Hex is an astonishing novel it really is. His newest book, 'Echo' that came out last year is just as good. An author similar to him which I really enjoy is Paul Tremblay if you want something else in that kind of vein.
-
This site is sponsored by Lang & Potter.
Your best ever read, or the book that changed your mind.
- Thread starter mervyn
- Start date
robin
🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸
🏆 Callum Wright 23/24
🇰🇪 Welicar Donor
Brickfields Donor
🎫 S.T. Donor 🎫
🚑 Steve Hooper
Auction Winner 👨⚖️
✨Pasoti Donor✨
🌟Sparksy Mural🌟
- Jan 4, 2011
- 397
- 247
Is Pasoti the most cultural fans forum in the land?
Carter beats the Devil - Glen David Gold
The most gripping book I have ever read
Age of reason - Jean Paul Satre
I always avoided his books as too highbrow and existential but was pleased to find how easy it is to read, taught me that no-one is responsible
For your actions or words other than you.
Desolation Ángels - Jack Kerouac
Spending the summer alone on a mountain spotting fires, just the job I wanted
Down and out in Paris and London - Orwell - the best descriptive work I have ever read, the description of filth in the places he worked a lived are disgustingly uncomfortable
The Pearl -
John Steinbeck-
Not his most famous or lengthiest novel but a great lesson in standing up for what you believe in.
Carter beats the Devil - Glen David Gold
The most gripping book I have ever read
Age of reason - Jean Paul Satre
I always avoided his books as too highbrow and existential but was pleased to find how easy it is to read, taught me that no-one is responsible
For your actions or words other than you.
Desolation Ángels - Jack Kerouac
Spending the summer alone on a mountain spotting fires, just the job I wanted
Down and out in Paris and London - Orwell - the best descriptive work I have ever read, the description of filth in the places he worked a lived are disgustingly uncomfortable
The Pearl -
John Steinbeck-
Not his most famous or lengthiest novel but a great lesson in standing up for what you believe in.
Possibly the best Books I've read
The First Circle - Alexander Solzhenytsin
Tinker Tailor Soldier, Spy - John le Carre
The Wolves - H H Kirst
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Keep the Aspidistra Flying - George Orwell
Certainly the worst book I've ever read is Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce which I was forced to endure as part of my A Level English course.
The First Circle - Alexander Solzhenytsin
Tinker Tailor Soldier, Spy - John le Carre
The Wolves - H H Kirst
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Keep the Aspidistra Flying - George Orwell
Certainly the worst book I've ever read is Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce which I was forced to endure as part of my A Level English course.
i don't read many books but down and out in paris and london by george orwell is a fascinating insight into early 20th century poverty.
Oooh, I'll definitely check out both 'Echo' and Paul Tremblay! Thanks!
I suspect that they might be a little bit "of their time", but I adored P C Wren's Beau Geste trilogy, which I must have read when I was about 13 (1970s). In my 20s (1980s) Anthony Burgess's Earthly Powers scooped the favourite book prize (with one of the most striking opening sentences I've come across!), until knocked off its perch a few years ago by Wilkie Collins's Moonstone, which I see has already had a nomination here. In turns gripping detective yarn, social commentary poking fun at the pompous and powerful, and laugh out loud comedy.
In passing, and I mention it only because we are talking books and I have just read it, I found Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls interesting, not only because it is a very fine piece of work and illuminating of the Spanish Civil war, but also because it turns out to be the provenance of the comedic "did the earth move for you" trope, which was part of a rather serious (well the whole book is) passage describing an amorous engagement between the protagonist Robert Jordan and his paramour Maria. Who knew!?
In passing, and I mention it only because we are talking books and I have just read it, I found Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls interesting, not only because it is a very fine piece of work and illuminating of the Spanish Civil war, but also because it turns out to be the provenance of the comedic "did the earth move for you" trope, which was part of a rather serious (well the whole book is) passage describing an amorous engagement between the protagonist Robert Jordan and his paramour Maria. Who knew!?
Thank you 4e. I had totally forgotten that two of my best reads a long time ago were The First Circle and Gulag Archipeligo. Will give them another go.
'In Cold Blood' Truman Capote a fascinating read if you are in to true crime and tragedy.
'Miracle of Castel Di Sangro' by Joe Maguinnes. Brilliant. Best ever football book I've read.
'Miracle of Castel Di Sangro' by Joe Maguinnes. Brilliant. Best ever football book I've read.
Last edited:
Ulysses was worse. I had to do that for my Eng Lit degree: I had less than a week to read it in... Dubliners, though, was much more enjoyable.
The one I probably disliked the most was To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. Again, degree, had to read it...
- Oct 31, 2010
- 24,476
- 1
- 10,919
If you like Solzhenytsin, and haven't already read them, I can recommend Cancer Ward and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch as well.
I read Trinity by Leon Uris in 1984 and I’m not saying that I agreed with everything, but it opened my eyes to the fact that there are always two sides to anything that you see or read in the media.
More recently I read Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, which describes the effects of a mothers alcoholism on her children as written by her youngest son growing up in Glasgow. It was sometimes difficult to remember that it was fiction.
More recently I read Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart, which describes the effects of a mothers alcoholism on her children as written by her youngest son growing up in Glasgow. It was sometimes difficult to remember that it was fiction.
Just did a quick Google and sounds good might give that a go.... when I eventually finish what I'm reading now.
At the moment I'm thoroughly enjoying 'Pillars of the Earth' by Ken Follett ...... Historical novel set during 'the anarchy' period of 12th century England.... Loving it. The intersecting plot lines are just superb, a real page -turner and the historical details astonishing - maybe a tad too much as I feel if I went on Mastermind my specialist subject could be how Cathedrals were constructed in the 12th century (one main character is a master builder).
It's BIG book though ...... I downloaded on Kindle without realising it's over 1100 pages
... and there are more in the series that are set in the same area in following centuries involving the descendents of the main characters. Definitely recommended.