Hello fellow book enthusiasts,
Let’s steer away from discussing the least favorite reads and instead, dive into the positive realm! What’s your ultimate favorite book? Whether it’s a standalone masterpiece or an entire series, share the literary love.
Personally, I’m captivated by “The Return of the Native” by Thomas Hardy. An exhilarating journey from beginning to end. How about you? Spread the joy of reading!
by Icy-Student3190
11 Comments
midnight library
Mine is a Dutch one “Ontdekking van de hemel” (Discovery of Heaven) by Harry Mulisch. It starts with an amazing friendship of two middle aged men that felt like outsiders all their lives, because they’re too educated and very smart (read complicated humor that nobody around them understands). The book has several layers, including a huge cultural part about philosophy, politics and architecture, but also is just generally about people and a true friendship.
It also based on the true friendship of the author with his best friend and is considered his opus magnum.
Brave New World ..Aldous Huxley
It’s ten volumes, but I count Steven Erikson’s fantasy *The Malazan Book of the Fallen* as one very, very massive book. And it’s my favorite. I read it four times in a row. Now I fall asleep to it at night.
Erikson challenges his readers in all kinds of ways. He says he wrote every chapter as if it were a short story, meaning minimal exposition. He admits it’s a crazy way to write a novel, let ten large volumes in a continuous series. But because of it readers get more and more out of the series the more often they read it.
It’s a huge commitment, and many readers aren’t interested. But for me it was perfect. There’s nothing else like it.
Oh, and these days there are numerous guides for new readers, with links in the sidebar of r/Malazan. But I’m glad I tried to figure it all out on my own. It was such a joy, just one “aha!” moment after another for the better part of a year.
Last night, listening as I went to sleep, I had another “aha!” moment, another discovery I missed all those other times I read it. Amazing.
*Gravity’s Rainbow* – Thomas Pynchon
I’ve readit 5 times and listened to audiobook many times.
Replay by Ken Grimwood. Man dies at his desk then gets to go back and replay his life multiple times. No stone was left unturned in the scenarios that pop up etc and it felt realistic like the first thing the character does is gamble knowing the results etc.
I bought multiple copies of this book and give it out to friends etc and put a couple of copies every month in little libraries. The library I work at I’ve had it in the staff recommendations section for last 4 years and will never remove it lol
Call me basic, but for me that book is Frankenstein. Just an incredible classic all around.
The Stand, Stephen king.
Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell. It’s an unforgettable read for me, and I go back to it frequently.
Jack Kerouac – On the Road
Awesome Road Trip
The Green Mile by Stephen King