Your Favourite Book of all Time

Dades

Beruthiel wrote:

read it years ago, had a copy of a paragraph stuck on my bedroom wall for years, it inspired me so much

Which one? I had a few that I knew by heart that have faded from memory now...

GumDropButtons

Oscar Wilde - Fairy Tales. Timeless!

Sleepy

If I absolutely have to choose just one book that I'd consider an all-time favourite and think every woman should read, it has to be 'Man and Boy' by Tony Parsons. The main protagonist, Harry Silver, is the best exploration of the male role in modern society I've ever come across.

That, or anything by Douglas Coupland.

damn, that's about eight books...

Closing Doors

The Atheist wrote:

Which one? I had a few that I knew by heart that have faded from memory now...

I'm guessing:


because the only people for me are the mad ones -- the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing,
but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow Roman candles
exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle
you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awwww".

pbsuxok1znja4r

My all-time favourite has to be Hemingway's "For Whom The Bell Tolls". I read that book twice every sungle summer. I know the damn thing inside out at this stage. Brilliant book.

tSubh Dearg

I thought of a couple more that I would recommed. The Mists of Avalon by Marion (Zimmer) Bradley, it's a retelling of the Arthurian legend but by his sister Morgaine Le Fey. It is an excellent story. By the same token Firebrand also by Bradley is the Siege of Tory told by Kassandra who was the prophetess and one of King Priam's daughters. I think both of these books tell their stories well and it's interesting to hear these well known stories from a different viewpoint.

The other book that sprang to mind was A Room With a View by E.M Forster. It is simply a funny love story of sorts. But I've read it many many times and it never ceases to make me laugh. The characters in it are excellent.

nlgbbbblth

American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis.

Patrick Bateman is cool.

arbeitsscheuer

Impossible question, cos I change my mind all the time.
But if my favourite book meant the book I've read most times, it would be...

Derek Robinson - A Piece of Cake.

Hilarious, Gripping, Moving... Everything you want in a book tbh.

athena 2000

Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander".
The first of an epic six novel series set in the early 18th century. Historical adventure, romance, great plots and twists, wonderful characters with heroism, death, mayhem and love. I couldn't wait for each novel to be published.

Beruthiel

Closing Doors wrote:

I'm guessing:


because the only people for me are the mad ones -- the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing,
but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow Roman candles
exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle
you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awwww".

that was the one!
it really spoke to me because of where I was in my life then

Dades

Beruthiel wrote:

that was the one!
it really spoke to me because of where I was in my life then

That would be one alright.
Think that little snippit was printed inside the cover of my first copy.

clay

'Tender is the night' by scott fitzgerald

nlgbbbblth wrote:

American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis.

Patrick Bateman is cool.

no he's not, he's a psycho!
I thought 'Less than zero' was way better anyway... /looks innocent

Sleepy

SebtheBum wrote:

Impossible question, cos I change my mind all the time.
But if my favourite book meant the book I've read most times, it would be...

Derek Robinson - A Piece of Cake.

Hilarious, Gripping, Moving... Everything you want in a book tbh.

Really enjoyed that, there's a sequel too ya know

arbeitsscheuer

Sleepy wrote:

Really enjoyed that, there's a sequel too ya know

Yeah I know, A Good Clean Fight. Definitely not as good.
Goshawk Squadron, Hornet's Sting, War Story... All better than that sequel.

Anyway, Piece of Cake. F**king brilliant.

grimsbymatt

Beruthiel wrote:

do you consider this book to be better than The Satanic Verses?
which I haven't read yet btw, just wondering....?

I only got half-way through the Satanic Verses before I moved out of the house where the copy I was reading lived, so I couldn't be sure - I keep not getting round to obatining my own copy. However, Midnight's Children received the Booker of Bookers award in (I think) 1993, which was the award given to the best Booker prize winning book of the previous 25 years, so that might give an indication of its quality.

Misumi

His dark materials by philip pullman without a doubt....although Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori is a close second

ratboy

What's so great about his dark materials, i've read them all and enjoyable as they are, they're not much more than airport reads to be honest. My favourite book would probably be 1984.

Pitseleh

The two books that instantaneously sprang to mind: Don Quixote and War And Peace - both require a bit of work at times but are vastly rewarding in contrasting ways.

EvilPixieOne

I liked his dark materials when I read them, but they were a bit simplistic or something... My favourites are Catch22, some of dickens, Animal Farm, the picture of Dorian Grey,LOTR,Rebecca... I've got alot really

Scratch Acid

'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'
'Trainspotting'
'Glamorama'

Tar.Aldarion

For Love of Evil : Book Six of Incarnations of Immortality series by piers anthony.
only one of the series I have read but loved it.

Ragazza

I love Pride and Prejudice. I have read it so much I am on my second copy! I also like the hitch hiker books, the bbc radio production is superb if you can get your hands on it. I laughed my ass off at "the bad mothers handbook" by Kate Long. It is laugh out loud funny.

pukey

right now its "american gods" by neil gaiman, but that'll change after this cup of tea

Dades

ratboy wrote:

What's so great about his dark materials, i've read them all and enjoyable as they are, they're not much more than airport reads to be honest.

*speechless* :eek:

Tar.Aldarion

Indeed ...ratboy...are you sure you didn't hold the book upsidedown or something?? because that is one sweet book!well three...

John

His Dark Materials are so incredibly deep and layered in my opinion. So much symbolism (in a good way, not in a cheap DaVinci Code way) and metaphor. Definitely more than airport reads.

Setun

Sorry folks, I reckon Pullman is definitely a holiday read. After you've read all the books you brought with you. And discover its the only book you can afford and thats in english at the local mini-mart.

Sleepy said Coupland earlier: Microserfs! Now that's top quality satire.

Misumi

I disagree, Pullman created a world inspired by milton and blake, populated by gay angels with a liking for mint cake, nice witches and a delicious villain not a million miles away from thatcher. It's not kids' stuff, it's an epic.

ratboy

you're an idiot

Misumi

you asked the question:

'What's so great about his dark materials'

and i gave you an answer

i don't like name calling, it's pointless really, but you're an exception you f**kin tosser