The Best Book That You Have Ever Read ?

[User169]

Toss up between,

Anthony Powell - A Dance to the Music of Time
Rebecca West - Black Lamb and Grey Falcon

 

[tdr1nka]

Catch 22 - Joseph Hellier

 

[MajorMantra]

Catch 22 - Joseph Hellier

+1. Although it's Heller!

There are so many great books. Pretty well everything by Carol Shields is brilliant for a start...

Matthew

 

[Campfire]

I've read a lot of good books, these just come to mind:

Miles from Nowhere (a round the world bicycle adventure) by Barbara Savage.
The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Gouge
Berlin Game (I think it was Len Deighton, read it a long time ago)

Love spy stories

 

[beachcaster]

The Beano annual 1967

barry

 

[661-Pete]

I'm tempted to say Noddy in Toyland.

IIRC (it's been a while) it's got everything in it. Nudity, financial penury, racial prejudice, illegal immigrants, cruelty to animals, unauthorised building, and it culminates in a courtroom drama with a very dodgy judgement...

Oh, and I think it follows up with a case of TWOC'ing and there's definitely a guy driving around without licence or insurance...

 

[Norm]

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Read it and it will change your life and the lives of those around you.

 

[Chamfus Flange]

Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy (a trilogy in five parts) - Douglas Adams.

If you're look for a non-religous guide to life then this is not it.

 

[rich p]

Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Read it and it will change your life and the lives of those around you.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Catch 22

 

[Norm]

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Catch 22

"With man gone will there be hope for gorilla?"

I found it fascinating, thought provoking and disturbing.

"With gorilla gone will there be hope for man?"

 

[mangaman]

Lolita by Nabakov although I only really understood it when I read "The annotated Lolita" by Alfred Appel which explains all the obscure references

Pnin by Nabakov as well

3rd policeman by Flan O'Brian

I like "9 stories" by J D Salinger (a collection of short stories obviously but all connected)

 

[threebikesmcginty]

SMP book of elementary tables.

 

[dellzeqq]

SMP book of elementary tables.

a classic, and one that I spent years reading. I can honestly say that no other book affords the same stripped-down sensual thrill

 

[ASC1951]

Narziss and Goldmund by Hermann Hesse. The only book I've ever read which I thought was a great work of art.

I thought The Glass Bead Game was much better.

 

[Bandini]

If we are talking novels, Mysteries by **** Hamsun is a favourite. Hard to pick just one though - depends on mood. Shakespeare is obviously the best writer of all time - or he never writ nor no man ever loved.