Legendary Literary Reads

LLRs read 7

The Stranger by Albert Camus | Read in 2024

A translated version of Albert Camus classic, The Stranger. Not a very long read. Also quite easy to read and follow. While the story is quite simple and nice to read for a sad book, it does ask some interesting questions that can cause someone to think more about it. The layers in the book are such that it can be enjoyed basically but then also analyzed thoroughly. Especially towards the end as he thinks about his life and questions God and everything about existence. It was published during Nazi occupied France, which adds another layer of interest to it. This book is recommended for any reader for its wide appeal.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens | Read in 2024

Most people know this story. Many have seen at least one if not more of the many movies made from this great classic. Most of the movies hold very true to this book. The book is very straight forward and not a lot of fluff which makes for easy and enjoyable reading. The point is gotten to quickly and the lesson is a timeless one. There is no hidden message or underlying social agenda like many things are today. Scrooge does not become some self righteous or self aggrandizing man after he realizes his mistakes. He merely corrects his mistakes. He embodies the complexity of many who have many good moral practices in the way they conduct themselves, however, through their lack of heart have become hardened to the things around them. The answers are simple, reasonable, and right without being pretentious.

The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien | Read in 2024

The books are not quite laid out like the movies. This is the first thing to keep in mind when reading them. There are multiple books in each book as originally written. It is also cut off at a different point than when the movies were cut off. I found that the books obviously went into much more detail and had a lot of interesting things. Some things they were able to state in a different way than was probably possible in the movies. All in all these are classics for a reason and they are very entertaining and great adventure fantasy reads.

The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien | Read in 2024

The books are not quite laid out like the movies. This is the first thing to keep in mind when reading them. There are multiple books in each book as originally written. It is also cut off at a different point than when the movies were cut off. I found that the books obviously went into much more detail and had a lot of interesting things. Some things they were able to state in a different way than was probably possible in the movies. All in all these are classics for a reason and they are very entertaining and great adventure fantasy reads.

The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien | Read in 2024

The books are not quite laid out like the movies. This is the first thing to keep in mind when reading them. There are multiple books in each book as originally written. It is also cut off at a different point than when the movies were cut off. I found that the books obviously went into much more detail and had a lot of interesting things. Some things they were able to state in a different way than was probably possible in the movies. All in all these are classics for a reason and they are very entertaining and great adventure fantasy reads.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien | Read in 2024

Of course the movies have been a part of people's lives for quite some time. The books have been around for even longer. The Hobbit is interesting an engaging and better than the movies. It is interesting watching the movies first then reading the books. At some point we will get to a book before the movie. However, there is not much to say about this fantasy adventure. It is a fun read with some quotable lines.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare| Read in 2024

This is the first book (or play) read by Shakespeare. It definitely took some getting used to. It definitely helps to know some of the culture around it. Having seen the classic movie from 1948 helps understanding it. Shakespeare is not an easy read. Undoubtedly it will get easier as time goes on and the language and way it is written will get easier to understand. The main key when reading legendary literary works like Shakespeare is knowing what quotes and references people in society, art, and history make to them often. This will be the most fun part of legendary literary reads, is learning the stories behind the quotes and references.