5 Books Everybody Should Read

[hyde]

1984
Lord of the Flies
Dune
Atlas Shrugged
the Kent Family Chronicles- John Jakes. I destested American History in high school, I loved the historical fiction of this series of books.

[mason55]

One book I haven't seen mentioned yet is Goedel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid.

Its not life changing in the way a Walden might be, but Hoffstaeder's writing is so amazing that I think everyone should read it.

Truthfully I'm not sure how many people could get through it and enjoy it, but its easily one of my favorites.

I also love The Stranger by Camus and Huis Clos/No Exit (or is it Locked Exit? I read the original French text) by Sartre. As they say, "Hell is other people"

I'm not sure what my other two selections might be, possibly Inferno by Alligheri. Probably throw To Kill a Mocking Bird on there too, although I'd like to reread it out of a school setting.

I think I got lucky in that I was never forced to read many of these great lassics until I either chose to or was at least old enough to appreciate them and I'm very glad for that.