I'm not fond of the C. S. Lewis quote. "Escaped lunatic" is about as distasteful as "pathetic cripple" would be. But putting that aside, I think your overarching theme is probably the best one can do: "we all have some measure of freedom, however constrained and compromised, and our lives are judged by what we do with it." It's quite broad, of course, but it really has to be. Bon voyage on this journey of yours. It's both extraordinarily ambitious and eminently worthwhile.
Interested to see your thoughts on these. I have read a few of these, and will be reading a few of these this year at different times. Crime and Punishment is my favorite of the ones I have read off this list. I read it in 3 days, because I could not put it down.
Idk..I was just completely sucked into the story. I had the opportunity to spend most of those days reading, and just went for it. It was my first Dostoyevsky and none of it was audio too. Brothers Karamazav took me months lol!
I am particularly looking forward to your thoughts on Crime and Punishment, War and Peace, Moby Dick and Life and Fate. I have not read the first three since college. Life and Fate is gathering dust on my “to read pile” although @Tyler Cowen and @Russ Roberts ‘ discussion of it nudged me to get started.
Your reading prowess never fails to impress me.
As soon as I read this all I could think of was this scene from 40 Year Old Virgin.
Great article. I think I TRIED to read Tristram Shandy for a class, don't remember if I succeeded, but what I do remember was good. Of the others, I can promise you that Moby Dick, War and Peace, and Daniel Deronda are everything one would expect from the masterful writers and more. George Eliot is my favorite 19th century European writer, and War and Peace is one of my favorite books ever. 💖📚
There is a connection between Fielding's Tom Jones and Dickens' David Copperfield, but I'll leave you to read it for yourself. I'll be looking for a copy of Sterne's Tristram Shandy.
I read The Woman in White last year…just an exceptional book of which I was unaware…don’t remember exactly how I found it. But a great read! Glad to see it on your list for 2026!
I'm not fond of the C. S. Lewis quote. "Escaped lunatic" is about as distasteful as "pathetic cripple" would be. But putting that aside, I think your overarching theme is probably the best one can do: "we all have some measure of freedom, however constrained and compromised, and our lives are judged by what we do with it." It's quite broad, of course, but it really has to be. Bon voyage on this journey of yours. It's both extraordinarily ambitious and eminently worthwhile.
The only way to appreciate Crime and Punishment is to read all the way to the end, one of the most beautiful endings I've ever experienced.
I’ve heard that from many people. I’m looking forward to it.
Interested to see your thoughts on these. I have read a few of these, and will be reading a few of these this year at different times. Crime and Punishment is my favorite of the ones I have read off this list. I read it in 3 days, because I could not put it down.
Three days! Holy cow!
Idk..I was just completely sucked into the story. I had the opportunity to spend most of those days reading, and just went for it. It was my first Dostoyevsky and none of it was audio too. Brothers Karamazav took me months lol!
I am particularly looking forward to your thoughts on Crime and Punishment, War and Peace, Moby Dick and Life and Fate. I have not read the first three since college. Life and Fate is gathering dust on my “to read pile” although @Tyler Cowen and @Russ Roberts ‘ discussion of it nudged me to get started.
Your reading prowess never fails to impress me.
As soon as I read this all I could think of was this scene from 40 Year Old Virgin.
https://youtu.be/OPkhuy8aDNY?si=N9quE1ARXdB9JMaA
Great article. I think I TRIED to read Tristram Shandy for a class, don't remember if I succeeded, but what I do remember was good. Of the others, I can promise you that Moby Dick, War and Peace, and Daniel Deronda are everything one would expect from the masterful writers and more. George Eliot is my favorite 19th century European writer, and War and Peace is one of my favorite books ever. 💖📚
There is a connection between Fielding's Tom Jones and Dickens' David Copperfield, but I'll leave you to read it for yourself. I'll be looking for a copy of Sterne's Tristram Shandy.
I read The Woman in White last year…just an exceptional book of which I was unaware…don’t remember exactly how I found it. But a great read! Glad to see it on your list for 2026!
Joel, you've set yourself an ambitious syllabus! I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on Woman In White. It's one of my favorites.