Which Book Impressed You The Most?

Animal Farm by George Orwell.

There is a quote in the book

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

It is very much applicable to humans today. If you see the world there are certain privileges you get by simply being born in a particular race, for having a certain skin color or by belonging to a certain religion.

The animals quickly learn that they are actually worse off now than when they were being ruled by humans. In the end the animals realize that When in Power there is no difference between Animals and Humans.

 

100 Years of Solitude
Song of Solomon
Lolita
Blood Meridian
Things Fall Apart

Are among a few that impressed me deeply when I read them. I am sure some of them might change upon revisitation.

 

The Silmarillion... J.R.R. Tolkien

 

Been awhile but yes. Same here!

Barbara Tuchman - A distant mirror: the calamitous 14th century also comes to mind

But somehow i find it really difficult to determine which books impressed me the most
I also read Animal Farm (last year of highschool) and altough it did leave a meaningful impression i wouldn't put it in my top 5 at first instance

 

I Robot by Issac Asminov


I was extremely impressed by the book in that it was released in 1950 and addressed many aspects of ethics, concerns, and reliance in regards to integrating Robots and AI into human society, which have become prominent themes in several of today's sci-fi movies and "futurism philosophy". Yet I Robot doesn't just feel like a relic that paved the way for the technological sci-fi stories of today, most of the concepts from the book are still relevant and I think many of it's ideas and implications will be considered as technology continues to progress.

 

This is so hard to answer

As far as modern novels I would say The Road by Cormac Mccarthy. Not a single wasted word in the book and society would do well to heed the book's warning

As far as classics I really can't pick one, there is a reason classics come to be revered as classics.

 

The Silmarillion is pretty impressive.

When I was a kid I think reading Swift's 'Gulliver's Travels' made a pretty deep impression. One that I think has had a lifelong impact. Helped to shape my attitude at a crucial age perhaps more than any other book that comes to mind

As an adult - impossible to narrow it down to just one book..

 

Wow...you really liked 100 Years of Solitude?

Ok...to each their own, but I cannot resist saying something....

Whenever I contribute to one of those "Most overrated books of all-time" I ALWAYS lead off with that one. I had to read it in college. Our proffessor loved it. Raved about it. I found it to be confusing, convoluted, and self-indulgent. Obtuse. What's up with all the same names? LOL. I know Garcia-Marquez is credited with creating the whole "Magical Realism" genre with "100 Years" but, I don't care, I couldnt' stand it and was very disappointed. Since I had heard so many good things about it. I barely struggled through the book; it was a real slog. I had to give-up about 2/3rds through and then get the Cliffs Notes. I also must say that I never did that for ANY other book in all of college!

Loved Blood Meridian, though. And I'm a huge Cormac fan. I love the whole stream of consciousness thing. When it is done right, that is. Lolita was OK but is a bit dated now. I'm sure it was a big deal when it came out, but not so much now. I like the Russians, usually, especially Doestoevsky.

Tell us what you liked about 100 Years? I'd be interested.

 

War and peace

 

Anytime I read one of James Lee Burke's novels I literally shake my head in wonder of how freaking good this guy is.

I think he is the best novelist in America.

Period.

Other books that have impressed......

Demon in the Freezer (a non-fiction book that reads like a horror novel. About viruses. Impressed my in a "scared the shit outta me" way! LOL)

Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey (Probably my favorite novel ever.)

A Soldier of the Great War (ditto)

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins (tells you all you need to know about why life IS.) All life. Including us.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Doestoevsky (an unequaled memoir of mental anguish and suffering and self-examination. Wow!)

 

Animal Farm was an obvious satire on the foibles and insurmountable problems of Communism. Of the Communist doctrine and ethos. Race had very little to do with it. Maybe you need to read it again? LOL


http://www.gradesaver.com/animal-farm/q-and-a/george-orwell-wrote-animal-farm-as-an-allegory-about-the-evils-of-the-russian-revolution-use-any-six-animal-characters-from-the-novel-and-explain-how-they-compare-to-actual-individuals-or-representations-of-groups-of-people-71615

 

100 Years, not sure what I loved about it, but I did love it! It's one of those books that, like you said, really has to be taken slowly and waded through, not rushed through. I found the complexity and sheer artistry of the prose to be quite, well, impressive. It was beautifully written. I really appreciate a novel where someone can use language masterfully, and in fresh or exciting ways. I was vaguely familiar with magical realism before 100 Years. I had read a short story by Marquez many years prior, early on in high school, but picked up Solitude with little preconceived notion of what it was about or what to expect. I don't remember a lot about it, now, but I remember the impression it left on me. And this was a list of books which impressed me most, not just my favorites. Although there is some overlap between those two lists.

That was the same reason I loved Lolita, actually. Nabokov, the author, was a language genius, as far as I am concerned. English was far, far from his first language and he was able to play with English words with skills far superior to those of most native speakers. He teased out all the potential of the English language and it was quite dazzling, considering the subject matter.

See, for me, Blood Meridian was extremely impressive, but brutal. The novel is clearly a masterpiece but reading it was an uphill battle; the gruesomeness and bloodshed were astounding, and McCarthy made you feel it. Have you read any Faulker? Their styles are similar, and I wouldn't be surprised is McCarthy drew inspiration from Faulkner. You would probably appreciate his books.

 

The only Faulkner I have read was "The Sound and the Fury" which was a tough, but memorable book. The way Faulkner wrote in each of the three sibiling's narrative voices was genius. But the Benjy chapter was difficult. But awesome!

 

A Fathers Tale by Lionel Dahmer.

Wasn't really "impressed" but I was astounded by how much Jeffery and I had in common. Actually quite scary. :unsure:

 

It's important to struck a responsive chord in the hearts of its readers.

 

It's the longest novel I've ever read.

 

What I didn't like about that book was the actual father and I've read soooo much into Jeffery through my life and I really do point the blame at his parents and at his friends.

When his own family and "friends" can tell that he was falling into an abyss mentally, they did absolutely nothing for him and then had the audacity to call him a coward for bottling those feelings.

Pah! The only cowards there are the friends and family who acknowledged and showed zero support for the poor guy.

 

?

Fine books.
100 Years of Solitude ，I'd suggest people read several times if can't figure it out with first time. I couldn't follow it..