I wanted to expanded upon my last post and describe two different reading lists that I had made in the past. Many years ago, I made a reading list based on what others recommended (i.e. from academia or the literary world) as being great books. It included the classics, nonfiction books, and some modern books. The books I read included The Meditations, Heart of Darkness, Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man, The Great Gatsby, etc.
Several years later, I made another reading list, although this was based on my own selection. This list included Wool, Frankenstein, White Fang, Emma, and several novels by Philip K. Dick. My experience was that this list was much more enjoyable than the first, since these books appealed to my interest.
The first reading list was based on what others recommended as being great books or were deemed as classics. Although some of the books were enjoyable, I found myself struggling with others. Not that they were difficult to read, but I just couldn’t connect with the story for one reason or another. Because this was the case, my experience overall was a mixed bag, since I forced myself to finish books that I either wasn’t interested in, or that I found long or tedious (it’s kind of like sitting through a slow movie, hoping that something exciting happens (or for the credits to roll)).
In the second reading list, I didn’t select them based on what others suggested, but they were based on genres and topics that interested me (i.e. science fiction, drama, suspense, dystopian stories, etc.). Thus, most of the books I read were great, or at least, enjoyable (I say most, since you don’t really know if it is great until you’ve reached the end).
Like movies, each person is going to have a different reaction to a book. What some will regard as great or amazing, others might regard as just okay or boring. Since each person is going to have a different opinion, a reading list has to be tailored to the individual that is reading the books. Although it is definitely possible to read books based on others’ suggestions, the experience will probably be uneven, and it will leave the reader wondering why some books are on that list in the first place.
Fallton Havenstonne 