Best book you've ever read?

[Artina89]

I will always have a soft spot for Sherlock Holmes. I remember as a kid stumbling across The complete Sherlock Holmes collection, which comprised of all the short stories and the novels, when I was about 8 years old at a cheap book shop, and was instantly hooked, I read it so much the cover slowly disintegrated and I had to get a replacement, this time complete with the illustrations by Sidney Paget.

The more recent books that I really enjoy and definitely count among my favourites are The Dilbert principle, Dilbert and the way of the weasel, Dilbert: The joy of work and The Dilbert future. These books made me laugh out loud and are really fun to read, especially at work.

I also really enjoy Aleksandr Solzenhitsyn's body of work, especially Cancer ward. I find his style of writing so vivid and the characters so well written and engrossing, an intriguing insight into communist Russia.

 

[eatenbyagrue]

"Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman. I remember reading in an interview about Mogworld that Yahtzee said that Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" was one of the books that influenced him the most, because it was the first "grown-up" book that he read that taught him that books weren't boring or for old people. Neverwhere is pretty much the same thing to me: it's what got me into literature in the first place, and ultimately, how I ended up in the career I have now.

 

[kickyourass]

The Hobbit, the movies might be disappointing, but there will never EVER be a time where I will dislike The Hobbit as written by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is bar none, my favorite book of all time period, a position I doubt ANYTHING will ever take away.

 

[Ratty]

Not sure I can pick just one. But if I'm pressed I might say Berserk by Kentaro Miura. A heartwrenching story about loss, betrayal, defiance and human fragility. Set in a world of sweeping, dark fantasy that defines the word "epic". All while managing to keep the focus on the characters, rather than just have them as a vehicle to explore the setting like Tolkien or so many other fantasy writers.

At its heart, it is the story of one doomed man struggling against fate. Battling both external forces and his own psychological problems[footnote]Uncontrollable rage, which can drive him to hurt the people he cares about as well as his enemies. The "Berserk" of the title.[/footnote] which have resulted from a lifetime of abuse. All while trying to do the right thing for the people he loves, most of whom are dead. He has to decide whether avenging the dead or caring for the living is more important.

I hope this tale gets finished, but I'm afraid it won't.

 

[Lynx]

Harry Potter. Simply because they're not just books. If I want to completely disappear from my own reality for a few hours, I can go pick up those books and it feels like I've really apparated there. (Heh.)

And Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. Love escaping to London Below.

 

[Silvanus]

I would have to go with The Chosen by Chaim Potok. Heartwrenching, but beautiful and relatable as well. It is one of the few books that has ever made me cry.

Hey! My mum is currently telling me to read that one. I will do, once I've finished the ones I'm on right now.


My picks:

Titus Groan (Mervyn Peake). Beautifully written fantasy (with very few actual "fantastical" elements, at least in the first book). It would perhaps be better described as an absurdist gothic novel. The man had an incredible grasp of his cast of characters, many of whom are questionably sane, and they live in a sprawling castle where (and I quote) "the sacredness of the rituals is in inverse relation to their comprehensibility or usefulness".

I've read the second novel, "Gormenghast", as well, but not the third (or the little horror novella), so I won't include them as a series.

Slaughterhouse Five (Kurt Vonnegut). Perhaps heavy at times, but that is the subject matter (the protagonist, like Vonnegut, was a prisoner of war). Besides, a key theme is how the protagonist deals with that weight in his mind. Philosophical aliens help him.

The Foundation series (Isaac Asimov). A science-fiction series that chronicles centuries, and even thousands of years. Characters may stick around for several chapters, and in the chapter after, five hundred years may have passed and they will be long dead. This is a story about entire galactic society (and its relationship with the "psycho-historian" Hari Seldon, who lives only in the first chapter of the first book, but leaves holographic recordings in his effort to guide the development of society, and is a constant presence throughout).

Sandman (Neil Gaiman). I thought of putting down "Watchmen", which is no doubt a masterpiece, but I genuinely find the Sandman series more enjoyable to read. The first two volumes in particular are my favourites, as well as "Season of Mists" and "The Kindly Ones". The ones containing disconnected short-stories, I did not enjoy as much. Overall, it's an incredibly rich story, following the entity that governs dreams and his family (who are also "endless" entities like him, with various realms and various duties, whether they diligently perform them or not).

 

[pestecjot]

Hi, first of all cool topic!

Best book/s I've ever read: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery, Jane Eyre By C. Bronte. They are very inspirational and made me look life differently.

I haven't attempt to read any books with such heavy words. but if you have any suggestions that u'll think i might like please do so. Thank you.

 

[CaptainCoxwaggle]

The Flashman Series
All Quiet on the Western Front
Brave New World
Enders Game and Enders Shadow
Illiad & the Odyssey
The Divine Comedy
Crime and Punishment
War and Peace
The Bible

 

[Fiolet]

it's The Lord of the rings (original)

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

The Messiah Of Morris Avenue By Tony Hendra. It's a story about the second coming of Christ, but just as he was before, some no name guy preaching love and peace. And in a future where the radical Christian Right have taken over America, it more or less replays as the first coming of Christ, told by the Judas perspective.

I thought it was incredibly well done, the parables as written in the bible retold in a more modern sense, and kind of interesting to see what someone would think the second coming would be like, considering how many people have been writing the "END OF THE WORLD" second comings for so long. It was a really interesting book, full of incredibly well written narrative, and I loved it.

And I actually read it when I was going through my agnostic/atheist phase, so I wasn't reading as a Christian, so it might have helped me appreciate it more.

Oh wow, that sounds fantastic. I know what's next on my reading list, then.

I'm really kind of torn between 1984, The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain (mostly?) and Mort by Terry Pratchett.

Everyone knows what 1984 is about so no need to explain that one. I read the entire thing in two sittings in one day. I'm a relatively quick reader (although I've been nursing my last book for weeks now) but that was extremely quick by my standards.

The Mysterious Stranger is about an angel appearing in a small village in the 1500s and befriend a group of young boys. The angel's name is Satan and, predictably, no good comes of this. It's an incredibly nihilistic and depressing book, but brilliantly written and extremely engaging. Throughout the book, Satan uses his powers to try and "help" the boys, but his help typically involves varying amounts of death and suffering.

Mort is a great comic fantasy about Death getting himself and apprentice and trying to retire. It's hilarious, but also frequently moving and quite tense. But mostly hilarious. Absolutely my favourite Discworld novel.

 

[runequester]

Forever War by Haldeman. Fantastic military scifi story, talks about time dilution and is notable for being a somewhat "left" view of military science fiction.

The follow up "Forever Peace" is great too though it's a bit weird in places. Both are short reads and Forever War in particular is a scifi classic.

 

[Mimic]

It's good to hear some people enjoying American Gods. I just bought that so am looking forward to reading it.

Probably my current favourite books are Good Omens, Brave New World, and the A Song of Ice and Fire series (although the last two books didn't appeal as much to me). There are some books from my childhood/teenage years that are pretty awesome too such as White Fang & Call of the Wild, Blitz Cat, the Bear Nobody Wanted, His Dark Materials trilogy and pretty much anything by Roald Dahl (though I think the Witches was my favourite). I tend to find that I enjoy a book the more I read it, and I think my 'best book' is still to come.