The best book you ever read was...

[torqueofthedevil]

Jaguar steve said:

Not been though the last 11 pages, but if I had to choose just one book it'd be Zen and the art of motorcycle maintainence by Robert Prisig. I was given a copy by a complete stranger over 30 years ago and still find something new every time I read it.

I thought it was a truly brilliant book..... until the end - which I just thought was ridiculous. It completely ruined it for me. After such a carefully written book with some of the most descriptive, beautiful prose. It ended with that!

[Kermit power]

jackal said:

Kermit power said:

Dull, dull nonsense.

The very powerful emotional content then, that millions of others have enjoyed, was possibly wasted on you ? Perhaps you do not like books which elicit strong emotions, particularly painful ones. Perhaps you prefer interest through more intricate plots, humor and action ... books that have an emotional disconnect.

You may well be right. I just kept waiting for something to actually happen, right the way through to the end of the book. Maybe I'm some sort of borderline sociopath or something, but it did absolutely nothing to elicit any sort of emotion in me, strong or otherwise. It was just tedious, and I couldn't bring myself to care even slightly about the ultimate fate of the characters.

jackal said:

I must say I don't think I have ever heard anyone describe '1984' as 'not bad'. Even if you don't like the book, you would have to be almost brain dead not to acknowledge its utter utter genius.

Yes, you're right! I'd meant to italicise the 'not' to contrast it with my view of Steinbeck. I did enjoy 1984, and it was indeed a superb work. Actually reading it in 1984 felt a bit odd too.

[northwest monkey]

Pothole said:

northwest monkey said:

Pothole said:

northwest monkey said:

Currently reading "The Stand" by Stephen King for about the 10th time so very possibly the best book I've read.

The unabridged version, I hope.

An all time classic...feels like coming home very time I read the part about the old boy leaping up to shut off the petrol pumps as the car lurches across the carriageway into the gas station...such fantastic characters!

Sorry for the delayed response!

It is indeed the "full fat" version - we were on holiday in the Maldives a few years ago & they had a "swaps" table. I offloaded a couple of books the OH had read & picked this up. Spent pretty much the whole of the 13 hour flight back home glued to it.

I actually find Stephen King books to be a bit 'marmite'. Loved this book and also Insomnia (after a couple of failed attempts) but hated the first in the "Watchtower" series so didn't bother with any others.

you mean the Dark Tower? Watchtower is the JW's magazine!

Yep, you're right - Dark Tower!