I want to read something amazing

[missimpossible]

I know this is probably totally the wrong genre for the OP, but Perdido Street Station or The Scar (which can be read in that order, but don't really have to be) are two of the most amazing books I have read ever. I found them profoundly affecting and I don't say that lightly.

Also Sophie's World, but, again, that isn't for everyone!

[JSWolf]

I found Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay to be very good.

[fjea]

I registered just for this, and I have a feeling it's stating the obvious but, what about Kafka?

I don't read much fiction, but I truly enjoyed The Trial and Amerika. I have The Castle too, but as of yet not got round to reading it. His style may be an acquired taste, but I find it very stimulating. Some translations are better than others, though which exactly I don't recall.

Coincidentally was recently in Prague, took a photo of his street (and building)!

Hope this might be helpful

[Bookpossum]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Yep, I got about a third of the way in and have tabled it....just didn't hold my interest, though it was well written and I could see others be very interested in it.

I have read both "The Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End" - a sequel but set a couple of hundred years later. I too was disappointed in them after lots of high recommendations. I also found the second one to be almost a carbon copy of the first - same character set-ups, same incredibly evil villain type, hero a brilliant young man who can solve the apparently insoluble architectural problems, and so on.

I think the stories per se are good enough to keep people reading, but I found the characters very two-dimensional. Not books I am keeping - they have gone to the charity shop.

However, that's just my opinion, and I'm sure some things I think are terrific wouldn't do anything at all for others!

[kiwidude]

Originally Posted by ametzler

To add something useful for the thread starter: Master & Commander by Patrick O'Brian. I have yet to find something else that combines interesting characters, really amazing action and historical accurracy as well.

I just finished reading that this morning. And proof positive that not all books are for everyone's taste . I really struggled with this book. Historical accuracy it has in spades - to the point of page after page describing incomprehensible (to land-lubbers like me) nautical jargon and sail setups. I could live with that if I felt it actually had a plot, building to some sort of exciting conclusion - but it doesn't. It is just a bunch of mostly unrelated "mini-episodes" with utter confusion at times as to which character or event the author is writing about (he changes context in mid-paragraph at times).

I really wanted to like this book. Looking at the reviews now on Goodreads, some have made similar comments and said the next books onwards are rather easier to read. I suspect that perhaps some people's high ratings of this book are based more on overall series enjoyment than treating it in isolation. I'll give the second one a go at some point given so many people have rated the series, but I'm not in a major rush after the first.

[HarryT]

It would be nice, in threads like this, to get some feedback from the original poster, saying which of the suggestions they'd tried and liked, or disliked.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It would be nice, in threads like this, to get some feedback from the original poster, saying which of the suggestions they'd tried and liked, or disliked.

This.
Apache

[cearbhallain]

Originally Posted by kiwidude

I really wanted to like this book. Looking at the reviews now on Goodreads, some have made similar comments and said the next books onwards are rather easier to read. I suspect that perhaps some people's high ratings of this book are based more on overall series enjoyment than treating it in isolation. I'll give the second one a go at some point given so many people have rated the series, but I'm not in a major rush after the first.

I checked out the audio book from the library. I couldn't take it either, for the reasons you specify.

[DianNC]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It would be nice, in threads like this, to get some feedback from the original poster, saying which of the suggestions they'd tried and liked, or disliked.

Agreed, but it's only been a week or so and he/she is probably, like me, busy tracking down a lot of the titles mentioned here.

I love these types of threads. So much good info, plus I love seeing what others find 'amazing'.

[Rainmaker]

I saw some people suggested the Millenium Trilogy on the first few pages.

First off I've read the 3 books (Girl with the Dragon Tatto, Girl Who Played with Fire, Girl who kicked the Hornest Nest). The first one is quite good, I enjoyed and it's pretty fast paced. The other 2 were not so good, and I only finished those because I wanted to finish the trilogy and find out how everything turned out. I wouldn't recommend it as something "amazing" or to be amazed by.

In my experience, the once I found most "amazing" (ie: characters or the story):
Madman's Tale - John Katzenbach(I know most aren't fans of "best sellers)
Short sinopsis:

Spoiler:

story is about some ex-mental psy inmate who is released, and tells his story from when he was inside)

Blind - Jose Saramago
Short Sinopsis:

Spoiler:

Story about an epidemic breakout where people start getting Blind, and the aftermath

Farenhait - Ray Bradbury
Short sinopsis: Future sci-fi of the 50's, pretty impressive IMHO.

[AndrewH]

To me, a good book is a good book, and a book is either fiction or non-fiction. Genres be damned! So I'm going to completely ignore the OP's request for no sci-fi or fantasy and recommend a few of my favorites.

Fantasy: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Sci-fi: Dune by Frank Herbert

Fantasies by Guy Gavriel Kay:

• Tigana
• A Song for Arbonne
• The Last Light of the Sun
• Under Heaven

[cearbhallain]

I was just glancing at my bookcase and I caught sight of _the Poisonwood Bible_. I instantly remembered this thread, because that book was amazing.

[Ian Scott]

A week ago I was drifting around the various forums on Amazon and found a collection of short stories by someone called Ederyn Khushrenada called Six Minutes. Snapped it up for next to nothing and was blown away. Some of the best writing I've come across in a long time. I got her other collection called The Train and that is equally good.

I can imagine the subject matter could be a little uncomfortable for the more genteel reader, but the writing is brutally honest. It feels like the words blasted down onto the page directly from out of her soul in a barely controlled frenzy. Yet somehow they arrived on the paper (or screen) prefectly chosen and arranged. Amazing talent.

[Ninjalawyer]

Originally Posted by missimpossible

I know this is probably totally the wrong genre for the OP, but Perdido Street Station or The Scar (which can be read in that order, but don't really have to be) are two of the most amazing books I have read ever. I found them profoundly affecting and I don't say that lightly.

Also Sophie's World, but, again, that isn't for everyone!

The Scar is complete and utter shit, totally boring tripe. Or at least that's what I would have said if I stopped at 100 pages in. The quality of that book curves up amazingly quickly, going from dull to amazing in fairly short order.

I would also recommend Fahrenheit 451.

[way8lifter]

the road was one of the worst book ..I read 2 years ago ...just ...horrible