Earlier today, I saw HuffPost Books post that question on Facebook, with several interesting (and funny) responses.
I gave this a little thought and decided that these 5 books have changed my life more than any others:
1. The Witches by Roald Dahl
I was OBSESSED with this book (and most of his books) when I was a kid. This one stands out to me as really getting my imagination going. It made me fall in love with reading and, more importantly, it got me thinking about writing my own stories.
2. Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
I really had no idea that a main character could be such a little asshole. It comforted me. When I wrote as a kid, I used to emulate fairy tales and “proper” stories. This book showed me that I could let loose.
3. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk
Much like Catcher in the Rye, this book expanded my understanding of how far fiction can go.
4. Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut
Quite simply, this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s both humorous and tragic in tone, a not-so-easy feat.
5. The World According to Garp by John Irving
To round out the top 5, I had a hard time deciding between this book and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. They are both such epic stories with rich characters. In the end, Garp always sticks with me.
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What books are your life-changers?
Bravo to Huffington Post for bringing some literature to Facebook! Thanks for sharing your top 5. Some of mine are similar to yours: 1. Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie; 2. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J R R Tolkein; 3. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut; 4. Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens; 5. Macbeth by Shakespeare (I know it’s a play but I’m counting it!).
I know, literature on Facebook? Who knew? Thanks for sharing! I love Macbeth too!
The first one is Orwell’s 1984. The second is Maugham’s Of Human Bondage. I read both in my junior year of high school. They’re the reason I became an English major and started loving to read again.
The third one is Borges Ficciones. This book destroyed my understanding of fiction and enlarged my vision of what writing could do.
Great post.
Ah, yes, 1984! Thanks for sharing!