goddington_gill
Vital Youth Team
The Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake
Great works of literature
- Thread starter PhilK66
- Start date
Somehow even worse.
Dangerously interfering in Police operational matters. No idea or care for our constitution and protocols.
Oh dear. Someone suffering from BDS - Braverman Derangement Syndrome.
What on earth did you read to make you feel so apocalyptic...
...and ill-informed ?
Was the Moscow one where he was living in a Hotel for X years?
A spy among friends and our kind of traitor from Ben Macintyre. Both superb. Fact more thrilling than fiction.
sticking with the genre Eric Ambler reads as well today as it did 80 odd years ago.
PhilK66
Vital 1st Team Regular
Yes. The aristocrat lives in the hotel for many decades.
Gilles Lingam
Vital Squad Member
Whisky Gill
Vital Youth Team
Well I'm probably lowering the tone here but I am a sucker for a Stephen King novel. They are like a literary comfort blanket. David Mitchell is also an interesting author. Could never get into Dickens which probably says more about me than him.
Buddha
Vital Football Hero
1984 is the most influential book I ever read (possibly because I was so young when I read it) but it's not a great novel. Orwell wasn't really a novelist, he was a far better journalist and essayist. To fully understand 1984 (and Animal Farm) you need to know about Orwell's experiences as a volunteer anti-fascist during the Spanish Civil War and the best starting point for this is his book, Homage to Catalonia. It's a good book.
Brave New World is a book that is often mentioned in conjunction with 1984 but it was written after Orwell's novel. If you want to read the dystopian book that most inspired 1984 it is a little known work Yevgeny Zamyatin called We:
www.mentalfloss.com
Other books that have influenced me or that I have greatly enjoyed include:
The People of the Abyss by Jack London
The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Grass Arena by John Healy
Ringolevio by Emmett Grogan
Granny Made me an Anarchist by Stuart Christie
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Frederich Engels
The Condition of the Working Class in England by Frederich Engels
Rural Rides by William Cobbett
The Banality of Evil by Hannah Arendt
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes
Squatter Handbook by Advisory Service of Squatters
The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Brave New World is a book that is often mentioned in conjunction with 1984 but it was written after Orwell's novel. If you want to read the dystopian book that most inspired 1984 it is a little known work Yevgeny Zamyatin called We:
<em>We</em>: The Novel That Inspired George Orwell’s <em>1984</em>
Orwell never acknowledged that he borrowed from 'We,' but the uncanny similarities make it hard to conclude otherwise.
www.mentalfloss.com
Other books that have influenced me or that I have greatly enjoyed include:
The People of the Abyss by Jack London
The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Grass Arena by John Healy
Ringolevio by Emmett Grogan
Granny Made me an Anarchist by Stuart Christie
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Frederich Engels
The Condition of the Working Class in England by Frederich Engels
Rural Rides by William Cobbett
The Banality of Evil by Hannah Arendt
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes
Squatter Handbook by Advisory Service of Squatters
The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
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OneSirKeefy
Vital Football Hero
1984 is the most influential book I ever read (possibly because I was so young when I read it) but it's not a great novel. Orwell wasn't really a novelist, he was a far better journalist and essayist. To fully understand 1984 (and Animal Farm) you need to know about Orwell's experiences as a volunteer anti-fascist during the Spanish Civil War and the best starting point for this is his book, Homage to Catalonia. It's a good book.
Brave New World is a book that is often mentioned in conjunction with 1984 but it was written after Orwell's novel. If you want to read the dystopian book that most inspired 1984 it is a little known work Yevgeny Zamyatin called We:
<em>We</em>: The Novel That Inspired George Orwell’s <em>1984</em>
Orwell never acknowledged that he borrowed from 'We,' but the uncanny similarities make it hard to conclude otherwise.
Other books that have influenced me or that I have greatly enjoyed include:
The People of the Abyss by Jack London
The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Grass Arena by John Healy
Ringolevio by Emmett Grogan
Granny Made me an Anarchist by Stuart Christie
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Frederich Engels
The Condition of the Working Class in England by Frederich Engels
Rural Rides by William Cobbett
The Banality of Evil by Hannah Arendt
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes
Squatter Handbook by Advisory Service of Squatters
The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Why no “Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy”?
No one in this thread has mentioned the true classics. I mean “A Kestrel for a Knave” not included yet either. C’mon peeps, raise your game.
Buddha
Vital Football Hero
I forgot about that one. And Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
I haven't read A Kestrel for a Knave. Seen the film though.
OneSirKeefy
Vital Football Hero
Didn’t you do that one at School Buddha? Of all the classics we read in English over 6 years, there’s only one line sticks in my mind -
“There was dog shit on one hand”.
How we all sniggered
jokerman
Vital Football Hero
I like the Inspector Appleby series by Michael Innes/J I M Stewart and for kid lit, I’d add the Box of Delights by John Masefield and all the William books. Wind in the Willows is my cheer-me-up go to, although Emma and Pride and Prejudice are also good for that. Whatever your politics, The Communist Manifesto is a superb piece of writing, and for time with grandkids Where the Wild Things Are still works, as do the Narnia stories read aloud.
Gilles Lingam
Vital Squad Member
This thread would always be unfinished business without having some kind of list from you Buddy ! I have periods of reading a lot and regularly, and then nothing at all; I am presently reading everyday . Nowadays I read more novels than non-fiction. (I've just finished reading & enjoyed "Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts). Unfortunately my memory is getting worse with age ....1984 is the most influential book I ever read (possibly because I was so young when I read it) but it's not a great novel. Orwell wasn't really a novelist, he was a far better journalist and essayist. To fully understand 1984 (and Animal Farm) you need to know about Orwell's experiences as a volunteer anti-fascist during the Spanish Civil War and the best starting point for this is his book, Homage to Catalonia. It's a good book.
Brave New World is a book that is often mentioned in conjunction with 1984 but it was written after Orwell's novel. If you want to read the dystopian book that most inspired 1984 it is a little known work Yevgeny Zamyatin called We:
<em>We</em>: The Novel That Inspired George Orwell’s <em>1984</em>
Orwell never acknowledged that he borrowed from 'We,' but the uncanny similarities make it hard to conclude otherwise.
Other books that have influenced me or that I have greatly enjoyed include:
The People of the Abyss by Jack London
The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Grass Arena by John Healy
Ringolevio by Emmett Grogan
Granny Made me an Anarchist by Stuart Christie
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Frederich Engels
The Condition of the Working Class in England by Frederich Engels
Rural Rides by William Cobbett
The Banality of Evil by Hannah Arendt
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes
Squatter Handbook by Advisory Service of Squatters
The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
What I can remember from the hundreds that I've read(that have made some kind of an impression on me, were :) as a teenager I read most of Herman Hesse's books, "PlayPower" by Richard Neville, "the Politics of Ecstacy" by Tim Leary & "Be Here Now" by Ram Dass. I also recall, from my travelling years enjoying "the Magus" by John Fowles & "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie.
More recently, apart from the few which I actually order online, I get most of my many & very varied english language reads from charity outlets - such as these which I've recently been pleasantly surprised by : "10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World" by Elif Shafak, "The White Tiger" by Aravind Adiga and "The Calligraphers Secret"by Rafik Schami.
Of course, none of these are probably "great works of literature", just what I've come across & have made a good impression on me .....
Buddha
Vital Football Hero
I remember reading "The Politics of Ecstasy" years ago and also "PlayPower" but haven't read any of the others you mention.
There's a quote on the back of my copy of PlayPower that says, "contains the seeds of a new fascism..." and that quote stuck with me more than the actual book. Can't for the life of me remember who said it - I must remember to check next time I'm at the library bus.
There are loads of other books that I've thought of since my post but my list was already too long! As with favourite records, reducing it down to a list of top ten is a difficult thing to do.
PhilK66
Vital 1st Team Regular
In the thrillers sector the earlier Jack Reacher books by Lee Child are very entertaining but more recently, since Child started co writing with his brother, they are pale imitations of what they used to be. And the ridiculous miscasting of Tom Cruise in the movies really put the kybosh on it.
jogills
Vital Football Hero
Glad someone mentioned The Magus a strange journey from it's beginning as a seemingly ordinary story.
mehmets_curlies
Vital Squad Member
I love the Reacher books. Easy reading...
OneSirKeefy
Vital Football Hero
Prompted by some books mentioned above.
I also loved all the Narnia books as a kid.
Isaac Asimov. Extraordinary amount of output on an extraordinary amount of topics. I always loved his sci-fi back in the day, but he also wrote a lot of non-fiction.
Stephen Fry is a great writer. Love his volumes of autobiography. “Moab is my wash pot” is very entertaining. He’s the sort of writer, once I get into his books I can’t put them down until finished.
William Mciness (Blue Heelers. Did you get that back there?) is another great autobiographical writer. Very entertaining and witty. Michael Parkinson too. His memoirs and books on cricket and football take me back to past times.
This is all moving away from “classics” but all great reads.
I also loved all the Narnia books as a kid.
Isaac Asimov. Extraordinary amount of output on an extraordinary amount of topics. I always loved his sci-fi back in the day, but he also wrote a lot of non-fiction.
Stephen Fry is a great writer. Love his volumes of autobiography. “Moab is my wash pot” is very entertaining. He’s the sort of writer, once I get into his books I can’t put them down until finished.
William Mciness (Blue Heelers. Did you get that back there?) is another great autobiographical writer. Very entertaining and witty. Michael Parkinson too. His memoirs and books on cricket and football take me back to past times.
This is all moving away from “classics” but all great reads.
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