Fun Stuff > ENJOY
Books that changed your life
JLM:
Changed my Life? Like that song did for Natalie Portman in that Movie? That kinda life changing experience?
(Thinks hard to try and come up with the most *outside the mainstream* book he can come up with...you know...to make me seem cool)
The Telltale Heart is the first thing I remember really being into when I was younger. Go figure...
Otherwise, I'd have to go with Frank Miller's Batman:The Dark Knight Returns.
CHEESEGOD:
Well, His Dark Materials. I've read all three books countless times, the ending bums me out each time.
I enjoyed the Redwall series, but I wouldn't call them life changing.
A Dream Of Eagles was a good series, if you can look past the gay bashing.
Angela's Ashes was awesome, Tis' was good but not great.
That guy:
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks. Now I know to be prepared to move to a secure location at any time.
elcapitan:
On The Road, by Jack Kerouac; and Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, by Hunter S. Thompson. I read these when I was 17 as part of an extension English class at high school, and was totally blown away by them.
Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon. The first book I've read that made me feel like a child again, being held above a parents head to see the crowd in its entirety. Amazing.
Stranger In A Strange Land, and Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein. Both of these gave me a different perspective on the role of people within society. SIASL made me think a lot about the byplay of sex and religion, and ST inspired a lot of moral questioning about my rights as a citizen played against the problems of unflinching fascism.
All Quiet On The Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque. Before I read this, I had the boyish perception of fighting and war being something exciting and adventurous. This book, along with the poetry of Sassoon and Owen (among others) made me realise the truth.
Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey. I first read it when I was six, and it was the first adult fiction (adult in the sense of not-a-Dick-and-Jane-reader) I was exposed to. Opened my eyes.
In terms of poetry, Dylan Thomas' And Death Shall Have No Dominion, e. e. cummings pity this busy monster, manunkind and she Being Brand... (XIX) gave me an appreciation for how powerful words can be, even (particularly) in small doses. Also, Ginsberg's Howl.
Chesire Cat:
--- Quote from: Scandanavian War Machine ----Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger. Because it made me realize a book can have me completely sucked into it and still be about NOTHING.
--- End quote ---
I came to post about The Cathcher in the Rye, but seems you beat me to it. Anyway, changed my life because I read it when I was at my most depressed my parents hate me my life sucks blah blah teenager crap. And I read this ancient book with a char going through all the same crap as me. Made me realize that all the shit I was going through was the same type of crap people have being going through for years. And everyone else turned out alright.
I ultimately realize I wasn't the unique tortured soul I thought I was. And from then on I stopped complaining about my little problems because I saw them as them same old thing everyone else dealt with.
My mom didn't suck, everyones mom, or teacher, or bully sucked. Most people had some shit to goto, and mine was really tame, so I sucked it up. It kinda ushered me into adulthood in gr 11. I grew out of that whole highschool kid stigmata. Realized I didn't have all the answers etc.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version