Colder Hands Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 the tao of pooh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slyfinger Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 the tao of pooh Reading that book as I type this out. Very good, btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colder Hands Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 Reading that book as I type this out. Very good, btw. nice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brook Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 I'm not going to attempt to name the 'greatest' book ever because its very likely something I have never read. My favourite books of all time (some of them could be considered 'great') are 1984 Lord of the Rings Pride and Prejudice (It doesn't matter how many times I read this it still makes me laugh) Alice in Wonderland (I said in the other thread that Lord of the Rings inspired my love of fantasy - in truth it was probably this book) and Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy (because life shouldn't be taken too seriously, its a long way from the greatest book ever written but it will always be one of my favs) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Stranger Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 Reading that book as I type this out. Very good, btw. nice if you know nothing about Daoism, perhaps. I took an entire summer course on Daoist sorcery, then at the end our instructor made us read that book. <cue Jesus Quintana> "Laughable, man!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derfel Cadarn Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch (Incredibly engrossing story)" I remember that one from school, it was good. 1984 was ok, I was probably too young at the time to really catch all the subtext. I liked Watership Down. No idea about greatest book ever since I've not read them all but some personal favourites are: Word of Honour by Nelson Demille. Incredible book about a guy put on trial for war crimes committed by his men during the Vietnam war. Demille's best imho. The Secret Pilgrim by John Le Care. The story of an aging spy reminiscing over his life, one of his better ones. The second last chapter (I think) dealing with Frewin is excellent characterisation and alone makes the book worth reading. That the book is set in the same 'universe' as the Smiley books and the Russia House is a big bonus. Incidently it was dedicated to Alec Guiness, the author's way of acknowledging his perfect portrayal of Smiley in the TV adaptations of Tinker, Tailer Soldier Spy and Smiley's People. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colder Hands Posted January 15, 2006 Share Posted January 15, 2006 nice if you know nothing about Daoism, perhaps. I took an entire summer course on Daoist sorcery, then at the end our instructor made us read that book. <cue Jesus Quintana> "Laughable, man!" i have studied tao and the i ching in college courses, and i found pooh very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NakedStark Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Best Book: John Milton's Paradise Lost Personal Favorite: Charles Dickens's A Tale Of Two Cities Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteQueen Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wolf Maid Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 I would go for...Shakespeare's works. I would have voted for the Bible or the Koran, but no religious works, so *shrug*. I wonder if Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf would ever be one of the greatest books. Sword of Truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevarfeather Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Well I’m putting my vote behind the books I could reread and reread without ever tiring of them. That for me defines my personnel ‘greatest’. I’ll have to second Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey, which someone mentioned earlier, and I’ll add 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, with St Agnes’ Stand by Tom Edison. Those are some of the few books I will enjoy time after time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wedge Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Another vote here for 100 Years of Solitude A few 'non-classical' favorites: The White Boy Shuffle - Paul Beatty - Funniest book I've ever read. Literate, inventive, and probably a bit dated since it was released in 1996 Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thompson A Confederacy of Dunces - William Kennedy Toole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 A Sale of Two Titties by Edmund Wells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakkon Blackblade Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneeye Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Watership Down Anyone voting Kafka and Camus should go sit in a dentist's waiting room for four hours feeling guilty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammerOfGod Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 War and Peace...by Tolstoy: majestic sweep with Russian Angst...what more could you want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jhogo's Evil Twin Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 what about art of war by sun tzu . not a religious book but like the bible it makes sense in any language, any time period. it is accessible yet applicable to politics and business as well as military. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanMrMustard Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Orwell isn't even a good writer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taemlyn Blackfyre Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Hey, 100 Years of Solitude was recommended by Oprah, and I think it's up there! Sure it's up there, but in its own genre - easily the best (Nobel Prize winner) Not saying it's the best book ever (cuz saying a thing like that is a bit ridiculous), but Don Quixote is pretty good. But if someone called Don Quixote the -funniest- book ever, I couldn't disagree... Cervantes & Shakespeare died on exactly the same day. The Spanish celebrate it with a national holiday. Rest of the world should follow - best of their time The Neverending Story by Michael Ende - best 20th century fantasy The Princess Bride by William Goldman - best 20th century historical revisionist spoof Cloudstreet by Tim Winton - Best Australian book ever The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien - best adolescent boys book ever Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted December 21, 2006 Share Posted December 21, 2006 Serious answer. What about Beowolf? Perhaps we got it right the first time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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