The Confessions of St Augustine
Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?
141–150 of 247 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?
#142The Count of Monte Cristo , hands down. Published 1844 by Alexandre Dumas, one of the greatest writers to have ever lived. I’m an avid reader and I always laughed at the idea of having a “favorite” book.. until I found mine. I loved the book so much, I resolved to learn French (et je l’ai fait!) just so I could someday read it in the original French.
Congratulation on learning French. The reason you did it makes it an even more beautiful achievement.
Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?
#143Since many other people have mentioned ancient essays I like, I'll go for something more "modern". Some of Bertrand Russell's earlier works are well worth a read even though they're obviously dated. * The Problems of Philosophy (1912) gives a short introduction to philosophy that he at the time considered "positive and constructive". https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5827/5827-h/5827-h.htm * Mysticism and Logic and Oth…
His History of Western Philosophy is really great, too.
Oh definitely! But I'd be stretching the "100 years ago" limitation if I included it.
Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?
#144Some links from Project Gutenberg:
Essays, by Michel de Montaigne
In English (Vol. 1), https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3581
In French (Vol. 1), https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48529
Meditations, by Marcus Aurelius
English translation by George W. Chrystal, 1902 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55317
English translation by George Long, 1957 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15877
Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo
In English (Full), https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/135
In French (Vol. 1), https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17489
20000 leagues under the sea, by Jules Vernes
In English (slightly abridged), https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/164
In French (with illustration), https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54873
Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?
#145On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin. It's pretty dense, dry, and can require a bit of a commitment, but there's some pretty interesting bits and pieces in there aside from just proposing evolution.
Great read! I especially like how a lot of his speculation turned out close to what we know today. Choice quote: "I can see no difficulty in a race of bears being rendered, by natural selection, more and more aquatic in their structure and habits, with larger and larger mouths, till a creature was produced as monstrous as a whale."
Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?
#146Since no one has mentioned them I just wanted to add "The Canterbury Tales" by Chaucer and "Beowulf" to the list. I've both read them in high school and liked them very much.
I remember reading the Canterbury Tales in high school. Was just recently talking with my girlfriend how studying history and people's lives of the past puts our struggles we have in some context. The Canterbury Tales is a good example of that.
Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?
#147The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy, my favorite book of all time. I loved the characters, how they evolved and their relations with them. A weak character will through years become successful while another character they admired will fail miserably.
Ah yes! Thomas Hardy, Far From The Madding Crowd.
Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?
#148"Extraordinary popular delusions and the madness of crowds" : stock bubbles! Politics of beards! Ancient memes! History of fiat currency! Tulip mania! All very relevant to our times.
Ancient novels may require some leeway on the part of the reader. Dumas' Three Musketeers certainly stands up well. Ivanhoe is mostly good fun with some horrific antisemitism.
Brits will enjoy "1066 and all that", although not strictly 100 years old.
Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?
#149The Count of Monte Cristo , hands down. Published 1844 by Alexandre Dumas, one of the greatest writers to have ever lived. I’m an avid reader and I always laughed at the idea of having a “favorite” book.. until I found mine. I loved the book so much, I resolved to learn French (et je l’ai fait!) just so I could someday read it in the original French.
2 years ago, I replied a similar question by saying The Count of Monte Cristo is my favorite book in my youth. I finished reading the Chinese version on one day when I was 16. Since that comment my son was given the book (English) at the same age for his English class last year, he finished it in more than 1 month. I think I have failed as a parent (by not forcing him to learn to read).
Re: Ask HN: What are your favorite books or essays written at least 100 years ago?
#150Economics: - The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith - Das Kapital, Karl Marx - That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen, Frederic Bastiat Philosophy / Politics: - The Republic, Plato - Second Treatise on Government, John Locke - The Law, Frederic Bastiat - Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes - Meditations, Marcus Aurelius - Democracy in America, Alexis de Toqueville - On Liberty, John Stuart Mill Fiction: - The Celebrated Jump…
If you are going to read Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, then you should probably read The Theory of Moral Sentiments first. It helps with the understanding.