I don't know if it helped shape me, but it two things come to my mind.
As a child, before I could read, my mother read Agatha Christie to me - I guess she didn't want to spend time reading books she didn't enjoy. I still enjoy Poirot - and by extension Sherlock Holmes. I get a kick out of how much Christie pokes fun at Holmes.
I always enjoyed reading, but never liked the books we were 'forced' to read in high school. The notable exception is "Pride and Prejudice." I love that book to this day, and am actually reading it right now. I don't know that it shaped me, but it brings me great comfort. The characters take their problems so seriously, and by today's standards they are such minor problems - it helps me keep a little perspective. I read it at least once a year, and always manage to appreciate new subtleties.
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