17 June 2010

The True Confessions Meme

A new one from the Queen! I am so excited! (Queen's original post here.)

The Rules:
Think of ten books it seems you should have read by now but never have. Post them. Feel free to say anything you want about why you haven't read them. Tag others when you're done.

  1. The following Shakespeare plays: Richard II, Richard III, Timon of Athens
    I lump them all into one to leave more room for other confessions. Having studies theater in college and graduate school you might imagine I read a lot of Shakespeare, and it is true, I did. But these three I never read and I think after all that school I just can't bring myself to read another one. Ever.
  2. A Tale of Two Cities. I was forced to read Great Expectations in 10th grade. Swore off Dickens at that point and cannot convince my adult brain to give it another go no matter how much I'd like to.
  3. War and Peace. It is a title someone literary should read, right? But in my mind it has so many strikes against it, not the least of which is the fact that it is Russian.
  4. Anna Karenina. See above.
  5. Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde. At this point given how much the story has been retold in various ways, I don't see how I wouldn't be disappointed.
  6. The Time Machine (or anything else by H.G. Wells) I have no good or bad reason. I just don't want to.
  7. The Poisonwood Bible. Too many people have told me how much I will like it.
  8. Three Cups of Tea. I want to care, I do. But, in fact, it seems I don't.
  9. Mrs. Dalloway. I don't know. I probably would like it.
  10. In Cold Blood. Now that I've seen the great movie version I know I'll never read it.
I almost put Ulysses on this list, but then decided not to because I've never felt I should read that one.

I'd tag, but Emily probably already has. If she didn't, consider yourself tagged.

4 comments:

Emily Barton said...

My sixth-grade teacher (yes, I said SIXTH-grade) came up with the brilliant idea that we should all read a Shakespeare play and write a modern version of it. Guess which one I got. Timon of Athens. Guess who despised Shakespeare for the next 7 years?

And Three Cups of Tea? Me too! Me too! (Actually, if you want to know how pathetic I am, my first thought, when I read your take on it, LOL, was "Oh, I wish I hadn't read it, so I could say 'me too!' Then, I realized I hadn't, unless you count the first 10 pages as having read it. It's just been hyped so much I feel as though I have.) Thanks for picking up the meme and running with it.

HT said...

Amen to #1 (and frankly, all the rest too!) I don't even like GOING to Shakespeare... that being said we're seeing Pacino at Shakespeare in the Park on Friday- but part of me would rather be reading a book- none on your list of course.

(PS- way to depress the hell out of me with Perfect World- I was hoping for a stewardess story and I got the Apocalypse. (-; )

Rebecca H. said...

Shakespeare's history plays are going right to the top of my confessions list. Julius Caesar is the only one I've read. It's possible I'll get to the others, but ... the motivation just isn't there right now (and may never be!).

Anonymous said...

Three Cups of Tea, ugh. I'm with you in the complete lack of interest. Ditto Barbara Kingsolver. But A Tale of Two Cities is what got me reading Dickens again after school put me right off.