Guest notJames Report post Posted November 20, 2002 This was inspired by ShamRock's Any good novels out there thread and might be slightly redundant, but what the hey? Recommend your favourite fictional novels, classic or modern, any genre, as long as you can give a decent description for those that might want to check them out, or provide a link to a synopsis or review, like on amazon.com. Remember folks... only fiction. No biographies, historical books, Michael Moore-esque commentaries (although his stuff rocks), etc. And as much as I hate to exclude the comics genre, no graphic novels. There are a ton of comics threads already and not enough pure literature. Share as many as you like. I for one am always itching for something new to read. So post away! And if you do check out someone's recommendation, tell us how it turned out for you. Geek Love (modern) - Still my all-time favourite. It's a story about a travelling family freakshow that will challenge your views on beauty and social acceptance forever. As an added bonus, any smark worth his/her salt will surely see parallels between Triple H and Arturo, the main attraction, who desparately clings to his top spot (of both the show and the family) at any cost. Buy it now! Catch-22 (classic) - As mentioned by EricMM and Kotzenjunge, an absolute gem of a book. This tale set in WWII exposes the idiotically bureaucratic heart of the American Armed Forces (and subsequently the very nature of bureaucracy) and stabs it with a rusty fork... repeatedly. Hilarious, sad, and everything in between. A must-read. The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide (sci-fi humour) - This 5-book series epitomizes everything that was right with the world until Douglas Adams died last year. Even non-sci-fi enthusiasts like myself will double over in laughter at the man's ease of wit, then scratch a furrowed brow at the man's insight on human (and non-human) nature. The world lost a true genius on 11 May, 2001. Youth in Revolt: The Journals of Nick Twisp (modern humour) - Written in diary-entry form, this story chronicles the life of a 21st Century Holden Caufield with an over-inflated imagination and an even larger libido. Laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish. I've just started the sequel Revolting Youth: The Further Journals of Nick Twisp and I'm hoping it's just as good as the first. Atlas Shrugged (classic) - This changed the way I view big business, wealth, free trade, and the government's role in controlling it. Every character is an extreme, which makes them somewhat hard to sympathize with on all levels, but the story is so engrossing that you won't mind that it clocks in at about 1046 pages. Truly eye-opening. Anything ever written by Tom Robbins, one of America's greatest modern lyrical novelists. His books make you fall in love with the English language. Trippy, outlandish, full of non-sequiturs and digressions, you read his books not so much for the stories (which are brilliant in their own rights) but for how well he crafts the language. Start out with Still Life with Woodpecker, go directly to Another Roadside Attraction, then devour everything else. You won't be sorry. Brave New World, Animal Farm, and 1984 (classic) - Three novels, three "perfect worlds" gone horribly wrong. Still relevant today. Fool on the Hill and Sewer, Gas & Electric: The Public Works Trilogy (modern adventure/humour) - Matt Ruff's only literary output to date, but they're keepers. The former is a modern-day fairy tale set in New York State's Cornell University, a mix of Don Quixote, King Arthur and the Hobbit, easy to read and thoroughly engrossing. The latter is a take on the aforementioned Atlas Shrugged, a futuristic metropolitan tale of corporate greed, eco-terrorism, and gigantic, sewer-dwelling mutant creatures. Social satire galore. So many more to list, but I'll wait until some of you start to post on your own. So get to it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Vyce Report post Posted November 21, 2002 A modern book that certainly applies in this forum, considering who the author is: Coraline by Neil Gaiman. A wonderful dark fairy-tale for children and adults. Better than Harry Potter, I'd have to say. It's a quick read too (you should finish it in a couple hours), and it's just a fantastic little story. Gaiman is a phenomenal talent. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest cynicalprofit Report post Posted November 21, 2002 The Lion Witch and Wardrobe stuff by CS Lewis. Its about a magical kingdom and its history and all sorts of adventure stuff. I know bad review but its been a long long time since Ive read the books, but If you like the story telling aspect of Star Wars, I think you'll like the series. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest starvenger Report post Posted November 21, 2002 I finished reading Terry Brooks' "The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Antrax" and it was very, very good. If you're into epic fantasy, I suggest checking it out. Currently rereading "New Jedi Order book 10: Star by Star" by Troy Denning, which also includes the eBook "Recovery". This one is more action than drama, and is definitely one of those "can't put it down" books. I also would be remiss if I didn't mention Elmore Lenard's crime fiction novels. I don't think they're for everyone, but he's got a knack for creating "grey" characters and making them likeable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CanadianChris Report post Posted November 21, 2002 "The Chrysalids" by John Wyndham. Fantastic story of a post-apocalyptic society where humans are judged against one standard of "normality," and where deviants from the norm -- physical or mental -- are hunted down by government inspectors. Still very relevant, considering the US government's new policies on security, and even genetic enhancement. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Youth N Asia Report post Posted November 21, 2002 The Ignored by Bentley Little, horror -Without giving too much away it's about a completly average guy who just kind of stops being noticed by everyone. Then he does something about it. A Stone For Danny Fisher by Harold Robbins, classic -Story about a kid named Danny who is growing up durring the Depression and takes to boxing. Then he pisses off some of the wrong people and goes on the run. The Long Walk by Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman, horrorish -100 kids take the long walk. It's just a long walk, whoever outwalks the others wins. Each kid must maintain a 3MPH speed limit (or more) and if they drop below they get a warning...an hour of walking without a warning kills a warning...bad things happen when you get three warnings. Three excelent reads Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest converge241 Report post Posted November 21, 2002 Rules Of Attraction - Bret Easton Ellis Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted November 25, 2002 The Fourth Hand-John Irving A news reporter gets his hand bitten off by a lion and moves to Wisconsin. Believe it or not, it's absolutely great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest notJames Report post Posted November 25, 2002 The Fourth Hand-John Irving A news reporter gets his hand bitten off by a lion and moves to Wisconsin. Believe it or not, it's absolutely great. If it's as good as his other books (which I neglected to pimp), I'm all over it. The World According to Garp; The Hotel New Hampshire - both were made into feature films in the 80s; the former starring Robin Williams, Glenn Close, and John Lithgow, with a cameo by Amanda Plummer of Pulp Fiction and So I Married an Axe Murderer fame, the latter starring Rob Lowe and Jodie Foster. Good films, though bviously not as good as the novels. Awesome stuff. The Cider House Rules - I had gotten into a John Irving kick a few years ago, devouring anything I could get my hands on by him, and after reading Cider House, I thought that it would make a decent film. And then, wham, news breaks of a movie version coming out a couple of months later. If you've never seen the movie, READ THE BOOK FIRST... OR INSTEAD. There's tons of stuff in the novel that the movie doesn't even touch upon. A Prayer for Owen Meany - A touching story about the littlest big kid around. Very engrossing and heartwarming. I named my son Owen partly after the main character because he was so small when he was born. (The other part was... well, if you know who my favourite wrestler is, you should be able to figure it out...) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anorak Report post Posted November 25, 2002 Already Dead -- Denis Johnson On the surface 'Already Dead' is a modern noir thriller but it quickly becomes a more complex, unpredictable and unclassifiable journey which displays Denis Johnson's gift for language. He's one of the few contemporary American fiction writers who truly have a distinctive style to call their own. His background as a poet comes to the fore in the way he builds epic stream of consciousness diatribes with harsher reality, all seen through the eyes of a group of complex and fully realised characters. The narrative constantly switches foward and back in time using both third and first person narratives which only get more fascinating and gripping as the story progresses. At the end you will feel the need to read it again just to try and get a sense of closure and understanding to exactly appreciate the story's conclusion, one character in particular seemed problematic as it seemed he was never quite exposed in his full light, but then again I'm not sure. Its that kind of book if you know what I mean. Denis Johnson himself refused to elaborate, stating that the reader would 'probably understand it better than me' so we're left to eternally ponder. One of the very best novels of the last five years and I reckon a modern classic to boot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted November 30, 2002 The Beach House by James Patterson: Very interesting look into at powerful people vs. The little guy. This list Plus Every other Alex Cross Series book, minus Midnight Club, 17th Green and Cradle and All (Only dur to lack of reading ) Cat and Mouse is a big let down if you read it after just about any Cross book, so read it early. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted November 30, 2002 Another really good one. The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck. Very Good WWII propaganda. 100 pages, quick one day read. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted December 1, 2002 I'd like to second Animal Farm I did not read the other two, but I just found 1984 in my attic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Superstar Report post Posted December 1, 2002 Some books I'd reccommend...most of these are traditional, though. Lord of the Flies - William Golding At the beginning I hated this book, but it's a really great (and deep) look at civilization. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee One of the greatest books I've ever read. The Giver - Lois Lowry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted December 1, 2002 TKAM is one of the best ever. The Giver is either you love it or Hate it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Respect The 'Taker Report post Posted December 1, 2002 This has probably been stated a BILLION times but if you haven't read the Lord of the Rings (no, seeing the MOVIE doesn't count) then you haven't LIVED! J R R Tolkien was a genius at creating imagery with words, and it remains my favourite book to this day. However, i enjoy a few horror novelists such as H.P.Lovecraft, who wrote Call of Cthulu (im tired, spelling will be slightly off), which scared the fuck outta me. Illusion Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest red_file Report post Posted December 1, 2002 For the post-modernist in all of us: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Probably the best book I've ever read. It's an incredibly funny book that tells the story of a tennis academy, a halfway house full of recovery addicts, assassins in wheelchairs, and a film so entertaining that once you watch it the only thing you want to do for the rest of your life is to continue to watch it. Time's Arrow by Martin Amis. A very interesting telling of a man's life in reverse. Takes some getting used to, but it's mostly worth it. Memoirs Found In A Bathtub by Stanislaw Lem. I'm not even sure how to describe it. A public servant's nightmare? The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. The story of a man who's wife one day doesn't come home and the changes that result in his life from his trying to find out what happened to her. And it's the story of some really bad things that happened in WWII. And it's the story of a lost cat. And it's the story of a well...It's a lot of stories and it's really depressing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest notJames Report post Posted December 3, 2002 Can't believe I forgot Lord of the Flies. Awesome coming-of-age book. Touches the little Piggy in us all... oh wait, that's sick! And I keep passing Infinite Jest at the book stores thinking that one day I'm going to buy it. red_file's post might just put it over the top. Let me also add this one to my list: Pest Control: A Novel (humour/adventure) - An NYC exterminator is mistaken for a hitman. Raucous hilarity abounds. One of the few books my wife and I can agree on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion Report post Posted December 3, 2002 Holy crap. There was this kid I went to high school with that looked EXACTLY how I pictured Piggy when I read that book. The first time I saw him, my jaw dropped, and I yelled very loudly: "SUCKS TO YOUR ASS-MAR!" He sort of glanced over, but I think it was more because I was loud than because of the reference. Anyway, carry on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest notJames Report post Posted December 3, 2002 "SUCKS TO YOUR ASS-MAR!" It took a while to figure out what that meant. Nice. In fact, I direct this statement to HHHeMan: SUCKS TO YOUR POLITICKS! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted December 3, 2002 A Prayer for Owen Meany - A touching story about the littlest big kid around. Very engrossing and heartwarming. I named my son Owen partly after the main character because he was so small when he was born. (The other part was... well, if you know who my favourite wrestler is, you should be able to figure it out...) I'm kicking myself for not reading that book last year in my OAC English class when I was supposed to. I got caught up in work and not wanting to do homework that I kept forgetting (yeah, that's it) to read it, and when we talked about it in class, it seemed really interesting. I also don't think it's much of a coincidence that a lot of the books listed here I had to read in English over the years (To Kill a Mockingbird, Animal Farm, 1984, Lord of the Flies, and a few others I may have missed). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Incandenza Report post Posted December 4, 2002 For the post-modernist in all of us: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. Probably the best book I've ever read. It's an incredibly funny book that tells the story of a tennis academy, a halfway house full of recovery addicts, assassins in wheelchairs, and a film so entertaining that once you watch it the only thing you want to do for the rest of your life is to continue to watch it. I LOVE YOU AND WANT TO HAVE YOUR BABY. ::clears throat:: Yes, notJames, that book is ownage. I'm strongly considering reading it for the third time this coming winter break. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted December 4, 2002 I'm not even half way through, and I MUST recommend The Godfather by Mario Puzo. It's what the movie is base on. 'Nuff said. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest LooseCannon Report post Posted December 4, 2002 I'll recommend: The Tin Drum by Gunther Grass - Hilarious and thought-provoking at the same time, with the sort of expressionist symbolism and imagery that no one does quite like the Germans. Some other picks: Money by Martin Amis The Day of the Locust by Nathaneal West Cat's Cradle Kurt Vonnegut The Sound and the Fury William Faulkner Choke and Fight Club by Chuck Palahnuik The Life of Insects Victor Pelevin The Master and Marguerita Mikhail Bulgakov Little Jinx Abram Tertz Despair Vladimir Nabokov The Plague Albert Camus That's enough I think. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest red_file Report post Posted December 4, 2002 Pest Control: A Novel (humour/adventure) - An NYC exterminator is mistaken for a hitman. Raucous hilarity abounds. One of the few books my wife and I can agree on. I picked that book up on a lark a few years ago, and it's one of the funniest things I've ever read. The entire time I was reading it I kept thinking, "This would make a kick ass movie." Apparently, before it was a book, Fitzhugh tried shopping it around as a screenplay. His later books aren't quite as good as Pest Control, but still worth it. And I'm glad to see some DFW love on the board. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest notJames Report post Posted December 4, 2002 More pimping: The Roaches Have No King (humour/adventure) - Anthropomorphicized roaches plot and scheme to control the romantic life of their host in order to maintain their very existence. Touches on religion, evolution, the hierarchy of the insect world, and is chockful of dirty sex (both animal and human). Funnier than I could ever explain. The Fermata and Vox (humour/erotic) - Two excellent novels from the mind of Nicholson Baker. The first chronicles the actions and fantasies of a writer who suddenly has the power to stop time. Add a healthy dose of kinkiness and voyeurism, and you will not want to put this book down. The second is essentially a sex-phone conversation between two people on opposite sides of the continental US, where they trade fantasies and try to get each other off. A quick but very funny and engrossing read. I once sat in a cafe with a very close female friend of mine and we each read the two different parts aloud. Needless to say, it's a shame we were such good friends... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Anglesault Report post Posted December 4, 2002 One for the Money By Janet Evonovich is VERY funny. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ace309 Report post Posted December 4, 2002 Anything by James Morrow (bizarre, Christian-inspired fiction). It's not Left Behind, so don't assume that by "Christian-inspired" I mean "Evangelical." For example, in Towing Jehovah, the two-mile-tall body of God dies and falls into the ocean, where the Vatican hires an agnostic sea captain to tow it to the arctic. Only Begotten Daughter is about an immaculate conception in a single Jewish man's sperm donation. Bizarre, bizarre stuff. I love it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MissMattitude Report post Posted December 18, 2002 The Fog - James Herbert - A fog is released after a nuclear weapon goes off. But this fog has a strange effect on people. IT - Stephen King - There is a monster living in the imaginations of the children of Derry, Maine. The repurcussions however are felt by everyone. The Hobbit & Lord Of The Rings - J.R.R Tolkien - Is any explanation neccessary. Tales Of Narnia - C.S Lewis - Reportedly being made into a set of films. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Incandenza Report post Posted December 18, 2002 I'm presently reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and lawsy it is some good stuff. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
