50 Greatest books of all time.

"Forever Amber" by Kathleen Winsor, published 1944 (I think.)

Pure historical escapism which I must have read 10 million times.

Unfortunately, when it was made into a film Hollywood and the censors shredded it with their brutal puritanism and sucked the heart right out of it.

Kathleen Winsor had put so much work into her research and the detail was overwhelming - but after the copywriters had filleted it then it might as well have been a Mills & Boon.

Ooos sorry though I was on the 50 book thread please ignore.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I have just joined Gransnet and posted on this forum but no idea where it landed!!!

It was only to agree that these lists are so subjective and include titles because it makes them seem cleverer than the rest of us
Anyway, on a more positive note, South Riding and Barchester Chronicles would be top of my list

I have read 12 on the list, but in common with other posters, I agree that any list is subjective, and as an avid reader, I have read many books that I feel should be included.
I do consider that I am "well read" because I read at least five books per week (thanks to my local library) and that fact that I now live alone and have plenty of time for reading.

Dry as bones that list! Too many ancient texts and modern titles picked for woke reasons.

I don’t consider myself well read, if I don’t enjoy a book I won’t finish it - life’s too short.

I would find it hard to choose between Little Women and Gone with the Wind.

Risible list imo. I believe myself to be well read but this list is a nonsense.

who is MM? initials aren’t always a good idea.
Brilliant book which I’m reading for 2nd time is “Riding The Iron Rooster” by Paul Theroux, or should I say PT?

WelshPoppy

I haven't seen the list but I am quite confident that I probably haven't read one of them.

Well I was surprised at 5!

I read a lot of classics as a teenager thanks to the best English teacher in the world, were it not for her I would never have read To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Brontes, Jane Austen etc.

My mother was more at home with Maeve Binchy and I would guess my Father had read all 50,I was not encouraged to read but it was better than sitting watching television with them.

I haven't seen the list but I am quite confident that I probably haven't read one of them.

Grand total of 11 books read from that list. But then I read books that appeal to me not books that some pretentious snob thinks everyone should read to look well read & better than anyone else! I read what I like now because all my years working in Libraries gave me a chance to read anything available! A lot of the books on this list are extremely difficult to like as not everyone has the same taste! So sticking to my Ancient History text books & my SF & Fantasy Fiction. Nice escapism if that is what someone needs as I do!

I've read 13, The Illiad, Metamorphoses and Gibbons as part of Classical studies. Animal Farm, O levels I think. I tried reading the Hilary Mantel and I found her writing styles very difficult, I felt she was trying to be too clever and a bit pretentious. I'm very lax when it comes to reading the acclaimed modern works there are so many classics I'm still exploring.

I am always happy to peruse a reading list! There are so many books and so little time...I have copied out the Guardian's list of 100 and am awaiting Middlemarch to be released from a hold at my library. I tried to read the ebook version but I just couldn't stick with it--I prefer a book in hand. Then I watched the series on Brit Box, such an excellent story! So I am excited to try and dive back in. As for the rest of the list, there are many I have never heard of and am happy to give them all a go. If a book doesn't catch me quickly, I will not finish it, life is too short. I find my reading tastes differ from almost everyone else I know so I am not usually happy with other's recommendations...I do lean towards the literary or British detective fiction so the Guardian list is a bit of gift and I have kept a copy of the Telegraph one as well. Thanks to the OP!

Kane & Abel is my personal favourite of all time.

French Lieutenants Woman. John Fowles

I haven't checked the list but it's so objective. Who has the right to say which are the greatest books? Surely it depends on what anybody enjoys and thank goodness we don't all agree.

I'm proud to say I made it all the way through Ulysses (more out of determination than anything else, mind).

To my amazement I have read 9 of the 50 but have to say some of them were set texts for A Level or an English option at Uni. I enjoy reading (I was a librarian) but it's not a major part of my leisure time. One of my problems is that I speed read because of having to keep up with new childrens' literature when I was working. I would read maybe 2 or 3 books over a weekend. I can't get out of the habit of reading very quickly! It's not always relaxing.

50 books is nothing in the grander scheme of things.
I have seven book-shelves with about a hundred books per shelf, and another ten shelves of around two hundred books per shelf.

I have no idea how many books I have read in the Universty library whilst studying, or borrowed from an ordinary library in the course of the seventy- odd years since I learned to read, Nor do I remember how many of my parents' books I have ever read, or how many I gave away after their deaths.

And I do not consider myself particularly well-read.

I am sure many of you have as many books as I do.

And I too feel that this kind of list is complied by a person who read English at university or teaching college, or sits in a ministry and therefore feels we ALL should have read the same books.

I could not access the list, but where there only books in English on it?

Many of us read books in other languages as well.

I’ve read quite a few, but such lists are very personal.
Also, the books are what people think they ought to have read, not actually read.

Surely the description "greatest" depends on one's definition of "greatest"? The Canterbury Tales and Wuthering Heights are both considered to be milestones in British literature because of how they were written. The Great Gatsby is considered to be a milestone in modern American literature. IMO the books on this list are there for reasons that have little to do with whether people enjoy reading them but because they mark a significant change or development in writing and that's what make them "great".

M0nica

This list is a load of tosh. It is a reading list for the summer for someone about to go to university to read English, not the books that you pick up and become engrossed in.

I read some Chaucer and Milton when i was doing A level English. I would not otherwise have read then, nor any of the others on the Pre 17th century list. It is not clear whether these are meant be 50 greatest books in the world or in English - in which case why is the Iliad and several other books written in a foreign language included, and if it is world books, where are the great books of France, Germany or Russia on the list.

These books are also a matter of opinion. I am among quite a large group of people who think Wuthering Heights is far from being great literature, is only ever listed because a Bronte wrote it, and it is otherwise a very silly book.

These books are also just a cruise through books by well known writers, chosen by well known readers who want to show off by displaying their erudition.

Wow, so you have totally dissed 50 books!

“Wuthering Heights is a silly book” I think there are millions of people that would disagree with that statement.

I am assuming you have read the 50 listed books to be able to write them all off.

I am chuffed though that having read The Great Gatsby at 15 I am”erudite”

I am working through the classics - free downloads on Amazon!
Not keen on lists of recommendations by reviewers and choices for book awards as nowadays it seems to be fashionable to go for bizarre writing styles or controversial content such as Ulysses. An exception was the excellent The White Hotel by D M Thomas which was a Booker prize contender years ago. It lost against Midnights Children by Salman Rushdie - I gather for reasons not connected with merit, which rather confirms my reservations!

Jonathan Seagull

JenniRen

nanna8

Oh my- Ulysses. I had to read it as part of my degree and it was tedious and I wouldn’t put it up there with the greats. More that it was different with the stream of consciousness techniques.

I made the mistake of going to see the film with a friend. 😴 We went to the pub afterwards, much better.

Yup - you could even have a Guinness!