12-13-2013, 03:50 PM | #46 | |
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*** When I inspected my own list from the second post here I realized that in practically all cases the hero is some kind of a freak or weirdo. That hero may be an individual or a number of the individuals. Someone stated that my list consists mostly of science-fiction. From my point of view all these books are fiction, in some cases some science may appear, and in a few cases it plays a crucial role. For me these books are the great achievements of the human imagination. That fiction – as I understand and interpret it – is more true than most of the facts – as the other people understand and interpret them. I listed the books which changed my thinking about the language, the people, and the world. So they changed me. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut is the book which I read the first. I met Kurt when I was at exactly the same age at which Philboyd Studge met Phoebe Hurty. Phoebe taught Philboyd to be impolite. Kurt taught me to watch the world, the people, and the language in a critical way – with a heavy irony. American Gods by Neil Gaiman is the book which I read the last (so far). Neil helped me to discover who I am. Last edited by w1k0; 12-14-2013 at 09:38 AM. Reason: a heavy irony |
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12-13-2013, 04:43 PM | #47 |
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When I look at my list (over the years) I also like to take another perspective on why they are my favorites. Similar to a tarot reading I like to see how these books influenced me or why I am attracted to them and what they all have in common with me.
Its a nice introspection on who you are. Thanks everyone for sharing your lists! I have a few new titles I need to add to my reading list. |
12-13-2013, 05:57 PM | #48 |
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Hmmm! what did I forget
Difficult, I'm sure the moment I hit return to this response I'll think - Oh wait no - what about....
To Kill a Mocking Bird - Harper Lee Of Mice and Men - Steinbeck One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Watership Down - Richard Adams River God - Wilbur Smith Duma Key - Stephen King A Storm of Swords - George R. R. Martin Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon I am Legend - Richard Matheson The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman I feel somewhat guilty about not including L.O.T.R., but to be truthful I never really found it that enjoyable, I actually (I know heresy) preferred the films. Please don't shoot me. |
12-15-2013, 06:41 AM | #49 |
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Books so far..
Everything read in English except for Prokleta avlija by Ivo Andrić. That one I read in original, although if any of you are interested there is an English translation. |
12-15-2013, 08:10 AM | #50 |
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I don't know if I could think of 10 off the top of my head. Hmmm...
1984 by George Orwell The Long Walk by Stephen King Frankenstein by Mary Shelley At the Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft The Terror by Dan Simmons The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson The King in Yellow by Robert W Chambers That Which Should Not Be by Brett J Talley (I own 3 copies, ebook, pb, and hardcover) Last edited by xg4bx; 12-15-2013 at 08:19 AM. |
12-15-2013, 07:38 PM | #51 |
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I surrender !
I'm afraid to say I've given up trying to compile an even moderately overlong list ........ Just an impossible task.
Here in the UK we have a programme called "Desert Island Disc." in which well-known people/celebrities (real ones, not just winners of any X-Factor or Jungle scenario!) choose their favourite ten pieces of music to take to a desert island' I have enough trouble doing that task, even though I'm not a celeb headed for a marooning - and at the end , they even have to decide which one disc they would want to keep after a tsunami/hurricane hit the island ! Even more impossible ......... |
12-15-2013, 11:45 PM | #52 |
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Love this thread enough to use it for my very first post.
I will add series as single books, hope thats cool. In no particular order : Tolkien - Lord of the Rings Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire Prattchett - Discworld (yes all of them) Hesse - Siddhartha Melville - Moby Dick Tolkien - The Silmarillion Asimov - The Robot Series Abercrombie - The First Law Triology (Highly Highly recommended fantasy title) Kerouac - On the Road Weelock Thayer - The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven (dry read but I love Beethoven so much, I plowed through this in one go) |
12-16-2013, 01:32 AM | #53 |
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Alphabetical by author...
Susanna Clarke: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell John Gardner: Grendel Frank Herbert: the Dune series (if I had to pick one from the series, it would be Dune) Frank Herbert: Soul Catcher (his only prehumously published non-SF novel) Barry Hughart: The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox trilogy (if I had to pick one, it would be The Bridge of Birds) Guy Gavriel Kay: A Song for Arbonne Guy Gavriel Kay: Tigana David Mitchell: Cloud Atlas Mary Shelley: Frankenstein Kurt Vonnegut: Slaughterhouse Five Last edited by AndrewH; 12-16-2013 at 01:46 PM. |
12-16-2013, 06:20 AM | #54 | |
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Quote:
Welcome! |
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12-26-2013, 10:18 PM | #55 |
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And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Death in Venice by Thomas Mann Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews A Good Man Is Hard to Find, the short story by Flannery O’Connor Harry Potter, the series by J.K. Rowling Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Leaves of Grass, First Edition by Walt Whitman Lord of the Flies by William Golding The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Ulysses by James Joyce War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Last edited by sun surfer; 01-20-2014 at 03:51 PM. |
12-26-2013, 11:30 PM | #56 |
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01-20-2014, 03:50 PM | #57 |
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I've realised that I forgot Wuthering Heights, without a doubt one of my all-time favourites. I don't know how I managed that, but I'll edit and correct this right now.
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01-22-2014, 01:42 PM | #58 |
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1. The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Kingkiller Chronicle - Patrick Rothfuss 3. The Commonwealth Saga - Peter F. Hamilton 4. The Prophet - Kahlil Gibran 5. The Demon Haunted World - Carl Sagan 6. The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins 7. A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson 8. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline 9. The First Law - Joe Abercrombie 10. Cosmos - Carl Sagan |
01-22-2014, 10:15 PM | #59 |
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01-25-2014, 11:35 PM | #60 |
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Boys Life - Robert McCammon
The Stand - Stephen King Wool Omnibus- Hugh Howey Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck Watership Down - Richard Adams Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot The Giver - Lois Lowry |
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