Art for Art's Sake

Here is a list of all the books Art Garfunkel has read since 1968. Yes, that Art Garfunkel, of Simon and Garfunkel, and Bad Timing, and Bright Eyes. There are 967 of them, bringing us up to January 2006 or an average of 26 books a year, or one every two weeks. That's not a particularly voracious schedule, despite what the website says. Let's face it: in his years with Paul Simon he never really had much to do, did he? Get up and sing, erm, that's it.

He also provides a list of 135 favourites here, which seems like rather a lot. The list includes some I'd agree with wholeheartedly: The Sorrows of Young Werther, Pride and Prejudice, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Vanity Fair, Middlemarch, Bleak House, The Red and the Black, Tales from Shakespeare, Perfume and Post Office. His list is clearly not only longer than mine would be, but visibly broader and perhaps even deeper.

It's a very presentable list, but is it too contrived? Did he really read all of those books? We'll never know, and that's in the nature of such lists. You have to at least admire his industry and dedication in keeping the list going, or making it look as if he had. In the end, it doesn't matter. It's an entertaining browse in itself. One or two things on there that might be worth looking up, had we but world enough, and time.

So, gentle reader: what would be on your list of 135 favourite reads of the last 37.5 years?