Classic story of the most momentous day in the 20th century.
590315
This is a great D-Day story. Were it not for "D-Day" by Stephen Ambrose, this would be THE D-Day book. Nonetheless it is an extremely good book. It's informative yet very easy to read. It's historical but has a  personal feel to it. Read "D-Day" by Stephen Ambrose. You'll love  both books.
4768768
If you have not read this DO IT NOW! The first American Woman to win the Nobel Prize for literature and deservedly so. This is a beautiful picture of life in China at the start of the 20th century. It is a classic!
1962497
Excellent end to an extraordinary century.
2632919
This is a classic tale for a reason. The morals and ideas of this story are as relevant today as they were for Mr. Dorian Gray. While a more challenging read than most of todays popular books, it is a wonderfully detailed and magnificent tale that will have you at the mercy of Lord Henry's wild ideas of life and all at once enthralled in the twists and turns of Dorian Gray's life.
1507725
A classic which is very entertaining to read in any Era.
3727093
Wonderful story of the early 20th century and WWI. Reminiscent of Will Rogers (although the author isn't quite as good of a storyteller). My favorite feature was that the author's granddaughter added a short afterword so the reader wasn't left hanging, wondering what happened after the end of his writing.
2164560
This is worth reading because it is a classic, of course.  It's also worth reading as a window into the attitudes of the time.  How good a book is it?  Not bad, remembering that it's a children's story.  I found the attitudes of the housekeeper horrifying.  I had trouble with the handling of the Shepherd Peter.  Since I never read this as a child, I am glad I did as an adult.
749162
A classic story in a beautiful setting. The cinematography is striking.
4585693
The story is easy to read, but it remindered me of the 1001 nights, as one tall story lead to the next. If you wanted an overview of the 20th century and the most important political figures and events that changed the world, it is all in this book. A sort of Harry Potter for adults.
3593141
The greatest book of the Twentieth Century? "The Sun Also Rises" is certainly one of them. Its themes of alienation, isolation, loss and self-absorbtion are still highly relevant today. It centers around a group  of Americans in Europe whose penchant for drinking and merriment only just  conceals their overwhelming personal fears. Beneath their revelry lies a  deep disatisfaction, and it is this constrast that makes the characters so  fascinating. This is a book that is not to be missed. While it is not  heavily plotted, the story and its characters are unforgettable and  Hemingway's trademark writing style is at its best.
2343848
It's a classic story of the Irish American dream in the 20th century.  Leave a poor (in $$), but rich in a community of close neighbors, friends and catholic schooling to find a better place in society.  Obstacles and frustration not withstanding, Eileen Leary faces what life brings her, with her husband Ed and son and moves forward.  Matthew Thomas writes beautifully about everyday living, which for most of us, is what we do. His accuracy describing Jackson Heights is spot on (I grew up on 83 St. during the 40's and 50's) and his portrayal of Ed's dementia is told with clarity and truthfulness showing the many sides of the emotional turmoil experienced by those of us witnessing the demise of a loved one with the disease.

Definitely worth the read.  Don't be dismayed by the length of the book, it will keep you til the end.  By then you will feel part of the family.
1836817
I have had the pleasure of being many of the male characters in "Seventeen." My 17th year seems ages ago but while reading this book, I WAS 17. I am currently the father of teenagers--one of them is 17--and enjoyed the story from that point of view as well. Tarkington caught the essence of what "Dion and the Belmonts" would sing about 55 years later. ("Why Must I be a Teen-ager in Love?")
In my opinion that would be enough to make this a classic. But, as the book has stood still and Time has not, it has also now become a sort of time machine to the way we were in the early 1900's. Whether we have lost or gained something in almost 100 years is up to the reader to decide. But, whether the reader would want to stay 1n 1905 or not, I can almost guarantee a wonderful visit to that time and place.
681772
I have never been so moved or fascinated by a story in my life. I don't read much fiction but could not put this book down. I was so drawn into the characters and their story that I almost feel like I lived in that time and actually knew them. Sarah Waters is an excellent story teller. She has a meticulous attention to detail when describing a scene or explaining a thought or feeling. When I finished the book I was thrilled to know it was out on DVD. This is truely a must READ and a must SEE classic!
3216515
Classic story, written with magnificent diction and wonderful articulation. Everyone should read it at least twice in their life.
3243976
I agree with Frank Konopka's reaction to this amazing story.  This was one of the more important domestic stories of the 20th century and I am amazed that more is not made of this great American tragedy.  But in John Barry's able hands it is so much more.  It is interesting to see how the event  played out on a national scale, with reverberation that shook the entire  nation and helped Herbert Hoover ascend to the presidency (for better or  worse).  The story also provides a vivid picture of the cruelty of the Jim  Crow South in the years leading up to the depression.
1880623
The story of Ted Lawson and the men who made the attack on Japan is timeless and classic. It is more than a story of the raid but also of the survival after the raid that was only possible due the support and sacrifice of the Chineses people. Great read.
2422098
One of the literary masterpieces of the 20th century.  The short stories are interconnected,  My favorite two are: "Sweetheart of the Song Trabong" and "The Things They Carried."