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Original poster

What is the best book you have ever read?

189 replies

Toni2011 · 01/02/2011 22:31

I'd love to know which books really stick in people's minds. Any genre, any author.

OP posts:
Ooopsadaisy · 02/02/2011 10:37

Ooooh - can I add The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck as an equal favourite?

Jajas · 02/02/2011 10:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CerealOffender · 02/02/2011 10:37

'The Edible Woman' Margaret Atwood. it is so good, i have read it loads of time
same for 'Cold Comfort Farm'
Ghostwritten by david mitchell i prefer it to cloud atlas

Ooopsadaisy · 02/02/2011 10:36

Song of Soloman by Toni Morisson.

Colyngbourne · 02/02/2011 10:33

As a teen, the books that had the most impact were -

Dance on My Grave - Aidan Chambers
Franny & Zooey - JD Salinger
The Razor's Edge - Somerset Maugham
Mockingbird - Walter Tevis

As an adult, I would say -

Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
Middlemarch - George Eliot

but actually, the most extraordinary and brilliant book that had the hugest impact on me, was and still is -

Parade's End - Ford Madox Ford

throckenholt · 02/02/2011 09:36

How many of these "best" books did you read as a teenager ?

All of mine date from that period - not sure if I was just being more impressionable or just being very adventurous and reading ahead of my age.

I read masses of novels dealing with big issues in history - holocaust, russian revolution etc in my mid teens.

Maybe it was just that I had to the time to tackle big books then - mostly since then I have not had the same time to devote to reading for pleasure.

ThatllDoPig · 02/02/2011 09:26

The God of small things - Arundhati Roy

Feegle · 02/02/2011 09:25

To Kill a Mockingbird. I re read at least once a year.

iloveblue · 02/02/2011 09:23

To Kill a Mockingbird
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Industry of Souls by Martin Booth
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

These are the ones that spring to mind.

bringbacksideburns · 02/02/2011 09:19

Recently it was Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.

Beautifully written books that always stay with me are The Virgin Suicides and The Kite Runner.

Also a big fan of Therese Raquin by Emile Zola. Read it when i was 18 and thought it was wonderful.

Jajas · 02/02/2011 09:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrsgetonwithit · 02/02/2011 09:13

To kill a mockingbird would be mine.

thelittlestkiwi · 02/02/2011 09:08

Hunting Midnight by Richard Zimmler.

Beautiful. I've given about 4 copies as presents and lent my copy to at least 4 more. Everyone loves it.

pinkbraces · 02/02/2011 09:07

The Hobbit and Exodus, both read quite young and gave me the understanding of not wanting to put a book down.

Grumpla · 02/02/2011 09:05

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon.

throckenholt · 02/02/2011 09:02

Exodus by Leon Uris

Holocaust - can't remember who it was by, can't find it on the net - read it as a teenager it is was very powerful.

Lord of the Rings by Tolkein

GooseyLoosey · 02/02/2011 08:59

The first book that ever really captured my imagination was the Lord of the Rings. I remember racing home from school to read it. I am not sure I have ever felt quite so passionate about another book, although I have read many brilliant ones.

If I had to make an adult choice it would be Bleak House - Dickens.

fotheringhay · 02/02/2011 08:56

Speaking of Virginia Woolf, Orlando is stunningly well-written. Put me off ever trying to write a novel!

WriterofDreams · 02/02/2011 08:54

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood

This is a great thread cos I'm always looking for good books. Must make a list of all the posts. Note to any more posters - could you give both the title and the author if you know it?

SenoraTorres · 02/02/2011 08:52

The Stars my destination - awesome

grumpypants · 02/02/2011 08:50

the greengage summer by rumer godden. and daddylonglegs and i capture the castle (suspect i am hankering after my youth!)

stressedHEmum · 02/02/2011 08:49

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy. I love all his novels and short stories. Find a lot of his poetry hard going, though.

Ephiny · 02/02/2011 08:47

Really difficult to narrow it down to one! Toni Morrison 'Beloved' maybe, or Virginia Woolf 'Mrs Dalloway'?

Willa Cather sounds good, just had a look on Amazon and it sounds like a grown up Little House on the Prairie! I'll give My Antonia a try, it's available for Kindle as well :)

anonymosity · 02/02/2011 05:08

Complete works of William Shakespeare

Titsandteeth · 01/02/2011 23:28

For years I thought my favourite book EVAH was Zola's Therese Raquin, which I read at about 16. I re-read it recently and it's pretty bleak.

SO . . . now my favourite book is probably Possession by AS Byat. Either that or any Marian Keys Wink