The books we haven’t read

Britain’s Telegraph has a charming video asking authors what famous literary work they’ve never read. I found the link through my friend Greg Stepanich’s blog. He offers thoughts on authors whose names pop up repeatedly in the video or in the reader comments — such as Melville, Faulkner, Joyce and Dickens — and addresses the challenge in reading long-winded old novels in 2008.

Is there a famous novel you’re sheepish about not reading? I could list reams of them, but you’ll find my choice as a comment at the end of Greg’s blog post. It’s a book in a series I almost, but not quite, finished 30 years ago. I keep meaning to read the whole series again from stem to stern, but a more sensible approach would be just to read the darn book. Maybe in 2009.

Feel free to comment here or on Greg’s blog, or both places, on your own secret shame.

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