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    1001 Books You Must Read before You Die by Peter Boxall (Editor), Peter Ackroyd (Preface by)

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    Synopsis

    For discerning bibliophiles and readers who enjoy unforgettable classic literature, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die is a trove of reviews covering a century of memorable writing. Each work of literature featured here is a seminal work key to understanding and appreciating the written word.The featured works have been handpicked by a team of international critics and literary luminaries, including Derek Attridge (world expert on James Joyce), Cedric Watts (renowned authority on Joseph Conrad and Graham Greene), Laura Marcus (noted Virginia Woolf expert), and David Mariott (poet and expert on African-American literature), among some twenty others.Addictive, browsable, knowledgeable—1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die will be a boon companion for anyone who loves good writing and an inspiration for anyone who is just beginning to discover a love of books. Each entry is accompanied by an authoritative yet opinionated critical essay describing the importance and influence of the work in question. Also included are publishing history and career details about the authors, as well as reproductions of period dust jackets and book designs.

    Library Journal

    Many reference works are highly enjoyable to browse, and some are downright addictive! Case in point: these two delightful compilations of all the awesome albums to hear and books to read before departing Planet Earth. Organized chronologically (Albums are sorted by decade and Books by century), the two volumes devote a page-long entry to each album and/or book summarizing what makes it exceptional. Quibbles naturally abound, but the point here is not to agree but to simply have fun leafing through the glossy pages. You need not order these for your library, but you probably wouldn't mind keeping them for yourself. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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    Biography

    Dr. Peter Boxall is a lecturer in English Literature at the University of Sussex. He has published widely on twentieth and twenty-first century fiction and drama.

    Customer Reviews

    Number of Reviews: 2
    Average Rating: Customer Rating for this product is 2.5 out of 5
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    Customer Rating for this product is 2 out of 5 Disappointing
    Book Geek, a voracious reader, 07/04/2006

    The selections here are rather arbitrary and slanted toward modern literature. My gripe is that there are many books listed for a few choice authors (for example Thomas Pynchon (5 books), Paul Auster (9 books) Ian McEwan (10 books), J.M. Coetzee (11 books) Graham Greene (9 books), while other excellent (and unique) authors are not even mentioned, notably C.S. Lewis, and where is John Crowley? At least Jim Crace gets a nod with one book. The best sections are the pre 1900's -- good for books you might not have heard of.

    Customer Rating for this product is 3 out of 5 Just OK...
    A reviewer, A reviewer, 04/01/2006

    This book is divided into sections by century and provides a brief essay on each book. It is nicely illustrated with photos and drawings of the authors, book covers and the time period however it pays way too much attention to the post-1950's for my taste. Other reviews I have read complain that it almost complete ignores literature outside of the Western tradition. Still it provides an interesting list of books to consider, some of which are diamonds in the rough I never would have discovered on my own.