Favorite Book

Astronomer · 06-27-2009, 01:15 PM

^ Chuck Palahniuk is absolutely awesome. You have such good taste for your age!

Gone Sugaring · 06-27-2009, 01:39 PM

Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. Kind of cliché considering I'm teenager, but it really is my favorite novel of all time...thus far of course. What amazed me about it was although the main character was a teenage boy living in the 1950's, I still felt like I could relate being a teenage girl in the 2000's.

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. It wasn't the first Vonnegut novel I read but I've read this book over and over again and I still find it hilarious.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Somehow I managed to read the book before I saw the film. At first it took forever to to finnish because of the slang words and I forced to print out the translations but it was worthwhile because it's truly a great novel.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. The main character was slowly going crazy but Sylvia Plath somehow managed to justify the crazy thoughts and actions and make them understandable.

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides. The only book ever written to ever truly upset me. Which is amazing because there is no surprise ending, you know exactly what is going to happen because you are informed of the story in the first chapter. And yet by the final page I actually wanted to cry. From the both the language and the perspective from which it is written, there is something very cold about this novel.

The Trial by Franz Kafka. I remember desperately wanting to finnish this one to find out exactly what the main character was accused of and what in the world was going on. And then I realized that wasn't the point of this story.

Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. This was the first novel I read in the "Beat Generation" literature category. For some reason it took me forever to finnish this one because I kept losing my place but thankfully it's possible to read each vignette in any order.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. The first piece of Faulkner literature I ever read was "A Rose for Emily." I hoped The Sound and the Fury was written in the same vein but alas, it was not. It was stream of consciousness which thankfully I'd already had some experience with reading Ulysses by James Joyce. I'm required to read this one for my senior year in high school which is why I'm glad to have already read it. I had to read it twice in order to fully understand it because I was confused quite a bit. Though I do truly love this one.

adidasss · 06-27-2009, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SATCHMO

You just read that. Must have had quite an impact.

Huh? It's been a few years actually, but it's still the best prose I've come across.

LoathsomePete · 06-27-2009, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gone Sugaring

Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. Kind of cliché considering I'm teenager, but it really is my favorite novel of all time...thus far of course. What amazed me about it was although the main character was a teenage boy living in the 1950's, I still felt like I could relate being a teenage girl in the 2000's.

The book had the exact same effect on me too and I think my reasons for liking it parallel your own. It's so easy to just write it off as teenager angst, but the fact that somebody can pick it up half a century later and still find it relevant to themselves is something that not many authors can do and thus it lives up to it's reputation.

lucifer_sam · 06-27-2009, 09:23 PM

best novel anywhere ever.

SATCHMO · 06-27-2009, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adidasss

Huh? It's been a few years actually, but it's still the best prose I've come across.

Someone else in the "what are you reading" thread posted it and you commented on it. I'm easily confused.

Anthony · 06-27-2009, 10:29 PM

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy is my favorite book, but I like a lot of yous guys favorites too, apparently. Vonnegut, especially Slaughterhouse-Five, was very important to me in high school

LoathsomePete · 06-27-2009, 10:31 PM

I've been meaning to read Blood Meridian for some time. I've heard from various people that it's a major influence on the Gothic Country music genre.

SATCHMO · 06-27-2009, 10:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucifer_sam

best novel anywhere ever.

This is the book that I've been narrowly avoiding for about 6 years.

lucifer_sam · 06-27-2009, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SATCHMO

This is the book that I've been narrowly avoiding for about 6 years.

stop avoiding.

i've read most of Graham Greene's works, it's by far my favorite and one of the most hauntingly spiritual books i've read.

06-27-2009, 01:15 PM	#61 (permalink)
Astronomer we are stardust Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 2,894	^ Chuck Palahniuk is absolutely awesome. You have such good taste for your age! __________________

06-27-2009, 01:39 PM	#62 (permalink)
Gone Sugaring Foam-injected Axl Rose Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: California Posts: 245	Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger. Kind of cliché considering I'm teenager, but it really is my favorite novel of all time...thus far of course. What amazed me about it was although the main character was a teenage boy living in the 1950's, I still felt like I could relate being a teenage girl in the 2000's. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. It wasn't the first Vonnegut novel I read but I've read this book over and over again and I still find it hilarious. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Somehow I managed to read the book before I saw the film. At first it took forever to to finnish because of the slang words and I forced to print out the translations but it was worthwhile because it's truly a great novel. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. The main character was slowly going crazy but Sylvia Plath somehow managed to justify the crazy thoughts and actions and make them understandable. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides. The only book ever written to ever truly upset me. Which is amazing because there is no surprise ending, you know exactly what is going to happen because you are informed of the story in the first chapter. And yet by the final page I actually wanted to cry. From the both the language and the perspective from which it is written, there is something very cold about this novel. The Trial by Franz Kafka. I remember desperately wanting to finnish this one to find out exactly what the main character was accused of and what in the world was going on. And then I realized that wasn't the point of this story. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs. This was the first novel I read in the "Beat Generation" literature category. For some reason it took me forever to finnish this one because I kept losing my place but thankfully it's possible to read each vignette in any order. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. The first piece of Faulkner literature I ever read was "A Rose for Emily." I hoped The Sound and the Fury was written in the same vein but alas, it was not. It was stream of consciousness which thankfully I'd already had some experience with reading Ulysses by James Joyce. I'm required to read this one for my senior year in high school which is why I'm glad to have already read it. I had to read it twice in order to fully understand it because I was confused quite a bit. Though I do truly love this one. __________________ "If I was to vote, I'd say Erik B. For President!"

06-27-2009, 09:23 PM	#65 (permalink)
lucifer_sam Unrepentant Ass-Mod Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,921	best novel anywhere ever. __________________ first.am

06-27-2009, 10:31 PM	#68 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	I've been meaning to read Blood Meridian for some time. I've heard from various people that it's a major influence on the Gothic Country music genre. __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

06-27-2009, 10:29 PM	#67 (permalink)
Anthony Groupie Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 34	Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy is my favorite book, but I like a lot of yous guys favorites too, apparently. Vonnegut, especially Slaughterhouse-Five, was very important to me in high school