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So called 'classic' novels top 100 from The Guardian


Son of Stan said:
39. But I did do a degree in English which covers a lot of them. And it should be 38 1/2 as I never finished Ulysses as I detested it. 😁
As for recommendations it depends on your tastes really.
My favourite authors from the list would be Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy and Charlotte Bronte.
I would definitely recommend the Ripley novels of Patricia Highsmith, however.
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How odd. I also did an English degree and have read 39 of them.
 
There's a few quite shocking omissions, but of the ones that are there and that I have read, I would say Catch 22 is a must, Heart of Darkness is good (especially if you like the film Apocalypse Now), Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison, not HG Wells) is worth a look, and The Great Gatsby is probably my favourite novel.

1984 has been dramatised more times and inspired more books and films than any other book on that list, but I don't even think that is Orwell's best book.
 
Visiting owl said:
Guardian readers though..👍

I'm right though yes?
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No no no, 9 of the top ten is made up of the multi volume cycle of novels by Nigel Farage collectively known as "The Burning Gammon: Why White Blokes Like Me Have It Tougher Than Anyone Else Ever In The World And Everyone Should Shut Up And Listen While I Phone Up Someone's Employer To Complain About It"
 
Visiting owl said:
With it being the Guardian I will put my bottom dollar on none of the top 10 (being generous) will be a White British male.

Am I close?
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You are correct,though there's a white Irish lad, two white French lads, and two books by a white Russian lad if that helps.

There's also another 4 books by white British women if it's black people and foreigners you don't like.

Stay away from Beloved though. You definitely won't like that.
 
Cockney Mackem said:
No no no, 9 of the top ten is made up of the multi volume cycle of novels by Nigel Farage collectively known as "The Burning Gammon: Why White Blokes Like Me Have It Tougher Than Anyone Else Ever In The World And Everyone Should Shut Up And Listen While I Phone Up Someone's Employer To Complain About It"
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Here he is!!!!

😆
NYMackem said:
You are correct,though there's a white Irish lad, two white French lads, and two books by a white Russian lad if that helps.

There's also another 4 books by white British women if it's black people and foreigners you don't like.

Stay away from Beloved though. You definitely won't like that.
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So I was correct👍




Apologies for derailing the thread, it was only in jest.
👍
 
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NYMackem said:
You are correct,though there's a white Irish lad, two white French lads, and two books by a white Russian lad if that helps.

There's also another 4 books by white British women if it's black people and foreigners you don't like.

Stay away from Beloved though. You definitely won't like that.
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Lots of trendy woke stuff from the....

*Checks notes*

19th Century
 
25 completed -The Brothers Karamazov is a masterpiece.

Read parts of others -I didn't like 100 years of solitude so gave it a miss about 6 chapters in. Ullyses is a work in progress:D (though Joyce did say it should take 5 years to read - It's been half-read on my shelf for about 7 now.)

I'd recommend Midnight's children and the Nabakov novels: Lolita and Pale Fire.
 
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