what book had the most lasting affect on you?

the old man and the sea
the silmarillion
the hobbit

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.

To Kill a mocking Bird

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

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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.

I'm sooo still disturbed by Frankenstein...

1984, Great Expectations

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".

'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"

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".

Originally posted by naomih:

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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.

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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:

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

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

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...

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.

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