1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition

I meant to buy the earlier editions of this book, but I'm actually glad I waited and got this one. It's a reference book unlike any other. Boxall et al make no claims on this being a full list or even a rough guide. They say it's defined more by what is not included than what is. It's a "snapshot" of the novel. Despite all of that, there are some interesting suggestions I'd never have found on my own and reading the blurbs about each book can be very helpful. There are some books I'd not include, others I think should be on. This is part of the experience of book lists like this -- arguing about the list helps me find even more books I might want to read!I'll keep this handy now, so when I want to know what to read next, I'll never have to make a crazy guess at the library or here on Amazon. I need a much larger bookshelf... While there have been changes through the years, I see it more as a way to find new authors. Then if I like something, I can continue on with their work. If I hate a book enough, I don't feel compelled to read all of the listed books by that author. Other things to note are that some books are the beginnings of a series - so really it offers more than 1001 if I go on to read the series. It also gives me a goal and a varied experience in some regards. While there are a decent number of women, I do wish it wasn't so eurocentric. Despite all that, add this to the other list books I own, and I'll always have thousands of books left to read. Now I just need a longer life.

This is just good to have! I love being able to "check off" my reads. Some on the list are old friends, many are now on my reading list.

This book is probably going to gain the most interest from readers and people who like books, which therefore means that a good portion of this book is likely to be familiar. It is no surprise to see titles like Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice, The Old Man & The Sea. Certainly if I wanted to look through "1001 Books You Have Never Heard Of" then I would have gone elsewhere, but even this book offers many selections that are obscure, rare, unheard of, but of equal literary value to titles with more fame (my favorite that I have found is Solitude by Victor Catala).My only disappointment is that I thought that the editors should have been a little more selective about the choice of authors and perhaps excluding more duplicates from the same author. It is frustrating to see multiple books (some authors even have more than two) from Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Dostoyevsky--readers are likely to have heard of these writers, and the selections listed should be the most important of his or her work. Now, as a reader, should I enjoy whatever I read by Dickens or Dostoyevsky then maybe I will go read more (by default reading the others listed) and if I do not, then I will probably move on to the next author. If this even that type of book to someone.If not a type of book to discover more books to read, then a great coffee table book. Either way, I found the selections to be limiting. Really, in the world of literature, 1001 is a very small number.Still, I enjoy having the book on my shelf. I have tabs in the pages of "books read" in one color (red) and books I want to read in another color. If I am interested in reading a particular book type or era, I go to this volume; they are organized by publication date--not by authors name; in the end I think this is an interesting and logical choice. Complete table of contents and indexes in case you are looking for something in particular.

I recently found out about this book via a Goodreads group. I like reading challenges and I think this will be a good way to challenge myself. I like to think of myself as a well-rounded reader, but there are many titles in this list that I had never heard of prior to purchasing the book. I did notice that it is all fiction books and doesn't include Shakespeare or Beowulf or Gilgamesh, so apparently verse and plays are not included either. I would like to see another list to include some of the other literary genres and not just fiction. I do like that the chosen titles come from around the world and are not just focused on British and American literature.

This book is amaaaazing. If you're a fellow bibliophile, I would highly recommend this book. One great perk about it is that a lot of the books they describe in here can be found for free in the Kindle store! :D

I Have only read the list. Several I have read, I am 82 yo and I may read a few more . It is a great list of books, FPT

I agree with a lot of the other reviews that too many of the "Real" classics are left out. I think the problem is: when you ask for authors around the world to list the must read books each of their prejudices for their own countries authors comes out. That is probably why so many of the books chosen are written since the 1900's. Although most of the books chosen are probably great books to read, are three books by Toni Morrison really must reads over The Canterbury Tales, The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, Shakespeare, A Tale of Two Cities or An American Tragedy. Has anyone ever read "Aztec" by Gary Jennings? I was at a book store in Crested Butte, Colorado and I told the owner that "Aztec" was my favorite book and that he should read it. Seven years later I was back in Crested Butte and when I walked into the bookstore the owner immediately said to me "I remember you. You are the one that told me to read "Aztec". It is the best book I have ever read." Still, I recommend this book to everyone. ;)

all lists are arbitrary. but a fun and interesting compilation. The reviews are short and thought provoking, not necessarily what I would have said. A few books I would never have read were they not included.

This book is a marvel. I thought I was we'll read, until I looked through this book and became aware that I have only read 10 of the books on the list. The credentials of the people who put this book together are over the top impressive. The fact that it is an international collaboration gives it credibility. I have already marked about 30 of these books that I will start reading. Surprising to me was I have about 5 on my bookshelf and have never even read them. Want to step up my quality of reading, this will be a very useful "go to" guide.

Loved it