Best book you've ever read

[JulieYS]

Sorry, slight diversion from book of the month.
But I'd really be interested in finding out what was one of the best books you've ever read.

Particularly:

• What you loved about it
• What was the hook that kept you reading at every spare moment
• What characters you fell in love with, and why.

If, like me, you find it hard to pick the absolute best, then any book that you really enjoyed.

One of the books that I really enjoyed was The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck - which I read twice. I was amazed that the author's actually American, yet her writing was so beautiful and descriptive that it instantly transported me to another time, another place. She obviously lived in China for a while, which is why she was so familiar with the culture.
I couldn't help greatly admiring the protagonist, O-Lan, who, despite being born into disadvantage (a female slave), worked hard, with great resilience and fortitude, to better her life both for herself and her family. Their struggles through the Great Famine were heart-breaking. The interplay between her, and her husband, gave much food for thought. And the impossible life decisions she had to make were excruciatingly painful to read. And such a bitter-sweet ending.

I'm hoping to read more of Buck's novels, though because this book was so heart-rending, I'm guessing they're going to be emotional rollercoasters...

A bit of a left-field choice maybe, but I first read 'Mulligan Stew' by Gilbert Sorrentino in 1981, and I still have the paperback, although it's falling to bits. I have the e-book too. Its really hard to classify, but I would say it's a satire against 'bad writing'. Hard to look at JK Rowling with the same eyes after reading it.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt. I think it’s beautifully written. I just remember being so happy while reading it and I couldn’t put it down. I read it in a day and a half then bought the hardback and read it again! I don’t think I fell in love with any of the characters but I’ve never fallen in love with a book like that before.

OMG I totally forgot about a Prayer for Owen Meaney. Amazing book, must get it again from the library. Love John Irving.

A little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. Blew my mind. I was so into it I was afraid to finish it as I'd be disappointed the experience was over.

Congo Journey by Redmond O Hanlon. Funny, clever and observant travelogue. My go to book for some escapism.

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee. First read when I was 14. I planned my own journey through Spain on the back of it! And A Moment of War by Laurie Lee. Sobering.

Catching up with this thread and it occurred to me the other day that Rebecca is the ultimate novel about revenge. She's dead before the novel even starts but completely dominates it and the lives of the characters and they still all revolve around her - her rooms are kept as they were, her standards still rule the house and rightly or wrongly the heroine (who significantly doesn't even have a name) assumes that everyone is judging her against Rebecca; including her husband. Even the catharsis of the ending doesn't clear her out of their lives - she just dominates them in a different and much lesser life elsewhere.

It's also, of course, a novel about how we shape our reality by our thoughts, and it's such a layered novel - like Jane Eyre, every character is seen through the narrator's eyes and you can't tell at the end who is the heroes and who are the villains. I'm pretty certain that if the second Mrs De W posted on Relationships about this set up she'd be told to LTB 😆

Revenge? Quite possibly. I hadn't thought of that before. Revenge against who or what, I wonder? I'd thought Rebecca's driving force, or one of them, was contempt. For the fools captivated by her beauty and the force of her personality. In the same cruel way the priest in Jamaica Inn thinks of his parishioners. Where he sketches them as sheep to his wolf? I think - it's been a long time since I read it. Might have to find a copy to re-read.

And I am enjoying this thread. Thanks OP and PP.

I'd thought Rebecca's driving force, or one of them, was contempt

When she was alive, certainly. Or reportedly, anyway. But when she's dead, instead of being mourned and then decently forgotten except on her birthday, she dominates the narrative without doing anything but be dead. No-one can shake her off, much as they might want to.

Anyway, great book.

The Venery Series by Suanne Laqueur

The first book is good but the second blew me away as did the fourth (which is a book within a book - "written" by one of the characters from the previous books)

My friend recommended book two "A Charm of Finches" repeatedly to me but I had to read book one first and the synopsis just didn't feel like my type of thing at all. Pinochet's regime and September 11 in 1973 and 2001. Nah. Not for me. But she kept mentioning it and I thought "fuck it, I'll download it from a free site to shut her up, this really isn't my thing."

I got about five pages into "An Exaltation of Larks" and the story felt so important I immediately purchased it and the second book on kindle.

Rebecca fans, have you read the sequels? They're pretty good.

One of them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebecca%27s_Tale#:~:text=Rebecca%27s%20Tale%20is%20a%202001,by%20the%20Du%20Maurier%20estate.

I would love to be like Rebecca, fun to be that evil and commanding :)

My Traitor's Heart by Rhian Malan. It's a memoir / political commentary. He's a journalist from South Africa and it effectively tells the story of his experiences as a white SA man of the inherent racism in his country, its origins, examples, consequences. That sounds dry, but it really is so compelling. There are some horrific stories included, but it is truly revelatory. I felt enlightened on a whole different level by the end. It was compelling, moving, shocking, thought provoking. I read it in the late 90s and have yet to experience any book that has shaken me more deeply.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

American Dirt

I haven't been able to finish it yet, picked it up a few times to persevere but not sure why I can't keep the momentum going with it.

Oooh I have Half of a Yellow Sun on my read pile. Picked it up for 25p.

Think I'll read this next, I've never seen anyone mention it before anywhere!

A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of my favourite ever books!

I take it you've read The Kite Runner also?

American Dirt is an outstanding book too.

I'm definitely going to order a few of your other recommendations too.

LarkRise to Candleford by Winifred Foley, I first read it when I was 8, I still have that copy more than 60 years later. It’s beautifully written.
Gerald Durrell’s books were my favourites too.

@NonMiDispiace - it’s written by Flora Thompson!

Lord of the Rings for me, even though the writing is a bit old fashioned at times. My brother introduced me to it when I was ten, and we were both obsessed with Middlearth all our lives. Loved the films too, and when he died had music from the films at his funeral. I want to live in Middlearth! Such a wonderful book that knocks other fantasy into a cocked hat.
agree about A Thousand Splendid Suns, such a moving story.
Loved Rebecca too, though I just prefer du Maurier's book, The House on the Strand, sort of about time travel to a particular past (or is it?!?!?).
i liked Jean Auel's first four books in the Earth's Children series, til they went all Peyton Place.
The Far Pavilions by MM Kaye is such a good story of immense breadth, set in the Indian raj, I so identified with Ash, not belonging either to India or to Britain.
enjoying seeing all these books I haven’t heard, will have a visit the library with a list!

Revolutionary Road, I read it every so often.
American Dirt, couldn't put it down.

I agree American Dirt was absolutely brilliant. Love this thread.

A thousand splendid suns is one of my favourite too

The book of negroes by lawrence Hill.. a true story of a young girl taken from her village in Africa and sold into slavery. It follows through her life and just couldn't put it down.

Also I let you go by Claire makintosh. Loved the story, but the descriptions of her living in her cottage by the coast just drew me in.

The Shell seekers Rosamunde Pilcher

i loved the idea of this old lady sharing her story of her exciting life and all that she had done while her children didn’t have a clue and sadly didn’t care, but she made her own friends and enjoyed her later years. Which reminds me I’m due a reread.

Also the clan of the cave bears series. It was a book club choice and I was a bit disappointed because I didn’t want to read about cave men! But it was amazing and written by an expert in the subject so it was really interesting. Again I must get them back out.

A Russian Novel by Emmanuel Carrere, very good on erotic obsession. Plus he talks about his grandfather collaborating with the Germans during WW2, something most french writers have avoided discussing.
On a more serene note, Small pleasures.

Jane Eyre. I've read it so many times.