top 100 world literature books image
Evan
I'm trying to find a good list of books to read before college, being a quick reader, I can easily finish 20 books before the end of the school year, and have book reports, etc. Most of my English before this year contained writing papers on historical events, biographies, opinions, etc this is my year for English literature. I have other books I've read on the side and can count (I'm home schooled) but I was looking for a good list of maybe 20 or so books to read before college. I'm trying to get a good variety as well.
So far, I'm planning reading/have read:
Lord of the Rings trilogy
1984
Fahrenheit 451
Brave New World
Oliver Twist
A Tale of Two Cities
Bleak House
Christmas Carol
Frankenstein
War of The Worlds
Island of Dr Moreau
Some of these I have already read or am reading, and again, I'm a quick reader, I can read a 300 page book and write a 3-4 page report on it in a week, so if you could suggest some more good books to read before college (I plan on probably IU or Purdue and maybe transferring) I'd be really grateful.
Like I said, I'm home schooled, and my parents allowed me to pick the books I wanted to read from an approved list, no one book is required. I have heard books like Grapes of Wrath, To Kill a Mocking Bird, and Moby Dick are always recommended, but my parents say they are boring and overrated. Would you suggest reading them? Another one is Les Misrables, would that be a good one? I love to read, so I don't mind if it's long. Thanks again for the help! It is very much appreciated! :)
Answer
Nice list! Though a bit heavy on Dickens, unless you like his stuff.
The thing about The Grapes of Wrath and To Kill a Mockingbird is that they are so widely read, they are part of our literary canon. Sometimes it's worth reading a book just to understand what everyone sees in it. Nowhere near as many people read Moby Dick.
Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy is a rather cool book. It's about a guy who lives in the 1800s and is transported to about 100 years in the future. What's so cool is, the author lived before things like radios, electric lights and cars, yet he predicted them all in the book.
Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse
Slaughterhouse Five or maybe Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
Night by Elie Weisel
Exodus by Leon Uris (or almost any of his)
Hard reads, especially reading on your own, but these are good to have read:
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
The Inferno (also titled Hell) by Dante Alighieri
Nice list! Though a bit heavy on Dickens, unless you like his stuff.
The thing about The Grapes of Wrath and To Kill a Mockingbird is that they are so widely read, they are part of our literary canon. Sometimes it's worth reading a book just to understand what everyone sees in it. Nowhere near as many people read Moby Dick.
Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy is a rather cool book. It's about a guy who lives in the 1800s and is transported to about 100 years in the future. What's so cool is, the author lived before things like radios, electric lights and cars, yet he predicted them all in the book.
Narcissus and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse
Slaughterhouse Five or maybe Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
Night by Elie Weisel
Exodus by Leon Uris (or almost any of his)
Hard reads, especially reading on your own, but these are good to have read:
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
The Inferno (also titled Hell) by Dante Alighieri
Why are "first printed" books so expensive and popular?
Sally Cat
I am looking at "The Hunger Games, first printing" on Ebay. It is $325. Why is it so expensive. What is so significant about a first printing compared to the other printings? What am I failing to understand?
Answer
First printings are usually rare or were released on a limited run. For the sake of argument lets say "The Hunger Games" first run was 5,000 copies, which for a book that has no press, and an unknown author is fairly reasonable. That means that there are only 5,000 of those in the existence of the world. And that number is only going to drop. So, first runs are more so for collectors. They are meant to sit on shelves and should be handled with care, because they are an investment that someday the book will be worth more. Think of it like a car.
Let's say you buy a top of the line Ferrari, it will cost you $500,000. Why did you not buy a Honda civic for $30,000. It's cheaper and more or less does the same thing. Because thirty years down the road that Ferrari is going to be worth $7 mil and the Civic is going to worth $500. Short answer, it is more of an investment.
Now the question is, is "The Hunger Games" a Ferrari or a Honda Civic with a body Kit made to look like a Ferrari. Is it a great work of literature that will stand the test of time. Is it going to be taught in schools 500 years from now like Shakespeare is. No, in 30 years people will vaguely remember it, and in 100 years no one will. Does that mean it's a bad book, No. It just hit at the right time for a niche market.
In other words, save your money.
First printings are usually rare or were released on a limited run. For the sake of argument lets say "The Hunger Games" first run was 5,000 copies, which for a book that has no press, and an unknown author is fairly reasonable. That means that there are only 5,000 of those in the existence of the world. And that number is only going to drop. So, first runs are more so for collectors. They are meant to sit on shelves and should be handled with care, because they are an investment that someday the book will be worth more. Think of it like a car.
Let's say you buy a top of the line Ferrari, it will cost you $500,000. Why did you not buy a Honda civic for $30,000. It's cheaper and more or less does the same thing. Because thirty years down the road that Ferrari is going to be worth $7 mil and the Civic is going to worth $500. Short answer, it is more of an investment.
Now the question is, is "The Hunger Games" a Ferrari or a Honda Civic with a body Kit made to look like a Ferrari. Is it a great work of literature that will stand the test of time. Is it going to be taught in schools 500 years from now like Shakespeare is. No, in 30 years people will vaguely remember it, and in 100 years no one will. Does that mean it's a bad book, No. It just hit at the right time for a niche market.
In other words, save your money.
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