Correction of List: I did notice that the entry for George Orwell's 1984 did not
space correctly in my list. It should be below Bulter's The Way of All Flesh,
not beside it.<br><br>Litter

Let's see....this is always so subjective, but I
will take a stab at it:<br><br>Generally, I would say
that James Joyce, Faulkner and Henry Miller would
cause the greatest problems here, largely because of
the "stream of consciousness" genre. For example:
Finnegan's Wake is almost universally considered to be very
difficult reading. As for tedious: I would venture Henry
James might win the prize, although his books are
wonderful, if you can make yourself keep reading. The rest
are fascinating and marvelous to read, but their
appeal must always be to the individual and that can
vary tremendously. But the above remarks are merely my
own impressions or those I have learned from others.
We should have fun!<br><br>Litter

This was just for fun, but it will give you an
idea of how long each book is. They are all standard
paperbacks, except where noted and I have bought them within
the past five years, so the numbers are pretty
accurate even with different type and
editions.<br><br>Joyce: Ulysses 768 pp<br>Joyce: A Portrait...256
pp<br>Joyce: Finnegan's...672 pp<br>Fitzgerald: The
Great...240 pp<br>Fitzgerald: Tender is the...315
pp<br>Nabokov:Lolita 317 pp<br>Nabokov: Pale Fire 315 pp<br>Huxley:
Brave New World 288 pp<br>Huxley: Point Counter...432
pp<br>Faulkner: The Sound and the...448 pp<br>Faulkner: As I
Lay...267 pp<br>Faulkner: Light in August 512 pp<br>Heller:
Catch-22 463 pp<br>Koestler: Darkness at Noon 216
pp<br>Lawrence: Sons and...544 pp<br>Lawrence: The Rainbow 544
pp<br>Lawrence: Women in Love 462 pp<br>Steinbeck: The Grapes
of...619 pp<br>Lowry: Under the Volcano 432 pp<br>Butler:
The Way of All...431 pp Orwell: 1984 268
pp<br>Orwell: Animal Farm 139 pp<br>Graves: I, Claudius 468
pp<br>Woolf: To the Lighthouse 209 pp<br>Dreiser: An
American...828 pp<br>Dreiser: Sister Carrie 432 pp<br>McCullers:
The Heart is a...307 pp <br>Vonnegut:
Slaughterhouse-5 215 pp<br>Ellison: Invisible Man 581
pp<br>Wright: Native Son 528 pp<br>Bellow: Henderson...my copy
is on loan<br>Bellow: The Adventures of...585
pp<br>Dos Passos: USA 1228 pp (3 vols
hardcover)<br>Anderson: Winesburg 252 pp<br>Forster: A Passage
to...362<br>Forster: Howard's End 297 pp<br>Forster: A Room With
a...172 pp<br>James: Wings of a...544 pp<br>James: The
Ambassadors 517 pp<br>James: The Golden Bowl 576
pp<br>Farrell: Studs Lonigan 912 pp (3 vols)<br>Ford: The Good
Soldier 229 pp<br>Ford: Parade's End 845 pp<br>Waugh: A
Handful of...308 pp<br>Waugh: Scoop 321 pp<br>Waugh:
Brideshead...351 pp<br>Warren: All the King's...438<br>Wilder: The
Bridge of...133 pp<br>Baldwin: Go Tell It...221
pp<br>Greene: The Heart of the...272 pp<br>Golding: Lord of
the...208 pp<br>Dickey: Deliverance 288 pp<br>Powell: A
Dance to the...(4 vols)<br>Hemingway: The Sun
Also...251 pp<br>Hemingway: A Farewell to...332
pp<br>Conrad: The Secret...237 pp<br>Conrad: Nostromo 480
pp<br>Conrad: Lord Jim 271 pp<br>Conrad: Heart of Darkness 72
pp<br>Miller: Tropic of Cancer 318 pp<br>Mailer: The Naked and
the...721 pp<br>Roth: Portnoy's...289 pp<br>Kerouac: On the
Road 307 pp<br>Hammett: The Maltese Falcon 217
pp<br>Wharton: The Age of...232 pp<br>Wharton: The House
of...317 pp<br>Beerbohm: Zuleika Dobson 236 pp<br>Percy:
The Moviegoer 241 pp<br>Cather: Death Comes for
the...297 pp<br>Jones: From Here to...864 pp<br>Cheever:
The Wapshot...307 pp<br>Salinger: Catcher in
the...214 pp<br>Burgess: A Clockwork...192 pp<br>Maugham:
Of Human...656 pp<br>Lewis: Main Street 544
pp<br>Durell: The Alexandria...4 vols<br>Hughes: A High Wind
in...279 pp<br>Naipaul: A House for...590 pp<br>Naipaul: A
Bend in the...416 hardcover<br>West: The Day of
the...208 pp<br>Spark: The Prime of...150 pp<br>Kipling:
Kim 338 pp<br>Stegner: Angle of Repose 569
pp<br>Bowen: The Death of the...320 pp<br>Doctorow: Ragtime
270 pp<br>Bennett: The Old Wive's...640 pp<br>London:
The Call of the...64 pp<br>Green: Loving (Living,
Party Going) 528 pp<br>Rushdie: Midnight's...552
pp<br>Caldwell: Tobacco Road...184 pp<br>Kennedy: Ironweed
227<br>Fowles: The Magus 668 pp<br>Rhys: Wide Sargasso...189
pp<br>Murdoch: Under the Net my copy is on loan<br>Styron:
Sophie's Choice 562 pp<br>Bowles: The Sheltering...318
pp<br>Cain: The Postman...116 pp<br>Donleavy: The
Ginger...347 p<br>Tarkington: The Magnificent Ambersons 268
pp<br><br>Litter --&gt; my apologies if I left something out!

I think enough time has elapsed for people to
join the club and for most members to express their
opinions about the procedures of this club.<br><br>It
seems the majority would like to read the books in
order (Critic's list 100-1) and be able to discuss any
others on the lists that they're reading or just
thinking about using that book's title in the subject
line. I think reading the books in order might be
useful so that if you don't have an interest in the book
the group's currently reading or if you read more
slowly than the rest you can go ahead and start on the
next book. <br><br>As for a timeline, I personally
think we should decide on a per book basis as some are
extremely short (100 pages) versus some that are either
very difficult reads or are very long. Let me know if
you'd prefer a fixed timetable (i.e. one book every 3-4
weeks) or if you'd like the schedule to vary per book. I
will post a tenative schedule on the calendar and
change it as we discover we want more (or less) time on
a particular book. Because the list is already set,
you can of course start talking about the next book
ahead of schedule. If 2 books in a row seem daunting we
can elect to skip around a little to give our brains
a rest! We can also inject books from the reader's
list as the mood strikes. Send suggestions early to
let the group know. All this is flexible and we can
adapt our procedures if we find the current way doesn't
work out.<br><br>So following the list our 1st
OFFICIAL READ will be _The Magnificent Ambersons_ by Booth
Tarkington! Read a synopsis or order it at:
<a
href=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375752501/o/qid=957984496/sr=2-2/10\
3-4925706-3629458
target=new>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375752501/o/qid=957984496/sr=\
2-2/103-492
5706-3629458</a><br>We can start discussing as soon as we begin
reading.<br><br>Next, I'd like to find out if you all prefer me to
email you occasionally as a reminder that we're
starting a new book, setting a chat time, etc. or if you'd
prefer me just to post a message on the board.<br><br>I
appreciate your patience as we get the club going. In
addition, I'd like to remind you that you can invite anyone
you think would be interested in joining using the
"INVITE" button under MEMBER TOOLS on the left side of
your screen. <br><br>Thanks for everything. Email or
post me a message with suggestions.<br><br>Elizabeth

Why are 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Of Mice and
Men' not on the critics list? They are both socially
relevant novels, highlighting situations in America that
needed reform. I am by no means a literary critic, but
these novels seemed to me to be pieces of art. Anyone
care to comment?

Are we going to read the critics list or the
readers list first? I have read about half on the readers
list. Not as many on the critics list. Most of those I
have read already, I would love to read again.

Hello to all, I would like to read the books in
some order, 1-100 or 100-1, either direction is
agreeable to me. Having said that, let me now say I
attempted "Ulysses" many years ago and did not stay w/ it.
Perhaps this group will encourage me to tackle it
again,it was a difficult read. I look forward to good
discussions with you all!

Hi everybody,<br><br>I think a combination of #1
and #3 would be great, #1 would get us closer to the
goal of reading all the books on the list; #3 would
allow us to be involved in the process of
selections...<br><br>Hope everyone is having a great week,<br>Melissa

I also think a combination of 1 and 4 is the best
way. In addition, it might be interesting (so long as
it doesn't take us off the point), if anyone has
read other works by some of the authors on the list,
to make some comparisons. Just a thought.

Hello!  I am a new member and I vote for a 1 and 4 combo also.  Happy Reading
all!

I also vote for a 1 & 4 combo

I also think we should start at 100 and work our
way up the list. I think this could keep the group
focused and keep everyone in on the discussion. I am on
the opposite side of the reading spectrum from
mrblueskies, there is only about 10 books I have read off the
list. I would be interested in one (maybe two) book(s)
a month, which would still leave time to keep up
with the "best sellers" (my usual read).

Hello everyone. I just joined the club and wanted
to say that I am excited to see that others are
interested in reading the books on this list, too. When the
list was published, I was amazed at how few of the
books I had read. I have tried to read one here and
there on my own. I have a long way to go still!
<br><br>Anyway, I like the idea of reading through the list, one
at a time as a group, but still allowing commentary
on other books. Thanks for the invitation to the
club. <br><br>Scott

Hi Litter, as you said you've read all of them I
think it might be useful if you could tell us which
ones are the real difficult, boring or uninteresting
to read and why.<br>Thanks.<br><br>Alexandre :)

yeah, i go for #1 and #4. let's go for reading the books from 100-1.
psychologically easier.

looking at the 2 lists, and I have only NOT read
1 book listed. And some of them I REFUSE to read a
second time, but will be happy to weigh in with an
opinion on anything I remember from the days when I read
those listed (mainly during college)

So happy to join. 1 1/2 yrs ago I started a
literature book club and its going strong. I have also read
quite a few listed on my own. <br>Format suggestion-
1.Elizabeth picks a book a month to spotlight.(this way we
can get a little discipling and try to read it) 2.
Any member wishing to discuss any other of the books
can post using the title as the subject for the
post(this way if someones interested,they can easily see
which posts they want to read)<br>I have learned soo
much and feel much more socially interesting since I
started reading real literature. Happy to have this
club!<br>Julie

Because of teaching literature (forever) and
because I have been around for a "few" years longer than
most other members, I believe I have read all the
books on the list at least once; but I always learn
something new from still another read through and also from
other people's comments and impressions. Having said
this, I will go along with whatever the majority wants
to do...the only thing I will say is that some of
them are much longer and more complex than others, so
maybe if we encounter two difficult and long books in a
row, we could vary it a bit, sort of a breather? But
anything is fine with me! <br><br>Litter

I think we should start at number 100 and work our way up, reading maybe a book
a month. But also if anyone wants to, to post on any other book on the
list.<br><br>Kirah-I dunno, just mu thoughts

(For any newcomers) here's a copy of my recent
email to the members:<br><br>Sorry to email you instead
of just posting a message but apparently Yahoo is
having some problems with the message board and I
haven't been able to access it. They wrote me saying they
were aware of the problem and working on it. <br><br>I
wanted you all to know the situation and ask for your
patience.<br><br>As for the Modern Library Booklist Club business, I
think we should take a poll to find out how everyone
wants to proceed. We could.....<br>1. Read the books on
the list in order (100 to 1 or vice versa)<br>2. Let
each member take a turn picking a book from the list
to read (as long as the number of members isn't too
large)<br>3. Take an opinion poll each month of which book to
read.<br>4. Just let the members write about whatever book on
the list they happen to be reading about.<br>5. Some
hybrid of these choices.<br><br>My personal opinion is a
combination of #1 and #4 but I'm very flexible. Let me know
what you think, either by emailing or post on the site
if you
can.<br><br>Thanks!<br>Elizabeth<br>emelvin74@...

This should be interesting! Shall we start at the
beginning and read our way through? I noticed that the list
begins with quite a staggering book by Joyce: Ulysses,
but the second one: The Great Gatsby, while certainly
thought-provoking, will not be nearly as complex. Nice balance,
really.<br><br>Litter

This should be interesting! Shall we start at the
beginning and read our way through? I noticed that the list
begins with quite a staggering book by Joyce: Ulysses,
but the second one: The Great Gatsby, while certainly
thought-provoking, will not be nearly as complex. Nice balance,
really.<br><br>Litter

I would be particularly interested in discussing
either Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by Joyce or
Heart of Darkness by Conrad...but any of the top 100
would (of course) be facinating.<br><br>Michael
Overvold

I'm not going to restrict what you discuss, but I
would like to focus primarily on the books on the lists
(critic's choice and reader's choice). I went to a book
sale at my library yesterday and got 20 books on the
lists and am excited to read them and discuss.

I don't know if this is just my problem but i'm not able to access the messages
posted.  Let me know if this is just me.  <br><br>IM or email at
<br>emelvin74@...

Hello,I am very happy to be a part of this
reading group and look forward to meeting with you and
discussing books.Are we only reading and discussing the
books listed,or do we discuss books that we consider
"great"examples of modern literature? I have read several of the
listed books,but some I read many years ago and I may
need to reread them to be able to discuss them in
depth.Thank you for the invitation,Linda (Rebus29)

51. Mailer, Norman. The Naked And The Dead<br>52.
Roth, Philip. Portnoy's Complaint<br>53. Nabokov,
Vladimir. Pale Fire<br>54. Faulkner, William. Light In
August<br>55. Kerouac, Jack. On The Road<br>56. Hammett,
Dashiell. The Maltese Falcon<br>57. Ford, Ford Madox.
Parade's End<br>58. Wharton, Edith. The Age Of
Innocence<br>59. Beerbohm, Max. Zuleika Dobson<br>60. Percy,
Walker. The Moviegoer<br>61. Cather, Willa. Death Comes
For The Archbishop<br>62. Jones, James. From Here To
Eternity<br>63. Cheever, John. The Wapshot Chronicles<br>64. J.
D. Salinger. The Catcher In The Rye<br>65. Burgess,
Anthony. A Clockwork Orange<br>66. Maugham, W. Somerset.
Of Human Bondage<br>67. Conrad, Joseph. Heart Of
Darkness<br>68. Lewis, Sinclair. Main Street<br>69. Wharton,
Edith. The House Of Mirth<br>70. Durell, Lawrence. The
Alexandria Quartet<br>71. Hughes, Richard. A High Wind In
Jamaica<br>72. V. S. Naipaul. A House For Mr Biswas<br>73. West,
Nathanael. The Day Of The Locust<br>74. Hemingway, Ernest. A
Farewell To Arms<br>75. Waugh, Evelyn. Scoop<br>76. Spark,
Muriel. The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie<br>77. Joyce,
James. Finnegans Wake<br>78. Kipling, Rudyard.
Kim<br>79. E. M. Forster. A Room With A View<br>80. Waugh,
Evelyn. Brideshead Revisited<br>81. Bellow, Saul. The
Adventures Of Augie March<br>82. Stegner, Wallace. Angle Of
Repose<br>83. V. S. Naipaul. A Bend In The River<br>84. Bowen,
Elizabeth. The Death Of The Heart<br>85. Conrad, Joseph.
Lord Jim<br>86. E. L. Doctorow. Ragtime<br>87.
Bennett, Arnold. The Old Wives' Tale<br>88. London, Jack.
The Call Of The Wild<br>89. Green, Henry.
Loving<br>90. Rushdie, Salman. Midnight's Children<br>91.
Caldwell, Erskine. Tobacco Road<br>92. Kennedy, William.
Ironweed<br>93. Fowles, John. The Magus<br>94. Rhys, Jean. Wide
Sargasso Sea<br>95. Murdoch, Iris. Under The Net<br>96.
Styron, William. Sophie's Choice<br>97. Bowles, Paul. The
Sheltering Sky<br>98. James M. Cain. The Postman Always
Rings Twice<br>99. J. P. Donleavy. The Ginger
Man<br>100. Tarkington, Booth. The Magnificent Ambersons

1. Joyce, James. Ulysses<br>2. Fitzgerald, F.
Scott. The Great Gatsby<br>3. Joyce, James. A Portrait
Of The Artist As A Young Man<br>4. Nabokov,
Vladimir. Lolita<br>5. Huxley, Aldous. Brave New
World<br>6. Faulkner, William. The Sound And The Fury<br>7.
Heller, Joseph. Catch-22<br>8. Koestler, Arthur. Darkness
At Noon<br>9. D. H. Lawrence. Sons And Lovers<br>10.
Steinbeck, John. The Grapes Of Wrath<br>11. Lowry, Malcolm.
Under The Volcano<br>12. Butler, Samuel. The Way Of All
Flesh<br>13. Orwell, George. 1984<br>14. Graves, Robert. I,
Claudius<br>15. Woolf, Virginia. To The Lighthouse<br>16.
Dreiser, Theodore. An American Tragedy<br>17. Mccullers,
Carson. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter<br>18. Vonnegut,
Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five<br>19. Ellison, Ralph.
Invisible Man<br>20. Wright, Richard. Native Son<br>21.
Bellow, Saul. Henderson The Rain King<br>22. John O'Hara.
Appointment In Samarra<br>23. Passos, John Dos. U.S.A.
(trilogy)<br>24. Anderson, Sherwood. Winesburg, Ohio<br>25. E. M.
Forster. A Passage To India<br>26. James, Henry. The Wings
Of The Dove<br>27. James, Henry. The
Ambassadors<br>28. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. Tender Is The Night<br>29.
James T. Farrell. The Studs Lonigan Trilogy<br>30.
Ford, Ford Madox. The Good Soldier<br>31. Orwell,
George. Animal Farm<br>32. James, Henry. The Golden
Bowl<br>33. Dreiser, Theodore. Sister Carrie<br>34. Waugh,
Evelyn. A Handful Of Dust<br>35. Faulkner, William. As I
Lay Dying<br>36. Warren, Robert Penn. All The King's
Men<br>37. Wilder, Thornton. The Bridge Of San Luis
Rey<br>38. E. M. Forster. Howards End<br>39. Baldwin, James.
Go Tell It On The Mountain<br>40. Greene, Graham.
The Heart Of The Matter<br>41. Golding, William. Lord
Of The Flies<br>42. Dickey, James.
Deliverance<br>43. Powell, Anthony. A Dance To The Music Of
Time<br>44. Huxley, Aldous. Point Counter Point<br>45.
Hemingway, Ernest. The Sun Also Rises<br>46. Conrad, Joseph.
The Secret Agent<br>47. Conrad, Joseph.
Nostromo<br>48. D. H. Lawrence The Rainbow<br>49. D. H. Lawrence
Women In Love<br>50. Miller, Henry. Tropic Of Cancer

Modern Library's List of the 100 Greatest Novels
of the 20th Century. Is anyone reading their way
through this list? I just finished Deliverance and am now
reading Bridge of San Luis Rey. Once I got into
Deliverance I couldn't put it down, but it took about 1/4 of
the book to become interesting. I'd like to find
others reading the books on this list.

Welcome to the Yahoo! Message Board for ModernLibrary 100 Greatest Books