I want to read something really intelligent and beautifully written

[SalveRibena]

I have been reading crap on my Kindle for too long and now want to go back to reading Proper Books. Past favourites include Atonement, Bring Up The Bodies, The Poisonwood Bible, The Sea and The Line of Beauty.

Any advice?

Also the Sword of Honour trilogy, Evelyn Waugh

Remus I also thought the edition of 'Aphrodite' that I bought a little work of art in itself w/ all the lovely illustrations and prints of famous art works (ManRays 'Peaches being my favourite).

A few more-

I second Steinbeck's 'The Pearl' plus 'Cannery Row' and 'The Red Pony'.

Kathleen Jamie's 'Sightlines'- Beguiling delicate meditations on nature, life, loss. They will stand rereading many a time and can be returned to when life events cause you to seek solidarity and greater understanding. Her other book 'Findings' of this nature should be read too as I couldn't choose between them and thankfully do not have to. The books in themselves are beautiful little things to own w/ delicate line drawings.

Monica Truong's 'Book Of Salt' sent to me by a friend travels from the Indochine to Paris and is the tale of the Vietnamese cook for Alice B Toklas and Gertrude Stein. A novel of travel, exile mitigated through food and misrepresented too. Loved this.

Yes, the pictures are gorgeous. I gave mine to the charity shop last month and am slightly regretting it now you've mentioned it! Don't think I'll either forget the sea urchin though. :)

Hotel du lac by Anita Brookner. In fact all her books are beautifully written and intligent. After day Jane Austen

A latter day Jane Austen

I'm in the middle of doctor sleep by Stephen King. It's a great book and really creepy! Thoroughly recommend it

Yes the Sea Urchin- not something I'll be in a hurry to eat as the idea of eating the Gonads of a still living creature is a bit .

TheGoose I devoured Doctor Sleep. King is such an underrated writer.

I really enjoyed Doctor Sleep but it's not something I'd say belongs on a 'beautifully written' thread, much as I love Mr King. Though I must say that some bits of The Dark Tower series really are beautiful. Can't say which bits without spoilers though!

No Remus I agree (a little as some of his work is spellbinding) but feel truly guilty for saying it as I luffs him.

ha yes I noticed the beautifully written part after I posted about doctor sleep. new to mumsnet and the first time I ever used the app. Bit of a fail there. Great book though

Have you read The Dark Tower series, Goose? So good! :)

Yes Remus I've read The Dark Tower series. I loved them. Did feel that some parts were unnecessary and dragged a bit but on a whole they were absolute genius. Saying that, I'm only part way through The Wind Through the Keyhole. Keep forgetting to include that one! I'm a huge Stephen King fan and have read most of his books. I'm still to read Joyland. Don't get as much time to read now I'm a mummy

Welcome Goose. Joyland was great. I love the retro pulp crime novel cover and it is a great little read. Vintage Americana in its detail.

Agree that the cover for 'Joyland' is great. I was disappointed by the ending but loved the rest of it.

Was v v disappointed with, 'The Wind Through The Keyhole' though.

King does have an issue with endings I think. They do tend to fizzle out.

which has been your favourite Stephen King? I think the Stand is mine. I've read it over and over and it never gets old. Totally epic and the characters are the kind that stay with you forever.

Dark Tower and then The Stand for me. And the short stories, Survivor Type and The Langoliers.

I'm reading Elijah's Mermaid by Essie Fox at the moment and I'm really enjoying it!

Shameless place marking for later reading :)

Books that left me bereft when i finished them were:-

Crime and punishment - breath taking! Absolutely blew me away, which surprised me because i thought it was going to be heavy going, but it read like a beach read (to be fair i did read most of it on the beach - in this country). Just amazing. I have tried to read another of his books and have found it quite confusing with all the russian names as they seem to have about four names which they use interchangably! I don't tend to read high brow books so was very pleasantly surprised by this and would urge anyone to read it.

Life of pi - loved this

Rebecca - the atmosphere was amazing.

Human traces - sebastian faulks - this was brilliant and thought provoking.

My favourites are:

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann
The Road Home by Rose Tremain
Wuthering Heights
Life of Pi

I also very much liked the Girl at The Lion d'Or by Sebastian Faulks

Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

Out of Africa by Karen Blixen. So beautiful it made me cry.

Aaaawwww Invisible Cities is my favourite book ever! It makes me so happy to see other people recommending it.

I would also third the Master & Commander books by Patrick O' Brien. I was initially put off them by thinking they'd be some kind of generic action books, but they are very well written, and he is very acute and perceptive about human nature. There's also a great deal of globetrotting and digressions into the political and natural history of pretty much any country with a coastline, via the agency of Dr Maturin.

Anything by Sarah Addison Allen. I'm a skim-reader but have to be slowly savoured!

Now and Then, by William Corlett.