Top 100 Books to Read

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 4:42 pm

Julian Barnes, "Talking It over" and "Love, etc" (they go together).

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 4:45 pm

Sorry Nap, whats TKAM?
And they seriously got Teddy not F.D.R?

by **Napoleon Ier** on Mon May 05, 2008 4:50 pm

suggs wrote:Sorry Nap, whats TKAM?
And they seriously got Teddy not F.D.R?

To Kill A Mockingbird (obv.). Yes, they actually did. But these are the same mongoloids who ask you towrite an essay to investigate the ways in which the pictures make the Renault Megane attractive in this advert. In an English exam.

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 4:51 pm

btw "Ulysees" by James Joyce is often near the top of most lists, indeed often number one.
I really wouldn't bother. No ones ever understood it, not even Joyce.

by **Napoleon Ier** on Mon May 05, 2008 4:53 pm

suggs wrote:btw "Ulysees" by James Joyce is often near the top of most lists, indeed often number one.
I really wouldn't bother. No ones ever understood it, not even Joyce.

Our English teacher's favorite, as it happens.

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 4:56 pm

Napoleon Ier wrote:
suggs wrote:Sorry Nap, whats TKAM?
And they seriously got Teddy not F.D.R?

To Kill A Mockingbird (obv.). Yes, they actually did. But these are the same mongoloids who ask you towrite an essay to investigate the ways in which the pictures make the Renault Megane attractive in this advert. In an English exam.

Ah, sorry, i was a bit slow there.
What a fucking ridiculous exam q.
*alert, alert - patronising Suggs strikes again*:

Do whatever course you are GENUINELY the most interested in. Simple as. I say this as I did a Masters in Philosophy on the grounds of "It would be great if i was really interested in philosophy" (as I believe its a very important, perhaps the most important field of enquiry).
But i wasnt, in reality, interested enough. Dont get me wrong, philosophy is great - but only do it if you actually enjoy it more than Eng. Lit.

*descends from Lectern*

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 4:58 pm

Napoleon Ier wrote:
suggs wrote:btw "Ulysees" by James Joyce is often near the top of most lists, indeed often number one.
I really wouldn't bother. No ones ever understood it, not even Joyce.

Our English teacher's favorite, as it happens.

I wonder what pretend understanding she has of it?

Yeah, alright I'm just bitter cos i didnt understand FUCKING WORD of it. :twisted:

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 4:59 pm

Flashman, G. MacDonald Fraser.

by **Napoleon Ier** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:02 pm

suggs wrote:
Napoleon Ier wrote:
suggs wrote:Sorry Nap, whats TKAM?
And they seriously got Teddy not F.D.R?

To Kill A Mockingbird (obv.). Yes, they actually did. But these are the same mongoloids who ask you towrite an essay to investigate the ways in which the pictures make the Renault Megane attractive in this advert. In an English exam.

Ah, sorry, i was a bit slow there.
What a fucking ridiculous exam q.
*alert, alert - patronising Suggs strikes again*:

Do whatever course you are GENUINELY the most interested in. Simple as. I say this as I did a Masters in Philosophy on the grounds of "It would be great if i was really interested in philosophy" (as I believe its a very important, perhaps the most important field of enquiry).
But i wasnt, in reality, interested enough. Dont get me wrong, philosophy is great - but only do it if you actually enjoy it more than Eng. Lit.

*descends from Lectern*

I'm rather cynically opting for either Classics or English Lit. at the expense of Philosophy, because I'm told universities don't like the A-Level. That said, another two years of ploughing through Pliny the fucking Younger discoursing upon the degustationnary habits of his galactically boring uncle doesn't appeal to me...please do lecture though, by all means.

Oh, and well-played on the Flashman sir! Excellent stuff. In fact, I read the whole of Flashman and the Angel of the Lord in one night last week. Just for kicks. Superb...

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:04 pm

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde.

by **Napoleon Ier** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:05 pm

suggs wrote:
Napoleon Ier wrote:
suggs wrote:btw "Ulysees" by James Joyce is often near the top of most lists, indeed often number one.
I really wouldn't bother. No ones ever understood it, not even Joyce.

Our English teacher's favorite, as it happens.

I wonder what pretend understanding she has of it?
Yeah, alright I'm just bitter cos i didnt understand FUCKING WORD of it.

He's Irish. Should explain it...

Interesting you say she though, is that an automatic mental reflex you make when you psycho-analyse people based only the fact they like a Joyce novel?

by **btownmeggy** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:06 pm

Napoleon Ier wrote:I guess, but English Lit really is a Man's subject.

*honk, honk* Visit a English Lit postgraduate program.

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:07 pm

Angel of the Lord - read it last month! (er, well i did if thats the John Brown/harpers Ferry one)
Yeah, Flashy is genius. Lot of patronising twaddle talked about "its not proper literature", but its intelligent, historically normally accurate and FUCKING FUNNY - and the big, strong, right wing white man always gets the girl

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:08 pm

btownmeggy wrote:
Napoleon Ier wrote:I guess, but English Lit really is a Man's subject.

*honk, honk* Visit a English Lit postgraduate program.

Nap, i hear you, but if you want to pull girls, do english lit - my bro was the ONLY bloke on his Lit course (about 60 girls!)

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:11 pm

Napoleon Ier wrote:
suggs wrote:
He's Irish. Should explain it...

Interesting you say she though, is that an automatic mental reflex you make when you psycho-analyse people based only the fact they like a Joyce novel?

Well spotted. I (genuinely) surprised my self there. Nah, I reckon its just cos all my Lit. teachers were women, and i associate Eng. Lit with girls (see above).

by **jnd94** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:12 pm

To kiIl a Mocking bird is in the top 10 iof the readers, but isn't even in the top 100 of the boards?

by **Napoleon Ier** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:13 pm

btownmeggy wrote:
Napoleon Ier wrote:I guess, but English Lit really is a Man's subject.

*honk, honk* Visit a English Lit postgraduate program.

I didn't express myslf with nos cousins américains in mind. My original intent had been to say that English Lit. at A-level in the UK is a difficult subject. However, discussing the expression emotions and so on...yes, I can see you point. Very valid. I suppose it depends how you approach it, but I'm definitely not trying to say that women can't do the subject, far from it, I am saying though, that it takes a real man (intelectually speaking) to do English lit. properly. Bear in my mind that attending a single-sex school, I haven't had the oppurtunity to study the ways in which girls respond to various subjects in any depth, so I was only really discussing the ways in which different males approach courses.

by **Napoleon Ier** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:16 pm

suggs wrote:
btownmeggy wrote:
Napoleon Ier wrote:I guess, but English Lit really is a Man's subject.

*honk, honk* Visit a English Lit postgraduate program.

Nap, i hear you, but if you want to pull girls, do english lit - my bro was the ONLY bloke on his Lit course (about 60 girls!)

Can't enter the equation I'm afraid...fucking non co-ed schools...

Interesting though, that girls do English. Any serious offers on why, meggy?

by **btownmeggy** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:17 pm

Napoleon Ier wrote:
btownmeggy wrote:
Napoleon Ier wrote:I guess, but English Lit really is a Man's subject.

*honk, honk* Visit a English Lit postgraduate program.

I didn't express myslf with nos cousins américains in mind. My original intent had been to say that English Lit. at A-level in the UK is a difficult subject. However, discussing the expression emotions and so on...yes, I can see you point. Very valid. I suppose it depends how you approach it, but I'm definitely not trying to say that women can't do the subject, far from it, I am saying though, that it takes a real man (intelectually speaking) to do English lit. properly. Bear in my mind that attending a single-sex school, I haven't had the oppurtunity to study the ways in which girls respond to various subjects in any depth, so I was only really discussing the ways in which different males approach courses.

It's true for mes cousins anglais aussi. Et francais et espagnol et chinois and whoever the f*ck is a lit critic. It's a field COMPLETELY DOMINATED by women (literary criticism; not writing, obviously, not yet).

by **btownmeggy** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:19 pm

Napoleon Ier wrote:Interesting though, that girls do English. Any serious offers on why, meggy?

Really, I couldn't say for certain. Like I mentioned in my last post, serious writing is still dominated by men, but women have a greater propensity (and, at least in recent decades it seems, a greater talent) for criticizing it.

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:20 pm

Nap, here are my thoughts on your courses for what its worth:

1)Economics
2)Eng. Lit
3) History or Philosophy.

In other words, what i did 8-)

-apart from Lit. I would ditch the classics in favour of philosophy. They said that when i took philosophy, and its true, its not highly favoured by universities. But better to get an "A" in philosophy than a "B" in classics.
I say that cos you seem interested in philosophy , and slightly bored by Classics. The more interested you are, the better your grade will be.

And, to toot my own horn, Cambridge uni didn't seem to mind too much

by **Napoleon Ier** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:22 pm

btownmeggy wrote:
It's true for mes cousins anglais aussi. Et francais et espagnol et chinois and whoever the f*ck is a lit critic. It's a field COMPLETELY DOMINATED by women (literary criticism; not writing, obviously, not yet).

I suppose the female mind is better naturally equipped with many tools necessary for studying literature. What are your thought on the matter?

by **suggs** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:28 pm

To be a chauvinist twat, altho i hope no more than usual, the old cliche about women being more emotional does have validity here.
Women are just better at exploring the emotional...er...stuff in books. You see, i cant even explain it. You know what i mean.

by **btownmeggy** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:29 pm

Napoleon Ier wrote:
btownmeggy wrote:
It's true for mes cousins anglais aussi. Et francais et espagnol et chinois and whoever the f*ck is a lit critic. It's a field COMPLETELY DOMINATED by women (literary criticism; not writing, obviously, not yet).

I suppose the female mind is better naturally equipped with many tools necessary for studying literature. What are your thought on the matter?

My feelings are on the fence regarding gender- or sex-specific mental talents.

But, here's an idea I just had:

Literary criticism has changed VASTLY since the 1970s, it's practically a whole new approach to knowledge. Perhaps, historically shuttered out of traditional fields (even, really, in the social sciences and humanities: think Economics, Philosophy), women have been able to find a place in this new realm, shaping it into a system (which all of academia is) that is favorable to our gender.

by **InkL0sed** on Mon May 05, 2008 5:30 pm

btownmeggy wrote:
Napoleon Ier wrote:Interesting though, that girls do English. Any serious offers on why, meggy?

Really, I couldn't say for certain. Like I mentioned in my last post, serious writing is still dominated by men, but women have a greater propensity (and, at least in recent decades it seems, a greater talent) for criticizing it.

This would be my theory: women are generally better with language skills (as opposed to men generally being better at math and science). But maybe there's some kind of stigma still attached to female writers, however slight? I don't know, I think I'm kind of rambling nonsense now...

For the record, I'll most likely study either Classics, Linguistics, or a specific language. And I hate math and science.

EDIT: meggy fastposted me but I posted anyway -- I think she said what I was trying to say anyway.