Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

the picture of dorian gray and all the other stuff by oscar wilde
the liar by stephen fry

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

doctor glas by hjalmar söderberg

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

I think the best/most valuable fiction to read is

The moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein.

I'd recommend reading tons of Heinlein, but this is the most valuable.

Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlett is amazing, simple, and concise.

Zen and the art of motorcyle maintinence and Ender's Game are also worth the read

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

I've probably read more than 3000 books, and far and away the best of them all was Goedel Escher Bach.

Lifetime to read? Not hardly. I couldn't put it down. Reading that book will make you smarter.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

Fiction that hasn't been mentioned yet:

Don Quixote by Cervantes (Greatest Novel)

Dead Souls by Gogol

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Twain

Shakespeare's Plays (Probably his poetry as well, but I haven't read much of it)

Chekhov's Short Stories

The Metamorphosis and The Trial by Kafka

Les Miserables by Hugo

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

http://www.ratso.net/book_zinn.jpg

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

Some good choices in this thread (esp. 1984, Catch-22, Godel-Escher-Bach, and most Mark Twain). Here's some more:

A Hero of Our Time by Lermontov
Fathers and Sons by Turgenev
A Confederacy of Dunces by Toole

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

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http://www.ratso.net/book_zinn.jpg

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Bond-
I just started reading non-poker books again for the first time since college started, and this was my first read. It was recommended to me when I was in Vegas and it didn't disappoint. I've started to remember why books are so great- they don't need to appeal to the masses.

-alex

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

[ QUOTE ]
Fiction that hasn't been mentioned yet:

Don Quixote by Cervantes (Greatest Novel)


[/ QUOTE ]

oh yes it has [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

Oops. I noticed that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was mentioned as well.

P.S. Dover Thrift Editions are great (for English books, at least). Sometimes the translations are archaic, though.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

I remember Hunger by Knut Hamsun being very good - didn't see it mentioned yet.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

[ QUOTE ]
Also I'm really interested in Russian literature besides the classics Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Solzhenitsyn.

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Hero of Our Time (Lermontov)
Fathers and Sons (Turgenev)
Dead Souls (Gogol)
Short Stories (Gogol)
Eugene Onegin (Pushkin)
Short Stories (Chekhov)
The Master and the Margarita (Bulgakov)

Spend a little time on Amazon researching the best translations.

Nabokov is great, too. He is Russian, but he wrote his best novels (Pale Fire, Lolita) in English.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

[ QUOTE ]
Things i would add that i absolutely loved:

Brave New World
Blink
Bringing Down the House
Anything by Hemingway
All Quiet on the Western Front

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I'm not a fan of a couple of books you mention, so I hesitate to give recommendations based on what I've liked. I do have a couple of general thoughts though, and they might help in your search:

This is potential several threads. Example: I recently got season two of Rome for review, and it made me want to find some good historical books on the Romans. But where to start? A request that specific could be a thread unto itself, as could every genre you mention in your original post. Also, if you broke them down by genre or other specficity, you could then give a few examples of what you liked in that category and why, making recommendations less of a stab in the dark.

Also, horror, fantasy, and science fiction are all woefully underrated and will not be represented well, if at all, in most lists of great literature. If you don't care for these books then okay, but I think that's a tragedy. There's a ton of crapola to represent these genres, but if you like good writing as well as good stories, then consider Robert Heinlein, Iain M. Banks, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, J.R.R. Tolkien, Frank Herbert, J.K. Rowling, and many others. Yeah I know the Harry Potter books are supposedly for kids, but I think that she is critically underrated as an excellent writer.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

It has already been mentionned but it has to be mentionned again and again...The Karamazov Brothers
A journey to the End of the night by Celine is up there too.
Snow by Pamuk, already mentionnned is amazing.
You definitely have to read Jorge Amado, I'll say Jubiaba and Mar Morto are my favorite.
Jean Giono, too. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what has been translated. Un roi sans divertissemnt, les grands chemins..
Proust is worth the read too.
Anything by Faulkner, and On the road by Kerouak.
For thrillers, James Ellroy until he totally gave up on sentences in The Cold Six Thousands.
Grisham is always really solid and writes better than most.
I enjoy Harlan Coben,(Myron Bolitar stories, though repetitive and badly written are aways a lot of fun.)
Killing Floor by Lee child.

I don't like to give advice philosphical works, but you have to read Pensees by PAscal at least once in your lifetime

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

How could I forgot Ficciones by Borges?

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

a thread from last yr. - some good ones in here -
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...part=1&vc=1

I stand by what I wrote then:
Readable "literate" fiction (ignore all movies made out of these):
A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
Nobody's Fool - Richard Russo
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon
Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
The Power of One - Bryce Courtenay
Ragtime - EL Doctorow
The Rabbit Novels - John Updike (4 in all, each written about 10 yrs apart from 1960-1990)
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara (somewhat accurate historical fiction account of Gettysburg)
The Stand - Stephen King - unabridged version

worth the effort:
War and Peace
Grapes of Wrath

nonfiction - Barbarians at the Gate (story of RJR Nabisco LBO in 1980's)
The Great Bridge - McCullough - story of Brooklyn Bridge
The Big Test - Nicholas Lemann - story of SATs and impact on American society
anything by Kurt Eichenwald

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

A couple of relatively recently published books/authors (compared to so many of the "classics") that I like to recommend:

Second Jose Saramago, but not so much the earlier choice, I think I'd begin with "The History of the Siege of Lisbon" or "Balthusar and Blimunda," both masterpieces, imo.

I like Eco as well, but I think "The Island of the Day Before" is his best.

And I didn't see a Roth title-- I thought "American Pastoral" was a masterpiece.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

[ QUOTE ]
Example: I recently got season two of Rome for review, and it made me want to find some good historical books on the Romans. But where to start?

[/ QUOTE ]

Such an awesome series, so dissapointing they cancelled it. It ends a bit poorly, purely because they were building up to series 3 and then it just ends suddenly. But everything else about it is top-notch.

I, Claudius by Robert Graves is a classic book and deserved a mention in this thread.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

[ QUOTE ]
Example: I recently got season two of Rome for review, and it made me want to find some good historical books on the Romans. But where to start?

[/ QUOTE ]

Start with original sources... Plutarch, Livy, Seutonius, Tacitus, etc...

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

Story- Robert McKee

Anyone who is interested in screenwriting/filmmaking, or even storytelling of any type, should invest in this. I consider it the bible of screenwriting. McKee's is a punch-line to some Hollywood people, with all his seminars and cult-like fan base, but his book is probably the most enlightening work I've ever read.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

Sci-fi & Horror are underrepresented here so I'm going to recommend 5 books by Dan Simmons:

Hyperion Series: Best sci fi series I've read. A lot of science fact and delves deep into politics and religion and the intertwining of the two.

Carrion Comfort: Another Dan Simmons book, hailed by Steven King. About a group of people that have the ability to control others. Couldn't put it down.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

Philosophy:

Poetry, Language, Thought - Heidegger
Ich und Du (I and Thou, or I and You) - Buber

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

[ QUOTE ]
Sci-fi & Horror are underrepresented here so I'm going to recommend 5 books by Dan Simmons:

Hyperion Series: Best sci fi series I've read. A lot of science fact and delves deep into politics and religion and the intertwining of the two.

[/ QUOTE ]

Huh? Maybe we were reading different books. Hyperion was good, and the Canterbury Tales conceit was fairly literary for science fiction. The vaguely connected short stories had a good feel. The Fall of Hyperion suffered in moving away from that format, but was still pretty decent. Endymion barely held my interest long enough to finish it, and I think I was borderline skipping some of the churchier stuff. I don't plan on ever reading the last one.

Given your reasons for liking Hyperion, you might consider the Book of the Long Sun series by Gene Wolfe. He once described it in an interview as a story of "a good man trapped in a bad religion," which is decent as a capsule summary but doesn't do justice to the awesomeness.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

Any novel by Gene Wolfe except "There are Doors."

Communion by Whitley Strieber.

Exorcist by William Blatty

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

[ QUOTE ]


...you might consider the Book of the Long Sun series by Gene Wolfe. He once described it in an interview as a story of "a good man trapped in a bad religion," which is decent as a capsule summary but doesn't do justice to the awesomeness.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFMFT

Didn't see this before I posted. Read Book of the Old Sun series first, then BOTLS, then Book of the Short Sun. Together, a classic of modern sci-fi.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

Guns, Germs, and Steel is an interesting read. I studied anthropology in college and this book is a great read especially for people who have no background in anthropology.

right now I'm reading "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara.

It's historical fiction. About the battle of Gettysburg. The book is very good. It not only gives a great historical portrayal of the battle, but fleshes out a lot of the mythical characters who fought on both sides of the war.

The movie Gettysburg starring Martin Sheen as Robert Lee was based on the book.

I would also recommend "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy. This is McCarthy's best book (I would recommend reading all of his books). It is destined to become a classic. It's a tragedy set in the Southwest US and Mexico during the mid 19th century. Very violent, but if you can get past the sickening gore there is a lot of beauty and really amazing prose. I read this book every year or so.

The story follows a group of bounty hunters that make a living by killing indians. It's hard to sum it up in a short synopsis. Just read it.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

All three are very long but well worth the time. It's been a while but I remember being bummed out when each of these stories ended. They're so well written that I got really attached to the characters and wanted to read more. War and Peace was kind of tough just because it seemed like there were a thousand characters in the first five chapters but the story covers a huge world. When he brings it all together it's amazing. I almost gave up on it early, the reward is worth the effort. Definite +EV reads. I've read many of the books suggested in this thread and have to pick these three as my personal favorites.

The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

Harry Potter [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

I agree for the sheer comic value of Rand's stilted prose.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

I consider Philip Roth's second Zuckerman trilogy ("I Married a Communist," "American Pastoral," and "The Human Stain") to be required reading for anyone living in post WWII America. It's pretty much the (IMHO) the difinitive fictional work on Americana since 1950. This can be argued (obv.) but I think Roth is the best living American writer, and probably up there (top 5?) for all of American history.

Other Post-War Greats:
"The Corrections"
"The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay"
"Infinite Jest"
"Gravity's Rainbow"

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Conversations With God.

Even the most atheist among you might enjoy this book - it's 0% religious and 100% spiritual. In fact, the atheist/unbelievers would probably like this book more than most religious persons. You could substitute "A Clear Consciousness" for "God" in the title.

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

for books that actually ~changed my life~:

the Bible
Dress for Success -- John Molloy ( how to dress, obviously )
Live for Success -- John Molloy ( how to act )
Fit for Life -- Mariyn and Harvey Diamond
assorted books addressing verbal abuse, psychological abuse,
anger management...
Dale Carneghie's -- How to Make Friends and Influence People

for just enjoyable reading:
Anything Nero Wolfe -- Rex Stout
Sherlock Holmes mysteries -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

All the Kings Men by Robert Penn Warren
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
All of Jorge Luis Borges short stories(they're all very brief)
most things by Saul Bellow

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

A prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

The story of O - Pauline Reage

Stone Junction - Jim Dodge

Re: A lifetime of must reads
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Also I'm really interested in Russian literature besides the classics Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, and Solzhenitsyn.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hero of Our Time (Lermontov)
Fathers and Sons (Turgenev)
Dead Souls (Gogol)
Short Stories (Gogol)
Eugene Onegin (Pushkin)
Short Stories (Chekhov)
The Master and the Margarita (Bulgakov)

Spend a little time on Amazon researching the best translations.

Nabokov is great, too. He is Russian, but he wrote his best novels (Pale Fire, Lolita) in English.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good list. I'd also add the following:

Any of Ivan Bunin's short stories
We - Yevgeny Zamyatin
White Guard, also by Bulgakov.

On a non-Russian note, I'd suggest Tennessee William's entire canon as required reading.