Best book ever?

Excelsior

Originally posted by nore
I dunno...
I've only been looking at this site for the past few weeks. Since it was mentioned in the Irish Times and won some award or something. I was wary to begin with when I saw that there were whole forums devoted to "games", role-playing etc. And in general I found a lot of the exhanges quite childish etc. and people couldn't even be bothered to spell properly.
But when I saw a posting in the forum "Literature" under the heading "the best book ever?" and read the initiator suggest "The Lord of the Rings", well... "The Lord of the Rings" is a FANTASY. It's somewhere for you geek-boys to go because you can't deal with the REAL WORLD. It is NOT LITERATURE.

In principle this site is a good idea. However, it seems the sad reality is that it his frequented entirely by geek-boys which is maybe inevitable because it was probably developed by geek-boys exchanging cards and childish insults. It's a pity more real people don't come on here. The f*ckin' Lord of the Rings!!

Can you give me an example of a piece of literature (by your own definition) that would not be to some extent fantastical?
Don't give me any of that claptrap first year english students spout out about Emile Zola and his scientific novels. Yes, realistic beyond compare.

The fact of the matter is that you demonstrate your own ignorance by talking to us, LOTR fans like this.
LOTR has long been top of opinion charts composed by writers, critics and most importantly the people on the street.
I urge you to open them up again and immerse yourself in that stream of description that is so lush and thorough. Drop yourself into a series of books that transcend fantasy (which, you should be aware is not an insult) and moves into the most treasured of all genres, MYTH.

Now, go back to your arts course buddies, come back to me with some foolish argument about style, and myself, Bard, Manach, anyone of us, will blow you out of the water. You arrogant and rude man; for shame.

Bard

Originally posted by Excelsior

Now, go back to your arts course buddies, come back to me with some foolish argument about style, and myself, Bard, Manach, anyone of us, will blow you out of the water. You arrogant and rude man; for shame.

Well said, that man!... and if I wasn't dying with hay-fever right now I'd dive right in with the rest of ye and berate the guy for the sheer idiocy he has displayed here.

Lord of the Rings "FANTASY and not LITERATURE" indeed!!! pshaw!!! :rolleyes: -... what a maroon!

'heh'

bonkey

Originally posted by nore
"The Lord of the Rings" is a FANTASY. It's somewhere for you geek-boys to go because you can't deal with the REAL WORLD. It is NOT LITERATURE.

Troll troll troll troll troll troll troll troll....

Oh go on then....I'll bite as well....its a slow evening.

Can you show me what part of any accepted definition of literature precludes fantasy.

I'll settle for any definition of literature which supplies grounds to exclude Lord Of the Rings on any credible basis - not just that its fantasy.

Go on. You know you can. You tar all "us geek-boys" with the same brush, which is pretty damning, so prove your superiority. Show us our miserable failings.

Oh - and while youre at it, after giving us the definition of literature which precludes LOTR, and explaining why this is the case, perhaps you could also offer to us a work which meets your definition of literature and which is worthy of the title "best book ever".

Personally, I wouldnt put LOTR as the best book ever. Its excellent in many regards, and was considered (I believe) "Book of the Century" by many, but ever covers an awful long time, and disregarding the works of the previous centuries seems a bit shortsighted to me.

And before anyone asks...I'm still trying to think what I would class as the best.

jc

Gordon

Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

A glowing book.

Dr. Loon

Originally posted by Gordon
Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield

A glowing book.

Wow...I read that book ages ago. It's very good actuall. Wouldn't be my favourite of all time...

Gerry

I'd also have to be predictable and say Lord of the Rings and Catch 22. Lord of the Rings, because I've never read anything else so evocative, that draws you in so much. Catch 22 because of its unique sense of humour, and because my sides hurt after reading it. I have read both of those books at least a dozen times, and will probably do so again.

Typedef

1984 - George Orwell
Consider Phleabas - Iain M Banks

Before age 12
IT - Stephen King

iisollie

My favourite .
Perfume by Patrick Suskind
very unusual and very well written

Terran

I started this thread ages ago! I gave up on it! I'm Omega_Weapon, at least, I was.

Someone close this Thread, please.

And the Bible sucks.

Xterminator

It's nearl impossible to say this 1 book .. but
I'd go for Ian M Banks ...' Consider Phleabas ' as the best novel I've read. All his books are so readable.

I love LOTR, and it sets the standard by which I measure books.
It had its flaws too though.

Speaial mention for Julian May's books too. They were pretty good. Oh yes and The Clan of the Cave Bear .. cant remember the author was a good series.

X

Chubby

I have to agree with the above post and say the best book ever is the bible. It's one of the oldest work of fiction still being read and have changed countless lives. No other book could claim to have help shaped today's western society or caused so much misery

vk1

Couldn't chose between:

The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
Collected Short Stories of Philip K. Dick (5 volumes)
House Of Leaves - Mark Danielewski
Glamorama - Bet Easton Ellis

vk1

Oh yes absolutely. the bible.

Simply for the sheer idiocy, crap writing and utter wrongness of it, it is the best book ever written. No seriously. Forget the glaring inaccuracies, unfulfilled prophesies of apocalypse, the catastophic and crippling effect it has had on the developement of human civilisation. Forget the misery it still heaps on certain members of society (homosexuals, women, atheists) .Yes buy it. Buy it now.

Because clearly it is so great.