Books I should have read

2:14 PM

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The other day I found this little card inside a book. It was a list of classical books and it asked "How many have you read?"

Having nothing better to do, I started checking the list. To my utter embarrassment, there were some books  I was suppossed to have read for college, but never got around to doing it.

Oh... "Jane Eyre". I should have read you before reading "Wide Sargasso Sea", but you sounded so tragic (and so long). I couldn't take that much suffering for 400 plus pages.

I notice Joseph Conrad looking at me suspiciously. In my defense, I read like... 30 pages of "Heart of Darkness" and couldn't go on. I know, watching "Apocalypse Now" is no substitute for the book, but the professor went on and on about imperialism and I just lost interest...

I get to the end of the list, Virgina Woolf throws her "To the Lighthouse" in my head. I'm sorry, why can't we... you know... just go to the lighthouse already?

I try to explain to all of them the reasons why I couldn't finish their books, hoping they won't further accuse of even donating their books to charity.

Jealousy reigns. "How come there are so Jane Austen and Shakespere books marked, huh?" Charlotte Brontë can't understand why I can read her sister's gothic novel but not hers. That is trully unfair, I admit it. (I hope that never happens to me).

Ok, ok, ok. Let's settle this. You are all very deserving of a second chance. I'll give Charlotte a try soon and the others I'll give it a try... someday.

What books are you accused of not reading?

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8 comments

  1. Clarissa AykroydApril 4, 2012 at 7:04 PM

    I used to be crazy about Joseph Conrad - I read him a lot in my teens and early twenties. I would like to get back to reading him, as I think he's difficult but so amazing - but I'm not sure I have the attention span for it these days! I really loved Jane Eyre, mainly for her character. I didn't like Rochester much, and it was terribly Gothic...

    My biggest omission is Charles Dickens. It's terrible, I have this massive Dickens void. People are shocked when I tell them this as they know my love for English literature. I tried to read Oliver Twist and couldn't finish it. Didn't finish Great Expectations. Tried A Tale of Two Cities two or three times and didn't get past the first few chapters! I know I should try again, but I have kind of a hangup about it now...

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    1. PaulaApril 4, 2012 at 8:47 PM

      From Joseph Conrad I've only read "The Duel", which I really liked.

      Dickens, by the way, has 9 books on that list of classical books to read...

      It's funny, these classical books can make us feel so guilty, can't they? We know they are supposed to be great but we still can't like or at least finish them.

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. MariaApril 4, 2012 at 7:58 PM

    There are many books in my ''to read list''.
    Those are : all Jules Verne's books
    and ALL Tolkien's books
    and ALL Jane Austen'books.

    The list goes on and on. I just need to find the collection with matching covers to start my reading.

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    1. PaulaApril 4, 2012 at 8:49 PM

      Your list seems very fun, indeed! I don't think you'll have problems with finishing those books - specially Jane Austen's I think.

      However, I'm not so sure if a person who likes Jules Verne can also like Jane Austen. They seem to write for different audiences, don't they?

      Thanks for commenting!

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  3. *ೃ༄ JillianSeptember 5, 2012 at 5:47 PM

    Read Charlotte!!!!

    (Seriously. Read Charlotte.) :)

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  4. PaulaSeptember 5, 2012 at 6:46 PM

    I'm seriously considering getting back to it, but... I don't want that much suffering! She seems to go through so much - I need to toughen up first.
    (Welcome!)

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  5. Christine D. | The Plumed NestOctober 16, 2012 at 10:38 AM

    I love this! I have just started reading Jane Eyre! I have felt guilty about not reading it for years. It's actually such an easy read. (I need to read Wide Sargasso Sea too, that is one I simply forget the name of. Thanks for reminding me). Heart of Darkness? I think I have read the first 30 pages 8 times! Even though it's such a short book there is just this point where I don't care anymore, even though I really want to read it. And To The Lighthouse, my thoughts exactly! I still have my bookmark in the same spot, somewhere in the palor or out on the lawn with the kids being a little bit annoying and her husband and, I don't remember. I hope to finish it someday.

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  6. PaulaOctober 16, 2012 at 11:18 AM

    It's great knowing that you also couldn't go on with To The Lighthouse and The Heart of Darkness. It's funny you still have To the lighthouse bookmarked on the same page - that would have driven me crazy! I even gave away Wide Sargasso Sea (by the way, this is an easy read compared to the others).

    I put Jane Eyre on my Classics reading challenge but I'm hesitating to start. Let me know what you think of the book when you finish! xx

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