Books you should read before you die!

[*-SARIN-*]

So another thread has got me thinking.  What books are on your must read list?  Here's my incomplete list, but some that have changed my outlook on life.

1984 - Terrifyingly accurate account of today, written in 1949.  Tin foil hat required

Catch 22 - It'll twist your mind.  The plot jumps all over the place and is described by different characters at different times.  If someone can explain this book to you in detail other than the storyline then you are in superior company.  Perseverance is the name of the game here

American Psycho - IMO an Brett Easton-Ellis is an underrated writer, the film is crap, read this for a truly graphic account of a psychopath at work.

The girl next door - not one for the mothers or indeed females, many cannot finish the book.  A real life account of peer pressure and the cruelty that one human being can do to another.

Naked Lunch - The tale of drug addicts from their perspective.  Accurate and frightening in the first, sad and depressing in the second.  A detailed account of what goes through their heads from start to finish.

The Art of War - Deep and complicated but will leaving you in no doubt why there is never a war free day on the planet and the reasons why humans can't stop doing it.  This book left me annoyed and wanting answers, answers that even today (16 years later) i cannot answer.

A Clockwork Orange - lots of people don't get Burgess, those that do appreciate the literary genius that he was  A truly nightmare book to read and i read it 3 times before i could really understand what was going on.  *Requirement to almost learn a new language*.

Don Quixote - Probably the only piece of Spanish literature that i've ever read.  To understand modern literature you have to have read this book.

The Bible - I've read it and I don't believe in any of it but i am a big believer in that if you've never read it cover to cover then you should hold your tongue in religious arguments for you cannot know all the facts!

List away people.

 

[Deleted]

just got 1984 delivered from ebay 2£ all in will be starting to read tomorrow

wonder when this one will be released

[glen]

Atos work capability assessment, best bit of fiction available

[*-SARIN-*]

But it'll be called 2034

[Deleted]

going to see if can find those books on ebay or in charity shops *-SARIN-* at a bargain price
nice list and all sound good

[phatfil]

May 15, 2015 22:16:39 GMT *-SARIN-* said:

But it'll be called 2034

2051 u mean ..    

animal farm, and down and out in paris and london are others by Orwell worth a read imho..

Brave New World  

and a real must read.. considering its age a real page turner The first english language travel book, 
Memoirs of a Buccaneer, William Dampier 1697, not at all politically correct, but a real insight into how the world we live in was formed..  

[prr]

The Stand, Stephen King.

Great post apocalypse novel that all be it unsubtally considers good and evil, but works well by its "folksy" touch.

[izan]

May 15, 2015 21:48:50 GMT *-SARIN-* said:

So another thread has got me thinking.  What books are on your must read list?  Here's my incomplete list, but some that have changed my outlook on life.

1984 - Terrifyingly accurate account of today, written in 1949.  Tin foil hat required Brave new world -Huxley and Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury

Catch 22 - It'll twist your mind.  The plot jumps all over the place and is described by different characters at different times.  If someone can explain this book to you in detail other than the storyline then you are in superior company.  Perseverance is the name of the game here

American Psycho - IMO an Brett Easton-Ellis is an underrated writer, the film is crap, read this for a truly graphic account of a psychopath at work.

The girl next door - not one for the mothers or indeed females, many cannot finish the book.  A real life account of peer pressure and the cruelty that one human being can do to another.

Naked Lunch - The tale of drug addicts from their perspective.  Accurate and frightening in the first, sad and depressing in the second.  A detailed account of what goes through their heads from start to finish.

The Art of War - Deep and complicated but will leaving you in no doubt why there is never a war free day on the planet and the reasons why humans can't stop doing it.  This book left me annoyed and wanting answers, answers that even today (16 years later) i cannot answer.

A Clockwork Orange - lots of people don't get Burgess, those that do appreciate the literary genius that he was  A truly nightmare book to read and i read it 3 times before i could really understand what was going on.  *Requirement to almost learn a new language*.

Don Quixote - Probably the only piece of Spanish literature that i've ever read.  To understand modern literature you have to have read this book.

The Bible - I've read it and I don't believe in any of it but i am a big believer in that if you've never read it cover to cover then you should hold your tongue in religious arguments for you cannot know all the facts!

List away people.

 

Great list!!!
Add :
Brave new world -Huxley
Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury
The Koran/Hadith -Various
The Art of Sensual Massage - Inkeles
Candide- Voltaire
The Prince -Machiavelli

[thatguy]

Tao te ching
Everything by David Gemmel, Terry Pratchet, JRR Tolkien and Tom Holt
Cabal - Clive Barker
Any Para Handy compilation - Neil Munroe
Most of Edgar Allen Poe's work
20,00 leagues under the sea and journey to the centre of the earth - Jules Verne
Wuzi - Wu Qi
Water Margin - Shi Nai'an
Journey to the west - Wu Cheng'en
Odessy, Illiad
Heart of darkness - Joeseph Conrad

and of course

Fly fishing by J R Hartley (good old yellow pages)

[Deleted]

this list is growing great stuff i used to read books on tablet but want to start buying them

[Bluefish]

Chickenhawk, best book ever written about Vietnam war by an ex air cav pilot, awesome I've read it 3x so far, due another read.

[prr]

Have to say "may contain traces of magic" by Tom Holt is hilarious as is The portable door. Of course then you have the barking mad Jasper Fforde, and Tom sharpe all great comedic authors.

[chykensa]

Anything by Siegfried Sassoon, especially his WWI diaries.
Anything by Bill Bryson, especially Notes from A Small Island and Made In America.
Pepys' Diaries - go for the abridged version, fantastic narrative of life in his time, from trivia to world-changing political decisions, all told from a middle-ranking civil servant's perspective.
I love books; I have a Kindle, and use ibooks on my iPhone, but nothing beats the turn of a paper page.

[thatguy]

May 15, 2015 23:33:18 GMT chykensa said:

Anything by Siegfried Sassoon, especially his WWI diaries.
Anything by Bill Bryson, especially Notes from A Small Island and Made In America.
Pepys' Diaries - go for the abridged version, fantastic narrative of life in his time, from trivia to world-changing political decisions, all told from a middle-ranking civil servant's perspective.
I love books; I have a Kindle, and use ibooks on my iPhone, but nothing beats the turn of a paper page.

Use my phone or tablet when out and about reading (on the bus/train, etc) but cant beat a book at home. The tactile aspect is wonderful and printed paper is easier on the eye than any screen.

[chykensa]

Quite agree thatguy; plus that frisson of excitement as you pick up a hefty tome and head off somewhere quiet to do some serious reading - feels really good!