Essential Literature

[Bernadette]

This came up on another forum, and I thought the topic was interesting enough to repost here. What works of literature do you consider essential to your library? Mine are Dickens' complete works, and some children's literature: The Secret Garden, Heidi, and E. Nesbit's Mouldiwarp Chronicles. Also Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. I have the Oxford Illustrated Dickens, and leather bound editions of all of the others, except the Mouldiwarp Chronicles, which was only available in hardcover. So what are your essential books?

[Melkor]

Hmmm. LoTR, Silmarillion, Children of Hurin, and Lost Tales. Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell. Raven’s Mark series. Sherlock Holmes books. A few Chesterton books. And of course, the Catholic Red Pill.

[Maximilian]

All the works by Tolstoy.

Fortunately, there aren't that many. He wasn't a prolific author cranking out a novel every year.

[Bernadette]

All the works by Tolstoy.

Fortunately, there aren't that many. He wasn't a prolific author cranking out a novel every year.

I can't get into Tolstoy. I've tried War and Peace numerous times, and each time I end up giving up earlier.

[maryslittlegarden]

All the works by Tolstoy.

Fortunately, there aren't that many. He wasn't a prolific author cranking out a novel every year.

I can't get into Tolstoy. I've tried War and Peace numerous times, and each time I end up giving up earlier.

Sinclair Lewis does the same thing for me

[Maximilian]

All the works by Tolstoy.

Fortunately, there aren't that many. He wasn't a prolific author cranking out a novel every year.

I can't get into Tolstoy. I've tried War and Peace numerous times, and each time I end up giving up earlier.

Perhaps you can try the method used by a certain young lady of my acquaintance: Just read the "Peace" chapters (like a much better version of Jane Austen) and skip over the "War" chapters.

There's also "Anna Karenina" and his novellas like "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" and "Family Happiness."

[Philip G.]

Hmmm. LoTR, Silmarillion, Children of Hurin, and Lost Tales. Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell. Raven’s Mark series. Sherlock Holmes books. A few Chesterton books. And of course, the Catholic Red Pill.

I do like sherlock holmes.  I think westerns should certainly be in the bookshelf.  Louis Lamour is the well known western author.

[Bernadette]

I love Sherlock Holmes, too. I have two versions of the complete works as audiobooks, and a beautiful hardcover edition.

[Tennessean]

Gormenghast.

[Ragnarok]

All the works by Tolstoy.

Fortunately, there aren't that many. He wasn't a prolific author cranking out a novel every year.

I can't get into Tolstoy. I've tried War and Peace numerous times, and each time I end up giving up earlier.

Perhaps you can try the method used by a certain young lady of my acquaintance: Just read the "Peace" chapters (like a much better version of Jane Austen) and skip over the "War" chapters.

There's also "Anna Karenina" and his novellas like "The Death of Ivan Ilyich" and "Family Happiness."

Anna Karenina is one of the best books I've ever read; and while I agree with much of it, I still think his outlook on morality, materialism, and agrarianism are a bit naive.

[Ragnarok]

Three Books:

1. Milton's Paradise Lost (yes, I'm aware it was on the Index for it's Anglicanism, but it's a genius book nonetheless)
2. Tocqueville's Democracy in America
3. Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov

[Ragnarok]

And bonus: Huxley's Brave New World

[Lynne]

Dante's Divine Comedy!