1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

By Peter Boxall

Book Overview

A newly revised and updated guide to the world's best literature--all at your fingertips. For discerning bibliophiles and readers who enjoy unforgettable classic literature, 1001 Books You Must Read... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0789313707
• ISBN13: 9780789313706
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Universe
• Length: 960 Pages
• Weight: 4.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.4" x 2.4" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

THIS BOOK AND BOOKS LIKE THIS ONE ARE GREAT!

I love this book. I love other books in this genre. I love lists of books that "everone must be read." They serve many useful purposes. Not only do they expose readers to works they would never consider, but they give the reader some sense of continuity, something to follow, some idea of where we have been with our literature. This particular list of books goes further than some by giving us a bit of the history of the work being addressed along with the plot line. This is very useful information. Also, just look at the reviews so far concerning this book. Almost everyone has some disagreement with which books were included and which were left out. Folks, this is a health thing. If I had read 60 some odd reivews and everyone had agreed to this author's selection, then I would have been gravely worried. I myself disagreed with a number of choices and there were certainly at least 100 additional works I would have included had I written the book. Again, this is healthy! I was quite encouraged when I read all these reviews...people are actually reading and actually thinking for themselves. This is truely wonderful and this is one of the primary strenths of this particular book...it brings out opinions, it causes the reader to think. I for one am glad it is on my shelf. I turn to it quite often and enjoy each and ever page, even if I do not agree with everything between it's covers. The book does indeed lean toward the 20th century as several others have pointed out here. This is okay. This is the author's opinion and that opinion is just as valid as mine, even though we don't agree in this area. I have plenty of other list that do include pre 20th century literature and can use those. The book is well organized, easy to read and, as I said, quite useful. Recommend this one highly.

The ultimate book list collector's book

I collect this genre of books. This is the ultimate collector's volume. The listings are broad-ranging, the descriptions are succinct and to the point, and the list covers the ancient to the contemporary. It is the best compendium of fiction writing in my collection.

My new favorite book about books

I read a lot of books. I have often looked at the various "books about books" and been disappointed. They are usually geared toward the casual reader, and they never prove very useful to me. This book is different. First of all, it's gorgeous. I am not thrilled with the cover, but the inside illustrations and pictures are all terrific and good quality. Almost every page contains either an author photo, or full color picture of the book cover. The books listed all have wonderful no-spoiler, intelligent summaries. I find myself learning things about novels I've already read, and I have been reshuffling my "to read next" pile as I go along. This is an eclectic selection, even though admittedly it's Western oriented. I don't know if any reference book can have everyone's favorites - there are a lot of novels out there. Yet this one is very comprehensive and satisfying. Highly, highly recommended.