What is the best book you have ever read?

I liked the first volume of old Muggeridges "chronicles of Wasted Time" for the writing quality.

I take more interest in WRITERS than their books; especiallly novels.

I like Clives James the little Aussie intellect.

'Free Fall' - William Golding, endlessly deep.

'Catcher in the Rye' is very good too, 'Grapes of Wrath' .... 'Cider House Rules' I loved..

Fantasy genre: 'George Martin, Robin Hobb, me, Mervyn Peake, me ... the list goes on.

Cold Mountain. I was so gripped at the end I was reading it at the bus stop even though it was getting so dark I couldn't see properly. I thought I'd hate the film but I didn't mind it though they cut loads of characters out. To be fair that many characters in a film would have been unwieldy.

A Confederacy of Dunces

Brighton Rock

Will have to look up Clouds and Museum as they seem to have more mentions than anything else. Anyone making a tally?

My contribution is as follows

Classics - The End of the affair - Graham Green, Persuasion - Jane Austin

Chick Lit - Goodnight Beautiful - Dorothy Koomson, The sex life of my Aunt - Mavis Cheek

Others - On the Black Hill - Bruce Chatwin, On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan

Marking my place, mainly, as this thread is such a good resource!

Also, I think Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood is my personal best-ever book. I read it as an adult, not a teenager, but it enthralled and impressed and challenged me as much as anything I read in my teens, and I am as impassioned about it as I was about things like Of Mice and Men and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance when I was a teenager.

Vanity Fair - Thackery
L'Assomoir - Emile Zola
Twenty thousand streets under the sky - patrick hamilton
Workers in the Dawn or the Nether World - George Gissing

I agree with lots of others Middlemarch by Eliot is superb as is the Quincunx by Charles Palliser.
Recent reads that remind me of the gothic feel of the Quincunx are The Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric and the wonderful Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber

Surprised by how few people have mentioned Bronte or Austen books.

The Catcher in the Rye

so many to choose from. i love reading

current: the corrections, so good im dreading finishing it

recent:
one day
somewhere towards the end- diana athill
a life in 20 questions- sarah bakewell

past:
restoration- rose tremain
the color purple
are you somebody- nuala o'faolain
saturday- ian mcewan
cloud atlas
line of beauty
the passion- jeanette winterson
lord of the rings
anna karenina
barnaby rudge- dickens

and lots more...

Only skimmed this thread..
Did someone else mention Charles Palliser? - the Quincunx and my all-time favourite Betrayals.
Also, The Secret History
And Catch 22.

Wuthering Heights
Alias Grace - Margaret Attwood
This Charming Man - Marian Keyes (I am slightly red cheeked as this isn't 'lit' and I'm an English teacher but I swear I laugh and cry every time I read this book!)
Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whsitle Stop Cafe - fannie Flagg
oh, I'm going to have to go and read something now. I always get over excited when I go on these threads....!

Great Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood - an incredibly memorable and unusual novella I read years ago. From the point of view of a teenage great-grandaughter it tells the story of GG Webster and the Anglo Irish Dunmartin family stalked by bankruptcy, depression and instability. Very dark, atmospheric and at times extremely funny.

I thought of it just now partly because of this thread, and also because as someone who absolutely loathes housework I couldn't but love the attitude of the stroppy old aunties living in a far flung wing of the family mansion, who would send notes to their brother (or nephew? I can't quite remember) reminding him one of the gun dogs had made a mess on their sitting room floor 3 weeks ago and asking why no-one had been sent to clear it up

I read !"My Darling My Hamburger" as a teenager and thought it was very relevent!! at the time

i also really like Patrica cornwell and the Kay Scarpetta stories

Dya now toni i've bin thining about this since i saw your thread an i've struggled cos i've read lots of wonderful books but the first book i read that really stuck in my mind waas IT by Stephen King. I was just so mesmerized by it the fear and the thriller if you get the chance open your mind and read it much much better than the film in my opinion it should never have been turned into a film!!!

Difficult question

Doris Lessing, children of violence series & the fifth child

Oscar Wilde, picture of Dorian Gray

Donna Tartt, the secret history

Rose Tremaine, the road home

I think I am out of step here but I have started Cloud Atlas 3 times and have never managed to finish it.

at swim two birds, home and moby dick

also have exceedingly fond memories of the greengage summer, and love everything i've read by michael chabon

oh dang, sorry - Ruthie answered already [slips away unnoticed....]

Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

ninah - was it 'A Fine Balance' by Robinton Mistry....

Marabou Stork Nightmares
Pride and Prejudice
The Traveller/Fourth Realm Trilogy
Holes
Her Fearful Symmetry
Pandaemonium
Spirit Level
The Buccaneers
A Series of Unfortunate Events
To Kill a Mockingbird
His Dark Materials

Too many! Sorry!

I liked Tuesdays With Morrie a lot.

I also rate any books written by Susan Howatch particulary the series about Starbridge and the church of England.