Wow! Most reviewers really liked this book. I'm a bit embarrassed to write that I was not only disappointed by it, but angry as well. Why angry? So many fine writers and wonderful books were left out, while entertaining but odd choices such as "The Buddha of Suburbia" were included. I read the latter, and if the editors had compiled a list of similar rather obscure but worthwhile books, it would belong here. But where is "Prince of Tides", then? Where are Louise Erdrich's and Michael Dorris' works? Why is "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt here(not a poorly written book, but not one I would have regretted missing). How about almost everything by Margaret Atwood??? And instead of the lovely "Animal Dreams" by Barbara Kingsolver, one editor chose her darkest and most unpleasant book(sorry, I made my own list of what I thought were poor choices and what I was surprised to see passed over, but I can't find the list now and can't remember the name of the Kingsolver book). One of my favorite books, "The Secret Book of Grazia Dei Rossi" by Jacqueline Park, would never be found in Ackroyd's tome(if you can call a list book a "tome"); neither would the historical fantasy series by Diana Gabaldon.
My primary argument with this item is that the 1001 books described are ones that many readers, especially conventionally educated ones, have read or heard of already. Why would I need to know that Virginia Woolf is considered an important writer, and that one SHOULD read one of her obscurely written, boring(I FIND THEM boring)works? I skipped reading my Woolf assignment in World Lit. in college. I love reading about Woolf, but I can't read HER stuff! But really, how many of the 1001 choices were of books that one would not otherwise come across and should really check out? Albeit, I'm a voracious reader and had heard of or read many of the 1001. My anger came from seeing so many unimaginative picks, things that Harold Bloom would choose,i.e., classics. There's nothing wrong with suggesting that classic lit. is worth reading, but I bought this book to find out what else, among trillions of works, is out there: authors and titles I might not otherwise have come across and that are great reads. I would love to tell you what I thought were some of the interesting choices in Ackroyd's book, but all I can remember are "Time's Arrow" by Martin Amis, something by Jeannette Winterson, and, I think, "The English Patient"(the focus of which, by the way, is almost the opposite of the story as re-done by the movie's screenwriters). Someday, perhaps, I'll find my own list of what was unbelievably left out and what I thought really should have not made it into this book. All I can say for now is that it appears that many people find this book helpful in some way, perhaps in the capsule descriptions of classic stories. I haven't read all those other reviews, and would not want to argue with them, anyway. But I'd like to see someone write "At Least 1001 Books You Might Never Come Across that You Should Check Out Before You Die". I can't edit or write this book because I couldn't choose just 1001. On the other hand, I could recommend(or tell you must-to-avoid)a bunch of books that I don't know if ANYONE else has ever read.
By the way, this was another book I returned to Amazon post-haste. I DO keep most books I buy, as Amazon could tell you. I am probably supporting most of the staff there.
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