Literature Recommendations

[myrna22]

A few literature lovers at our high school have decided to form our own exclusive book club. Because our English curriculum is disappointingly poor in promoting reading other books (and because curriculums only feature one book, maybe two, per segment), most of us in this book club are sadly under-read.

That's where I need the help of our LitNation.

I need book recommendations, preferably fiction, not because we're fiction buffs but because any attempt to even nominate philosophical or well-written non-fiction has already been blocked by our 5 members (outvoted 4-1). I do ask, be varied in our recommendations. We're not doing a hitlist on the classics although classics will invariably be chosen. Likewise, we're not strictly confined to one time period or author.

I know this is much to ask as is, but, if I may ask for one more piece of information; what made it relevant. Not necessarily an in-depth synopsis of the work, but what stood out. Much thanks and appreciation to any and all responses.

Regards,
IceM

Ok, IceM, you are 16, so I'll assume your group of book lovers are teenagers, high school students, and you don't want the type of books you might be asked to read in class: I am a high school English teacher and will mention those I know kids have liked for 'outside reading.' Most are not books I teach in class.

IN COLD BLOOD, by Truman Capote. I've taught this, but the kids love it: most of them reading the whole thing the first weekend they take it home. Capote invented the genre of 'true crime' with this book. It is a true story, but written like a novel. Really gripping.

CATCHER IN THE RYE, by J.D. Salinger. Most kids seem to really like this one. Seems to touch a chord in all young people, the emerging soul of the individual in society.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, by Ken Kesey A book that has been very popular, expressing the individual's rebellion against society--a rebellion against conformity.

CATCH 22, by Jospeh Heller An anti-war novel, hilarious black comedy.

THE BEAN TREES, by Barbara Kingsolver. Girls like this one. When I teach it, at least half the girls come back from the first weekend they've had the book with it completely finished. Pretty modern story of a young woman driving across country, stopping when she runs out of money, and making a new life for herself.

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOM X is very interesting. Also, very gripping, true story but about an amazing man who went from being a convict to one of the most important leaders of the civil rights movement: he was assassinated in the late 1960's.

[Amoxcalli]

myrna22 is spot on with the first four suggestions. I haven't read the latter two, but the others, Catcher in the Rye especially, were great. I'd like to take the liberty of adding another title to those suggestions, being A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. Very good read, and despite the rape, murder ultra-violence and similar leisure activities, very funny too.

If you want to read an obscure, but terrific author, I can recommend Naguib Mahfouz. Perhaps the most underrated author I've read, also one of my favourite, if not my favourite. Wedding Song is a thrilling read (and has nothing to do with weddings ).

[Katy North]

I should add Haruki Murakami, especially if you're interested in modern foreign literature. I especially loved Kafka on the Shore. All of his books have a beautiful surreal quality... not quite fantasy writing, but not quite realistic literature either. It's as if he creates a new existence for his readers.

Also, something I greatly enjoyed in high school was reading "The Heart of Darkness" along with watching the movie "Apocalypse Now" (which is loosely based on the book). Finding comparisons between movie and book was especially interesting.

[myrna22]

myrna22 is spot on with the first four suggestions. I haven't read the latter two, but the others, Catcher in the Rye especially, were great. I'd like to take the liberty of adding another title to those suggestions, being A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. Very good read, and despite the rape, murder ultra-violence and similar leisure activities, very funny too.

If you want to read an obscure, but terrific author, I can recommend Naguib Mahfouz. Perhaps the most underrated author I've read, also one of my favourite, if not my favourite. Wedding Song is a thrilling read (and has nothing to do with weddings ).

Yes, I agree with A CLOCKWORK ORANGE.

[dfloyd]

and not so famous authors ....

The Insulted and the Injured - Dostoevsky
Tono Bungay - H. G. Wells
The Beautiful and the Damned - F. Scott Fitzgerald
It Can't Happen Here - Sinclair Lewis
The Killers - Ernest Hemingway (short story)
The Razor's Edge - Somerset Maugham
Scoop! - Evelyn Waugh
The Queen's Necklace - Alexandre Dumas pere
The Prisoner of Zenda - Anthony Hope
The Black Arrow - Robert Louis Syevenson
The Moon and Sixpence - Somerset Maugham
The Big Sleep - Raymond Chandler
The Thin Man - Dashiell Hammett
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John Le Carre
Dracula - Bram Stoker

These should keep you busy for a couple of weeks,

[prendrelemick]

Troilus and Cressida, a "lesser" Shakespeare play, is worth a look. I think history and society has caught up with it and given it relevance

[janesmith]

Jude the Obscure- Thomas Hardy
The Netherworld- George Gissing
Germinal- Zola
La Terre- Zola
L' Assomoir- Zola
Anything by Angela Carter

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

As for classics, my favorite is Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I haven't read his other stuff (HoD is his most famous work). It's one of the first Modern novellas, and watching Apocalypse Now after reading it is great.

But, as a college student soon to be an English teacher, if you want my advice, screw the traditional cannonical classics. If you're all into literature as much as it sounds, you'll probably be taking plenty of literature courses in college, and more in high school where you will be exposed to plenty of classics. Right now, have fun with your reading. Having fun with reading doesn't mean you can't read good pieces of literature, either. It doesn't all have to be Tolstoy, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, etc etc.

I'm a big sci-fi/fantasy buff, so here are some in that vein (all of which are good pieces of literature):

- Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. A very easy read, but still one of my favorites. Good themes, and Card's predictions of the future for his world are pretty astounding in some senses.
- Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein. A classic with a wonderfully unique creation of an alien culture, and the clash with mankind.
- Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. No explanation needed.
- The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury. Amazing set of short stories.
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. One of the best dystopian novels ever.
- Slaughter-House Five by Kurt Vonnegut. Not really sci-fi or fantasy, I would call it bizarre fiction. Amazingly unique.
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Another great dystopian novel, if you want more of a challenge.
- Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. I'm reading it right now, and haven't finsihed it yet, and unless the ending is horrible (which seems unlikely), it belongs on this list. Le Guin creates one of the most unique, well thought out, and complex alien worlds I have ever read.

These are what I can think of at the moment. If any more pop in my head, I'll add them.

[IceM]

Just to fill you guys in, our panel of four (we like small groups) were split between Don Delillo's White Noise and Dostoyevsky's Notes From Underground (the guys, myself included chose the latter, the females choosing the former, for you detail lovers). After a tie-breaker, we're doing Notes From Underground.

Anything in the way of poetry, maybe? Thanks to all responses. They've been insightful and given me plenty of nominations. Much appreciated.

Sincerely,
IceM

[mal4mac]

Poetry? Keats. Philip Larkin. Ted Hughes (Crow and/or his translation of Aeschylus - kill two crows with one stone)

[milktea]

人間失格 / Ningen Shikkaku / No Longer Human - a look at the darker side of human nature from a non-western perspective. One of my favorite books.

The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time - a murder mystery narrated by a 15 year old boy with (possibly savant) autism. The idea alone should be intriguing, yes?

Catch-22 - you're at an age in life where this phrase coined by the title matters and at an age in time where this message penned by the author matters more.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms - the Chinese epic to end all epics. It's like reading a never ending fantasy novel. Also having read it will score you brownie points in the Asian studies department when you get to uni.

Things Fall Apart - you've probably already read this haven't you? (~_~)

[Three Sparrows]

Just to fill you guys in, our panel of four (we like small groups) were split between Don Delillo's White Noise and Dostoyevsky's Notes From Underground (the guys, myself included chose the latter, the females choosing the former, for you detail lovers). After a tie-breaker, we're doing Notes From Underground.

Anything in the way of poetry, maybe? Thanks to all responses. They've been insightful and given me plenty of nominations. Much appreciated.

Sincerely,
IceM

Definitely Tennyson and Frost for poetry, and Shakespeare goes without saying.

[IceM]

IN COLD BLOOD, by Truman Capote. I've taught this, but the kids love it: most of them reading the whole thing the first weekend they take it home. Capote invented the genre of 'true crime' with this book. It is a true story, but written like a novel. Really gripping.

THE BEAN TREES, by Barbara Kingsolver. Girls like this one. When I teach it, at least half the girls come back from the first weekend they've had the book with it completely finished. Pretty modern story of a young woman driving across country, stopping when she runs out of money, and making a new life for herself.

Considering some of the English classes I've been in, I think you have a very dedicated class. I'm jealous

[myrna22]

A Book of Luminous Things: An International Anthology of Poetry
A collection of poetry put together by Czeslaw Milosz

[myrna22]

Considering some of the English classes I've been in, I think you have a very dedicated class. I'm jealous

No,not particularly dedicated classes; these are books the kids like to read, especially IN COLD BLOOD which is extremely well written and compelling.