Best book ever

[Al-Harakut al-Islami]

What, in your opinion is the best book ever?

Now, what I mean is, which book have you enjoyed the most and you've learnt the most from.
What did you like about it? What did you learn from it? Why should I read it?

For me, my favorite books (besides the Qur'an) would have to be Snow by Pamuk and All's Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque.
Pamuk's Snow is a love story, and has taught me a lot about a lover's devotion. It's taught me about longing and waiting. It's also a political novel, and has taught me a lot about modern Turkish, European, and Middle-Eastern politics, and for the motivation of modern Islamists and what it's like to experience cultural Westernization.

Remarque's All's Quiet on the Western Front has taught me about what it's actually like to be a soldier. War is absolutely not glamorized in this story -- there's absolutely none of the cavalier attitude found in so many other novels or in video games. It actually shows you what it's like to have to fight and die because you're told to.

Yours?

[Maltropia]

The Lord of the Rings. I don't care if I seem cliqued by saying so, it is. Every time I reread it I can only be stunned at how in-depth it is.

A close follow (more for enjoyment than literary value) is Donald E. Westlake's God Save the Mark, the funniest crime novel I have ever read.

[Hypparchia]

1984. Nah, am just kidding !

Lord of the Flies, 451 Fahrenheit and The English Patient would be one of my tops. Probably there's others too, but I can't remember atm.

[Ceannairceach]

Interview With The Vampire.

[Conserative Morality]

All Quiet on the Western Front is number one. It has incomparable emotional impact.

One Day in the Life Of Ivan Denisvich is number two, very close behind.

[Al-Harakut al-Islami]

The Lord of the Rings. I don't care if I seem cliqued by saying so, it is. Every time I reread it I can only be stunned at how in-depth it is.

A close follow (more for enjoyment than literary value) is Donald E. Westlake's God Save the Mark, the funniest crime novel I have ever read.

1984. Nah, am just kidding !

Lord of the Flies, 451 Fahrenheit and The English Patient would be one of my tops. Probably there's others too, but I can't remember atm.

Interview With The Vampire.

What did you like about them? What did you learn from them?

And there's a lot you can learn from 1984 -- I personally loved that book for all its taught about how totalitarianism works, and the horrifying prospect of a government that can command thou Art.

[Santana Guerra]

Ayn Rand's Capitalism Unknown Ideal, one of the best books ever. Another good one is F.A. Hayek's The Fatal Conceit.

[Cembria]

I'd say Ghostwritten and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, two novels by British author David Mitchell, are amongst the best novels I have read so far. It's remarkable how much preparation, study and efforts are put into these stories. Well written too.

[Hypparchia]

1984 is quite overpraised, and barely has any semblance to how a REAL totalitarian state would work.

Otherwise, I like 451 Fahrenheit because it's visionary, I'd say Bradbury's future is much, much more plausible than that of Orwell.

Lord of the Flies is the ultimate tale of human degradation. I kinda like stories about decaying morality and people turning into beasts.

The English patient, well, it's really striking emotionally, and, outside of its content, it gives me hope that even in this era of fakeness fine literature can still be created.

[Maltropia]

What did you like about them? What did you learn from them?

Simply to address that about LotR, it's heard to say. The book is written as an epic, saga, legend, but does so with no, or little, basis in fact or the world as we know it. So the ties that it makes, the symbolism and representation, to real values and tradition, are all the more impressive, a tricky feat for such powerful imagery as it uses. It's hard to nail down what's so good about those six books, because there's so much to describe. They are a literary genre in their own right, and so much more than that at the same time.

[Ceannairceach]

What did you like about them? What did you learn from them?

And there's a lot you can learn from 1984 -- I personally loved that book for all its taught about how totalitarianism works, and the horrifying prospect of a government that can command thou Art.

What I learned? Immortality sucks.

I like the characters. Lestat is amazing.

[Qatarab]

Other than the Quran?

Well...Lets see:
The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Army Survival Skills, Tactics, and Techniques.

Now guess why it taught me alot

[Al-Harakut al-Islami]

Other than the Quran?

Well...Lets see:
The Ultimate Guide to U.S. Army Survival Skills, Tactics, and Techniques.

Now guess why it taught me alot

Did it show you a way to cook eggs, pop-tarts, and kosher marshmallows together in a satisfying way?

[Kubra]

it gives me hope that even in this era of fakeness fine literature can still be created.

Hey man, there's been some great books of the 00's.

[Mike the Progressive]

Well at least nobody mentioned (seriously) Animal Farm of 1984, both of which have become cliches and arguments by the left and right against the opposing ideologue and why theirs will maintain freedom, liberty and equality.

[Al-Harakut al-Islami]

Well at least nobody mentioned (seriously) Animal Farm of 1984, both of which have become cliches and arguments by the left and right against the opposing ideologue and why theirs will maintain freedom, liberty and equality.

We've mentioned 1984 the most here.

[Al-Harakut al-Islami]

it gives me hope that even in this era of fakeness fine literature can still be created.

Hey man, there's been some great books of the 00's.

Such as...?

[Mike the Progressive]

Well at least nobody mentioned (seriously) Animal Farm of 1984, both of which have become cliches and arguments by the left and right against the opposing ideologue and why theirs will maintain freedom, liberty and equality.

We've mentioned 1984 the most here.

I said seriously.

[Kubra]

Hey man, there's been some great books of the 00's.

Such as...?

Raw Shark Texts
Infinite Jest
House of Leaves
Richard Yates (The Tao Lin book(HATERS GON' HATE(well, it's certainly unique)))
Underworld by Don DeLillo

[Gweynavere]

I would have to say A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni. It was my favorite book growing up and my favorite book still. I learned that chameleons are pretty cool and the story became more relatable as I got older. Sometimes the most satisfying part of life is having a companion.

[Oterro]

I second the LotR vote.

Hey man, there's been some great books of the 00's.

Such as...?

[Nightkill the Emperor]

I can't give a specific, but it'd definitely be a Discworld book, probably Small Gods. Nice view on religion in that book, and leaves you giggling long after you finished it, but makes you think too.