"The one"

[AnonymousBird]

The book that stopped you in your tracks, that you will never forget.

What was it?

Mine is The Way We Live Now by Trollope. And I am not a classics person! Which is why it surprised and delighted me so much. Breathtaking in its perception and a simply astounding story.

The only others that have come near are The Remains of The Day (on audiobook, I was actually standing still holding my breath for the finish) and The Goldfinch which I could not put down and really did make me stop to draw breath in its wonder and be slightly depressed about what on earth I could read after it.

Love to hear from others of their heartstopping reads.

I'm not very good with novels (you are all so clever!) but reading Jeanette Winterson's autobiography meant I could go on to read Oranges are not the only Fruit, with appreciation last year.

Other than that I've loved the writings of the Rabbi Lionel Blue. His wisdom and humour has meant a lot to me.

Have enjoyed some Jane Austen and George Elliot, and Hardy's Tess, but have to admit some of that was at school.
Short stories are better for me. I do find it hard to concentrate on a novel.
But equally I do love literature - a well turned line of poetry (or prose) that captures shared experience so well is something I'll always value highly

Hotel du Lac by Anita Brooker. I probably should never have read it because it's such a tragic love story and so frustrating. But for me, it expresses every aspect of romantic and self love, and a certain strength in believing in oneself and doing what is right for oneself.

Although now as a married woman I am not as sympathetic to the main character because she is an OW

War and Peace

The Wasp Factory

My Traitor's Heart by Rhian Malan.

Now that's life changer.

Another one here who doesn't like To Kill A Mockingbird. The world doesn't have much justice in it, so I like my books to have some. Tom Robinson dying is not justice IMHO.

On the other hand, my fave books are:
Mists of Avalon - Marion Bradley
Travels With My Donkey - Tim Moore
Anything by Stephen King

In my experience (and no disrespect intended to any posters here) many of the people who enthuse about TKAM are the kind of people who don't read. They had to read it at school and it is probably one of the very few novels they've read.

Not knocking them, I know lots of intelligent people who simply don't enjoy reading fiction.

I read it as an adult, and couldn't see what all the fuss was about.

People who write, "No disrespect intended" invariably mean just the opposite... no disrespect intended.

I meant what I said. I don't know anyone here. I based my opinion on people I have actually met. But you can take offence if you want to, SuperScribbler. Help yourself.

And it should be crystal clear that I wasn't talking about people here. People who don't read novels aren't likely to be hanging out on a fiction thread, are they?

I'm quite happy to take anything I'm offered end.

Another vote for Middlemarch. In listened to Juliet Stevenson reading it (30 hours of audiobook!). Towards the end I was deliberately taking longer routes to work so I could listen to more.

TKAM is wonderful. I've read 15k + books and it really does stand out for me.

As do (can't just pick one!):
Lords And Ladies by Terry Pratchett
The Wife Of Bath's Tale by Chaucer
How To Build A Girl by Caitlin Moran (the description of flying for the first time is wonderful)
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Gibbon's Decline And Fall by Sheri Tepper
The King Of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany
The Changeling Sea by Patricia McKillip
Woman and The Canon by Natalie Angier
Much Ado About Nothing by Shakespeare
Louisa The Poisoner by Tanith Lee
Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Estes
Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
Harlequin Valentine and Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
Ella's Big Chance by Shirley Hughes

Books that have had an impact on me are
A Handmaids Tale & Lady Oracle by Margaret Atwood
And the stone angel by Margaret Laurence
I did a Canadian \ Australian literature course as part of my English lit degree & these two stood out

Austen - all of them
Tess of the Durbervilles & Jane eyre

As a teenager judy Blume really has an impact on me especially Blubber , dear god it's me Margaret & Deenie

As a teenager I also read I capture the castle [ dodie smith ] & the secret garden by Burnett over & over

The Cleft - Doris Lessing

That perfect juncture of experience you are having at the time, and an interpretation in fiction of similar emotions.

Ive also really loved Never Let Me Go and recently Station Eleven. And now I realise my favourite books are all about alternate realities.

I think for me, the book I return to time and time again is Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood. I got a copy for my birthday (it came out a couple of days before) and I read it cover to cover, closed it, reopened it and started reading it again.

I have a few books like that really. Books I never get tired of reading, or if I do, I will leave and can then pick up again at any point and still love it all over again. I don't like classics (Russian classics yes, but not to read over and over again).

The Road, Five People you meet in heaven, time traveller's wife, we need to talk about kevin

Steinbeck 'The Grapes of Wrath' I still love it.

I read the 'Woman's Room' by Marilyn French aged 19 and it blew me away. I have made a point of re-reading every decade and I now hate all the women in it.

I have also read her other books and all the men are all one dimensional bastards. Very, very dated now to my eyes but probably valid still to many women.

cap
Haven't read that one will get it thanks

Lots, but one recently was Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. It's the kind of book that slowly worms its way into your heart (but not in a gruesome way :)) so that by the end you are completely overwhelmed by it.

Jonathan Strange I enjoyed so much it made me gasp in pleasure in some places! Ditto The Quincunx which in places almost gave me palpatations, it was so gripping!