Mindblowingly good books

[LePruneDeMaTante]

There's so much 'meh' writing out there, and it's such a big, competitive industry, but which book have you found absolutely brilliant?

Not just 'quite good if a little light or contrived' but seriously impressive for whatever reason.

Hey Highlandcoo, I didn't like that Woodward book much either. I nearly went to Edinburgh to see him, but couldn't make it . The trilogy is much better.

I like my Scottish songs! Despite (or maybe because of?) being an "ex-pat" living in Wales.

Dorothy Dunnett, her Lymond or the Niccolo series. They really are phenomenally good.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. Amazing style, like a 19th century novel but very witty.

The Cornish Trilogy by Robertson Davies. Absolutely brilliant. Also Master and Margharita (source of my nn!) I liked Midnight's children by Salman Rushdie but really loved the Moor's last sigh and yy to William Boyd, especially Any Human Heart

Loads I agree with here so I won't re-list but also Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut, Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga, and I love love love Vanity Fair - if you haven't already read it, read it!