Thread: Books that are must reads before you die ?

Some great picks in this thread. I would like to reinforce a few and add a few more ...

I VOTE +1 ON:
Moby Dick: it's really weird. Embrace it.
Infinite Jest: words fail.
Douglas Adams's Hithchiker Books: an unprecedented fusion of life-affirming, magnificent, pure nihilism.
Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita: lush, bizarre, gorgeous surrealist narrative.
Tocqueville's Democracy in America: a brilliant writer with such an innocent eye for detail.
Gibson's Neuromancer, for reasons cited above.
Pirsig's Zen/Motorcycles, Ibid.

WOULD LIKE TO ADD:
The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie. Ignore the fatwa and the hot ex-wife. He's an amazing storyteller.
White Noise, by Don de Lillo. Truly postmodern, yet so real and relatable.
Lunar Park, by Bret Easton Ellis. Don't expect to like it until 4 months after you're done. A falsely-autobiographical classic horror story, for today's broken upper-class America.
Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke. A fun read with some mind-blowing concepts.
The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K. Dick. WWII fiction; upside-down.

Would like to read Sir Winston Churchill's World War II series, if I can find them. I have Gibbon's Fall of Rome on the Kindle but it's gonna be hard work to get through that one. What I would love to own is Will & Ariel Durant's Story of Civilization, so I could work through it over a period of years.

... So little time!!

@Sailor - lots of Mika Waltari books were translated - most of his historical novels. I loved them when I started reading them as a teenager.."The Egyptian" was made into a movie..

Originally Posted by davemillard

@Sailor - lots of Mika Waltari books were translated - most of his historical novels. I loved them when I started reading them as a teenager.."The Egyptian" was made into a movie..

The Egyptian is/was probably most famous of them. The movie from 1954 was somewhat ok and entertaining but it had no much to do with the original book. That is what happens too often.
If you are still interested on Waltari, i would suggest the Adventurer (Mikael Karvajalka). That was and is always my favorite, an interesting story of the medieval Europe, starting from my home town at 1400 or so.

Well during my vacation i read 'a People's history of United States' by Howard Zinn. I found it most interesting. Had to read it in English as it isn't translated into my language.
And recently finished 'A Viagem do Elefante' (The Elephant's Journey) by José de Sousa Saramago. I found it great.

Saramago was really one of the great ones. I guess there will be no such a master of the language and master of a great stories for a long time. Too sad he died recently. However, i think that Saramago isn't for average holiday reader. It takes a lot of concentration before getting used to his unique style.

Another great modern author (imho) is Peter Høeg of Denmark. 'Frøken Smillas fornemmelse for sne' (sense of snow ???) was such a great story. Been reading it at least 3 or 4 times, always finding some new aspects. Just like his whole production.

Everyone should read "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr Seuss before they die.

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Everyone should read "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr Seuss before they die.

James.

Couldn't agree more.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Everyone should read "Oh the Places You'll Go" by Dr Seuss before they die.

James.

Or better yet, have it read to them

James.

Reflections of Space and Time: Dr. Scott R. Forrest: Amazon.com: Kindle Store

The Iliad by Homer
The Sorrows of Young Werther, by Goethe

The Diary of Anne Frank.

Candide by Voltaire

Slaughterhouse Five by Vonnegut

Cats Cradle by Vonnegut


I have a thing for satire, you have to laugh at the world destroying itself.