥰
Great choices. I'd also add Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake.
I've added it to my list :)
Fagles translation of homer is excellent. He won awards for it.
Yes! I was so impressed! 🥰
I've just subscribed. I've seen this video and only skimmed through the others titles. This is the only channel so far that centres around the books I have read myself 😱 Hugo, Dumas, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Homer, Follett, Pushkin, Scott, Tolkien... So I'll most likely watch all the videos.
My favourite author right now is Dickens. I'd recommend 'Great Expectations' but you should maybe read it in a good translation 😉 to avoid the somewhat obsolete language. Poetry is not to be read in translation though. 😊👋🏻
Wow, it's fantastic to have you here. I'm glad you're joining, and of course, it's exciting that we're book soulmates. I recently bought a whole stack of Dickens' novels, and I plan on reading him soon. Dickens wrote in English, so I will be reading the original (not a translation). I'm looking forward to our future conversations!
That's a wonderful list of fat books, Emmelie. You seem to
enjoy those old historical epic novels. I've read the two
Victor Hugo novels. I have a 100+ year old copy of The
Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is both illustrated
and partially bug eaten, and Les Miserables which is
pretty good with the liberty, equality, and fraternity stuff.
Hugo still makes dictators tremble, American, European,
Asian, or African. Don Quixote is another magnificent
novel, which will never grow old. I recently bought a
cheap copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. I know I'll
eventually read that one eventually also. I've never
read the Lord of the Rings books. I'm a big fan of The
Hobbit, the book Tolkien wrote that preceded LOTR.
That book has brilliant characters, great action, fine
dialogue, and is told within the mythological format of
a journey. I found a hardcover copy that had the runes
on the end papers which has a clever riddle which you
get to solve. Smaug might steal the show in that novel,
but he is a dragon of smoke and fire, with real bite.
I'd hate to be his dentist!
Are you a fan of the Cixin Liu books? Three Body Problem
is currently being shown on Netflix. IQ84 by Murakami
might be worth your time. This book is a rewrite of 1984
by Orwell from a Japanese point of view, set in recent times.
Somersault by Kenzaburo Oe is an interesting book
for me. It's about these two Japanese guys that start
a new religion, based on elements of Buddhism and
Christianity, and built around the theme of repentance.
It's loosely based on the Aum Shinrikyo cult in Japan
that put canisters of deadly sarin gas at busy subway
locations in Tokyo on March 20, 1995.
Shorter books are good too, Emmelie. I'm currently
reading Letters Concerning the English Nation by
Voltaire written in 1733. This book was written during
Voltaire's three year visit to England. In this book,
he develops his ideas about what it means to be
"Enlightened." It has to do with thinking rationally,
appreciating the genius of Sir Isaac Newton,
rejecting superstition, opposing
tyranny, distributing wealth fairly in society, and
supporting intellectual freedom. This book, and
several others, helped spread the Enlightenment
in Europe. Thank god he wasn't burned at the
stake like Joan of Arc. Also, he rewrote this book
twice in French. It goes by the name of
Lettres Philosophique. The last edition
had a couple extra essays added to it.
Great job, Emmelie! Good luck with your
future reading and writing, and on all your
tests at Harvard.
Hi Andrew! Thank you for this wonderful comment. That bug eaten edition you have still sounds wonderful, haha. I must admit I have an entire shelf of different editions of Notre-Dame. I love Voltaire's work "Candide" (recently re-read it) and that book you're reading sounds interesting.
I would recommend to you David Copperfield. Its a masterpiece. My favorite book of all time
I have an edition here, waiting for me! 🥰
You have a very relaxing voice 😊
Our tastes are so similar! The only book in the list I don't own yet is "Warbreaker", and that is because I've just started reading "Mistborn" this year. I'll definitely get to it, sooner or later. 😊 "War and Peace" and "Don Quixote" are still unfinished on my shelf, too. All the others are books I've read and loved.
Impressive! How are you liking Mistborn? :) I loved reading those books.
@@ProseAndPetticoats I loved the first one! Next week, I will start reading the second volume. Very criative and fun.
Where do you buy such beautiful books! That 'Jane Eyre' book cover is stunning❤
It's from Chiltern Classics. You should check out their collection 😍
Would you consider covering any Charles Dickens novels in the future?
Absolutely. I recently bought an entire stack and I'm excited to get to know his style :)
My favorites are A Tale Of Two Cities, Dombey And Son, and Barnaby Rudge.
@@bobbibaker4685 I will be tackling Two Cities first 🥰
@@ProseAndPetticoats My favorite novel of all time.
@@bobbibaker4685 Is there a reason why you prefer this one over his other books? Setting? Storyline? Characters? 🥰
I have most of those! War and Peace, the Count of Monte Cristo, The Lord of The Rings, and The Illiad two different translations.
Yay, that's great 😍
Lovely video, thank you. Based on the books you recommend here, may I suggest you would also love 'Kristin Lavransdatter' by Sigrid Undset. My absolute favourite, but it hardly ever makes it onto other people's lists.
Of course! Will add it to my list.
I really enjoyed OED
Great list… I love to see Lord of the Rings included! It is one of my most reread books.
Thank you! I see you're new to booktube. Wishing you the best of luck with your channel! 😍📚
Thank you! It’s nice to talk to other readers. I forgot to mention your edition of Don Quixote is beautiful! It has been on my list to read for a long time!
@@MyMessyBookshelf I know it's a big one, but it didn't feel like it. Very enjoyable story. I hope you'll get to reading it 🥰 Yes, it's a joy to connect with other booknerds who have a similar taste in books! This community is the best.
I would like to add the Arabian/1001 nights and Robinson Crusoe (this one is not that big but certainly long for our modern standards). Also, Anna Karenina by Tolstoi.
I've read a couple of stories from the Arabian Nights and liked them, so I intend to read the entire novel. Haven't read Crusoe, and I absolutely love Anna Karenina. It's definitely in my top 10 of favourite books. Great recs.
That is quite the list, I still need to read six of them. I better get busy.
Haha! But you've read 4 already. Good job ;)
Cervantes was participated in the battle of Lepanto. He lost a hand in the battle. What happened then and the next year is why he wrote Don Quioxte
00:55 Дон-Кихот
01:58 Нотр-Дам де Пари Гюго
05:19 Роман выложен в открытый доступ на сайте автора!
Always remember that no-one is standing behind you forcing you to read anything. If it bores, fling it. No-one cares if you've read these heaving tomes of scribble. Life is too short for reading rhubarb. As Larkin infamously said "Books are a load of crap"
Absolutely - if you don't like what you're reading, it's fine to give up on it. Life is short, we have to be selective.
'Books are a load of crap' coming from Philip Larkin was a bit ironic don't you think, as he was the Liberian at the University of Hull. 😂😂😂😂
Even some grown men have years down their faces reading Les Miserables.
It is in my top ten.....ah , Jean Valjean, Cosset and Marius.... yes, you know the scene 😓😥😓😥😥
Everyone should read it 🥹
strong selection, but not all are among my favorites. i cannot see why don quijote would be worth every minute of my time.. maybe im not looking for entertainment, but for a more meaningful read
It's all subjective 🤎
The usual title in English of the first VIctor Hugo novel is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. There have been many movie versions. Perhaps watching one of those first may help.
Correct, but I always try to use the official French title, because I know that Hugo didn't like the English title (being misleading, because the story isn't about the hunchback). Yes, watching an adaptation first definitely helps! 🥰 the 1982 version is the closest to the original I've seen. You can watch it on TH-cam. :)
Les Miserables and The Count of Monte Cristo were possibly both influenced by Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle," in which the title character falls asleep in the Catskill Mountains in the British Colony of New York, and wakes up in the State of New York in the United States of America. Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas possibly liked the idea of a man "sleeping" through a revolution, and having to adapt to new political environment. But instead of sleeping, going to a prison, where he wasn't kept apprised of the latest news was more believable.
I never heard of this. What I do know is that Monte Cristo came from an anecdote published in a memoir of incidents in France in 1838, written by an archivist of the Paris police about a man falsely convicted.
@@ProseAndPetticoats It was just conjecture on my part.
I hear the term TBR used allot what does it mean?
TBR = To Be Read ;)
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes is wonderful and I love Victor Hugo.
Yay, another Hugo admirer! 😍 Have you read a lot of his works?
@@ProseAndPetticoats Less than I would want 🤓I love that he was so engaged in making the world a better place. Fun fact - he planted a tree that he called Oak of the United States of Europe 🏝If only people met eye to eye about this idea closer to times when he was thinking of it...
Awesome list! Don Quixote and War and Peace are my all time favourites!! 🥰 currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo
So glad you like the list! Are you enjoying The Count of MC?!
@ProseAndPetticoats I'm still on the beginning of The Interrogation chapter, and the story slowly started to grip me. I'm excited to delve more into the story
4:30 😍
"Hadji Murad" by Leo Tolstoy is another great read only 100 pages.
I actually have that one sitting on the shelf! Can't wait to read it. :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats I will look forward to your review then !
The Iliad is NOT about the adventures of Odysseus in the Trojan War. Apparently you are confusing the Iliad with the other famous Homeric poem the Odyssey which is about the adventures of Odysseus. You might also want to check out the English translations by Richmond Lattimore. I find that Lattimore’s translation of the Iliad is more aesthetically pleasing in my subjective opinion. 😊
You are correct - I held up the wrong book... Read them both and I confused them. Thank you for pointing this out, I will pin it on the top of my comment section. Thank you for the recommendation! I will write that down.
My advice on reading big books! 😍 th-cam.com/video/HlPU2Iqyf_Q/w-d-xo.html
You should read a the Dubliners by James Joyce
@@vincentzevecke4578 I'm a bit too scared to read James Joyce at the moment haha. Maybe one day ;)
Try to read ebook called WTF?! By Son. E from kindle it is a good thiller which contain 4 different stories and it cost less than 1 dollar completely Worth of money
I read The Dubliners (short stories), Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Ulysses in graduate school. I liked the first two and detested the last one. Someone in Ireland suggested that Ulysses is better read aloud, as a play; I haven't tried that. But I just wanted to say that the first two are very enjoyable, and not what you may have heard of Ulysses. Best of luck when you are ready to tackle some.@@ProseAndPetticoats
Crime and Punishment or anything by Dostoevsky is awesome
I recently finished C&P. Would like to read The Brothers K, too.
Sanderson is the odd man out here. I tried reading the first book in his Stormlight Archive series and just couldn't get into it.
I give a massive recommendation to The Count of Monte Cristo. I recently finished it and had intended to then go to Les Miserables but I ended up deciding to tackle Moby Dick instead. I will get to Les Mis eventually. And War and Peace.
I also couldn't get into his Stormlight series. How are you enjoying Moby Dick? I'm so happy you will eventually read Les Misérables and War & Peace.
@@ProseAndPetticoats I have only begun reading Moby-Dick but I am enjoying it so far. When the book begins with a brief section on the etymology of the word "whale" and then launches into 12 pages of quotations from other works about whales and whaling, before it actually gets to the first line of the book's narrative, you know that you are in for a different sort of novel.
Haha, indeed!
Surprisingly, I came to love Dickens’ David Copperfield
I have an edition of David Copperfield waiting for me, but I will start my journey with A Tale of Two Cities!
You might like Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.
I added it to my list :)
A Tale of Two Cities, The Fountainhead, Crime and Punishment are three on my top ten. Didn't care for The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm reading Jane Eyre as we speak. Faulkner's Light in August and Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises.....not big books but nice classics, right?
I will soon pick up A Tale of Two Cities as my first Dickens :) Recently finished Crime & Punishment. I hope you are enjoying Jane Eyre. Still need to read Faulkner (if you have any suggestions on where to start, do let me know!) and I must admit I'm not a fan of Hemingway. ;)
for fantasy, The Chronicles of Amber by Rodger Zelazny
I will check that out!
I like "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand. Parts of it are coming true now. I'm not a fan of the romance parts.
I must admit I don't know anything about the book, though it does ring a bell.
No Dickens?
I still have to read him... (I did read A Christmas Carol.) I have just bought an entire collection, so wish me luck! ;) what's your favourite Dickens?
David Copperfield. I think it was Dickens’s favorite too. BTW, your list was very good despite this omission (I haven’t read the Follett, so I can’t judge that!)
@@sandyhausler5290 Oh yes, I've heard it's partly autobiographical.
Well, this is just a list of 10 books, and many more deserve their place on here. But I can't recommend authors/books I haven't read yet - that would be silly :D
Thanks for the discussion, Sandy, and I'm glad you like my list! :)
The Iliad
Don Quixote
The hunchback of notredame
Jane eyre
Les miserables
War and peace
The count of monte cristo
Pillars of the earth
The Lord of the rings
War breaker
Your Beauty always makes my day. thank you sunshine
That's terribly kind of you!
thanks
You're welcome!
the best novels are about
human behavior
The real enemy is desire
check out Alberta and Jacob by Sandal...i think you'll dig it!
Thank you for the recommendation! Never heard of it, so I will have to look into it. :)
I will be finishing Brothers Karamazov tomorrow just to Start War and Peace!, thank you for this video….how can one buy the quality of books in your video, it’s difficult to buy these books in Nigeria…I want to read Hugo and Homer but can’t buy them here 😢
Have fun reading W&P! How do you feel about The Brothers K?
Aww, I buy a lot of my books secondhand or online. I'm sorry to hear you can't find them.
@@ProseAndPetticoats In my estimations, I think The Brothers Karamazov is overrated, the characters are too many even though Dostoevsky tries to flesh out each of them as he picks them and also reconnect them, I think there are disjointed genres, the positive intended plots like the elder and the heir-monks (monastery) don’t seem to pass a strong message (because I do not buy the idea of isolating those that are to disseminate divine wisdom in a monastery and I do not understand why Ferapont was esteemed so high yet useless), as much as I find it a psychological fiction, it’s even hard to pin a character for me, he tries to portray Alyosha as his hero but why?
I’m at page 602, I do hope the hero in Alyosha is made manifest anyway.
I think I love Crime and punishment alongside notes from underground more!
@@ProseAndPetticoats My analysis might defer with that of others because, first, I do not read for fun, I come from a third world nation and I’m trying to solve puzzles, I’m trying to connect dots as to unveil the root cause of our psychological difficulties, I try to delve deep into the minds of great psychologists and philosophers looking for hierarchy of perceptions for possible emulation and for action prioritizations.
I resorted to psychological fictions when I discovered that the non fiction around me are just scratching surfaces and leaving our continent dependent yet we make claims of having the absolute truth😢
War & Peace is a masterpiece, but Anna Karenina is his better book in my opinion, and explores the psychology of marriage, courtship, infidelity, jealousy, childbirth, social interactions etc etc with resonant truth - so I'd recommend that for your objective. Most book characters (even in the best books) are caricatures, but Tolstoy's characters are so well-rounded and real. @@DIPLOMATCENTER
@joelee5344 I also prefer Anna Karenina over War & Peace 🤎
is Don Quixote edition ilustrated if it is can you show it in another video
Yes, it is illustrated. I will see if I can make a video for you :)
If a book is capable of spraining my fingers I’m going with kindle.
Stop moving your hand when you present the book. We can't see the front well.
I will try to keep it in mind :)
Where are u from¿
Belgium :)
@@ProseAndPetticoats thats cool..but just out of curiosity .why do you read books in english not in your native tongue¿
@@ilqar887 I do read books in Flemish, but I prefer English for classic literature. It doesn't seem to work well in my own language :) English is more poetic/beautiful.
You need to tell me how you make your videos under 10 minutes 😅
You need to tell me how you make such long ones! I find it so hard to get them over 10 minutes. I write and plan out everything I will say in the video beforehand, so maybe that's why they're very compact. I could never record without a script, for there would be too many umms, silences, and dead moments. Glad to see you here!
@@ProseAndPetticoats umms, silences, and dead moments characterize my videos 🤣
please do not wave or shake when you bring up the book,,, thanks
Jane Eyre, one if those books that doesn't sound interesting but actually is. I laughed alot at the bickering, banter and jabbing between Jane and Mr Rochester. The whole thing with Jane as kid and her first real friend really hits the feels.
That Spanish Don Quixote edition is beautiful! I like when publishers take big books and split them in multiple volumes, can make it easier to read.
Absolutely. I wish publishers would do this more often!
@@ProseAndPetticoats I think if they did, it would be less intimidating to people to read big books