1001 Books

A while back dovegreyreader bought 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (©2006), by Peter Boxall. She went through this list and counted the books she had read. I think she came out having read about half of them.

I recently did the same thing. Here are my statistics:
Books I own – 306
Books I’ve read – 300

Most of my hits are in the early part of the book, the pre-18th through 19th centuries. (I’ve told you before I live in the past.) Assuming the 20th century books Boxall lists are of similar quality to the earlier ones, I have a ready made reading list for the next 30 years.

A few of the titles? Reveries of a Solitary Walker (1782) by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. (I had never heard of it before.) The Island of Dr Moreau (1896), by H G Wells (he who married his cousin.) Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936), by George Orwell. The Bell (1958), by Iris Murdoch. Dictionary of the Khazars (1984), by Milorad Pavic, which was published in male and female editions. (No, seriously.) Amsterdam (1998) by Ian McEwan.