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help choosing a book

W

Wicked_Grimmeri

New Member
I have to read one book from a list this summer. I've narrowed the list down to 12 books. I was wondering about people's opinions on some of them.

As I Lay Dying-Faulkner
The Awakening-Chopin
Farewell To Arms-Hemingway
For Whom the Bell Tolls-Hemingway
Great Gatsby-Gitzgerald
Intruder in the Dust-Faulkner
Light in August-Faulkner
Rain of Gold-Villasenor
Scarlet Letter-Hawthorne
Short Stories-Hemingway
The Sun Also Rises-Hemingway
Watership Down-Adams

And if you have any other suggestions, let me know and I'll see if it's on the list. Thanks!
 
I probably can't be much help because I haven't read most of the books on that list. This is just personal opinion, and you probably don't agree if you have so many books by him on your list, but I do not like Faulkner at all. At first I just found him difficult to understand, and when I began to, I found I just didn't care anymore. But that might just be me :)

I did read Watership Down in middle school and loved it, however, and I'm really looking forward to reading the Great Gatsby sometime in the next few weeks
 
I truly love Hemingway's short story collection The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway: The Finca Vigia Edition. Check it out it's great.

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Wicked_Grimmeri said:
I have to read one book from a list this summer. I've narrowed the list down to 12 books. I was wondering about people's opinions on some of them.

As I Lay Dying-Faulkner
The Awakening-Chopin
Farewell To Arms-Hemingway
For Whom the Bell Tolls-Hemingway
Great Gatsby-Gitzgerald
Intruder in the Dust-Faulkner
Light in August-Faulkner
Rain of Gold-Villasenor
Scarlet Letter-Hawthorne
Short Stories-Hemingway
The Sun Also Rises-Hemingway
Watership Down-Adams

And if you have any other suggestions, let me know and I'll see if it's on the list. Thanks!
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I haven't read very many of those books yet, but from those I am familiar with I think my favorite is The Great Gatsby. It's easily accessible and I think that the story's themes have held up quite well over the years. I've also read The Awakening and had a very visceral negative reaction to the lead character. Perhaps that's what Chopin was going for (though I rather doubt it), and I guess one sign of a great work is the ability to generate a forceful response from the reader, so it could also be a good choice.

I've only read short works by Faulkner and Hemingway, but loved both. My impression is that Faulkner is the riskier of the two, as it seems people either love him or hate him.

Regardless of what you pick, it sounds like you have a good read ahead of you. Maybe you could even pick a handful of those books to read over the summer so you can make sure to stumble across one that resonates with you. ;)
 
Why do you only have to read one? Try to get through more, if possible. I've only read Watership Down and Gatsby. I liked WD, but could not find much in Gatsby to love.
 
Peronel said:
Why do you only have to read one? Try to get through more, if possible. I've only read Watership Down and Gatsby. I liked WD, but could not find much in Gatsby to love.
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I'm planning on reading more than one. I just have to read one for the class.

Thanks to everyone. You've helped a lot. I think I'm leaning towards The Great Gatsby and/or Watership Down.
 
Well, of those, I would read A Farewell to Arms. However, you'll probably have to read The Great Gatsby evetually, so might as well be now. Honestly, though, that was the only book I ever cheated (read: Cliff Notes) for.
 
Farewell to Arms is always a good choice. The Great Gatsby is a quick and easy read, but not as good as something by Hemingway.
 
I'm going to agree with those suggesting A Farewell to Arms. I loved that book. I absolutely abhorred The Great Gatsby, but I know most people feel differently.
 
I've read alot of these, and I would say the easiest (since it is for a class) is the Great Gatsby (although I hate the characters in it). I found Watership down somewhat slow, and Faulkner is absolutely the hardest (but most facinating) out of the bunch. Short stories are always good to, because if you get tired of a story, it is almost over.
 
You surely can't get it wrong with Hemingway (I think I read them all). I read Great Gatsby too but it seemed really dated to me.
 
I've read most of these. Do you want a challenging read or an easy get-out?
If you want the former, go for As I Lay Dying, which is written from the viewpoints of several characters and can be difficult to fathom. I had to study Faulkner at Uni for a course on Literature of the South, phew was he difficult?

The easiest read, if you like animal yarns, is Watership Down. You'll swim through it. I love Adams' books.

In between, Hemingway is great; I've read all the novels you've listed. All are very good in their own way.

Gatsby is a short, first person narrative. Easy to read, but intriguing.

What you chose depends on your taste.

Is there any Twain on the list?
 
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