Response to a comment in the last post

First, the blog is now open to comments from anyone.

Just in case folks don't read the comments, I'll post my response to the first comment to the blog, posted yesterday by dear KSpoon.

If you didn't catch it there, my response is here in all it's glory:

I have indeed read several of the books before. I have a feeling that I need to re-visit some of them though. Candide, Lord of the Flies, and Catch-22 are the ones that come immediately to mind.

As far as great vs. classic, I guess it's more an amalgam. Some have certainly hit the "great" level, some are old enough to be classics, and some I guess I've just heard of them being "important."

Indeed, I might scrap Beowulf now. "Ick" is a strong indictment against any book. Two from Twain because they go together and Huck Finn because it's the reason I'm doing the list in the first place. I never read Huck Finn and I never would unless I did some foolish project like this.

Shakespeare is not currently on the list. I've read Hamlet way too many times because it's one of my favorites. I don't feel a need to revisit it at this point. Other suggestions from the Bard?

Asimov isn't part of the list, but more a hangover from last year's reading. I considered reading certain books of the bible and calling the "books" but that felt like cheating.

I'm definitely doing Crusoe and Treasure Island. Crusoe is important for being considered perhaps the first novel in English. And Treasure Island is the great pirate novel (though I may have read it before but I don't think so).

Hemingway...yeah, I'm on the fence. I've read "Old Man" and "The Sun Also Rises" in addition to "A Moveable Feast." If "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is that strong, I'll probably add it.

A. Lord of the Rings isn't children's literature. B. It's probably my favorite book(s) of all time. C. Already read them several times. D. Read the whole Potter series last year.

Seriously considering "Their Eyes Were Watching God." Also considering "The Color Purple."

Love 1984 and Animal Farm and have already read them several times. I tried Brave New World before and it didn't go so well, thus it's inclusion on the list.

Catcher in the Rye is great, but I don't feel the need to go back to it. Same with All The President's Men and the Right Stuff. I don't have any interest in the Hannibal Lecter books and no interest in In Cold Blood.

Great suggestions, keep 'em coming.