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In need of something powerful

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  • 25-08-2004 10:35pm
    #1
    Kold
    Registered Users Posts: 12,778 ✭✭✭✭


    I used to be the little bookworm but not since my leaving cert started. My 'me' time seemed dedicated to films and music. I always found these altogether somewhat more powerful. No book has ever moved me in the way that American History X did. I've never found anything as involving as a good Nas, Tupac or even Beethoven tune. Basically I want a powerful book. A life changing one, something intelligent.

    Can anyone make any suggestions?


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    #2
    nesf
    Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    Try Antony Beevor's "Stalingrad" for a real look at WW2, or Joyces "Ulysessus" for something with more artistic merit. Um or possibly Fast Food Nation by Schlosser. It's definitely an eye opener on certain parts of the US.

    I'm sure others can suggest better tho.


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    #3
    luckat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,366 ✭✭✭luckat


    Depends on your taste. You could try Les Miserables, or To Kill a Mockingbird. What is American History X? A film?


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    #4
    John
    Registered Users Posts: 12,135 ✭✭✭✭John


    If you haven't read "1984" by George Orwell yet I suggest you get that. I'm reading Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and it's very very good.


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    #5
    Kold
    Registered Users Posts: 12,778 ✭✭✭✭Kold


    luckat wrote:
    Depends on your taste. You could try Les Miserables, or To Kill a Mockingbird. What is American History X? A film?
    American History X is a movie with Edward Norton, my favourite of all time. Looking for a book to challenge it. I've seen Les Miserables in the west end. I'm just looking for something that'll make me re-evaluate my life.


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    #6
    munkeehaven
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,012 ✭✭✭munkeehaven


    hmmm..try anything by hunter s. thompson or ''fast food nation'' by eric schlosser..god there are a few books i have read that left me stunned if only i could bloody recall their names..."no logo" by naomi klein is quite riveting..uhh "the female eunuch" by germain greer......anything by herman hesse...whats your taste in books ?? do you want something fictional or non-fiction? philosophy,world events,conspiracies?.....i know what you mean by totally abandoning books for the l.c .happened to me too.oh also "mushroom man" by paolo tullio....i'll come back when i can think of more....


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    #7
    elivsvonchiaing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,575 ✭✭✭elivsvonchiaing


    I'm not just going to plug what everyone's heard of here - but some little known books I think a lot of...

    The Mezuzah in the Madonna's foot: Trudi Alexy (Holocaust/Jewish History - ok not everyone's cup of tea) I could only get this on amazon and had to piss myself laughing when "other people who have ordered this book also ordered: Madonna's sex guide" :)

    Red Sorghum : Mo Yan (Chinese Culture/manchurian occupation - Mao History)

    Half of Man is Woman: Zhang Zhianliang (Similar but more human psychology)

    The more familiar and less deep:
    Filth - Irvine Welsh (a quite disgusting book but a good read - but really only worth reading if you fantasize about writing a book for the masses)

    My rants and hence more popular authors:
    Paulo Coelho : only read some of his stuff - need an open mind for this and some which haven't read you need to have taste for the below apparently. So far highly impressed.

    Carlos Castaneda: Chronicles a spiritual journey. Details an alternate metaphysical reality - what more can I say.

    Waugh: If you don't read anything else "Brideshead Revisited" - book of beauty. Didn't like his last one - case of circus animals desertion methinks.

    Rhinehardt (Luke): The diceman, read the adventures of wim. Thats it. You'll like this if you feel you had an opressed (in any way) Christian upbringing or just think the victorians were stupid.


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    #8
    impr0v
    Registered Users Posts: 2,647 ✭✭✭impr0v


    Try Twelve by Nick McDonnell.
    It won't set the world on fire, but it's a quick sharp shock which will kickstart your reading habits again. The ending is somewhat telegraphed but it's an addictive and well written book.


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    #9
    Miguel_Sanchez
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,417 ✭✭✭Miguel_Sanchez


    For an interesting (if not exactly earth-shattering) read check out Bringing Down the House - Ben Menzrich (sp?) - about some MIT students that won developed a card counting system and won millions in Vegas.

    Bright Lights Big City - definitely a worthy read - just for the second person narrative style that Jay MacInerney pulls off so well.

    Read American Pyshco (only if you have a strong stomach) so you can tell people exactly why it's an over-hyped piece of crap when it comes up in conversation.

    Granted some people think it's a bit over-hyped but I would have to recommend One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It's a strange, epic read with strong lashings of magic realism (this term may even have been coined for his writing - I'm probably wrong though).

    Middlesex is apparently a brilliant read and is on my must-read list. I've heard nothing but good things about it but can't recommend it personally just yet.


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