Which books should one have read to be able to call oneself "well read'?

[McDreamy]

just wondered

Lol!

I am of the compulsive reader variety. My current pattern is to alternate something literary/classic/heavy with something more lightweight. Currently on Tess of the D'Urbervilles, so that will be followed by something easy going.

I'm trying to read Grapes of Wrath at the mo. On the basis that I should. Finding it a bit hard going and keep dipping into my Lincoln Rhyme novel instead!! Weird as I loved Of Mice & Men.
DH is trying to read The Catcher in the Rye on my recommendation and is hating it although he loved Grapes of Wrath.

There are, believe it or not, approved "Great Books" lists - some American colleges came up with the concept and they teach courses based upon the list.

Theres an example here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Books

For me its too much philosophy and too male!

Theres this one too which looks a bit more fun:

www.interleaves.org/~rteeter/grtfad4.html

That first list looks rather hard going....

I remember seeing that list aged 18 and thinking "yeah I can read all of them!"

Now aged 30+ I think - gawd life is way tooo short...

I don't think there is a list. I would say that a well read person is someone who has been actively reading a range of material all their life, (including journals and magazines and newsppapers)and continues to do so, out of interest in those books / subjects / writers and the world around them.