I have five: Wise Blood, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Which I list at a given time depends greatly on where I'm at in my living at the moment I'm asked.
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I have five: Wise Blood, The Death of Ivan Ilyich, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Which I list at a given time depends greatly on where I'm at in my living at the moment I'm asked.
Well first, it's the first novel by one of my most-loved writers, Flannery O'Connor. As a person who adores Southern Gothic, and struggles with issues of faith, her work--all that I've read, at least--resonates deeply with me. It is evocative and, particularly in the case of Wise Blood, revolves around characters with deep moral flaws. I was introduced to O'Connor by a close friend almost ten years ago, and I've been in love with her since.
Often, when I'm of a mood, I will list O'Connor as my favorite author when asked, sliding her above Tolstoy. She was, in my opinion, a genius storyteller. At just over 200 pages, Wise Blood is a fairly quick read, and if you're anything like me, you'll probably read it in one or two sittings. And her attempts to understand faith and doubt through the eyes of heretical Motes is just brilliant stuff.
My favorite book is Heights by Emily Bronte.
Infinite Jest - Wallace
Naked Lunch - Burroughs
Brave New World - Huxley
Slaughterhouse-Five - Vonnegut
Falconer - Cheever