Can you pick one favourite book?

cowboyBuilder

I'm caught between The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
and Stephen King's It .


It - I have never read such character development as this story has - amazing stuff, felt I personally knew all of them and that last paragraph is heart breaking to read.

The Name of the Rose - so atmospheric, really well written, and just a great story !

marienbad

cowboyBuilder wrote: »

I'm caught between The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
and Stephen King's It .


It - I have never read such character development as this story has - amazing stuff, felt I personally knew all of them and that last paragraph is heart breaking to read.

The Name of the Rose - so atmospheric, really well written, and just a great story !

And Umberto Eco died this week , the same day as Harper Lee .

nothrowaway

Infinite Jest.

Kablamo!

The old man and the sea. I've no idea why but it really captured my imagination when I first read it. I'd say I pick it up around eight times a year.

Nekarsulm

Every year or so, I re-read Erskine Childers "The riddle of the sands".
And then, by extension I read "To the Baltic with Bob" by Griff Rhys Jones.
Two great stories.

Spanish Eyes

It is always going to be an individual choice. And changes as you get older, sorry more mature!

Like music so.

Not even going to try now. Maybe tomorrow.

heathledgerlove

Catcher in the Rye. Turned my silly head 15 years ago and love it more and more, for different reasons, every time !

drunkmonkey

The book of Est is probably my most treasured book, I've read all of the Luke Rinehart books, my introduction to him was the diceman, that book has had an incredible influence on my life, it's quite average at the moment but I know the most thrilling times in my life are just a dice throw away. I don't know of any other series of books that have given me such a taste for life.

mansize

1984 the final paragraph made it excellent

dohouch

American Pastoral =Philip Roth

Funny thing though, normally when I find an author I like I would dive in and read everything from them, but for some odd reason in this case I have no desire to read another from him. Odd, very odd.

marienbad

dohouch wrote: »

American Pastoral =Philip Roth

Funny thing though, normally when I find an author I like I would dive in and read everything from them, but for some odd reason in this case I have no desire to read another from him. Odd, very odd.

A brilliant book and one of my favourites ( just now released as a film I believe)

I think I know exactly what you are saying about not rushing to pick up the next book by Roth . I have been reading him since Portnoy's Complaint and as the years have gone by and the books have become more pessimistic ( is that the best word ?) I am usually so drained when I finish one that I am slow to go for the next , but when I get round to it I am dragged right back in . Truly great writer , how he has not won the Nobel Prize is beyond me

holy guacamole

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks.

Captures the horror of war and its effects on the psyche of those involved like nothing else I've ever read. But in addition to that it deals with love, passion and loss in a measured and profound way.

Although ostensibly about WWI and the massacre of so many young men, it's a book that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone, whether they're interested in military history or not. Because of what it deals with, human emotion, the fragility of the spirit, it's a book that transcends genre and could be equally enjoyed by a 15 yo boy or a 70 yo woman.

HamsterFace

Paddy Clarke ha ha ha for me. Even though I grew up in a different era, in a different part of the country, Doyle perfectly captured what it's like to be a boy growing up.

The dynamics of your gang, the terror in hearing your parents argue, the strange things that you love in your house as it's the center of your universe - captured perfectly in the narrative.

And it seemingly doesn't just apply for Irish, I've seen reviews from the US on Amazon saying similar. A worthy booker prize winner.

lizzylad84

At a push I could pick 2
Dracula and the woman in white.

Swiper the fox

lizzylad84 wrote: »

At a push I could pick 2
Dracula and the woman in white.

So now you have to decide which one you prefer, honourable mentions are frowned upon in this thread, it's never easy.

Speedwell

Winter's Tale (Mark Helprin). NOT the film.

The Hound of the Baskervilles and/or The Turn of The Screw - though that's a novella.

Can't choose between them.

Jimbob1977

'Catch 22' by Joseph Heller

I never thought a book could make me laugh out loud!!!!

Genius

Akrasia

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

'Catch 22' by Joseph Heller

I never thought a book could make me laugh out loud!!!!

Genius

It's the best there is

Akrasia

bpmurray wrote: »

It changes over time for me and, I suspect many more. Currently, it's The Martian - while the movie got the essence of the story, the crucial details and inventiveness of the protagonist were not really addressed.

I was gonna go with something by George Orwell, (Homage to Catalonia)

but you reminded me about The Martian. I read that book 3 times and I searched everywhere for a hard SciFi book that was as good, but nothing came close.

isntlee

That They May Face the Rising Sun - John McGahern

It's a perfect novel.

maximum12

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

'Catch 22' by Joseph Heller

I never thought a book could make me laugh out loud!!!!

Genius

At what stage does it get funny ? I gave up on it.