San Antonio Public Library discussion

"People would be shocked if they found out I've never read _____."
There are those canonical works of literature and fiction which many people feel are essential reading, however, despite this perception of universality not everyone is able to carve out time to read them. Recently, I started a minor stir among some friends when I admitted that I had never read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (http://sapl.sat.lib.tx.us/record=b124...) (I know, see... you're shocked too!) As a devout Fantasy reader, this is huge; so, in an effort to save face and prove a point I put the gauntlet on the ground -- surely there are others just like me who have never read a work considered canonical in a particular genre. So, let's hear it.

I'm a huge sci-fi fan, haven't read any Ray Bradbury... shame on me.

Also, READ A WRINKLE IN TIME, it's awesome!

Holy smokes! You've never read Fahrenheit 451? I think we read it instead of A Wrinkle in Time in my 8th grade reading class... Hmm.

I take that back. I did read the Martian Chronicles in school but don't remember them at all so I feel like it doesn't count.

Nope, you're right: doesn't count! Hahahahahaha!!!

Never read A Wrinkle in Time? Say it ain't so!!

There are a bunch of "works of great literature" in general fiction I've never read. (No Tolstoy or James Joyce, for example.) But I can't think of anything particuarly shocking to have not read. Sorry, Dan!

In certain circles, not having read Tolstoy or Joyce is extremely shocking... some of my literature professors would have fainted from this knowledge; however, since we are fans of genre fiction, it's infinitely more shocking when a noodle-head like me hasn't read A Wrinkle in Time... Sad, but true...

Ok, I will admit it, I have never read The hitchhikers guide to the galaxy

*Faint* Yours may be worse than mine...

*snicker* What a bunch of heathens I work with!

Um. I've never read Slaughterhouse-Five or Do Androids dream of electric sheep?. Is that shocking?

Highly! :-)

I love A Wrinkle in Time, but I think I read Hitchiker too late in life... It was ok, but not earthshattering. ;-)

I haven't read twilight....

Bless Me, Ultima. :(

Tyler wrote: "I haven't read twilight...."
that means you are one of the smart ones!

Bless Me, Ultima, Treat yourself if you have a chance: http://sapl.sat.lib.tx.us/record=b1059025~S1 Gorgeous story if you ever get a chance; lyrical and magical, tragic but with an underlying sense of the mythic and joyous.

Tyler: *fist-bump* Neither have I... and I don't plan to. :-)

Tyler wrote: "I haven't read twilight...."

Somehow that doesn't surprise me. After all, you were never a teenage girl. *grin* And having spent time as a teenage girl seems to be the biggest indicator that you'll like the series.

Dan wrote: "Bless Me, Ultima, Treat yourself if you have a chance: http://sapl.sat.lib.tx.us/record=b105..."

I agree with Dan. It's not exactly a readalike, but if you enjoyed To Kill A Mockingbird, I'd say it's likely you'll enjoy Bless Me, Ultima.

"People would be shocked if they found out I've never read The Gates of the Alamo by Stephen Harrigan." This was a SAPL One Book One City selection some years back and I really tried but Harrigan's writing puts me to sleep and not in a good way. I did just read his "Remember Ben Clayton" but I was just trying to finish it in time for our book club discussion. Still not a fan. Some people love this book and ask me what I thought of it assuming I read it already.I just smile and admit I haven't had a chance to read it (or plan to).

I've never read Tolkien - please don't throw all your tomatoes at once. ;-)

I have never read any of the Wizard of Oz books, even though I have been a children's librarian for more than 30 years; and even though I watched Judy Garland's Dorothy every year for decades.

Beverly wrote: "I have never read any of the Wizard of Oz books, even though I have been a children's librarian for more than 30 years; and even though I watched Judy Garland's Dorothy every year for decades."

I can understand that. The movie version is so fulfilling that you don't feel the need to seek out 'more' in the form of the original book.

I've never read The Giver or The Wizard of Oz books. Someday but right now, I've got other titles to get read.

I've never read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, A Wrinkle in Time, The Giver. But...I've totally read Twilight. #messed up priorities

Hitchhikers guide and a wrinkle in time are so awesome

People would be shocked if they found out I've never read Wuthering Heights. I did try but I gave up. LOL!

I not only have never read Wuthering Heights, but I have never read Jane Eyre, either. But both are on my TBR list. I have also never read Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Persuasion, or Mansfield Park.
I did read Northanger Abbey and really enjoyed it. I had to read Sense and Sensibility in high school, but don't remember if I liked it or not. However, I have seen all of these books in some movie version or other. And I do plan to read the rest of Jane Austen's books at some point. I even bought a copy of Pride and Prejudice recently.

Anything by J.R.R. Tolkien

I have never read Wuthering Heights or anything by Austen. I went through a Hardy phase in high school, so Austen seemed too tame for my liking.

I've never read any Hemingway, and don't intend to change that! I guess I'm unrepentant in this, because I don't have any interest in his work. Maybe not for everyone, but in some of my friend circles, the fact that I've never read any of Anne Rice's books is also a disappointment. I tried! I just...nope.

Dacia wrote: "I love A Wrinkle in Time, but I think I read Hitchiker too late in life... It was ok, but not earthshattering. ;-)"

So, I never really read Lord of the Rings until just before the movies came out. I had been steeped in fantasy fiction, written fantasy fiction, but never gotten around to Lord of the Rings.

I can't stand the book, to be honest, but one of my problems early on was separating that characters like Gimli and Legolas (and, to a somewhat lesser degree, Aragorn) were not stereotypies, but archetypes... all the other dwarves I've read that were like that because they were somewhat emulating Gimli, not because Gimli was "just another dwarf like all the others."

Sometime in there, I set out to read a bunch of classics and classic authors. The library system I worked in at the time had a shelf of "classics", and so I started clearing those out, but I also worked on the famous Appendix N list... from the back of 1979's Dungeon Master's Guide, it showed a lot of the fiction that was influential on Dungeons and Dragons, and thus on a lot of modern fantasy fiction.

Thus, I don't know that there's much that folks are surprised I haven't read... unless you count big authors like James Patterson or the like.

I never read the Harry Potter books and when I was a Children's Librarian it was a huge thing! I remember keeping quiet during the children's discussions because I never wanted to be found out! LOL.
I still have not read them.

Cindy wrote: "I never read the Harry Potter books and when I was a Children's Librarian it was a huge thing! I remember keeping quiet during the children's discussions because I never wanted to be found out! LOL..."

That's OK, because the kids knew about them without the librarian's help anyway!

Cindy I never read the Harry P. Books until last year. The audio books are terrific is how I got thru them. Then after each book I would watch the movie. The later books get a bit detailed in places but I loved all the movies. I am so ready to go to Florida and ride Hagrid's ride.

Mariya wrote: "I have never read Wuthering Heights or anything by Austen. I went through a Hardy phase in high school, so Austen seemed too tame for my liking."

Tame? I found them boring and tedious. I never managed to finish anything by her. *checks for flying tomatoes* Yes, I know that's pretty shocking for an English Lit Major.

Oh no, as much as I enjoyed parts of Pride and Prejudice, parts are also incredibly boring. FYI, Wuthering Heights was written by Emily Bronte (it's easy to mix up the Brontes and Austen, really). It's actually harder to read for me than Austen, because it so clearly describes an abusive relationship. Heathcliff is most definitely not dreamy.

I went through an attempt to read the "Classics shelf" at HPL a few years ago, and so read Northanger Abbey by Austen, and pre-quarantine, I listened to Pride and Prejudice. I find Austen to be enjoyable in small doses; she has a terrific use of language and turn of phrase, but the plots are generally not what I'm looking for.

Shannan wrote: "Oh no, as much as I enjoyed parts of Pride and Prejudice, parts are also incredibly boring. FYI, Wuthering Heights was written by Emily Bronte (it's easy to mix up the Brontes and Austen, really). ..."

Oops! Obviously I'm not a fan of Bronte either. ;-)

Totally fair! They're very similar. I was obsessed with Jane Eyre in middle school, but I also just really love the gothic genre, and I never read any other Bronte book until forced to read Wuthering Heights.

People might be surprised I havent read The Great Gatsby despite being assigned to read it at 3 different schools over the years (I moved a lot). I always kinda weaseled a way out of it.

Also Dracula, despite having a fascination with vampires since I was a kid. My first official chapter book was "about" dracula but not the actual book.

Cindy wrote: "I never read the Harry Potter books and when I was a Children's Librarian it was a huge thing! I remember keeping quiet during the children's discussions because I never wanted to be found out! LOL..."

I feel ya! I didnt read harry potter until after college but i used to write hp fanfiction with a friend in middle school and he'd always have to fill me in on the specifics.

I have never read Harry Potter books, and I'm totally fine with that! My kids, of course, loved them. I am a mystery/thriller fan, but am slowly making my way through the Pulitzer Prize for fiction list (and finalists).

As an LGBT reader people would be shocked if they found out I've never read Call Me By Your Name. I've seen the movie though!

Ugh, Moby Dick. Growing up I always though that it was sort of a right of passage book that all legit readers read, and so I’ve attempted to get through it at least 3 times (usually after a long break to build up the requisite courage). But it’s a BEAST, and I’ve never seen the last page. I guess it remains my white whale. =P

But reading through these comments, you should all definitely read Harry Potter, The Hitchhikers Guide and Lord of the Rings. Shame on you. =)

I have read Moby Dick, an incredible read. The one I couldn't get through is Ulysses by James Joyce, but I am going to give it another try. As for classic science- fiction, Ray Bradbury is essential

Shannon, Bronte, any Bronte, is nothing like Austen. Bronte wrote Gothic drama. Austen was comedy of manners and social commentary. Austen wrote Northanger Abbey as a parody of Gothic novels.

I’m reading some of the previous posts and am ashamed to say I’ve never even heard of The Hitchhikers Guide (just added to my TBR). Ive also never read Jane Eyre. I’m thinking it has to do with not liking Wuthering Heights or The Great Gatsby very much. I liked 451 Fahrenheit, Moby Duck, Harry Potter, and Lord of Rings. Ive also not ready any Dr. Who but may try them next month.

Well, a bunch of those 'classic' titles such as Moby Dick and The Great Gatsby suffer because they're inflicted upon people at school and we're told we they're "great works". How many teenagers are really the right audience to appreciate/understand those titles when their teacher assigns them as homework?