what book had the most lasting affect on you?

[fayefaye]

as the title says, or what affected u the most emotionally? i think mine would have to be Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird.' i didn't actually like the book that much, but I cried twice, and i hardly ever cry in books or movies. ok, you go.

[nicholasburrus]

As I Lay Dying

[Robert E Lee]

Originally posted by fayefaye
as the title says, or what affected u the most emotionally? i think mine would have to be Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird.' i didn't actually like the book that much, but I cried twice, and i hardly ever cry in books or movies. ok, you go.

Bah. To Kill a Mockingbird isn't very good at all... so many flat characters.

I'd have to say The Secret Agent. It's affected me emotionally by making paranoid as ****. Nostromo had a similar affect.

[crisaor]

Definitely the Iliad. Made me develop a huge interest on fantasy stories.

[Stanislaw]

The Futurological Congress By Stanislaw Lem. It has some very interesting ideas. I also believe that the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy sereies has affected me. It is a profound piece of literature. It is not just weird for wierdness sake.

[fayefaye]

This'll sound stupid, but being easily influenced as a kid, Matilda had quite an effect on me. Not entirely a positive one: taught me I could seek revenge through use of my mind.

[Stanislaw]

Most books by Dahl have that effect. They generally portray adults as people who are their only to punish children.

[Koa]

I read Mathilda at least 12 times...I just stopped counting at the 12th... The first times I read it I cried at the end...cos it was over!!! I was VERY much into Dahl...

As for long lasting effects... uhm... *blushes*... Gone With The Wind. I've tried to behave like Scarlet O'Hara for all of my teenage years (no, not about men...maybe I should have done that too lol ;)... Don't try, all that pride and fake strength are likely to make a mess! :D

Also I can say that Dostoevsky's 'the Demons' made me decide to study Russian, so it affected my life somehow...

[IWilKikU]

I dont think that I have ever read a novel that has had a lasting effect on how I live my life. Most of the books that have really molded me into who I am today were non-fiction. Mostly Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, Tiraq Ali, Al Franken. Although, 1984 and Animal Farm both did (I forgot about those earier). Ooh and Shakespeare's plays (mostly Hamlet, Macbeth, R & J, Julius Ceasar) they deal alot with fate, which I am really big into. I've heard that no one can read The Stranger by Camus without it having a life changing affect, but I have yet to read it.

[DumbLikeAPoet]

Catcher in the rye......
1984......
The family handiman, helpful hints :)

Jonus

[fayefaye]

I really loved Dahl as a kid.

[fayefaye]

Oh! -actually I remember quoting insults from Matilda was something I used to do. :) I think I was like six or seven ... I still remember some of them 'They have all the beauty of an iceberg, but unlike an iceberg, nothing beneath the surface' No that's not exact.. but it's been at least eight years since I last read it.

[optional]

Yeah, Roald Dahl was a great writer. For me, a book that has a last affect on me is Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.
I also like the Harry Potter books as well as the Lord of the Rings.

[Jay]

Definitelly The Cather in the Rye

[Wilfred]

bible

[Koa]

Originally posted by fayefaye
I really loved Dahl as a kid.

Me too as I said...I think I read most of his books, and most of them more than once.
Maybe that's why we're sistas? ;):D


Oh! -actually I remember quoting insults from Matilda was something I used to do. I think I was like six or seven ... I still remember some of them 'They have all the beauty of an iceberg, but unlike an iceberg, nothing beneath the surface' No that's not exact.. but it's been at least eight years since I last read it.

I remember that too! I think it was quite at the beginning, talking of potential notes on schoolkids, it was about an imaginary (or maybe not?) girl called Fiona (the name stuck in my mind as I had never heard it before), and it was like : 'Fiona owns the same glacial (???) beauty of an iceberg, but like the iceberg there's nothing under it'...or something...I do remember perfectly the first part of the sentence in translation('Fiona possiede la stessa glaciale bellezza di un iceberg...').
Though I think i first got Mathilda when I was 8 or 9...and I think i re-read it last time when I was aorund 12...it was starting to lose some of its appeal...

Uhm...guess what I'll read tonight befor sleeping... (no it won't be War&Peace :D)

[nicholasburrus]

Maybe The Harry Potter Serius #1-5

[fayefaye]

LOL. yeah, koa. I loved that thing. I remember I quoted the one about the cicada or something too. I think I've lost my copy of the book, though.. disappeared, now I want to track it down. It's gotta be in my house somewhere. Oh, I've got 400 something (~450) pages left of W &P, and VOWING to finish it by the end of the month, even if it makes me ridiculously far behind the forum book club.

Jay-I bought a copy of Catcher in the Rye today, when I'm done reading it we'll sit back and have a nice chat.

[nicholasburrus]

Dahl is good

[nicholasburrus]

Maybe In my Fathers House was good

[piquant]

Hands down, Steppenwolf

[nicholasburrus]

Marigolds was very good and it made since

[nicholasburrus]

A Guys Guide to Life Homework Asccuses came in handy #7 is my fav

[fayefaye]

Originally posted by Koa
it was like : 'Fiona owns the same glacial (???) beauty of an iceberg, but like the iceberg there's nothing under it'...or something...I do remember perfectly the first part of the sentence in translation('Fiona possiede la stessa glaciale bellezza di un iceberg...').

Uhm...guess what I'll read tonight befor sleeping... (no it won't be War&Peace :D)

I FOUND MY COPY OF MATILDA!!!! I haven't seen the thing in years-how exciting. CHECK IT OUT- the insults I would quote as a seven year old-
'Your son Maximillian[insert the name of someone I dislike here] is a total wash-out. I hope you have a family business you can push him into when he leaves school because he sure as heck won't get a job anywhere else' -lol

'It is a curious truth that grasshoppers have their hearing-organs in the sides of the abdomen. your daughter Vanessa [or insert name], judging by what she's learnt this term, has no hearing organs at all.'

But these were my all-time favourites:

'The periodical cicada spends six years as a grub underground, and no more than six days as a free creature of sunlight and air. your son wilfred [insert name] has spent six years as a grub in this school and we are still waiting for him to emerge from the chrysalis'

'Fiona has the same glacial beauty as an iceberg, but unlike the iceberg she has absolutely nothing below the surface' -you were pretty close, koa.

i loved those. I was such a smartass as a kid [or maybe still am sometimes] but I had really good taste in books.

[Koa]

LOL faye... great...My copy of the book is there as it has always been, it looks very old, pages are going yellow and the cover is all broken... And that quote was on page 3, and I remembered the first part of the sentence perfectly... :D The one about the crisalis is brilliant indeed. :D

I actually got some curiousity about Matilda and Dahl's in general, I'll open another topic about it... Go and check it out immediately! ;)

[Koa]

Originally posted by fayefaye
. Oh, I've got 400 something (~450) pages left of W &P, and VOWING to finish it by the end of the month, even if it makes me ridiculously far behind the forum book club.

.

Same here...I think I have less than 400 left now, but I'm bad at maths unless i have a calculator aorund :D

And hey girlies, I read the catcher in the rye too, last century... (1998 to be precise :D)

[fayefaye]

I feel like I'm NEVER going to finish W&P :(

[azmuse]

mmm...i loved anna karenina but w&p was a chore...
lord of the rings - 6 or 7 readings of them, also farmer giles of ham & smith of wooton major
..also the far pavilions
wasn't crazy about catcher in the rye, but had read the killer angels and tons of stuff about gettysburg first
wuthering heights!!
only one, right? ooops... :)

[dru]

Although no one seems to discuss it, I would have to say Cyrano de Bergerac

[BloodStaindRose]

to kill a mockingbird was an awesome book! there was a lot of symbolism where as if you didnt understand this the book was dull. it was a book of truth and growing up. many people should be able to relate to this book. other than the Bible and to kill a mockingbird i enjoyed "she said yes" it is very moving!

[Azoic]

Farmer Giles of Ham! That's such a great story, yet I never think about it, unless I see the book or someone mentions the book. That Tolkien guy is really under-rated. Thanks Az.

Catcher in the Rye, 1984, and Treasure Island all had a lasting effect on me. Which is convientient, as I'm going to be on a cruise, working for big brother, and who knows what kind of children I'll have to save from going over cliffs they can't see.

[azmuse]

Anytime, Az

i'm always down for the CBE recipient

[Azoic]

CBE?? as I mentioned in the razzle berry discussion, I'm really bad with acronyms, even while looking at a net acronym site. PM me if I'm being too dumb, plz.

[IWilKikU]

Cyrano is awsome! Good answere Dru.

I hated to Kill a Mockingbird back in high school when I HAD to read it, but looking back on it, it was really amazing. I'll have to give it one more go sometime when I'm not bogged down.

[fayefaye]

It WAS kinda boring, but moving at the same time.

[dru]

Finally, someone appreciates Cyrano (iwillkiku)

[Dr Cynic]

For me it was“Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach. An absolute gem of a book, so short (about 70 pages long), yet so touching. Get a copy, mates, and you’ll devour it all at one go. Promise.

[snapplepeaches]

I believe the novels that have had a last effect on me are: I Know This Much Is True and She Comes Undone by Wally Lamb, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, Sula and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, I Know Why The Bird Caged Sing by Maya Angelou, and The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

[subterranean]

Mine is "Sophie's World" by Jonstein G. Before reading this book, I never knew that philosphy could be that interesting.

I only read half of Kate Chopin's The Awakening, and still not sure what is it about :)

[atiguhya padma]

The only book that has ever completely changed my outlook, my understanding of people and the course of my life is Philosophical Works by George Berkeley. Not a work of fiction, but definitely well-written, entertaining and enlightening. (And only a couple of hundred pages long despite its title).

[Diceman]

Luke Rhinehart - The Dice Man. Hence my nickname ;)

No, I don't spend every waking minute rolling a die to decide what to do. Rather, the book opened my eyes to the fact that all experiences, even bad ones, are worth having.

[azmuse]

...are they Ever. 23 yrs. old was a nightmare/living hell, and sooooo worth it.
did you read "Illusions" Dr. Cynic? same author...highly recommend it if you haven't

[Dr Cynic]

Originally posted by azmuse
...did you read "Illusions" Dr. Cynic? same author...highly recommend it if you haven't

No I haven't.:( :( Too bad really. Now I am gonna try and find a copy.

[naomih]

Jane Eyre was the first "grown-up" book I remember reading when I was 12 or 13 and I've since read it at least 3 more times. The strong heroine really impressed me -- this was the late forties or early fifties when strong women were few and far between.

[Dr Cynic]

Yeah that's a magnificent book. You can't help being impressed by Maugham's depth of vision and his mind-blowing realism.
The characters are so real and un-heroic...

Now go and read 'The Razor's Edge", another Maugham masterpiece-if you haven't already.

[jesse sutton]

the old man and the sea
the silmarillion
the hobbit

[papayahed]

This may sound hokey, but a book called Dear Enemy. I can't rmember the author's name, but I read it as a child.

[avid_reader]

To Kill a mocking Bird

[IWilKikU]

Originally posted by jesse sutton
the old man and the sea
the silmarillion
the hobbit

How did the Silmarillian change you? It was like reading a history book for me. It seemed like an objective book about the history of Middle Earth. It really didn't seem to get to heavily into human psyche which is what I think of when I think of a life changing book. Please explain.

[Koa]

I'm sooo still disturbed by Frankenstein...

[zheng89120]

1984, Great Expectations

[Lebanese Cedar]

Marc Levy's "7 days for an eternity..." and "what if it was true..." and "where are you".

I would also say Coelho's "The Devil and Miss Prym".

[avid_reader]

'A Tale of two Cities' too ...

I can never forget Sydney Carton's
"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done;
it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known"

[mouaten horr]

I could mention the whole life work of Khalil Gibran, and also Emile Zola' "Germinal" , and his whole series of the "Rouguon Macquart", not to forget Dostoevsky "Crime and punishment".

[verybaddmom]

Originally posted by naomih:

Jane Eyre was the first "grown-up" book I remember reading when I was 12 or 13 and I've since read it at least 3 more times. The strong heroine really impressed me -- this was the late forties or early fifties when strong women were few and far between.

i wonder then, if you have had a chance to read "Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys? The story is written from the perspective of Bertha....completely changed my opinion of Jane, anyway.
Frankly Jane didn't strike me as all that strong to begin with. too whiney for my tastes!
:eek:

[simon]

zheng i agree about 1984, also up there for me was Siddhartha (you gotta say it with a brooklyn accent though)

[simon]

And what about edgar, Mr. Poe, the soul of torment, anybody delved into The Maelstrom?

[Avalive]

I hardly like or read novels. I cannot find a reason for it. There are some good novles. I love literature. However, most created literatures are not attractive to me. Guess, I need to read more. I might get some surprises. Passion and wisdom are all about this art. And it's extremely hard to express and construct these two factors thro words. Once somebody made it, a novel becomes a star, which shines with magic and will never fall...

[EAP]

The Silmarillion --- Tolkien.

Watership Down - Adams.

To Kill a Mockingbird -- Harper Lee.

Rilla of Ingleside -- Lucy Maud Montgomery [My sig is from this very book.]

All four books made me shed uncountable tears.

[simon]

Rilla of Ingleside made you shed uncountable tears? What is worthy of leaking the precious fluids in LMM?

[EAP]

The theme not only fits the current world scenario perfectly [Hence, my signature] but the book taught me the importance of sacrifice and family ties. The whole Anne series was an excellent read for me, not only for it's fun aspect, but the series exhibited moral values without getting overly tenacious or preachy.

Why this scorn for her?

[Diceman]

Originally posted by EAP
Watership Down - Adams.
[...]
All four books made me shed uncountable tears.
Bingo! My favourite book of all time. It works on several levels - from a fairy story for kids, to a deep social allegory.

I cried too, when I first read it as an 11-year-old.

[simon]

Hey EAP, I feel no scorn, only books don't make me want to cry. Just curious as to why this one would, I read the series only as entertainment, and didn't get the moral values and family ties that you did, though I can see know where they come in.

[Kiwi Shelf]

"She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb
That book really hit something in me, and I don't know why. I mean it was a bizarre book, and much of it I couldn't relate with at all. But, I think there was human emotion in there, a sense that the world is too much and you can't bear it all the time. A feeling of being on the outside of things that everyone feels at one time or another, we all have those days, moments, or lives. So, as odd as that book is... I will never forget it.

Oh, and just on a banter that is going on. Lucy Maud Montgomery is a fabulous writer, all the Anne books can be transferred into modern day, they just capture human emotion wonderfully. I also don't cry when I read books, though. Touching to me is a book that sticks with me...

[GapingStarling]

I love LM Montgomery too, although it's her short stories more than the Anne books that I find myself re-reading.

[Dyrwen]

Choke - Chuck Palahniuk

The storyline and pessimism with the hopelessness he describes brought my interest into literature and reading for "fun". I'm pretty sure I cried near the end. Never have I read an author that led me to both want to write but also read everything I could get my hands on after one book.

I grew up with Fight Club in my head and Choke solidified my mind on what I wanted in an author.

[Blade]

Snow Faling On Cedars

[IWilKikU]

I felt the same way about Choke. Its the only book of his that I've read, but I went to the book store the day after I finished it to buy Fight Club, but my credit card was full and I couldn't get it. I'll read more Palahniuk as soon as I can get my hands on it.

[Blade]

we get to read choke in a few weeks for class

[Sancho]

"Monkey Wrench Gang" Ed Abbey

[Dyrwen]

Originally posted by Blade
we get to read choke in a few weeks for class
Heh, lucky you.

And I know the feeling IWilKikU, it took me awhile to get all his books, but I got em. Just have to start reading Invisible Monsters and I'll have read all of his works.

[IWilKikU]

Ive heard that thats his best. Have you read Diary, his newest yet?

[Dyrwen]

Originally posted by IWilKikU
Ive heard that thats his best. Have you read Diary, his newest yet?
Yes, it was probably my least liked one. It had an interesting perspective throughout and a more unique writing style, but plot wise I had a harder time getting into it. Seemed more mainstream as far as character lineup goes.

The story was interesting and all, as well as the emotional connections he makes, but I just couldn't get through a lot of the backstory this time. Probably resembled my own life too much.

[fayefaye]

embarassing thing is, this thread's still going, and I misspelled 'effect'

[farnoosh]

The prophet

[Nossa]

An arabic novel called "The return of the soul" or in arabic عودة الروح by Tawfeek Al Hakim. It has certain memories connected to it..plus it was probably the first long novel I ever read, either in English or Arabic.

PS: The translation of the name is MY translation, I'm not even sure if the novel was translated.

[chaplin]

Even though I absolutely love reading, it is essentially all I do, I've never thought that a book could have a life-changing effect on a person's life. They, each book, seems, to me, more like one more stair to a long, long winding staircase towards eventuality and wherever else it leads.

[Mortis Anarchy]

Ive heard that thats his best. Have you read Diary, his newest yet?

Rant is his newest. I've just finished Diary...it really bothered me. I'm not sure why...but I couldn't sleep after I finished it. I guess its because her daughter is so insane!! And the fact I felt really bad about Angel and Peter not ending up together or whatever...made me sad.:( :bawling: Plus, the fact that no one told her...

I really liked Choke though...

The Perks of Being a Wallflower really affected me...my mom told me I wasn't allowed to read it anymore because it made me feel really funny.

[ozbey]

"1984" by George Orwell and "Bu Ülke" by Cemil Meriç

[poofyhead15]

some novels that come to mind:

Grapes of Wrath
Oliver Twist
Great Expectations

these books really moved me to think and hopefully act more compassionately

[Dark Star]

Dawkins' The God Delusion -- not for the quality of the book itself (although it isn't bad) so much as it being my 'intro' to non-fiction with the exception of some Nietzsche when I was too young to really get a grasp on it. It opened up a whole new world for me. Science, history, philosophy....

Also Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series since that really got me to dig into fantasy and into reading since he is bar none the best character builder I have seen thus far and also has an amazing grasp on the English language.

Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther is another one since that introduced me to his genius, although to be fair, I'd already been building a Goethe collection at that point...but, I digress. He's one of my favorite authors and what I'm sure will be a lifelong interest of mine.

EDIT: The Dhammapada translated by Ananda Maitreya also comes to mind since that was my introduction to Buddhism and while I am not a Buddhist, it kicked off my interest in that religion which has lead to a study of many texts and books on the subject and a developing interest in meditation.

[Stieg]

For now:

1984

The Girl Next Door

[Mortis Anarchy]

Totally forgot...Night by Elie Wiesel...the most moving book that I have ever read.

[Gorilla King]

The Bible.

[firefangled]

In general because I feel it dealt with such basic principles for a life of integrity, stewardship, quality, and love, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

I usually read it in total or in part once a year.

Second to that was the reading of a book I did in the early 70's. An unlikely exercise a friend of mine then challenged me to do. Although there is nothing in particular I remember (except Divine Right's Trip) the experience was nothing short of an epiphany.

The book was The Last Whole Earth Catalogue. I read every single page and, unless you have done it, there is no way to describe the effect of reading a synopsis of the world's tools, technological and otherwise. And of course on each page, in the bottom right hand corner, was the next frame of Divine Right's Trip.

And then, when I was finished, even though I had viewed the back cover before, it finally hit me: It was a very clear photograph taken from the surface of the Moon of the earth suspended in space and the caption read, "We can't put it together, it is together."

We are all together. We are all together. Nothing has ever in our entire history demonstrated that more than that photograph taken by a person on the moon looking at, not a globe, not a map, not an illustration, but the magnificent thing itself.

[firefangled]

Don't fight. Don't support the politics of fighting. Show everyone we are together. No one owns anything, rules anything, we are all masters of the same cosmic egg. Don't break it. There is something very special inside.

[hastalavictoria]

1984 by Orwell

[The_Idiot]

This is a literature topic, but for me it would be my philosophy textbook.

I took an introductory philosophy course in college years ago and it gave me a whole new perspective of how I view the world.

More importantly, the analytical skills I developed from reading passages by Socrates, Descartes, etc. gave me a greater appreciation for literature--reading and understanding it.

[Cassiel240]

For tying my brain in knots trying to work out the ways in which it both indicted and proclaimed Christianity, Flannery O'Connor's "Wise Blood."

For stretching my mind, Carlos Castaneda's "Journey to Ixtlan."

As the first works I ever wrote anything close to literary criticism about, Kawabata's "Thousand Cranes" and Enchi's "Masks."

For teaching me that fantastic literature isn't confined to traditional boundaries, Art Spiegelman's "MAUS."

[Dickens59]

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. This is the book that made me want to be an English major.

[quasimodo1]

Actually two...Catcher in the Rye but more than that Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man

[toni]

Tess of the D'Urbervilles and the Vegetarian Philosophy

[farnoosh]

all the books i read affects on me,but i think the persian poetry book ,Divan Hafez ,was the best

[Dante Wodehouse]

I read Harry Potter in first grade, and from then on I loved reading, so that probably has influenced me the most. P.G. Wodehouse has also impacted my entire outlook and writing style. I can now see little irreverent jibes to make everywhere and I often burst out laughing after someone has made some deep, heartfelt speech. I don't take much seriously anymore. Oh, and Sherlock Holmes rekindled a childish love of heroism in a more (or I think so) mature fashion.

[mtpspur]

For posterity it has to Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. By no means the first Tarzan book I read (an abridged version of Tarzan and the City of Gold claims that honor) but it fascinated and delighted a young fifth grader and though many years later some of Burroughs books ring hollow the early stuff stills touches the heart.

[ennison]

"Bah. To Kill a Mockingbird isn't very good at all... so many flat characters. "

You must have been reading a different book pal. Even the minor characters like Braxton Bragg Underwood are complex. Even the vignettes like the one of Cousin Ike have a background.

[Satan]

Der Steppenwolf

How could have Hesse known me so well? It was a relief knowing I wasn't alone.

[Scheherazade]

http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/FIP/KF-00383-D.jpg

One book that taught me the most, surely... I still use those skills today.

:goof:

[MarkBastable]

what book had the most lasting affect on you?


http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/FIP/KF-00383-D.jpg

One book that taught me the most, surely... I still use those skills today.

I can understand that. Me too. You probably use the skills to great...uh...effect.

[applepie]

I suppose the book that had the most lasting affect on me would have to be Lord of the Flies. Of all the books that I've ever read, this one really made me question humanity and their overall inherent personalities. Though the author, in my opinion, made it seem as if people are inherently evil, the overall thinking provoked made me come to believe in the inherent goodness of humanity. People may do terrible things, and even more heinous things if it is a group effort, but most people are good.

[HoldenCatcher3]

First and foremost Catcher in the rye, its my all time favorite. So many life lessons, it can be interpreted in a variety of ways. Just an all around great coming of age story. In a Close second would have to be 1984 - Orwell. Both novels changed the way I perceive every day life. A book that may not have had the most lasting affect on me but still had an emotional affect on me was Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. The prison beatings and conditions described actually caused me to have extremely vivd nightmares. It was not a horor novel by any means, it was actually quite the contrary. It was just so well written, that I actually felt as if I were a part of the book

[Jeremydav]

The Sound and the Fury literally made me think of life in a whole new way. It was so eye opening in both its use of experimental prose and fresh, heavy plot.

[bjb]

Lassie, bjb

[myrna22]

Doris Lessing's 5 book series CHILDREN OF VIOLENCE:

Martha Quest
A Proper Marriage
A Ripple from the Storm
Landlocked
The Four-Gated City

Primarily, I like the writer, her vision and her voice, though as a stylist, she's usually not very exciting. But these books were compelling for me because they speak to many interests: history, travel, womanhood, cultures, social and political conflict, sexuality.

[TurquoiseSunset]

Roald Dahl books. I always liked reading, but when I was nine or ten a teacher read us the Afrikaans version of George's Marvellous Medicine, and I was hooked. I devoured a few of Roald Dahl's books after that, and the passion/addiction started :p

[Dinkleberry2010]

Dostoevsky's Notes From Underground. When I first read it in 1972, it was as if someone slapped me on the side of the head, or splashed cold water in my face. It shook me up and made me realize what writing is capable of, what one can do with mere words. It changed my viewpoint, my outlook, and it made me search within. It changed the approach I took toward literature, philosophy, psychology, and religion in general. In short, it changed my life.

[blazeofglory]

Dostoevsky's Notes From Underground. When I first read it in 1972, it was as if someone slapped me on the side of the head, or splashed cold water in my face. It shook me up and made me realize what writing is capable of, what one can do with mere words. It changed my viewpoint, my outlook, and it made me search within. It changed the approach I took toward literature, philosophy, psychology, and religion in general. In short, it changed my life.

Of course this is a wonderful book, matchless in terms of content and style. I have of late finished the Brothers Karamazov and now I am into Notes From Underground.

I am really speechless when I am commenting on this book for this book is such a beauty it can transform a person totally

[JuniperWoolf]

Swampthing.

[Scheherazade]

Swampthing.That was rather uncalled for... No need for name calling, you know...

:p

[Zeniyama]

Hmmm... good question...
I'd have to say Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky because it kind of cemented my interest in reading, which has led me to read many books that I might not have read otherwise.

Also, Raskolnikov ranks among my favourite anti-heroes of all time.

[wlz]

15 yeas ago: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte had the most lasting affect on me.

[TurquoiseSunset]

I think these forums are for Dostoevsky lovers...and not so much literature lovers. :p (I'm joking alright...don't PM me about this)

Everything I read here has his name all over it :nod:

[conartist]

Wuthering Heights had a huge personal affect on me, and Hamlet, simply because I wasn't a big reader before I picked it up and it was about half a dozen classes above anything I'd seen before.

[blazeofglory]

The Ghost of the Brothers Karamazov is still haunting me.

[dfloyd]

The IRS instructions for filling out the long form for income tax filing.:banana:

[Katy North]

I can probably tell my life story with the books I read... many of my life changing moments revolved around books:

The Chronicles of Narnia: First children's book I read that inspired me to take my reading seriously. (and I must say that the movie version of the book is perhaps the best book adaptation I have ever seen)

Valley of the Horses by Jean Auel -- erm... this was how I discovered boys.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach -- book that inspired me to do what I was good at... both this book and a creative writing and literature class inspired me to major in English in University.

Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky -- inspired me to look within and see the monster inside myself. Gave my doe-eyed self a good dose of cynicism.

hmmm... actually, I'm pretty due for another life changing experiance... let me see what's next on my reading list... Hmmm... Vanity Fair?? :banana:

[The Comedian]

Henry Thoreau's Walden does it for me. His humor, his eye for description, his ability to see the marvelous in mundane, his idea that philosophy is a life well-lived. . . .at my best, I hope to approach these things.

[keilj]

The Grapes of Wrath

[Fen]

Pride and Prejudice this book got me into reading classics, well I think it was that book it was a while ago. Pretty sure it was an Austen anyway.

Other one was Road to Wigan Pier by Orwell. I suddenly became very aware of the fact people were different from me and I wasn't aware in a good way, I became over vigilant about it. It wasn't that I was unaware beforehand but I never really saw or felt that things like class and race difference had effects on real people lives and that my attitude could affect people for better or worse. It really sank into my conciousness for the first time.

[yunxin]

Goethe, the sorrows of young werther

[blazeofglory]

The Prophet too had been irremovable from my memories

[Sophadoph]

100 Years of Solitude, before reading this book I'd no idea that a book could be so perfectly constructed. It was one of the most daunting reads of my life.

Emotionally speaking, Looking For Alaska by John Green made a huge impression on me, I really felt close to the characters. His writing makes me feel so light. :]

[atiguhya padma]

The last good book I read.

[neilgee]

With me it's probably the feminist books i read in the 1980s, Marge Piercey and co, they made me feel like a beast because as a man I'm capable of being aroused by the way a woman is dressed.

Of course that form of feminism is outmoted now, and I guess I must have enjoyed a good guilt trip for reading them all in the first place.

[Kinbote]

'In Search of Lost Time' (Remembrances of Things Past) by Proust

Technically 7 books (6 in the Penguin translation I read) but all form one immense novel. I've read so much great literature, but nothing has remained with me like Proust. I had wanted to read it for years but was daunted by the size and the style. At first it wasn't easy going but I quickly fell in love with it, and fell in love with all that time I spent reading it, the beautiful prose and reflections on memory, sensuality, life, love, death, feelings, art, sensitivity. I've heard that you don't just read Proust, you live it; it may sound like a cliche but in my case I found it to be true, and no book has affected me more.