Friends and parents and teachers some time or other will tell you the names of some books that you must read before you die.
You may ask what is in a book. What is in a classic novel? Well! Particularization of the specifics of a book, current or classic may be hard but one thing is sure that when a serious book reader enjoys reading a good book, he/she, for sure derives a typical pleasure from recommending the same to friends, students and protégés.
Although The Holy Bible remains the most read book of all times, some works of fiction and non fiction do deserve a mention here for those who have not already read these all time greats.
Best of the Best Books by Title
1984 (Nineteen Eighty-Four), by George Orwell Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury The French Lieutenant's Woman, by John Fowles Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov Lord of the Flies, by William Golding Native Son, by Richard Wright On the Road, by Jack Kerouac Seize the Day, by Saul Bellow Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee Bridge on the River Kwai by Pierre Boulle Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham
Best of the Best Books by Author
James Joyce -Try something simpler and start with The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. first and then move on to Ulysses or Finnegan's Wake
Toni Morrison - Read everything, especially being sure to cover The Bluest Eye, Sula, Tar Baby, and Song of Solomon.
Ayn Rand - An intelligent and philosophical author wrote thought provoking fiction on altruism. Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, and Night of January 16th give superb reading pleasure to those of philosophic frame. Ayn Rand remains unparallel by any other author save perhaps by Camus and Jean Paul Satre.
Ernest (Papa) Hemingway - He wrote in realistic and to the point style. All his books are worth reading especially Old Man and the Sea, The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast, as well as the early stories collected in our time. If you prefer Hemingway's more popular themes of war, for example, read A Farewell to Arms, for starters.
Thomas Hardy-if you find old world tragic plots charming. Tess of the D'ubervilles, Mayor of Casterbridge and The Return of the Native will take you back in the time.
Jane Austen- for great readings in 19th century romantic stories, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma and Persuasion depict romance woven in excellent plots.
Virginia Woolf - Woolf's writing is primarily stream-of-consciousness, and speaks to a time and a mindset (, at that), so definitely check out Mrs. Dalloway or To the Lighthouse.
John Irving - A most accessible and engaging writer, Irving brings us such poignant works as Hotel New Hampshire and the World According to Garp and such provocative novels as A Prayer for Owen Meany.
John Updike - for a contemporary but full writing style, Updike will delight you with his brilliance and accessibility to his brilliance. Read about the ex-basketball star, following him through the decades of his life in the series of Rabbit titles, or get steamy with Couples, or have a tryst with mysticism in The Centaur.
James Mitchner - for in depth analysis on the topics he write about. The Source, Chesapeake and The Covenant make excellent reading about Jews, Chesapeake Bay and South Africa respectively.
This should be enough to keep you reading into the November of your life by which time you too may find at least a few titles for your own best of the best list to pass on to your students, friends, or loved ones.
Here is one wishing you happy reading.
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