[–] NapalmDiarrhea 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Absolute mastery of the novel. American verse very sympathetic to the progressive movement & the proletariat. Simply amazing. 5/5 stars.
[–] Captain_Defect ago
Metro 2033 by Dmitri Glukhovski. I really like it because it's like Fallout's other half, only a lot more realistic and it was actually a book before it became a game.
My favorite novels are The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Bell Jar, Last Exit to Brooklyn, A Confederacy of Dunces and The Rules of Attraction.
I love then for their technical features (predominantly their sentence-structure), the skill and poignant beauty of their writing and the way they find nuggets of humor in otherwise tragic subject-matter.
[–] 546076? 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
Horus Rising by Dan Abnett.
For a Scifi book in the Warhammer 40K series it is written like literature, the descriptions, concepts and themes are mind blowing, the story is layered, there are a ton of philosophical arguments and ethical concerns raised and discussed by characters in the book e.g. what is the purpose of a weapon in times of peace or sindermanns "I am right and you are wrong" speech
Edit:
my runner up is the book of the new sun by Gene wolfe often it is known as "the Ulysses of Scifi" it is extremely complex but pays off.
[–] KThief 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Dan Abnett is a fantastic writer, and looking forward to his books is what kept me chugging thru 'the slow books' of The Horus Heresy. If I had some way to prove it I would claim that he launched the series single-handedly. Although I haven't read it in awhile, I remember Legion being my favorite from the series. The Eisenhorn/Ravenor stuff is probably my favorite work of his overall.
If I might make a return suggestion, Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks is a fantastic high-tech / futuristic / philosophical-introspection-type-space-opera. If that's a thing. (Unless 'Player of Games' sounds more like your thing.... I consider it to be a better intro book to the series... but I'll try not to dissolve into that discussion O.o)
[–] haveallthebananas [S] 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Horus Rising is what got me into the table top w40k game. Sadly i got out of it. I should get back into it...
[–] star_phantom 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Not exactly a literary masterpiece, but my favorite is probably "Changes" by Jim Butcher. It's the twelfth book in a series called "The Dresden Files" which follows an actual wizard/detective in modern day Chicago.
The books do a great job of giving me what I care most about in a series, which is interesting characters and character development. "Changes" brings a bunch of plot lines that were started from the beginning of the series to a final point. Like the rest of the series there's action, mystery, and hints of potential futures that leave you wanting more. Plus, cool ass magic and other supernatural displays. The character shifts in this book particularly are huge, and Butcher does a great job of making you sympathetic to their individual reasons and mindsets.
If you haven't given this series a try and it sounds at all interesting to you, please give it a shot. I love every book in the series personally, but I willingly admit the first few are a little sloppy. Many people are apparently turned off by this, but the payoff of fighting through them is worth it.
[–] KThief 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
1984 by George Orwell.
It's difficult to pick a favorite of all time, so I tried to select a book that really got me interested in reading when I was younger. I won't credit any of the numerous (mostly forgettable) YA fantasy series I read in middle school, or other 'recommended reading' like Catcher in the Rye, although those were all enjoyable.
1984 was the first novel that really opened my eyes to the fact that (good) literature can not only mirror and interpret our world, but even shape the world as we experience it.
[–] Ar_Nimruzir ago (edited ago)
The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien and The Prophet by Khalil Gibran tie for my favorite books of all time.
I love The Silmarillion because I love Tolkien's world and because the writing is absolutely some of the most beautiful prose poetry I have ever read. The love that Tolkien had for those in his life comes across quite clearly in this work, and by reading it you may come to a more deeper understanding of him. Not only that, but to be able to so perfectly construct an entire world and contain it in a single book surely marks it as his magnum opus, even though it was published posthumously and finished by his son. But it is the language, it is most certainly the masterful and beautiful use of the English language which makes this my favorite book!
I love The Prophet because of the writing as well, the words are beautiful, and even more so because such beauty lies in the truth spoken of in that book. The Prophet is filled with amazing life lessons conveyed in language so lovely it will bring tears to your eyes. It teaches peace, happiness, truth and beauty. The Prophet teaches us of a world that can be better if we choose to make it so. It is the story of a prophet, who upon leaving the city he lives in, is stopped by the high priestess of the temple and the people of the city so that he may impart a few last words of wisdom to them. To be able to know so much about the human condition, about beauty and love, surely marks Gibran as a man of wisdom and under recognized genius of the last century.
Both of these books are available for free on the internet if anyone is interested; I know The Silmarillion isn't for everybody, but The Prophet is a quick and easy read and should be mandatory for every person on the planet.
If you want to know more or would like a free copy of either please reply to this message or PM me!
One more thing: what is your favorite book @haveallthebananas? (Also, bananas are my favorite fruit! And mangosteens, too. I can decide on just one thing...).
[–] haveallthebananas [S] ago
My favorite? Well it's a series... Actually it's Stephen King's Dark Tower series... There's a such a rich history there, I mean everything he's written all tracks into that series some how. The most memorable (to me) being IT, the clown, is a demon or something called a World Eater and it's responsible for destroying the world that Roland lives in and even was shown in IT (the book) near the end to be "eating" worlds when the kids (gang?) finally realize or are shown what IT is.