5 ONLY books that MUST be read.

[Hullygully]

Any era, any genre.

No crap.

Go.

Hmmm . . . . I have been thinking and thinking about this.

Pride and Prejudice - because it's funny and clever and the characters are written so convincingly. And I have read it over and over again.

Witch Light by Susan Fletcher. A story that sucks you in and so beautifully written.

Then I'm less sure.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy because I got sucked into that story?
Something by Sue Townsend because she makes me laugh?
A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving because the characters felt like my friends?
Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud?
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I loved it but I'm not sure I totally got it?
Kipper's Beach Ball by Mick Inkpen for the language in a kids book?

I dunno

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving - such a marvellous tragicomedy
news from Tartary by Peter Fleming - one of the first travelogues, great stuff
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy - just tragic
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - the novel they has it all
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg - wonderful characterisation and brilliant story.

I would recommend any John Irving novels to the unitiated

The Snow Child

I am so glad someone else loves this.

Wild Swans
The Good Earth
Disgrace
A Prayer for Owen Meany
A Thousand Splendid Suns

Together they embrace the latest era around the globe. All are beautifully written and say something important about humanity. It suddenly occurs to me that 4 of them are woman centric, so that must be my taste.

Great thread.

Can I have more, please?

The Fifth Childis wonderful.

So far, after terrific amounts of honing:

Blindness by Jose Saramago - for stripping away the veil and laying bare the truly terrifying black heart of humanity.

Blood Meridien by Cormac McCarthy for the blood. I spit on your nimby pimby The Road

Creation (and everything else he wrote ) by Gore Vidal for the sheer genius and damn good story encasing Buddha, Confuscius and er I 've forgotten the others

The Vivisector by Patrick White for the ASTONISHING writing and capturing of the essence of artistry

I would have Such a Long Journey but we've had that a lot, so I'll have The Cider House Rules (which kicks stupid Owen Meany's arse), for the wisdom and humanity.

Oh

AND I'M HAVING KURT VONNEGUT HOCUS POCUS BECAUSE IT SAYS EVERYTHING THERE IS TO BE SAID ABOUT EVERYTHING EVER.

And it's my thread so I can so ner

Rebecca-fantastic twist, dark,I can read and re read it and never tire of it.

The Poisonwood Bible-just wonderful, reads like a film the writing conjures up such amazing imagery.

An Inspector Calls-read it at school and stayed with me.

Sleeping Beauty-yes really

Bit stumped for number 5, The Cider house Rules possibly, The Bell Jar...

definitely NOT The Secret History, good Lord that's an overrated book imo

Oh fucked up my bold

The Cider House Rules is great, Blindness is great, Owan Meany is great, a Thousand Splendid Suns is great, the Fifth Child is great.

Agghhhhhh!!!

This is making my brain hurt.

Owan Meany is great, a Thousand Splendid Suns is great

NO THEY ARE NOT

WHY can't i download To kill a mockingbird on my kindle????

No they are bloody not hully I agree.

Oh The Fifth Child, not read that in years!

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Because it makes you think about the effects that technology and science might have on humanity.
East of Eden. Biblical, most evil character ever written but in the end a celebration of humanity.
Sophie's Choice by William Styron. The most haunting, harrowing story of war.
Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham. The best book ever written about growing up.
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver.
These are the 5 that made me think the most and I think everyone should read but not necessarily my 5 favourite desert island books.

Hullygully - which was my choice that you honed out?

Haven't read any of your choices, though have read Gore Vidal before.

First they must be read, then we must provide justifications as to why, then they must bring something to humanity's dark and weary trudge etc, then They should be universal in the manner of FR Leavis' Great Tradition. They should speak to us all.

Gawd it's hard, innit??

Yes Hully. Yes it is. When someone keeps CHANGING THE SODDING RULES.

But no matter. I am still having Lord of the Rings.

Owen Meany - too long, too silly, too predictable. Would have made a good short story.

Charlotte Delbo "Auschwitz and After" - because it is the most hauntingly beautiful holocaust memoir, written in poetry and prose, and I defy you to read it and not be changed by doing so.

Shakespeare's "Othello" because it is his best work ever, is still relevant and I gain something new every time I read it.

I'm still honing my other choices

Wild Swans - Jung Chang - an extraordinary life story and defining an era told in such an engaging way- amazed me and made me and cry in equal measure.

The Stand - King - A deeply moving horror story about the depravity man will sink to and the winning over of evil by good - well told and engaging, you can't put it down.

Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury a scary vision of the future... no more books as they cause angst.... and the struggle against this...

Little Women - Alcottt shows the strength of women and family, both made me cry and lifted my heart ...

Clan of the Cave Bear - Auel Such an epic tale - unique telling of a time long past with a strong women - such rich detail, well written and with a huge depth of research of the time...

Philip Pullman "Northern Lights" because it has everything. It's commentary on religion is second to none and it examines the torment of being a young adolescent beautifully.

Ninni Holmqvist "The Unit" because it makes you really think about the future of the world and what it means to be "needed", and about human worth.

If we're going to have a John Irving, why can't it be The Hotel New Hampshire? It's my favourite one of his, am I weird?

Every John Irving novel is fab, each for different reasons. I like Hotel New Hampshire too for its pure eccentricity. You are not weird!

I found Pullman so boring, I skipped through them. They are so not a classic.