Only One Book

[Granny5]

If you could read only one book (or suggest only one book to a novice reader) what book would that be? It would need to be one you would enjoy reading over and over because it would be the only book you could read in your lifetime.

[Weisinheimer]

It'd have to be a long one, with a pretty complicated plot. I don't know, maybe LOTR (can that count as one book?).

[JBI]

Pride and Prejudice.

[PrinceMyshkin]

The Wind in the Willows

You better give us your own choice eventually. We have ways of making you talk.

[stlukesguild]

For a bibliophile this is a near impossible question. If I were really pushed on the issue I could probably narrow it down to a choice between Dante's Divine Comedy and the Bible. I could not go with any novel (save perhaps Don Quixote) because I do not think I could endlessly re-read any single narrative... no matter how complex. I would want a book that was greatly varied... a compendium of styles, genres, and themes. Having said this I would probably have to go with the Bible as having best met this requirement. The book collects brilliant and often cryptic visionary prose, poetry and song, complex narrative, expressions of spiritual longing and human frailties, fable or folk tale-like narrative, historical narrative, and even erotic poetry (The Song of Solomon).

[Granny5]

The Wind in the Willows

You better give us your own choice eventually. We have ways of making you talk.

Gosh, that might be interesting, Prince. I would most likely grab my Lord of the Ring Trilogy. I've read it maybe 10 times and come away with more each time. But I must admit that I would waste most of my reading time making the decision.

[cranberry]

harry potter

[sam96]

Frenchman's creek.

[mtpspur]

Matthew Henry's Commentary to the Bible--that way the Bible's in it too and I can read someone who revers the word of God and gives practical advice from it too. But I would miss Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini.

[bibliophile190]

I'm going to have to second the Bible. It's long, it has all sorts of different styles of writing. It has philosophy, adventure, deep pathos, everything you could want! If I couldn't do that however, I'd have to choose.......hmmm, this is rather difficult. I'd say Bleak House. Say what you will about Dickens, I still think it's an absolutely brilliant book.