This week it’s rewind week for the Top Ten Tuesday meme, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, which means all participating bloggers get to pick and choose between all old topics. There are more than 100 old topics to choose from – and I decided to go with a Top Ten list of books I can’t believe I’ve never gotten around to reading. This list used to be much longer – I’m glad to have crossed Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and more off my list but still, I have a lot of books on my list that I really ought to get around to reading.
Sometimes I wonder what’s stopping us in reading novels, we really want to read. I guess it’s the constant stream of new books coming out. I often find myself buying books that I’m almost desperately eager to read – and then they are put on my shelf and stay there for years … The last couple of years I’ve made a list to myself with books I wanted to read during the year and on this list, I focus on books that I’ve owned for a while but for some reason or other never got around to actually read. This has helped a bit – but still, I have many novels I can’t believe I’ve never read…
- Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. I can’t believe I never read this. I wanted to read it a long time ago and I asked my mother to borrow her copy. She thought I was too young and wouldn’t let me borrow it – and then when I was older, I had lost interest. But I really want to read it! I’ve visited her house in Amsterdam in 2010 and bought my copy. It’s the 60th Anniversay Edition, the definitive edition, with exclusive additional material. And I so want to read it!
- F. Scott Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby. Nope, never read that either. Everybody is talking about it and all I have, are some impressions from watching the Robert Redford movie many years ago – when I definitely was too young to get it. Now the new movie is coming out and people are very opinionated about the cast…. And I still haven’t read it. So this one is high up my list so I get to have an opinion about the new movie like everyone else!
- Evelyn Waugh: Brideshead Revisited. I have never watched the tv series nor read the book. But I’ve heard about it for years and seen trailers for the tv series and it just sounds good. So I’ve bought it a couple of years ago, and there it is, waiting patiently on my shelf…
- Toni Morrison: Beloved. Toni Morrison has won the Nobel Prize, this novel has won the Pulitzer. I’ve heard about Toni Morrison for years and years and never read anything by her. I really, really want to start reading her – and I think this is the place to start!
- Alice Walker: The Color Purple. Right after finishing Beloved, I think I’m going to pick up this one. Another Pulitzer winning novel – another novel that I’ve been wanting to read for years. Everyone seem to like these two novels – and I really want to like them to. But to like them requires that I read them – and again, never have. Will do, though!
- John Updike: The Rabbit books. I have only read one novel by Updike, Terrorist. It was okay but not amazing. I have been wanting to read this series for years. Just never gotten around to it. I think that I might really like Updike’s works and I don’t know why I keep postponing actually reading them…
- Umberto Eco: In the Name of the Rose. I watched the Sean Connery-Christian Slater movie years ago and really liked it. I also has a master’s degree in Philosophy so some of the topics of the book is right up my alley. And Umberto Eco is a really impressive author that I would like to explore – and have wanted to explore for years. So why haven’t I read this??? No idea…
- Alexandre Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo. I’ve read The Three Musketeers and watched several movie versions of it. And liked it! I’ve actually lend The Count of Monte Cristo from the library – but I have just never read it. Same goes from all other books by Dumas. The only one I’ve ever read is The Three Musketeers and I think I’m missing out on some great adventurous novels that will be a lot of fun to read.
- Virginia Woolf: Orlando. When the movie came out with Tilda Swinton years ago, I was fascinated. I never got around to actually seeing it but ever since I’ve been extremely curious about both the movie and the book. I’ve owned the books for some years too – and haven’t read it yet. I really, really want to read this novel – and watch the movie …
- Karen Blixen: Out of Africa. Karen Blixen is one of the most internationally famous Danish authors. The baroness was a very clever lady and her work is supposed to be difficult. But come on – I can’t be from Denmark and not read Karen Blixen! Also, I watched the movie with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep and it was beautiful. I actually own this book in both a Danish and English version. I think I’m going to read the English one since apparently, Blixen wrote her books in English and then translated them herself .. Fascinating woman!
And I wanted to add that I can’t believe I haven’t read anything by Cormac McCarthy or Ian McEwan. These two seems to be two hugely influential contemporary authors, they’ve both written quite a few novels – and I haven’t even picked up one… I really need to fix that soon!
Related posts:
The Literary Bunny 
The only one I’ve read is The Count of Monte Cristo! Dumas is a brilliant writer, and you will definitely like it if you enjoyed The Three Musketeers.
I always think I “should” read Anne Frank, but I haven’t. I tried to once, but I didn’t get very far at all.
And you’re probably getting sick of people saying “But you MUST read…” but really, you MUST read Anne Frank and Gatsby… and Out of Africa.
I have read all with the exception of 6 and 8 and frankly there are only 3 I would say, yes, you must read those. Waugh, Fitzgerald and Anne Frank.
I can definitely attest to many of the books here on your list too. I read The Diary of Anne Frank in English class (but come on – you can’t count that if you’re forced to read it!). I can’t believe I haven’t read The Great Gatsby (my paperback copy has been collecting dust somewhere) and The Count of Monte Christo has been on my TBR for years. This is a great top ten list, well done!
Ah, so many of these I’ve never read either! Including The Great Gatsby, which became a prescribed book at my high school the year after I graduated, sigh. You simply must start reading Anne Frank though… I’m quite jealous of you special edition!
I haven’t read The Great Gatsby either. I do want to read it. Maybe one day…
J’adore Happy Endings
Shamefully, I haven’t read any of these books except The Great Gatsby! I started The Count of Monte Cristo if that counts, haha.
Count of Monte Cristo is good but HUGE and very different from the movie. Sadly, I was not a fan of Gatsby, but I hope you enjoy it.
My TTT: http://shelversanon.blogspot.com/2012/10/top-10-tuesday-rewind-top-ten-bookish.html