100 Books to Read in a Lifetime (That Are Older Than 200 Years)

aulsmith : Definitely parts of it, but the whole thing? Nah.

karenb: Squeaking by, barely (published 1812)

lorax : Thumbing down just to counteract psdavid's proselytizing. I think parts are worth reading for basic cultural literacy, but nobody likes being preached at in a forum like this.

aulsmith : Again, parts of it. But the whole thing? Knowing some of it was done from unreliable manuscripts? Nah.

psdavid: A book in two parts, the old testament which is the new testament hidden and the new testament which is the old testament revealed. Every one of the 66 books (39 Old testament and 27 new testament) interlinks and joins with every other, written in original languages by 40+ authors spanning 2,000 years and many cultures. A book that attracts lively debate as to authenticity and yet every day sees more of its writings and dates confirmed by archaeological finds.

: Why not read one of the better translations, if you're going to read the whole wretched Bible in the first place?

cemanuel : Agreed. The purpose of this list is specifically for alternatives to Amazon's. Great book though.

PietWester: Geschreven in 1759 en nog steeds een van de geestigste werken uit de wereldliteratuur.

aulsmith : I just read through them all and a lot of them are boring, repetitive and some of them are clearly drafts. Go with the ones that are anthologized.

karenb: Original version please! (No, really, the right one this time ;)

aulsmith : Not the whole thing. I took a seminar on Donne, and we didn't even read them all.

aulsmith : His non-English writings add nothing remarkable to the corpus I already rejected.

Veilleur_de_nuit: Parce que c'est un texte fondamental de l'Occident et que la première règle est une règle d'or : "Ecoute".

aulsmith : Dull, but important. Go for the Cliff Notes.

Betelgeuse: "He who destroys a good book, kills reason itself." A masterful defense against censorship, with the added benefit that it can be read in one sitting.

aulsmith : Published 1843

CGlanovsky: Published in 1818

-pilgrim- : Within last 200 years

-pilgrim- : Within last 200 years

yarb : duplicate

ManWithAnAgenda : Duplicate

: yawwwwwwn

: We need a little LESS war, please! Even though it's not old enough for this list, THE POLITICS OF NONVIOLENCE by Gene Sharp should be on everyone's must-read list.

aulsmith : Awful. Instead of an adventure story, I got a White Man triumphs over nature with a sermon.

Betelgeuse: Wonderful. A gripping adventure and morality tale. More than a shipwreck story, it is also about repentance and humility. Defoe's novel has several Biblical parallels, including Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden, the parable of Jonah, and the sufferings of Job. Lessons can be learned from this book, if one overlooks Crusoe's anachronistic imperialism. But Robinson Crusoe is not a dour sermon. It is surprisingly fast-paced, and the first-person narrative gives it even more immediacy. Everyone knows the basics of the plot: the shocking discovery of the footprint, the appearance of Friday, the threat of cannibals, Crusoe's mastery of the island and its elements. There are also lesser known action sequences, such as the exciting wolfpack scene near the end of the book. A great early novel.