Electrophile Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I had a very interesting discussion with some friends of mine about the importance of books and how a lot of people don't take voluntary reading very seriously once they're out of school. So we got to talking about the 5 books we thought everyone must read once before they die. This was my list: 1984 Flowers for Algernon The Razor's Edge Gravity's Rainbow The Road What do you guys think? You don't necessarily have to choose books, some of you may think plays or short stories are essential as well. I'm curious to see what you come up with because a lot of you strike me as being very well-read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Interesting topic - I'll have to ponder some more and get back to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longdistancewinner Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Gone With The Wind Jane Eyre To Kill A Mockingbird Great Expectations On The Road A few others that have struck me have been: In Cold Blood Wuthering Heights Northanger Abbey Rebecca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 In no particular order: The Kite Runner Lord of the Rings Chronicles of Narnia Madiq Alley On the Road Also (hard to pick just five!) A Wrinkle in Time Song of Albion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katuschka Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco Corpus Hermeticum Master and Margarita - Mikhail Bulgakov The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupery Sonnets - William Shakespeare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L 7 Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 The Stand The Red Badge Of Courage The Catcher In The Rye The Executioner`s Song The Grapes Of Wrath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 The Stand The Red Badge Of Courage The Catcher In The Rye The Executioner`s Song The Grapes Of Wrath Ahh - should have put Grapes of Wrath and Catcher in the Rye down too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrophile Posted February 21, 2009 Author Share Posted February 21, 2009 Great choices, everyone. I knew I wouldn't regret starting this thread. Most of the books listed I have read, although Kat's list contains books I haven't. Maybe I'll start with her list next time I'm at the bookstore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarlaxle 56 Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) Hamlet 1984 (alternatively, The Road To Wigan Pier, Burmese Days, or any other of Eric's books) Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas Lord of The Rings A Clockwork Orange I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo currently, and this is truly epic novel. One thing I've been looking into getting is a certain translation of "One Thousand And One Nights" (aka Arabian Nights) http://www.amazon.com/Arabian-Nights-Husai...y/dp/0393313670 Edit: I've heard of Eco, had to read some of his essays last year. Edited February 21, 2009 by Jarlaxle 56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longdistancewinner Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I just remembered another great book - Turn Of The Screw. It's been a while since I read it, and it's over 100 years old, but it definately hasn't lost the ability to freak me out. Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar is both fascinating and heartbreaking. The book really stuck with me for a long time. For 'light' reading I love early Stephen King. Christine, Carrie, The Shining are spine-chillingly awesome. But my favourite has to be 'Salem's Lot. And, Yukon, I've never seen the film, but I do adore the book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virginia Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) Many great books already I would add The Stranger by Camus; Pride and Prejudice by Austen; The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer; Macbeth by Shakespeare and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone by Rowling. Honorable mention for A Separate Peace by Knowles. Edited February 21, 2009 by Virginia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) Henry IV (William Shakespeare 1597-98) Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (Mary Shelley 1818) The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Sallinger 1951) The Poseidon Adventure (Paul Gallico 1972) Amazons: An Intimate Memoir By the First Women to Play in the National Hockey League (Cleo Birdwell 1980) http://www.perival.com/delillo/amazons.html Edited February 21, 2009 by SteveAJones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarlaxle 56 Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) Since you mentioned Camus, Virginia, I have to add "Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison" by Michel Foucault. : ) Edited February 21, 2009 by Jarlaxle 56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagle87 Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 The Silmarillion - JRR Tolkien The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien The Jury - John Grisham etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Many great books already I would add The Stranger by Camus; Pride and Prejudice by Austen; The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer; Macbeth by Shakespeare and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone by Rowling. Honorable mention for A Separate Peace by Knowles. The Stranger I had to read in French! I really should read the English version as it was a real challenge getting through it at the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BUCK'EYE' DOC Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) Wow, it is difficult to pick just five. And are they my favorite five? I think that we already have a thread on favorites. Or are they five that contribute to society and civilization? Works of instruction, if you will. Or are they five great works of literature? I will pick a combination of all three criteria. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky The Iliad and The Odyssey - Homer The Bible - New Testament and Old Testament There are so many more. These are just a few that I would choose. I picked these five because they make a statement about life. And they demonstrate the beauty of words and the written language. And they are classics, not contemporary works, so they have stood the test of time. Edited to say: I think that everyone should read Ayn Rand, particularly "Atlas Shrugged" and "The Fountainhead". Edited February 21, 2009 by BUCK'EYE' DOC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzfan715 Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 I'm going to also say The Hobbit but eagle87 already said that. I've not really read any other books that strick me as really a must read for everyone. There are some that are a must read if you are into certain things (like say music) but not just a basic must read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maven2blue Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) Candide-Voltaire The Brothers Karamazov-Fyodor Dostoevsky Cloudsplitter-Russell Banks The Magnificent Ambersons-Booth Tarkenton Running Out of Dog-Dennis Lehane (short story) It is so hard to pick just five. I'm in love with "Elvis Cole" in the Robert Crais novels. George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire is the best fantasy series that I've ever read and believe me, I have read many fantasy novels. Edited February 21, 2009 by maven2blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrum Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I just remembered another great book - Turn Of The Screw. It's been a while since I read it, and it's over 100 years old, but it definately hasn't lost the ability to freak me out. It's a great movie too (The Innocents) with Deborah Kerr. My list: 'Segovia-An Autobiorgaphy Of The Years 1893-1920' 'Hunchback Of Notre Dame' 'The Old Man And The Sea' 'The Godfather' 'Freewheelin' Frank' (By Hells Angel Frank Reynolds) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reswati Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Dune-Frank Herbert Lord of the Rings-J.R.R. Tolkien The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever-Stephen Donaldson Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy-Douglas Adams Kitab Al Azif-Abdul Alhazred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pip Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I agree with whoever said Fear and Loathing - I used to read it on the train and laugh out loud... ANY Jane Austen has to be in the top 5 - too bad there are 6... Vernon God Little - DBC Pierre - is a good one. I love Zadie Smith books also... White Teeth, On Beauty and The Autograph man... The Butcher Boy - Patrick McCabe The God of Small things - Arundati Roy (I think that is how you spell her name) I also think all kids should read Roald Dahl books and Harry Potter! hehe!! I agree with whoever said Wuthering Heights! Love it. Thomas Hardy - eek depressing but good! The Female Eunuch - I just read randomly from it sometimes... open up a page... To Kill a Mocking Bird , Picture of Dorian Grey, 100 years of solitude, Crime and Punishment, 20,000 leagues under the sea, Nights at the Circus, one flew over the cuckoo's nest, ANIMAL FARM, The Scarlett letter... I don't think there are just 5 that people should read I mean there are 52 weeks in a year... you could read one a week (if you have the time) you live for about 90 years (if you are lucky) so there are probably about 4,680 books you could add to the list. hehe but who has the time to read one a week? ohh ohh ohh Hitchhikers Guide - the trilogy in four parts! hehe eek! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suz Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Two of my faves have already been mentioned: Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas and Catcher In The Rye. I also loved The Mists of Avalon, though I read that many years ago. I still have it, so maybe it's time to read it again. Let's see....I love Christopher Hitchen's God Is Not Great, but that's the only one of his I've read. I've read a bunch of his articles, though, and really really like his writing. I can't believe how many of the classics I still haven't read. You guys put me to shame. Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees was a really good read, too. That's about all I can think of at the moment, but I'm now inspired to read more than The Onion on a regular basis! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninelives Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Two of my faves have already been mentioned: Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas and Catcher In The Rye. I also loved The Mists of Avalon, though I read that many years ago. I still have it, so maybe it's time to read it again. Let's see....I love Christopher Hitchen's God Is Not Great, but that's the only one of his I've read. I've read a bunch of his articles, though, and really really like his writing. I can't believe how many of the classics I still haven't read. You guys put me to shame. Barbara Kingsolver's The Bean Trees was a really good read, too. That's about all I can think of at the moment, but I'm now inspired to read more than The Onion on a regular basis! Mists of Avalon was great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrophile Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 Good to see you posting again, Suz. To the person that suggested Ayn Rand.....that was bold. It seems like every time I have this discussion with people and they choose either Atlas Shrugged or The Fountainhead, a political flame war ensues. I hope something like that doesn't happen this time. LOL Another book that I think is really good and often misunderstood is The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. I think if you read it for what it is, a scathing indictment of the meatpacking industry in Chicago around the turn of the 20th century, you'll find yourself able to enjoy it more than if you choose to read it as a scathing indictment on capitalism. I personally don't see it as being that way in toto, although I can understand where some parts of the book would lead people to think the whole book reads the same way. BTW, I'm really impressed by a lot of your lists. Thanks for contributing, I hope this thread keeps growing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel With A Broken Wing Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 5 books that have made an impact on me -- and I hope they would do so for others -- are: The Holy Bible Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig The Complete Short Stories of Mark Twain (or any Twain for that matter) The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and like Virginia said above, an Honorable Mention to Knowles' A Separate Peace 5 authors that I intend to explore in depth before I die are: Shakespeare Dickens Dostoevsky Rand Homer and Hemingway (ok, that's 6, it's the honorable mention spot) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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