What novels should everybody read? (1 Viewer)

[Chaka]

I hated Windup Girl.  Maybe I'm just not smart enough.

I can absolutely understand why someone would feel that way. It's very ugly at times. I'm not sure I consider it a matter of smarts though, one needs only the most fundamental understanding of Mendelian genetics and climate change to understand the back drop of The Windup Girl. I am pretty sure you check both boxes.

I'm not saying it's the best anything, although I do think it's great story telling, but it's the book that keeps creeping back into my thoughts.

 

[Buckychudd]

I read both.

She's a legend, without question. You can't tell the history of science fiction without speaking about her at length. She would probably be on the Mount Rushmore of the genre.

I personally find her meandering and inaccessible.

I'm not sure what you mean. If anything her books are generally tightly focused on a few key central themes with very little waste. When I think of meandering I think of someone like Neal Stephenson, who's books could be edited with a chainsaw. 

 

[Chaka]

I'm not sure what you mean. If anything her books are generally tightly focused on a few key central themes with very little waste. When I think of meandering I think of someone like Neal Stephenson, who's books could be edited with a chainsaw. 

I didn't find her that way. Maybe meandering isn't the right word, but my best alternate word is boring. I am not arguing against her brilliance, that is unquestionable, I just find her story telling to be dull.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I'm thinking Carlos Castaneda's "The Fire Within".

 

[Buckychudd]

I didn't find her that way. Maybe meandering isn't the right word, but my best alternate word is boring. I am not arguing against her brilliance, that is unquestionable, I just find her story telling to be dull.

I don't agree but understand that more than meandering. 

 

[Chaka]

I don't agree but understand that more than meandering. 

Great now you have forced me to reread The Dispossessed.

 

[skol asylum]

Heart of Darkness?

 

[Ilov80s]

Read it three times cover to cover and still don't remember all of it nor get it. Just a great work of art. Would have put it there, but if someone is just getting into novels, there's no Gravity's Rainbow, Ulysses, or Infinite Jest to recommend. I can't even make it through Gravity's Rainbow. 

You need the foundation before you kick out the legs, you know?   

I agree here. It's like if someone wants to get into classic film, you start them on Singin in the Rain not 2001. I think @KarmaPolice chose some good books to get started with. Short, entertaining and easy to follow. 

 

[CletiusMaximus]

I don't believe I forgot A Primate's Memoir by Robert Sapolsky (maybe because it's also not a novel).

Such a brilliant, simple little book that changed the way I think about life. I recommended it to some FBG for his book club and I'm pretty sure they enjoyed it. @CletiusMaximus maybe?

Yes, thanks for the recommendation.   We went through a couple bottles of whisky discussing that one.

 

[Buckychudd]

Great now you have forced me to reread The Dispossessed.

If it makes you feel any better, I ordered The Windup Girl.

 

[trogg78]

I’m a big fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the Sherlock Holmes Mysteries. If you like Mysteries i would also suggest:

anthony Horowitz- Magpie Murders, House of Silk, Moriarty, the Word is Murder.

Edgar Allen Poe-the Murders in the Rue Morgue

Jane Casey-The Burning (Maeve Kerrigan series)

Agatha Christie-And then there were none

 

[KarmaPolice]

Also- I have read novels before, guys. 

 

[Ilov80s]

Also- I have read novels before, guys. 

What are some of your favorite books? That help people further steer you. 

 

[Chaka]

One Fish, Two Fish

Red Fish, Blue Fish

Changed the way I think about life. 

And fish.

 

[wikkidpissah]

I don't believe I forgot A Primate's Memoir by Robert Sapolsky (maybe because it's also not a novel).

Such a brilliant, simple little book that changed the way I think about life. I recommended it to some FBG for his book club and I'm pretty sure they enjoyed it. @CletiusMaximus maybe?

As i have done more than once in this forum, allow me to recommend Sapolsky's Behavioral Biology lectures. A really fine & quite engaging educator.

 

[wikkidpissah]

if pageturners you seek, i must heartily recommend Thomas Harris's first three novels - Black Sunday, Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs - even if the movies made of them already have a place in your head,  and Robert Stone's Dog Soldiers, Outerbridge Reach & Damascus Gate

 

[skol asylum]

I have about 670 ebooks in my library. I've probably only read about 70 of them. I have a cheap ebook addiction. I need to start reading alot more and alot faster. 

 

[skol asylum]

2019 Books Read:

Jurassic Park - Michael Chricton (reading)

Will update as I go.

 

[Epic Problem]

In addition to what has already been mentioned:

Cormac McCarthy - Blood Meridian
 

Have you ever listened to Ben Nichols 'Last Pale Light In The West' EP? 

 

[Ilov80s]

2019 Books Read:

Jurassic Park - Michael Chricton (reading)

Will update as I go.

Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett so far, about half way through A Farewell to Arms. Coincidentally both were released in 29.

 

[SWC]

the sun also rises martin eden the brothers k the land remembers off the top of my head take that to the bank bromigos

 

[whoknew]

I'm a huge fan of Irving, and those would be my top five as well. For others who like John Irving, I'd also recommend She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb.

Also - I've found Richard Russo to be a similar author. Big fan of his (The Risk Pool, Nobody's Fool, Empire Falls, etc.).

 

[rockaction]

the sun also rises martin eden the brothers k the land remembers off the top of my head take that to the bank bromigos

Solid recommendations, though I confess to never reading the brothers k all the way through. The Grand Inquisitor is a book in it of itself for a reason. 

Russian Lit. :wipes brow: 

 

[SWC]

the sun also rises martin eden the brothers k the land remembers off the top of my head take that to the bank bromigos

Solid recommendations, though I confess to never reading the brothers k all the way through. The Grand Inquisitor is a book in it of itself for a reason. 

Russian Lit. :wipes brow: 

the brothers k is the complete title and it is by david duncan different than dostoyevsky that is my mistake for not being clearer sorry bromigo check out the duncan book i also liked the river why by duncan as well take that to the bank broreados

 

[rockaction]

the brothers k is the complete title and it is by david duncan different than dostoyevsky that is my mistake for not being clearer sorry bromigo check out the duncan book i also liked the river why by duncan as well take that to the bank broreados

No sweat, bromigo. My bad on the assumption.  

 

[Ilov80s]

No sweat, bromigo. My bad on the assumption.  

Not a bad assumption , its what anyone would have assumed 

 

[Brunell4MVP]

I remember reading the original Tom Clancy novels when they were coming out. The Hunt for Red October was a great book, and a big deal at the time.

The Harry Potter Books are spectacular. We have gotten into listening to books in the car on long drives as it helps keep drivers awake.

Ender's Game is one of my favorites ever. I have read and reread it countless times. I haven't seen the movie, I am too scared that they just couldn't do the book justice.

They didn't even come close.  All they did was scare people away from reading an excellent book.

 

[KarmaPolice]

What are some of your favorite books? That help people further steer you. 

Honestly, my intent for this thread wasn't to get people to recommend stuff just to me, I was interested in seeing people's lists, that thought maybe something would blow my hair back if it got recommended a couple times.  I just like reading people's takes on stuff they love, and sometimes just doing that will get me motivated.  

I will be honest - most of what I read is non-fiction, but if I do read fiction it's usually more on the brainless page-turner lines.  I will push myself a little bit, but if it starts to feel too much like English Lit class I usually tap out.  

Looking at books I have read over again, I guess I am drawn to the dystopian stuff.  1984, Handmaid's Tale, Never Let Me Go,  and The Road are 4 that I have read multiple times, and a recent one that I liked was Station Eleven.   Besides that, To Kill a Mockingbird is a favorite too.    I don't read a ton of old stuff b/c again - the English Lit feeling.  

 

[shuke]

2019 Books Read:

Jurassic Park - Michael Chricton (reading)

Will update as I go.

WE ALREADY HAVE A BOOK THREAD

 

[shuke]

Have you ever listened to Ben Nichols 'Last Pale Light In The West' EP? 

I will now

 

[skol asylum]

WE ALREADY HAVE A BOOK THREAD

No need to shout old timer.

Moved.

 

[loser]

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore is probably my favorite book of all time (someone mentioned The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove above, also a Moore book).

First off (how are you?) Moore is freaking hilarious and he's in top form in A Dirty Job. But underneath the hilarity, which is almost non-stop, is quite a bit of thought provoking ideas about the nature of self and the Soul.

Highly recommend. It's also a very easy read. One you burn through.

 Also, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff. Freaking hilarious.

 

[Ilov80s]

Honestly, my intent for this thread wasn't to get people to recommend stuff just to me, I was interested in seeing people's lists, that thought maybe something would blow my hair back if it got recommended a couple times.  I just like reading people's takes on stuff they love, and sometimes just doing that will get me motivated.  

I will be honest - most of what I read is non-fiction, but if I do read fiction it's usually more on the brainless page-turner lines.  I will push myself a little bit, but if it starts to feel too much like English Lit class I usually tap out.  

Looking at books I have read over again, I guess I am drawn to the dystopian stuff.  1984, Handmaid's Tale, Never Let Me Go,  and The Road are 4 that I have read multiple times, and a recent one that I liked was Station Eleven.   Besides that, To Kill a Mockingbird is a favorite too.    I don't read a ton of old stuff b/c again - the English Lit feeling.  

Given your taste in movies, that is a bit surprising. I know you like the cheesy page turners of cinema- horror, 80s action, etc. but you also really like more heady stuff like Terrence Malick and PT Anderson. For page turners, I really liked Midnight in the Garden of Good Evil, The Postman Always Rings Twice and We Have Always Lived in a Castle. 

 

[KarmaPolice]

Given your taste in movies, that is a bit surprising. I know you like the cheesy page turners of cinema- horror, 80s action, etc. but you also really like more heady stuff like Terrence Malick and PT Anderson. For page turners, I really liked Midnight in the Garden of Good Evil, The Postman Always Rings Twice and We Have Always Lived in a Castle. 

I am probably selling it short a bit.  It's not Dan Brown and Nick sparks books all day, but also don't think I am getting through Gravity's Rainbow or Ulysses.  I'll mix some horror, Song of Ice and Fire, and then a couple award winners - usually look at what won the Pulitzer or Booker prizes or just look through lists of best books for a year - AV Club and others.  

I know at home I have a stack of stuff, so after I get through a couple from the library I will start digging through my pile.  I know I have Blood Meridian, All the Light We Cannot See, The Windup Girl, and a few other newer ones mentioned in the thread. 

 

[Ilov80s]

I am probably selling it short a bit.  It's not Dan Brown and Nick sparks books all day, but also don't think I am getting through Gravity's Rainbow or Ulysses.  I'll mix some horror, Song of Ice and Fire, and then a couple award winners - usually look at what won the Pulitzer or Booker prizes or just look through lists of best books for a year - AV Club and others.  

I know at home I have a stack of stuff, so after I get through a couple from the library I will start digging through my pile.  I know I have Blood Meridian, All the Light We Cannot See, The Windup Girl, and a few other newer ones mentioned in the thread. 

Blood Meridian is great but it's a western

 

[KarmaPolice]

Blood Meridian is great but it's a western

Yep.  Probably why it's sat on my shelf for a bout 5yrs now.      

 

[Spike]

the sun also rises martin eden the brothers k the land remembers off the top of my head take that to the bank bromigos

Shouldn’t that be, “take that to the library bromigos”?

 

[simsarge]

I'm a huge fan of Irving, and those would be my top five as well. For others who like John Irving, I'd also recommend She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb.

Out on a hike with my family and came accross a movie crew filming this for HBO. 

 

[El Floppo]

I am probably selling it short a bit.  It's not Dan Brown and Nick sparks books all day, but also don't think I am getting through Gravity's Rainbow or Ulysses.  I'll mix some horror, Song of Ice and Fire, and then a couple award winners - usually look at what won the Pulitzer or Booker prizes or just look through lists of best books for a year - AV Club and others.  

I know at home I have a stack of stuff, so after I get through a couple from the library I will start digging through my pile.  I know I have Blood Meridian, All the Light We Cannot See, The Windup Girl, and a few other newer ones mentioned in the thread. 

100 years of solitude is 7 Samurai, third man level must read. Not tricky reading neither nohow.

I noticed a couple people mention Rand. Wondering they liked the objectivist theme, or the stories? I admit, she spins a good trashy page Turner, especially if you skip over the punchline

 

[Ilov80s]

100 years of solitude is 7 Samurai, third man level must read. Not tricky reading neither nohow.

I noticed a couple people mention Rand. Wondering they liked the objectivist theme, or the stories? I admit, she spins a good trashy page Turner, especially if you skip over the punchline

Is Rand worth reading? I have avoided it because of the type of people who typically glom on to. I have ran into some real wackos who were always pushing people to read Ayn Rand. 

 

[El Floppo]

Is Rand worth reading? I have avoided it because of the type of people who typically glom on to. I have ran into some real wackos who were always pushing people to read Ayn Rand. 

Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged are both good page-turners with decent stories outside of the Objectivism. Imo, that's what makes the books and Rand relevant. Iirc, the philosophy was as much born out of reacting to the prevailing trend of communst thought in the art and literary tradition of the time...and then taken to the extreme. 

You can take the stories independent of the philosophy. and besides- isn't it better to understand an element of where those wackos are coming from than ignore...especially since it's coming from easy pageturner pulp-trashy beach books?

Fyi...both have long forced sections toward the end where, even though she's been overt with the philosophy throughout, she feels the need to extensively sum it up at length in very silly way. Those parts in both books are skippable for a more enjoyable experience.

 

[wikkidpissah]

I've heard several recent recommendations of this being a good time to go back to The Gulag Archipelago. Dunno if its that they want folks to understand what Socialism really is or just what people are capable of and the creep of negative progress. I read it, oddly enough, on my first rock & roll tour 45 yrs ago. I enjoyed that giving it the full focus it required broke my head away from the maelstrom surrounding me, but i don't remember all that much else. Is it worth a double dip?

 

[Eephus]

I haven't read many pre-20th century novels so I took the plunge on Anna Karenina.  I'm 450 pages into a 800+ page marathon but am making steady progress. 

Tolstoy is surprisingly readable once you get used to the Russian patronyms and the frequent tangents. The Anna/Vronsky/Karenin plotline is more interesting to me than the Levin/Kitty one.  I like that there are lots of short chapters so I  can reach a logical stopping point every time I pick up the book.

 

[Hu-Tang Clan]

Shantaram

 

[Vanilla Guerrilla]

Is Rand worth reading? I have avoided it because of the type of people who typically glom on to. I have ran into some real wackos who were always pushing people to read Ayn Rand. 

They are both about things I have zero interest in; an architect and the train business.  I was surprised that the story was good.  I found it interesting that she weaved her beliefs so well into the books.  About 2/3 of the way in it feels overdone with the preachiness, but both are great reads.  Not perfect, her romances in the books make me feel like she never had any to base it on, but maybe I am missing something.

People can glom on to something even if it is good.  Neither book is likely to brainwash you.

Still two of my favorite books I've read, and I went in expecting to trudge through them.

 

[-fish-]

Is Rand worth reading? 

Not unless you want to be able to argue with people about how horrible Ayn Rand is.

 

[Eephus]

Not unless you want to be able to argue with people about how horrible Ayn Rand is.

Life's too short.

Plenty of other novels out there.

 

[shadrap]

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Absolutely captivating 

& tragic.   Great true story.

 

[The Big Donkey]

the sun also rises martin eden the brothers k the land remembers off the top of my head take that to the bank bromigos

by David James Duncan - great book.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

1984, Brave New World, and Fahrenheit 451. 

Just in case anyone thinks current events seem somehow familiar.