A lifetime of must reads

[L'ennemi.]

How could I forgot Ficciones by Borges?

[brianr]

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

[shemp]

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.

[John Gaspar]

Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead
Ayn Rand - Atlas Shrugged

[John Cole]

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

[Grifter]

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"

[FakeKramer]

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.

[quirkasaurus]

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

[LooseCaller]

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

[MrDetroit]

A prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

The story of O - Pauline Reage

Stone Junction - Jim Dodge