The Sybervision Book List

Novels, Epic Poems and Legends

1. The Iliad by Homer (February 2004)

    Also on the Norwegian list - Think the Bible written in ancient Greek time. Not as good as The Odyssey but still worth reading. The only problem is that it does not have a conclusion, it just sort of ends. Many of the activities associated with the Trojan War are not chronicled like some people think in the story like the Trojan Horse and the death of Achilles.

2. The Odyssey by Homer (February 2004)

    Also on the Norwegian list - The better of the two. Action and adventure on a worldwide (as the ancient Greeks knew it) scale. Worth reading if you can get past the Greek translation.

3. The Aeneid by Virgil (March 2006)

    Also on the Norwegian list - This book was written as a way to give to the Romans what the Greeks had with The Iliad and The Odyssey. Unfortunately, that's how it reads as well. The first half follows The Odyssey almost to the point of even going to the exact same places as Odysseus. The second half is much better and kind of reads as its own story although it is still reminiscent of  The Iliad.

4. Beowulf by Unknown (June 2006)

    The story of a famous man who slays several monsters and eventually gets killed while taking down a dragon. The story is rather difficult upon first reading because of the illusions created by the author. Unlike The Divine Comedy though the illusions are not related to contemporary concepts but it is more of a figurative language. For example, instead of saying "ocean" it becomes a "whale-path." So a first reading can be rather arduous but future readings are more understandable. Overall the storyline in very simplistic, it is the language that puts the story on the list. Not a particular favorite of mine, just because I'm more a storyline person with language I can easily understand.

5. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (2002 - September 2005)

    Also on the Norwegian list - I read the Inferno in one of my college classes and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Then I purchased the entire series and I found Purgatory and Paradise very hard to follow. I believe it was because I did not have the guidance as I did in class and the translation was more like the original text in the last two. So my suggestion if you are going to read this, do so in a class or with a text to help understand the contemporary illusions and with an easy to understand translation.

6. The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo

7. Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

    Also on the Norwegian list -

8. Don Quixote by Cervantes

    Also on the Norwegian and the Observer lists -

9. Paradise Lost by John Milton

10. The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

    Also on the Observer list -

11. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (September-October 2008)

    Also on the Observer list - I got the feeling while I was reading this of Cast Away a lot. I know there were several people out there who thought that movie was boring. Well the book came across the same way. It just seemed to drag on for me. Every other page at the beginning I was expecting him to become ship wrecked, then when he finally was, nothing exciting happened. For a book that seemed to be billed as an action-adventure novel I got none of that through the narrative. It's not a totally bad book and I enjoyed the plot, I just felt it was really slow at times. I found it amusing how no matter what Robinson did he seemed to end up on the short end of things, although I found it irritating that all Native Americans/ Native Islanders were referred to as savages and cannibals. I can see how they might be thought of that way in the story until you meet them but Defoe continued to show them eating humans. Sorry but cannibalism was not that widespread.

12. Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

13. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (2002)

    Also on the Norwegian and Observer lists - An enjoyable book that seems like fantasy but in reality was a political commentary on his time. Very enjoyable. Another book I read for my college class that I feel I should go back and read again now that I have a little more time and little less pressure to read it.

14. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding (May - July 2008)

    Also on the Observer list - Although it is a rather long book (my copy was over 850 pages) I did greatly enjoy reading it. The author is more of a narrator then an impartial observer. He readily makes comments throughout the book that makes you feel like you are sitting by a fire listening to him relay the story. It was definitely a different approach then most I have read and I greatly enjoyed it. The story was exquisite. It is about a bastard, Tom, who was abandoned by his mother to be raised by a very benevolent man. Although I did not readily agree with some of the lessons at the end of the book (how birth makes more of a difference on who the boy is, not just his character) I still enjoyed it and the ending did bring a tear to my cheek. I thought that how the author kept making Tom's situation worse and worse that there was no way to bring him back in a believable manner, but it worked out and rather well at that. I definitely enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone with a few months to read it.

15. Candide by Voltaire (December 2007)

    This story is by a philosopher whose primary concern was optimism. In return the book turns out to be rather depressing, yet cheerful, at the same time. I am not sure how, it just does. It is written rather like a children's story. There is very little embellishments and the characters zip around from place to place in a rather short time frame. But there is a lot of death (or supposed death), rape, war, slavery and other "adult" concepts so it is definitely not a kid's story. The point of the story, I believe, was so that Voltaire could express his distaste for practically everything. This includes religion, war, and people's intolerance of each other (although he expresses his own intolerance rather well, a bit hypocritical). But anyway a rather interesting read, short (always a plus when your reading 300+ books), and I enjoyed it, but not enough to go on my list.

16. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

17. The Tragedy of Faust by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

    Also on the Norwegian list -

18. The Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott

19. Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott (November 2003)

    Think Robin Hood, because that was exactly the impression that I was getting through it. It even had Richard the Lion Hearted in it. A very enjoyable book and one of the few I know on these lists that takes place in medieval England.

20. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (July 2004)

    Also on the Norwegian and the BBC lists - A book on my must read list and definitely my favorite of the Austen works. The story follows the lives of several people of different social standings all wooing each other. This results in people of completely different attitudes and mannerisms actually finding love with each other. Humorous at times and the easiest of Austen's works to read.

21. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (2004)

    Also on the Observer list - The classic story of man trying to be God. A quick an easy book to read; I read it in 2 days. The story is presented in a unique way, as journal articles, not typically done although remarkably similar to Dracula. It makes the reader feel what is going through the doctor's mind. The book shows that the real monster, that one Dr. Frankenstein created, was in fact himself, and that the monster ended up having more humanity than the doctor was even capable of.

22. The Red and the Black by Stendahl

    Also on the Norwegian list -

23. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

24. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

25. Carmen by Prosper Merimee

26. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (December 2003)

    Also on the the Observer and BBC lists - Another on my must read list. It follows the life of the title character as she starts in an orphanage and eventually goes on to live with Mr. Rochester. A fun romantic novel with an air of mystery.

27. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (May 2006)

   One of the 2 on the 4 major lists - A very weird book, not at all what I thought it would be. I considered this to be what is termed "chic lit" (as seen on Jeopardy). I couldn't have been more off. This is one of the most depressing books I have read yet. It is more of how Satan himself can corrupt people in retched beings but in the end sometimes they pull through. Most of the story takes place as a flashback of one of the former housekeepers. It is a little confusing and un-enjoyable at first because of the erudite language she used, but after a few chapters I got used to it. After the flashback it shows an orphaned child, Heathcliff, brought back to the house who is shunned by all, who eventually takes over everything. Since most of this is known at the start of the story, it is interesting to see how everything comes about and to see how two separate families who differ in everything (intelligence, strength, and health intermingle). On my must read and it should be on yours.

28. Vanity Fair by William Thackeray

    Also on the Observer list -

29. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

    Also on the Observer and the BBC lists -

30 A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (2004)

    Also on the BBC list - An enjoyable book describing London and Paris (the 2 cities) during the time of the French and American Revolutions. The story describes a love story during a time of crisis and how far people are willing to go for the ones they love. A little confusing at times but still fun to read none the less.

31. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (2004)

    Also on the Norwegian and BBC lists - My favorite of the Dickens' novels and on my must read list. It follows the life of Pip, as he is saved by a convict and eventually grows up and finds love. At times the plot moves a little slowly and through a variety of ups and downs in the character's life. All in all the balance is well written and easy to follow.

32. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (2001)

    Also on the Observer list - I read this book as part of a literature class I was in and I did not understand everything about it. The beginning was extremely slow and has a tendency to drive people away from the book but it does get better fairly quickly. The story is an example of morality in a Puritan society where the main character must wear a bright red "A" to symbolize her adultery. The storyline follows her trials and tribulations in her society of Biblical law.  

33. Camille by Alexandre Dumas

34. Moby Dick by Herman Melville (August-September 1998)

    Also on the Norwegian and Observer lists - Forced to read in my high school senior year I was not looking forward to this book. It has the most memorable first line of any book out there except maybe A Tale of Two Cities. The story line is the classic of a man trying to take control of his fears and being destroyed in the process. The book reads slowly and the chapter describing whales escapes my understanding as to why it is even in the book. Not a recommendation by me but maybe just because I read it when I would not appreciate it.

35. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

     Also on the Norwegian, Zane, and Observer lists -

36. Idyls of the King by Alfred Lord Tennyson

37. Silas Marner by George Eliot (May - June 2007)

    This is the type of book that you sit back on a nice summer evening and read while relaxing. For the first half of the book I felt no pulling force that often makes you want to keep on reading once you get into the book and I just read it at my leisure. But around half way I hit the draw point and I finished the second half of the book in 2 days. This is a very sweet book about a man who got screwed early in life and became a recluse. He then got screwed again when he had his only reason for living stolen. This is the first half of the book. The second half deals with what does a person like this do when presented with an orphaned child. The book is very well written and flows smoothly but I feel it lacks that special something to place it on the 100 greatest list so it is not going on mine, although I do think people should read it.

38. Middlemarch by George Eliot (January - March 2008)

    Also on the Norwegian, Zane, and the BBC lists - I rather enjoyed this book, it started off slow but as the book went on it picked up its pace rather well. Although the book was the longest I have yet read, about 900 pages, the plot was simple enough that it was easy to follow through the whole book. Middlemarch is a town in England where the book follows the lives of the families there, mainly two different families and their daughters. The book also shows a lot of conflicts including doctors versus faith, modern medicine versus traditional medicine, and similar subjects. There was an initial period that took me to get used to the language but afterwards I easily understood and followed the story. I can easily recommend this book as a great story with good lessons, if you are willing to take the time to read it.

39. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (April - May 2006)

    This book was absolutely enthralling. Having seen the play numerous times when I was younger I thought I would remember the story line but I did not. The story is two fold, one following the French Revolution following the fall of Napoleon at Waterloo, the second follows an ex-convict while he tries to redeem his life. I won't give away any details but the storyline does get a bit confusing at times but always keeps you guessing. Definitely on my must read list.

40. Fathers and Sons (AKA Fathers and Children) by Ivan Turgenev (July 2007)

    I have a tendency to like Russian literature a lot because, so far, they have been all very easy to understand and read. This book was no exception, although it was a bit odd at times. The story is very well written and the  language used is immaculate but the plot seems to have lost meaning for me, especially around the end. It is about a pair of friends and their interactions with each other, their families, and society as a whole. The older friend, Bazarov, is a nihilist, meaning he believes in nothing and the younger is Arkady, his pupil. The plot evolves around how Arkady deals with his mentor's views and how his mentor comes to see those views himself. All this during the time when the serfs were freed, causing conflicts that the main characters have to work around, in order to maintain their principles. Arkady's plot ends  where I felt it was going, but with Bazarov, I feel the author didn't know what to do with him so he just left him "high and dry". A good book, but not good enough to be on my list.

41. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor M Dostoyevsky (1999)

    Also on the Norwegian and the BBC lists- Another book on my must read list. The story follows a man who feels he can commit the "perfect murder" then his resulting turmoil after the fact. The story was excellently written showing exactly how the main character felt through his entire ordeal. My only problem with the story is the epilogue because it was added afterwards. The only reason it was even in the story was because the publishers felt the story was not complete and they needed closure. It is obvious that the chapter was an afterthought and I feel it should not have been written but that is a little late now.

42. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor M Dostoyevsky (July - September 2006)

    On the Norwegian and the Observer lists - This book read a lot like Crime and Punishment, which is the reason why I liked it. I probably would put it on my must read list but Crime and Punishment is already on the list and I thought that Crime and Punishment was a much better book. Overall I though the book was extremely well written, but long (~800 pages) and I did not fully understand the point of the epilogue. The story is about 3 (maybe 4) brothers all from the same father but different mothers. All of them have widely varied personalities ranging from borderline psychotic to deeply religious to the non-religious academic. The story culminates in a murder that we as the reader know the brother did not commit but he is put on trial for. I like the way the story was written, with us knowing more than the people in the trial and the ending for the most part made sense; again except for the epilogue. So if you are in the mood for a long but relatively uncomplicated read, I recommend this one.

43. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

    Also on the Observer and the BBC lists -

44. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

    Also on the BBC list -

45. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (2004)

    Having read the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn first I was a little disappointed since the sequel was much better than this story but this one was good none the less. Having less of the political aspects and more of a "kid's story" attitude about it, this story is just fun to read. No in-depth analysis is needed for this story, its more about a kid manipulating others to get his way and having fun while doing it.

46. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

47. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1996ish)

    Also on the Norwegian, Zane, and the Observer lists - As most children I was forced to read this in school, a couple of times. Its actually one of the better novels most kids read (unfortunately closed-minded people try to ban this novel). It gives the "kid's adventure" that Mark Twain is known for but also has the racial issues of the time with the escaped slave Jim and how Huck eventually learned to just see him as a friend. A book that should be read just because of the criticism it receives from the ignorant people who can't get passed the language.

48. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain 

49. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

    The only one on all 5 lists -

50. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

    Also on the Norwegian, Zane, and the BBC lists -

51. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy

52. Tess of the D'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy

    Also on the BBC list -

53. The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James (2005)

    Also on the Observer list - The story follows an American moving to Europe and having to adapt from the free thinking of America to the more rigid thinking of England at the time. A very well written and easy to follow novel. Kind of unmemorable in my mind though. I enjoyed reading it and it flows very well but I cannot remember the plot overly well, hence the reason it does not make it to my must read list.

54. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

55. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (November 2003)

    Also on the BBC list - Actually a very quick read and its really fun. It was written as chapters to his kids bedtime story so each part moves the story along fairly quickly. I also read this after seeing Treasure Planet so that was all I could envision in my head. All in all, I recommend for a quick, fun book.

56. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

    Also on the Observer list -

57. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (September 2005)

    Another fast paced action book that is more geared towards the geek in me. There is a lot of evolution in this book so if you are anti-evolution, don't bother with the book, it will just make you mad. Otherwise this is a great book, it is kind of slow at first but it draws you in to what is going on quite quickly. He does an amazing job of taking his modern day society and projecting what might happen with the human race several hundred thousand years in the future, then to the planet itself towards the end of the earth. Kind of a visionary work.

58. Dracula by Bram Stoker (2005)

    Everyone is familiar with the plot, or so I thought. This brings it back to the very beginning and it is interesting to see how the Dracula persona has changed through time. The story is written through a series of letters and journal entries, all from the first perspective but from several different characters. Not very fluid at times but still enjoyable none the less. Definitely recommend for those who want to read the original.

59. The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler

60. The Call of the Wild by Jack London (September 2005)

    Also on the Observer list - This book was fantastic. I highly recommend it to anyone especially dog lovers. It is gripping and it is intense, so much so it makes you want to read more and to top it all off, its short. Only about 80 pages. I read it in about 2 days and did not try that hard. It is about a dog, Buck, who was kidnapped from California and taken to Alaska to be a sled dog. The book is entirely through the dogs perspective but it does not have any of the cheesy "dog voices". Not once do you hear what they are saying but you get how he is feeling, especially among his interactions with other dogs and humans. Again I highly recommend, you won't be disappointed.
 

61. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis

62. An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser (1999-2000)

    First off, this is a very long book. I started it my senior year of high school, put it down then finally got back to it the end of my freshman year of college. That being said, I enjoyed it. It follows the life a seemingly ordinary boy until he commits this atrocious act and is sentenced to murder. The book is based on a real life event, where the author wanted to show this transition from good hometown boy to killer. The main reason it is not on my list is because it is a very long book, but it is very good.

63. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1996?)

    Also on the Observer, Zane, and BBC lists - Like almost every kid, I had to read this, but it was so long ago I do not really remember the gist of it. The book follows the life of a man in the 1920's who created his fortune while living around people who inherited their fortunes. Two separate worlds clashing over what is proper. Reading reviews on this book leads me to believe that this is either a book about religion, poverty to wealth, love or something else entirely. A must reread in my mind, now that I am older.

64. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (2000)

    The story takes place during World War I on the Italian front, following an American ambulance driver who falls in love with an English nurse. The story continues through the war as it evolves as does their love. Gripping and romantic. This book is another reason why Hemingway is my favorite author.

65. For Whom the Bell Tolls by  Ernest Hemingway (1997-2000 Large gap in reading times)

    My favorite of the Hemingway books and one of the few with a plot I easily remember years later. The story follows an American soldier in the Spanish Civil War. There are 4 main characters each with opposing viewpoints on war and morality, some for it, some against, but all in it. Its a story that focuses on the morality of war and if this (or any) war is worth fighting. Another on my list of must reread and definitely on my list of best books.

66. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway (1994?)

    Also on the Norwegian list - The classic everyone knows about the determination of an old fisherman and the fish that would not give up. A great short story about perseverance and old age. Must reread.

67. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

68. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (1994?)

    Also on the BBC list - Another of the school books everyone reads. I enjoyed it at the time and must reread it to enjoy with a more mature mind. The story is about two men, one intellectually stunted, Lennie, and the other that takes care of him and keeps him out of trouble, George. The plot follows the hard times of the great depression with the lone farm workers and how a relationship between two, especially those two, is a rare thing. On the reread list.

69. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

    Also on the BBC list -

70. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

    Also on the Observer and BBC lists -

Science and Civilization

71. The Republic by Plato (2000)

    Read due to Humanities in college. Not recommended to anyone who enjoys reading. The reason for reading this is more for educational purposes than relaxation. Proceed at your own risk.

72. The Prince by Machiavelli (March 2007)

     Although a very short book in comparison to the other books in this category, I felt the book had very little value. The best I could get out of it was a companion book on how to rule properly. Not in my top list of books to read, nor anywhere near it. I felt it was difficult to read but at least the contemporary illusions were explained so overall the book was not difficult to understand.  

73. The Social Contract by Jean Jacques Rousseau (December 2007)

     This is definitely not the best book I have ever read but it was interesting none the less. This was similar to the other political commentary books on the list as I'm sure they do not differ much in tone but it was written around the formation of the US Constitution and it is enlightening to see how this book influenced the formation of our country (our as in US citizens). I would not recommend this book since it is rather dry but it brings up some good points. The main few I noticed were that according to Rousseau the US is a representative aristocracy not a democracy. Because he, along with other political philosophers of his time, thought a large country would not be stable as a democracy so it could never work. The second is it showed the citizens of Europe that kings were not appointed by divine right but are only in power because the people let them be. This is partially what led to the civil unrest around the same time in many European countries. It you are interested in political theory then this book is for you, otherwise I would not bother.

74. The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

75. The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin (August - October 2007)

Plays