The Ultimate Reading List

are we talking only 50-100 books left in the world or only 50-100 books that are still allowed to be published in various editions and reprintings

Don't get too picky here, kiddo. I'm just looking for titles.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

hey, big guy, how bout waiting til you got a list together before you start spouting off titles. Please.

[QUOTE=Rents]
Here's the deal, kids. All the books (I'm talking literature, fuck text books) in the world are going to be destroyed, but you've got the assignment of picking the top 50-100 books that get to stay. I want to know what those books are. I
.[/QUOTE]

50-100!

Jesus. OK, better get thinking.

I came up with these earlier:
The Odyssey-Homer
The Aeneid-Virgil
The Turn of the Screw and The Protrait of a Lady-Henry James
Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence-Edith Wharton
Selected Writings-Edgar Allen Poe
As I Lay Dying- William Faulkner
White Noise-Don Delillo
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
Wuthering Heights-Emily Bronte
Collected Short Stories-F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Woman in White-Wilkie Collins
Nana- Emile Zola
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest-Ken Kesey
The Red Badge of Courage-Stephen Crane
The Day of the Locust-Nathanael West
The Postman Always Rings Twice-James M. Cain
The Big Sleep-Raymond Chandler
The Secret Garden-Frances Hodgeson Burnett
They Shoot Horses Don't They?-Horace McCoy.

That's a seriously deficient list. I guess I'll add more later.

[QUOTE=Vendetta]I came up with these earlier:
The Odyssey-Homer
The Aeneid-Virgil
The Turn of the Screw and The Protrait of a Lady-Henry James
Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence-Edith Wharton
Selected Writings-Edgar Allen Poe
As I Lay Dying- William Faulkner
White Noise-Don Delillo
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
Wuthering Heights-Emily Bronte
Collected Short Stories-F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Woman in White-Wilkie Collins
Nana- Emile Zola
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest-Ken Kesey
The Red Badge of Courage-Stephen Crane
The Day of the Locust-Nathanael West
The Postman Always Rings Twice-James M. Cain
The Big Sleep-Raymond Chandler
The Secret Garden-Frances Hodgeson Burnett
They Shoot Horses Don't They?-Horace McCoy.

That's a seriously deficient list. I guess I'll add more later.[/QUOTE]
I hate "the secret garden". I just despise that kind of literature.

[QUOTE=Fake Plstic Trees]I hate "the secret garden". I just despise that kind of literature.[/QUOTE]
Oh I take issue with your dislike of The Secret Garden. What the hell is wrong with The Secret Garden?

The Bible
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens
Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck

more later if I think of any that really left me thinking.

If people really post 50-100 books each, along with explanaitons, this is going to be the longest short thread ever.

[QUOTE=ireLocus]If people really post 50-100 books each, along with explanaitons, this is going to be the longest short thread ever.[/QUOTE]
Rents said he just wanted titles. I guess you have to suggest the kind of books whose reputations precede them.

You only need three books:

The U.S. Army Survival Manual

The Bible

and Mein Kampf

There's your human race in a nutshell.

[QUOTE=Vendetta]Rents said he just wanted titles. I guess you have to suggest the kind of books whose reputations precede them.[/QUOTE]
noted.

ok, I'm game, I'll try to name stuff that hasn't been named already.

Till we Have Faces-Lewis
Anthem-Rand
On Duties-Cicero
Inferno-Dante
Lord of the Flies-(I forgot...)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe-Lewis
The Sun Also Rises-Hemmingway
Proverbs-Solomon
Mere Christianity-Lewis

hmmm, that's all I've got for now.

You're a pain in the ass.

^ told ya so... that's like... the longest post I've never read. I should quote it so [I]this [/I] would be the new longest post, by virtue of my adding a couple lines to it, but nah....

[QUOTE=Vendetta]You're a pain in the ass.[/QUOTE]

[img]http://home.comcast.net/~dlites/baby.jpg[/img]

What a tosser.

But I bet I start reading them.

It's not copyright infringement, I included the copyright.

Aha! Got you there.

[QUOTE=Parkaboy]It's not copyright infringement, I included the copyright.

Aha! Got you there.[/QUOTE]

[B]The content of this page may belong to the author. The transcription, however, is the result of my research and hard work. It may not be reposted on any Web site, newsgroup, mailing list, or other publicly available electronic format. Please link to this page instead.[/B]

[QUOTE=mirkah][B]The content of this page may belong to the author. The transcription, however, is the result of my research and hard work. It may not be reposted on any Web site, newsgroup, mailing list, or other publicly available electronic format. Please link to this page instead.[/B][/QUOTE]
Ouch!

Hey Parka, link us. I want to see what you posted the first time...
If you link it, it's not copyright infringement.

[QUOTE=Vendetta]Rents said he just wanted titles. I guess you have to suggest the kind of books whose reputations precede them.[/QUOTE]
I'm going to assume that taste plays into these lists. It's not like you need to pick only Dickens and Shakespeare or anything. If people have questions about why you picked something in particular, I've got no problem if people want to duke it out here.

[QUOTE=Parkaboy]You only need three books:

The U.S. Army Survival Manual

The Bible

and Mein Kampf

There's your human race in a nutshell.[/QUOTE]
If those are the three books you want to read from here to eternity, go right ahead. I thought you had broader taste in literature though.

Of course Dickens and Shakespeare don't HAVE to be picked. But there is a reason that they have survived for so long and are so memorable. I mean, I like The Coma by Alex Garland, but it's not memorable enough that I would pick if it was going to be one of 100 books left on earth.

[QUOTE=mirkah][B]The content of this page may belong to the author. The transcription, however, is the result of my research and hard work. It may not be reposted on any Web site, newsgroup, mailing list, or other publicly available electronic format. Please link to this page instead.[/B][/QUOTE]
Fuck Harold Bloom.

[QUOTE=Rents]I'm going to assume that taste plays into these lists. It's not like you need to pick only Dickens and Shakespeare or anything. If people have questions about why you picked something in particular, I've got no problem if people want to duke it out here.

If those are the three books you want to read from here to eternity, go right ahead. I thought you had broader taste in literature though.[/QUOTE]
I thought these were supposed to rep mankind?

[QUOTE=PGoutis01]Ouch!

Hey Parka, link us. I want to see what you posted the first time...
If you link it, it's not copyright infringement.[/QUOTE]

[url=http://www.interleaves.org/~rteeter/grtbloom.html] Western Canon [/url]

Copyright Harold Fucking Bloom all rights and pretensions are the sole possession of the author.

On a side note PG, whay the 01 after your name, I seriously doubt there is more than one with that name in these parts.

Also: that Will Farrell avatar is creepy.

I don't think the Bible is worth saving. A new society would probably benefit and flourish without religion holding it back.

[QUOTE=anxious phoenix]I don't think the Bible is worth saving. A new society would probably benefit and flourish without religion holding it back.[/QUOTE]
Again, I thought it was to represent what man was. A time capsule for the aliens that come and wonder where the critters went that left all this funny looking shit around.

[QUOTE=anxious phoenix]I don't think the Bible is worth saving. A new society would probably benefit and flourish without religion holding it back.[/QUOTE]
well, it's still a great historical document.

I mean, the best way to ensure history will repeat itself is by ignoring it.

Parka -- Fair enough. If it's a time capsule, then tally-ho. Then it's wildly appropriate. I interpreted it differently, as "save a bunch of books and start over."

Ire -- That's an interesting arguement. In one sense, yea, ignoring history is not a good thing. But at the same time, think about a whole bunch of survivors of some cataclysm finding the Bible and reading into it way too much. Then, we're back to wars in the name of God and hating gays. I'm thinking more along the lines of a fresh restart when I first started reading this thread. I'm also insanely anti-religion, but that's a whole 'nother conversation for a whole 'nother time. There are going to be belief systems no matter what happens, but I'm pretty confident that the whole Holy Trinity thing hasn't worked out as well as planned.

I'm sorry... tangent. Anyways. Given the situation, the Bible could or could not be a good thing to save, in my opinion. Just make sure that Green Eggs and Ham has a spot.

[QUOTE=anxious phoenix]Parka -- Fair enough. If it's a time capsule, then tally-ho. Then it's wildly appropriate. I interpreted it differently, as "save a bunch of books and start over."

Ire -- That's an interesting arguement. In one sense, yea, ignoring history is not a good thing. But at the same time, think about a whole bunch of survivors of some cataclysm finding the Bible and reading into it way too much. Then, we're back to wars in the name of God and hating gays. I'm thinking more along the lines of a fresh restart when I first started reading this thread. I'm also insanely anti-religion, but that's a whole 'nother conversation for a whole 'nother time. There are going to be belief systems no matter what happens, but I'm pretty confident that the whole Holy Trinity thing hasn't worked out as well as planned.

I'm sorry... tangent. Anyways. Given the situation, the Bible could or could not be a good thing to save, in my opinion. Just make sure that Green Eggs and Ham has a spot.[/QUOTE]
noted...

Green Eggs and Ham is definitely on the list.

[QUOTE=ireLocus]noted...

Green Eggs and Ham is definitely on the list.[/QUOTE]
Too late I ate them.

[QUOTE=Parkaboy]I thought these were supposed to rep mankind?[/QUOTE]
Where the hell did you read that? I just want to know which 50-100 books you think are so goddam good (and/or influential) that everybody should read them.

Jesus, this thread went to hell really fast. But the original intent is worthwhile...

Catch-22- Heller
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - HST
Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris
the adventures of kavalier and clay- chabon
bear v shark- bachelder
doom generation- ?
the stranger- camus
american gods- gaiman
the wind-up bird chronicle- murakami
how we are hungry- eggers
men and cartoons- lethem
what we mean when we talk about love(?)- carver
life at these speeds- jeremy jackson
slaughterhouse vi- vonnegut
men and horses- olmstead
glamorama- bret easton ellis
watchmen- alan moore
yoga for people who cant be bothered to do it- geoff dyer
the perks of being a wallflower- chbosky
keeper- greg rucka
understanding comics- scott mccloud
loser goes first- dan kennedy

these are some i thought of. i excluded repeat authors and books that were in the book club. also i lost steam with capitalization.

[QUOTE=Parkaboy]On a side note PG, whay the 01 after your name, I seriously doubt there is more than one with that name in these parts.

Also: that Will Farrell avatar is creepy.[/QUOTE]
Because it's also my screen name on aol. There actually was a PGoutis before me apparently...

[QUOTE=Rents]Where the hell did you read that? I just want to know which 50-100 books you think are so goddam good (and/or influential) that everybody should read them.[/QUOTE]
I made it up, pulled it out of my ass. Ask Prensa... she'll tell you.

[QUOTE=tomstrong83]Jesus, this thread went to hell really fast. But the original intent is worthwhile...

Catch-22- Heller
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - HST
Me Talk Pretty One Day- David Sedaris
the adventures of kavalier and clay- chabon
bear v shark- bachelder
doom generation- ?
the stranger- camus
american gods- gaiman
the wind-up bird chronicle- murakami
how we are hungry- eggers
men and cartoons- lethem
what we mean when we talk about love(?)- carver
life at these speeds- jeremy jackson
slaughterhouse vi- vonnegut
men and horses- olmstead
glamorama- bret easton ellis
watchmen- alan moore
yoga for people who cant be bothered to do it- geoff dyer
the perks of being a wallflower- chbosky
keeper- greg rucka
understanding comics- scott mccloud
loser goes first- dan kennedy

these are some i thought of. i excluded repeat authors and books that were in the book club. also i lost steam with capitalization.[/QUOTE]
Doom Generation was a novel?

[QUOTE=tomstrong83]Jesus, this thread went to hell really fast. [/QUOTE]
Welcome to Culting.

Entire poe trilliogy
House of Leaves.
ATBS
thats all I would need. There all re-reads too.

[QUOTE=Parkaboy]Doom Generation was a novel?[/QUOTE]
No, it wasn't. But I liked it, and it's a book. I think it's because I spent too many hours shooting demons to not like it.

[QUOTE=tomstrong83]No, it wasn't. But I liked it, and it's a book. I think it's because I spent too many hours shooting demons to not like it.[/QUOTE]
Did you?

Rents, I read these books off the list over spring break:

Drown--Junot Diaz
The House of the Spirits--Isabel Allende
The Coma--Alex Garland
The Count of Monte Cristo--Alexander Dumas (actually I'm halfway done with this but I'm putting it up there anyway)

[QUOTE=jane s.]The Count of Monte Cristo--Alexander Dumas (actually I'm halfway done with this but I'm putting it up there anyway)[/QUOTE]

Heywood
The Count of Monte Crisco...

Floyd
That's "Cristo" you dumb shit.

Heywood
By Alexandree Dummm-ass. Dumb-ass.

Andy Dufresne
Dumb-ass? "Dumas". You know what it's about? You'll like it, it's about a prison break.

Red
Well we should file that one under "Educational" too, oughten we?

- THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

[QUOTE=jane s.]Rents, I read these books off the list over spring break:

Drown--Junot Diaz
The House of the Spirits--Isabel Allende
The Coma--Alex Garland
The Count of Monte Cristo--Alexander Dumas (actually I'm halfway done with this but I'm putting it up there anyway)[/QUOTE]
Jesus H., way to leave me in the dust there, toots. C'est la vie, guess i'm reading those on my own time. Sounds like you're a faster reader than I anyway.
P.S. I added like 2 more pages to the mofo.

[QUOTE=joeyjord]Entire poe trilliogy
House of Leaves.
ATBS
thats all I would need. There all re-reads too.[/QUOTE]
ATBS?

[QUOTE=tomstrong83]No, it wasn't. But I liked it, and it's a book. I think it's because I spent too many hours shooting demons to not like it.[/QUOTE]
Oh. That one, I thought you were talking about the Araki film.

[QUOTE=Rents]Jesus H., way to leave me in the dust there, toots. C'est la vie, guess i'm reading those on my own time. Sounds like you're a faster reader than I anyway.
P.S. I added like 2 more pages to the mofo.[/QUOTE]
Where is this list?

On my computer.

[QUOTE=Rents]On my computer.[/QUOTE]
Post it.

In good time, my dear.