I read Atonement by Ian McEwan almost 3 years ago now, yet this book still crosses my mind quite a bit, especially when I’m thinking about a new book to read. I went into it not knowing too much about the book or author. It was a book that captured my attention on the shelves at Barnes and Noble. It was after a large reading hiatus and one of my first attempts to get out of the YA genre as I felt as I was outgrowing it now that I picked up reading again as an adult.
This book absolutely shattered me and the writing itself is so gorgeous I was in awe that I could be so engrossed in what could be considered a mundane afternoon all covered in the entire first half of the book. It truly started my new love for literary fiction and even books itself. What is a book for you that ended up changing you more than expected?
by divebars5G
27 Comments
Man’s Search for Meaning – Victor Frankl
Flowers for Algernon
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. Haven’t read it in 20 years, but it comes to mind all the time because of its incredibly accurate predictions about our society.
Fun fact about Atonement…. I used to work at Barnes and Noble in St Peters, Missouri and we had a picture of Ian McEwan up in our staff break room sitting at one of our tables. He used to go to that Barnes and Noble to sit with his coffee and write Atonement.
East of Eden and Count of Monte Cristo
Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. Hauntingly beautiful and so melancholic
Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go and Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See
The Road by Cormac McCarthy. My wife and I have debated the meaning of the final paragraph on many occasions. Came away with totally different reads on the book, which is interesting to me.
Wuthering Heights-so atmospheric it’s impossible to forget.
11/22/63 by Stephen King. I’ve never re-read a book before but I kept this one because I will
Lonesome Dove
East of Eden
But if we’re talking hours of my life the non flashy answer is Goblet of Fire. For most of my generation probably
Honestly, it’s The Secret History by Donna Tartt for me. There’s just so many things going on that after every re-read I wonder what else I could’ve missed.
Pet Sematary.
As a parent who was fairly new to the game, it affected me in profound ways. I cried and felt things more than I ever had reading a book.
One Hundred Years of Solitude is about as perfect as a novel can be.
The Long Walk by Stephen King.
Just haw far could I walk if I had months to train and my life depended on it?
The Handmaid’s Tale
1984
Watership Down
I think of it often, specifically the part about Silverweed’s warren. The only guy with any sense is terrified, and ostracized. Because they’re all comfortable and well fed, and we don’t talk about the shining wire or the rabbits that don’t come back. We recite poems that barely hide our terror, and admire Shapes. And if you make too much of a fuss over your friend fighting for his life, you’ll find yourself there as well. Never remind them what their comfort might cost.
Hard to name just one, but it would probably be one of these three:
* *One Hundred Years of Solitude* — the non-linear narrative about a generational family keeps me thinking of time and the beauty of writing. It starts with one of the best opening paragraphs for a novel, and the last paragraph also blew me away.
* *The Remains of the Day* — one of the most powerfully emotionally novels I’ve ever read. I love how Ishiguro subtly subverts the unreliable narrator trope, and as well as his exploration of time and memory and the conflict between duty and freewill.
* *Blood Meridian* — McCarthy’s writing is mesmerizing. His description of the Old West is both horrific and beautiful and many of the scenes he described still stay with me to this day.
Also, other books greatly affected me, like *Sense and Sensibilities, House of Leaves, The Sun Also Rises*, and *Of Human Bondage.*
Dracula. It has been one of my favourite books since I was around 13. I could re read it forever and I love collecting various editions of it
Into Thin Air
I read 1984 and Lord of the Flies when I was about twelve and I don’t think I’ve ever been quite the same since. I still read children’s books after that, but I always knew what else was out there
Quote from Wuthering Heights, which is the way reading these books made me feel:
I have dreamt in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind
Those Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula Le Guin. Real gut check on where you draw your moral line and how the modern world works.
His Dark Materials. I read it over 15 years ago and I think about the ending at least once every few months.
The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath. Dark, witty and twisted. I remember thinking at one point no character in the story was reliable and everyone was messing around, even the MC, or feeling guilty because some jokes made me smile for a bit, before realizing what she was really speaking about. Plus, the comments on sanity/mental illness are so relevant, given the current statu quo
Probably not the most interesting reply to this post but I still think about A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle, I would reread it all the time and still do, I think it has a lot of interesting scientific terms and the messages of family and self discovery were great, I especially liked the growth of the main character who’d been written off by her town for being ugly and stupid when in reality she was was actually very smart and accomplished.
A Prayer for Owen Meany.