James MustichAnmeldelser

I'm going to love this book. It's not just a book you can sit down and read through. It is one you would want to refer to before embarking on a classic, which I find, for the most part, harder to understand. If there is any underlying meaning to gather by reading between the lines of any of these chosen books, this author will give meaning to the work so maybe you read with better understanding.

This is a book to markup, date, highlight, and to fully participate with. There are 1,000 books with really good, thoughtful information about the books and authors that were chosen to be included, much the way Turner Classic Movies (TCM) gives introductions before each movie on television. I'm impressed with the variety and choice of books, with exception of only a few. But who knows, maybe I will read those as well, one day...when there is nothing left in this world for me to read.

The best part about this book, my favorite part, is "the list". I'm all about lists, and there is a checkoff list at the back of the book. Upon receiving the book, I've read 22 books of the 1,000, which means I also now have read 22 reviews in this big, big book and the info on the authors.

As of 5/17/2021, I've read the following books:

- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- The Arabian Nights
- Pride and Prejudice
- A Walk in the Woods
- The Good Earth
- Silent Spring
- Rebecca
- Absalom, Absalom!
- The Great Gatsby
- The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank)
- One Hundred Years of Solitude
- Lord of the Flies
- Theie Eyes Were Watching God
-To Kill a Mockingbird
- Angela's Ashes
- Lonesome Dove
- Gone with the Wind
- Lolita
- 1984
- Where the Wild Things Are (children's)
- Walden
- The Color Purple

1000 Books to Read Before You Die by James Mustich is a 2018 Workman Publishing Company publication.

I didn’t immediately grab this book when it was originally published- but I was curious about which books would make it onto the list. Knowing the books I tend to navigate towards, I figured this list probably wouldn’t appeal- or maybe apply to me, is a better way to say it, because I knew that no matter how badly someone tries to shame me, I'm not going to read books I know I will not understand or will bore me to tears.

But each year this book tends to make its way onto a library ‘suggestion’ board somewhere, as the new year often prompts people to make the standard resolution to ‘read more classics’ or branch out more.

Reading the blurb, this book promises to mingle in some popular books, some lighter fare, and would cover a wide range of subjects and genres, including poetry, plays, etc.

I was skeptical- but there was only one way to find out…

So, was the list as stuffy and highbrow as I feared?

Well, there were precious few mainstream or modern mysteries- only ONE Agatha Christie- and I’m struggling to remember ANY modern romances- at least not what I call romance, at any rate, and yes, it was heavy on ‘classics'.

To be fair, though, there was an interesting mix of genres, children’s books, poetry, and yes, a smattering of the dreaded ‘pleasure’ reads.

For me, personally, this book was like browsing through a gourmet cookbook. I love looking at all the fancy recipes, and the lovely presentation of the food, and respecting the time and energy it took to complete such a task. But I know that once I’ve finished flipping through the glossy pages and oohing and awing over those delectable, mouthwatering main courses and rich desserts, that I’m going to head straight to the kitchen and whip up some loaded cheese nachos- and those nachos are going to be heavenly!!

And that’s pretty much what happened with this book. I flipped through the alphabetical list- by author- not by book title, by the way, and enjoyed learning about these books, the authors, the plays and movies that were adapted from them, etc.

But, once I’d finished browsing through the book, I found that I’d added exactly one book to my TBR pile from this list-( I actually had read more of these books that I would have thought- though many of them were the children’s books- or required high school reading- but still), and then I’d promptly returned to my book in progress, which happened to be a tawdry psychological thriller that would have made a good Lifetime movie- but, like those heavenly nachos- it was absolutely delicious!!

Empty calories? Perhaps- but remember gourmet foods and rich desserts are often laden with calories, fat, salt and sugar- so- not necessarily healthy or nutricious... just sayin'.

Okay- while I’m being a little cheeky- the truth is- this is a very good reference book. It is well-organized, and thoughtful… and more than a little addictive. I was often surprised by how long I’d been browsing through it sometimes.

It is never a bad thing to broaden one’s reading experiences, to occasionally step outside one’s comfort zone, to take on a book you know will challenge you- and it is never too late to start. I do that from time to time- and read more serious books than I used to- I just didn't find many books listed here I felt an urgent need to read right away.

So- while the book did not change my life, as promised, and I did not feel the obligatory need to begin working my way through this list- instead preferring to spend my remaining days reading books I know I’ll enjoy- I will certainly refer to it again, over time.

I do feel Mustich was sincere and put a great deal of thought and work into this book. It sounded like a monumental task- and he did an amazing job putting the list together.

3.5 stars½

I obviously didn't "actually" finish the book. But I've spent enough time going through it to recommend it as a a great reference book! I had a lot of fun going through the list and picking out books I want to read. And for the majority of the books the author listed, he also recommends two or three other books (by other authors) similar to that book, so that if I finish a book on the list and like it, I can look into his recommendation for other books similar to it. I love this option.

I thought I am reasonably familiar with what famous volumes are out there. But he recommended many classics and books published in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, that I've never heard of. I felt I learned a lot. It was interesting reading his description and summary of the books, even if I never get around to actually reading them.

I select titles for the Dewey 00's at the library, and when I saw 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die, by James Mustich (Workman), I knew I had to have it for our collection. It's a door-stopper at 960 pages and there are already multiple holds on the book at the library (which will allow us to purchase another copy)! For the most part, the author has listed the books in alphabetical order, by author, and there are a wide variety of historical authors as well as more contemporary ones, e.g. Douglas Adams, Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Asimov, and Austen, just to mention a few from the "A's." There are about an equal number of titles of fiction and non-fiction listed. I did not, of course, read the entire book, but browsed through it, and I believe this is the intent. One can take a look to see what books have already been read, then find new, different and unusual books and authors to expand one's breadth of knowledge and interest. The book tends to skew toward more classic titles, which were, in large part, written by white male authors due to the era in which they were written, and I can see this book appealing to the Boomer generation more than the current one; but if you are looking for a well-curated list of books that will provide you with a lifetime challenge to become extremely well-read, this book is for you. I think it will have huge appeal to readers and bibliophiles everywhere!

Excellent variety. I look forward to delighting in many of these books.

I more scanned through the book than read it -- I liked the concept and the way it was arranged. I found the language a little higher than the average reader. The books selected ranged from across the board and across age levels...however, it seemed to inspire me more to write a book of my own recommendations than to read his.

But I enjoyed the experience of coming into contact with it and would suggest others check it out for themselves.

1,000 Books to Kill You.

7/2/18 - By request, I counted how many of these I've actually read.
The number, as of today, sits at a modest 205.

This is NOT a challenge for me. I have cherry-picked about 20-30 books out of this reference book to look into at a future date, and I am NOT planning on finding all the rest. :)


Original Review:

I don't know if this list is quite as life-changing as it purports, but I will grant it this: It is very eclectic and a wide-reaching list of true classics interspersed with the best of the best B-List books you've probably never heard of or you might have heard in passing before they slipped beneath the waves of all the other books on the high seas.

That being said, this book is a beautiful doorstopper. Enormous, picturesque, fully annotated and researched, and each book is picked with love.

Do I have any issues with this tome? Perhaps. There is a pretty obvious bias to it that may not be fully realized because of the preponderance of outright classics herewithin.

The unknowns are generally packed to the gills with 30's to 50's popular books.

It wasn't obvious to me until fairly late into my reading, from first to last page, alphabetical by author, because the old classics were heavily represented and the new modern classics are also there like quota victims. You know, like the random science text, a book or ten on travelogues, or ones that kind of surprised me like The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Quicksilver, and Underground Railroad. Others are a gimmie like Hitchhiker's Guide and Harry Potter... even Among Us!

But for the most part, the heaviest weight of the books belong to the beginning of the Baby Boomers. The kinds of books that might have been on the shelves of that generation's parents. Growing dusty and perhaps picked up right at the time that those children hit their 20's.

I'm not saying this is wrong or that this list of a thousand books to read before you die ought not to be targeted to this aging population. Indeed, that sounds about right. They might pick this up and be proud of themselves as they go, "Hey! I read that!"

I know I did. I've probably read around a 1/3 of these books, myself. I also made a huge list of books I want to read, too, sinking my To Read shelf to new and unplumbed depths.

Alas.

Still, I'm quite happy to have read this. Even with the reservations. And not all books tickled my fancy... by a long shot... but it was very fun to browse.

I just ask one thing... Did SF just peek its head out during the 30's and 50's and then just GO AWAY or something? So silly. There are only a FEW SF books in here. Definitely a major failing.

Lite märkligt är det att det nu finns två böcker med läsrekommendationer där man av titlarna kan komma att tro att den främsta skillnaden är att den ena är någon sida kortare: 1000 books to read before you die, liksom 1001 books ... Här gäller det närmast den förra, av James Mustich, amerikansk bokhandlare. Det bör nog direkt sägas att Mustich upplägg faktiskt ligger närmare Göran Häggs svenska variant på temat än den amerikanska, även om han har en del egna innovationer.

Även om titeln på Mustich bok antyder att han skall vara den mest snåle med rekommendationer nöjer han sig faktiskt inte med 1000 böcker, utan för varje bok ges även tips på fördjupning eller andra böcker att pröva för den som fastnade. Han tar även upp viktigare överföringar till andra medier. Till skillnad från de andra böckerna är hans sorterad på författare, inte kronologiskt. Han tycks också haft föresatsen att nöja sig med en enda bok för de flesta författare, vilket gör att han har det längsta indexet. Han har dock haft vett nog att inte följa denna föresats in i vansinnet, så några författare har flera verk med: flest har naturligtvis Shakespeare, med tretton, men även flera andra har fått mer än en.

Shakespeare, ja: liksom Hägg har Mustich stämt av innehåll med titel, och hans bok innehåller därför även sådant som dramer, poesi, barnböcker, essäer och facklitteratur; det enda som inte verkar finnas med är erotika. Urvalet är överlag gjort utifrån en tämligen amerikansk horisont, vilket gjort att flera historiska verk om USA:s historia finns med, något fler än man som europé egentligen tycker är nödvändigt.

Nöjet med den här typen av verk är mångfaldigt: inte bara att man upptäcker nya böcker att läsa, utan även att man påminns om sådant man redan läst. Man har möjlighet att nicka instämmande när författaren gjort ett i ens tycke förnuftigt val, och att bli uppbragt över att något underhaltigt verk lyckas smita in (varken Burckhardt eller Sacks imponerade på mig när jag läste dem), eller ännu värre, att någon favorit inte gjort det. Var är Dorothy Sayers? Karel Čapek, Tove Jansson, Walter Scott? Strindberg och Lindgren?

Senare, lugnad av tid och ny läsning, kan ännu mer glädje vinnas ut: man läser något som rekommenderats, återvänder ler gillande åt författarens beskrivning eller fnyser åt hur han så kan missförstått allt. Här finns till och med en checklista att fylla i för den som gillar småttigt vandaliserande av tryckt materia.

Mustich verk är inte riktigt lika bra som Häggs, men står långt över Boxalls. Det har fått mig att fylla på min önskelista med tjogtals böcker. Jag kommer nog inte komma närmare dessa 1000 böcker än de grupper om 1001 jag tidigare enligt de andra författarna haft att ta mig igenom, men det tänker jag inte låta mig bekomma. Livet är för kort för sådant tänkande, och de goda böckerna för många.

Generally, I have enough reading material to last me for several lifetimes, so what’s another thousand added to the list? James Mustich brings a variegated list of 1000 books to read in this particular volume. Although I have read the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die edited by Peter Boxall, this book doesn’t focus on one genre like Boxall’s work. Instead, Mustich goes a different path. For one thing, I believe Boxall’s was organized chronologically, and this book is alphabetical by author. Secondly, for the most part, each author only gets one focused entry. There are exceptions to this, mainly from authors that have multiple works of excellence. So an easy example is Maya Angelou. She wrote a lot, but I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings is her Masterpiece and is the one talked about in the book.

There is one caveat to this book though, and it isn’t a detriment; the book contains far more than 1000 recommendations. Each entry has a list of further recommendations and as the intro mentions it adds up to several thousand. The other thing about this book is that it is varied. It doesn’t focus only on fiction or novels. It has entries covering the gamut of interests, from Gardening to Philosophy to Religion and everything in between. The main problem with a book of this nature is threefold; as a piece of printed material it might become out of date, all lists are subjective to the person making the list, and there are far more books that might be worth your time. However, this book makes an effort to explain the choices made at each turn. Take Samuel Butler’s The Way of All Flesh, for example, the book was wildly popular when it came out, but as time went by, it gradually lost its appeal. It makes it into a reverse Moby-Dick or a reverse Great Gatsby.

Some authors have more weight put to their works and get more entries. Charles Dickens is a good example of this. The book lists no less than eight of his works.

My only problem with this book is that you start to skim the list. This is mainly prompted by my situation. I took this out from the library and I only have three weeks to read it. Now that would be fine, but I took out other books as well, and this is my last week to have them. Also, you tend to get the gist of the list. Some of the entries need no explanation. You just expect them to be there. Some others are a bit confusing. This is mainly because I have not heard of them. The main person of that persuasion is Robert A Caro. Apparently, he is a biographer of some repute, but I don’t read biographies too often.

If you can find it, this book would make for a good addition to your shelf. The recommendations it makes are sensible and varied enough to last a very long time. Also, the recommendations extend to the best editions to read if there are translations. While I would love to read Dumas or Aristotle in their original languages that would take a long time, and I don’t really want to learn Ancient Greek or French just to understand a book. So in the capacity of recommendations, this book is really good.

A spectacular book for avid readers. I think that I could pick this up any day and find something interesting to read and inspire me to find another gem to read. There are millions of books and this is a practical and fun way to sort out the best from the rest.

A wonderful reference book about books. I have added a shelf with these books. I will see how close to death I can come to this list. It will be fun. This is a well researched list of its author, a book seller for his working years. It is as good a compilation for an American as I can find. It is well organized with lots of useful information besides just a listing of the books.

Looking for a Baedeker to reading? One that will lead you from one great book to another? And keep you absorbed in rewarding reads for years to come?

If you're like me, you scour book list after book list. You see author names and book titles both familiar and unknown. Do you want to spend 10 bucks if the title sounds catchy or...well…interesting? Sure, sure. But what's in a name?

For Christmas, a reading couple we've known for decade gave my wife and I this Baedeker of Reading (Judi and I first met in Reading *beat*beat*beat* Pennsylvania; but I digress). It is titled [1000 Books to Read Before You Die] and it's by [[James Mustich]]. What's so useful is that Mustich explains his selections. He tells about a writer, reviews (in brief) the book, lists other notable works by the same writer, and even suggests alternate or supplementary reading. The range is from Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles, and Homer through Jonathan Swift, Laurence Sterne, and Jane Austen, to Faulkner, Steinbeck, Stephen King, and Philip K. Dick. Both Thomas Wolfe and Tom Wolfe make the cut. Both Ann Rand and Ayn Rand do too. William Gibson and William Gibson. How about Dan Brown, Scott Turow, Gillian Flynn, and Anne Rice? Yes, I've neglected all the Asian, African, and South and Central American writers, but Mustich has not.

I doubt that many will read this book from cover to cover, unless you've read the OED from A to Zed. But I've paged through our new copy often in the last month, reading about this book or that author, pleased when Mustich concurs with my choice of books. My eyes have been opened to re-evaluating books I've declined (so far) to read. I now have a mental list of writers and books to look for at library book sales.

Mustich began his booky career at an independent bookstore near NYC. In 1986, he co-founded A Common Reader, a periodic mail-order book catalog, and for more than two decades thereafter, he was its driving force. According to Wikipedia, the catalog "published up to 17 times a year, with a readership in the tens of thousands. Each edition listed an average of 700 books, accompanied by editorial write-ups. It was notable among general-interest book catalogs for its eclecticism, with large sections of each issue given over to obscure literary classics." All of this to say Mustich is particularly qualified to pick top-notch reads, and to sell you on each one.

Fun checklist of some of the best books. I have some issues with it of course. But it makes great coffee table reading and of course it's neat to check off the ones you've read and make plans to read more. And you can compare notes with a friend if you want. Great gift too.

I got this from the library and skimmed my way through it, making a list of (mostly) novels to try. There is a lot of travel writing and philosophy in here, together with a surprising amount of science fiction.

Highly recommended.

I have to say it is disingenuous to say I'm finished with this book. It is one that I will go back to over and over. So much good information, so many wonderful avenues to explore. I accidentally received this as a Kindle formatted book, but now I am delighted to have it this way. I have it whenever I go to a bookstore and can make notes about top titles to purchase. Browsing through on my tablet is a breeze and the search function really makes everything so much more accessible. My sister bought the hard cover book and it is just as fabulous. It is truly a must have book.

First things first: I LOVED THIS BOOK! Okay, that out of the way, I should explain. I’m a booklover, a lover of good books, a bookworm, a bibliophile, a book-ish nerd – and on and on. I have been reading – voraciously – for 70 years, and I can say with complete confidence that yes, I have read thousands of books. Which is a claim I can probably share with James Mustich, the author of 1,000 BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU DIE: A LIFE-CHANGING LIST.

Moving on, this is, of course, a book about books, so, as far as its subject goes, it’s all over the place, although it is conveniently arranged alphabetically, mostly, by author, and also has a very user-friendly index. It is, basically, nearly nine-hundred pages of a carefully annotated and beautifully illustrated (with book covers, author photos and portraits, and color plates) bibliography. So, since it is kinda all over the place, whatever I have to say here will be likewise. For me, 1,000 BOOKS was like revisiting a huge number of old friends – both authors and titles. And sometimes, although I might not have read the featured entry, for example, the very first one – Edward Abbey’s DESERT SOLITAIRE – I had read a few of Abbey’s other books, from BLACK SUN and THE BRAVE COWBOY to THE MONKEY WRENCH GANG and THE FOOL’S PROGRESS. And many of those other books are mentioned in here, since every entry contains endnotes listing other books by that author, as well as suggested reading of other similar books. Indeed this is not just a book of a thousand books, but of SEVERAL THOUSAND books. So, from page one onward I was simply squirming with enjoyment and pleasant memories.

So let me just ramble through a few of those old friends and memories. Some were so completely unexpected I could hardly believe it – authors like Thomas Lynch, a Michigan author & poet, and his first book of prose, THE UNDERTAKING, which I’ve read, along with a few of his other books. And there was Pat Jordan’s minor baseball classic, A FALSE SPRING. And Konrad Lorenz’s MAN MEETS DOG, part of my ‘dog book’ collection. Scott Smith’s A SIMPLE PLAN was a huge surprise; I loved the book, but never really thought it would make an essential reading list like Mustich’s. But even the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books found a place here, and I read more than a few of both of those series, products of the Stratemeyer syndicate. Then I wondered why Albert Payson Terhune’s collie books didn’t make the cut, but then sighed and supposed the inclusion of Jack London’s CALL OF THE WILD and WHITE FANG would have to do.

All the great Greeks I labored through in college and grad school were in here – Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides, etc. – and so was THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH, something I rather enjoyed, as I did BEOWULF. And Dumas was in here and the Arabian Nights tales, stuff I read in my preadolescent years.

Other favorites from college years and beyond are all here – the Roths, both Henry and Philip, Saul Bellow, Melville, Hawthorne, Updike (THE MAPLES STORIES – the RABBIT books only got a mention) and more. I was disappointed that Bernard Malamud didn’t make the varsity list, but he is mentioned more than once in the endnotes. Was very pleased to see Frederick Exley’s A FAN’S NOTES on the list, a book I enjoyed tremendously nearly forty years ago, as well as the other two books of that sad, twisted trilogy. And John Williams oft-overlooked classic of academia, STONER, is here – a book I have read more than once. James Herriott’s country vet stories are here, as are Joseph Heller’s CATCH-22 and Robert Pirsig’s ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE. Maurice Sendak’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE is here, as are Beatrix Potter’s PETER RABBIT and Judy Blume’s ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT’S ME MARGARET and A.A. Milne’s WINNIE-THE-POOH.

So much FUN, going through this beautiful book! I did turn every page, but will admit that I did some skimming, hoping there will be time for a more thorough reading at a later date. What I did do was make a cursory list of books I’d like to look into. Here’s part of that list.

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY, by J.L. Carr
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MICHAEL K., by J.M. Coetze
ENEMIES OF PROMISE, by Cyril Connolly
HEART OF DARKNESS, by Joseph Conrad (must re-read this)
TRACKS, by Robyn Davidson
GIANTS AND HEROES, by Dianne Tittle de Laet (about Y.A. Tittle)
GREAT BOOKS, by David Denby (another book about books)
THE BOOK OF EBENEZER LE PAGE, by G.B. Edwards
TRAVELS WITH LIZBETH, by Lars Eighner (a homeless man and his dog)
COLD COMFORT FARM, by Stella Gibbons
HIROSHIMA DIARY, by Michihiko Hachiya, M.D.
THE ALL OF IT, by Jeannette Haien
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, by Elizabeth Hardwicke
INDEPENDENT PEOPLE, by Halldor Laxness (Icelandic fiction)
THE VILLAGE OF WAITING, by George Packer
LOST IN PLACE, by Mark Salzman
THE KILLER ANGELS, by Michael Shaara
TRISTRAM SHANDY, by Laurence Sterne

Ah, hell, that’s enough. “So many books …” And you know the rest. And I’m almost 75 years old, so … In any case, James Mustich’s book will hold a place of honor on this booklover’s shelf, and I’m sure I will come back to it over and over again. I am in awe of what Mustich has accomplished in putting this all together, an obvious labor of love that took up nearly fifteen years of his life. And my hat is off to the book’s designer, one Janet Vicario, because this really is a visually appealing – and I’ll say it one more time – BEAUTIFUL book. Bravo, Mr Mustich, to you and all of your collaborators. I LOVE THIS BOOK! My highest recommendation.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir BOOKLOVER

1000 Books to Read Before You Die by James Mustich is a delightful compendium of important works through history. This volume is arranged alphabetically by author. There are some exceptions to this, such as religious texts, and those works for which we don't know the author. Each entry gives an overview of the book, and its importance. At the end of each book entry is a section telling what genre the book falls under, other notable books by the author, books you might like if this one interests you, and any adaptations. There are additional works listed in boxes sections called Booknotes, and More to Explore. My only qualm is that though the organisation is alphabetically by author, it is instead the book title that appears first and in bigger, bold font. Decidedly not alphabetic.

***Many thanks to the Netgalley and Workman Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Similar to the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, but very different.

This book, a first edition, includes nonfiction, plays, poetry, and children's books (even picture books). It is a fabulous mix, though there is way more religion, philosophy, and science than I could ever manage to read. Nonetheless I fully appreciate the mix.

I also very much like that most authors get one entry, but then at the end of their entry there are other categories: others by the same other, other books on hat author, and other things to try if you like the entry. These additional books are not counted in the 1000 nor listed in the checklist at the back of the book.

I am at 144/1000. I can easily up that quickly by reading some childrne's books. I honestly have no idea if I have read most of them so did not count them.

I found this to be an interesting LONG list of books.

The author has been working on this list a long time. I’ll be honest; I didn’t actually read the entire book. I have a Nook Glowlight, so PDF documents do not work well and are difficult to read on a Nook. Therefore, I flipped through, which was great fun. Some books I had never heard of, some I had had on a list for years, some I groaned over because I found them painful to read when I read them, and some made me smile because I loved them. What makes the list so great is its diversity. There are old books, new books, YA books, children’s books, memoirs, non-fiction, and poetry. I’m sure I’m missing some genres!

Each book has a really thorough entry. There’s a summary and other books by the author as well as read alikes. The beginning lists how many books are actually listed in the entire book and it’s well over 1000 books, which can be stressful. With the Great American Read and this book, I feel like there’s no time to read so many great books. I do plan on ordering this book for our faculty because reading is huge at our school and they’ll use this list.