4.22 avg rating — 72,235 ratings

"Are you looking for…the truth, ultimate meaning, beauty and purpose?

Each Hesse novel is compelling and inspiring in relation to the personal quest to find and know yourself. What is interesting about this novel is that the two main characters take different routes in this process of discovery, one a religious rational thinker, the other a wandering poet and artist. Each walk of life yields interesting results and each is treated with the eloquent beauty that distinguishes Hesse. A great example of Hesse’s exquisite prose mixed with his crafted philosophical ideas.
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4.40 avg rating — 158,251 ratings

"Are you looking for…the most poetic and inspiring book about science ever written, a book that will help you understand the world around you?

This is easily in my top five favorite books of all time…and it’s about science. I never really understood science in school, yet if Carl Sagan was my freshman year science teacher I probably would have majored in biology or astronomy. This book covers the history of science and explains the heavens above with poetic justice in a way that even a moron like me can understand. The author is in awe of the world around him, and he is able to explain it in such a manner that this awe is transferred to the reader. I have never read another book that mixes reason with poetry that comes close to this book. Unforgettable read.
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4.06 avg rating — 145,298 ratings

"Are you looking for…American badassness, epic narrative, story that puts hair on your chest, forbidden love and all its glory?

Cormac McCarthy picks up where Hemmingway left off as an American author who studies life by presenting bleak, skeletal narratives with badass male protagonists. This novel is his finest, perhaps because it contains a plot that mixes American and Mexican cultures, while pointing out the good and the bad in this mutual relationship. The protagonist also may be the most bad ass and epic character ever. If I could have a few beers with any character in a story, he’d win. As sweeping and breath taking as a desert sunset, this is a must read.
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4.13 avg rating — 134,425 ratings

"Are you looking for…inspirational, real life narratives that exemplify the human ability to overcome and (if determined) thrive?

Perhaps no book better discusses the importance of reading and thinking than Narrative of the Life. It is a narrative told by a deep thinker who strongly questions the state of affairs and presents ideas that are strongly developed. Not only does it articulate compelling theories, it has some of the most moving passages about motherhood, and the best passage about the power of music I’ve ever read. An American classic and perhaps the best autobiography ever written, perhaps all the more astonishing considering Douglass had to teach himself how to read as a teenager. Douglass provides an example of how to sharpen your individual character and inspires you to develop your critical thinking and rhetorical skills. This book is very deep and simply outstanding.
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4.12 avg rating — 11,623 ratings

"Are you looking for…the ultimate meaning, questioning god, the innocence of childhood as it is tarnished by society?

This is the Mark Twain you never knew existed. Twain tells a stark and magical narrative that reveals truths and thoughts on life better than his satirical light tales. It is based in 15th century Russia, and the main character meets an angel named Satan who goes to show him truths about life he may or may not be ready for. Very important side note, there are two different editions of this book floating around. Read The Mysterious Stranger NOT The Mysterious Stranger #41. They are very different stories. Controversy surrounds whether or not Twain actually finished this story or whether his editors chopped in different parts of the story. Then again, if authorship questions were enough to prevent us from reading, no one would get to read Shakespeare. A fantastic and haunting narrative, screw the English major elitists who avoid the book.
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4.23 avg rating — 327,293 ratings

"Are you looking for…poetic truths, beautiful utterances on life and love?

The Prophet is like a pamphlet for life. Each chapter is devoted to a different topic (from love, friendship, clothes, learning, so on) and the discourses are all spot on. When you need poetic validation or inspiration, The Prophet is the most concise and soul provoking read out there.
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4.08 avg rating — 870,652 ratings

"Are you looking for…stoicism meets existentialism meets eastern influences all told with simple, delicate and beautiful prose, an individual leaving home to find himself?

The Prophet and Siddhartha are moral guidebooks. Siddhartha contains Hesse’s beautiful prose and gently tells a story of interior struggle and the quest to find self and purpose in the world. Like water gently trickling over rocks, the story goes through different transitions and phases of life, and Siddhartha learns something new in each phase. I have probably read this book more times than any other (perhaps 10-15 times at this point), and what I have found fascinating is the different perspective I gain from it depending on my current position in life. This book meant different things to me when I was a student, when I had just lost my grandfather, when I read it as a teacher. This may be my desert island book, each time I read it I learn something more and some complex issues emerge that are not apparent the first few reads. This is a book that I will always have nearby, and when I need a reminder on why life is beautiful and important, I turn to Siddhartha.
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4.36 avg rating — 3,469,615 ratings

"Are you looking for…a powerfully complicated father son relationship, the bonds of brotherhood and friendship being tested by the harsh rules of life and race, heroic struggle in the face of horror and oppression?

This was the last book that my grandfather every handed me and said, “you must read this story.” He was right, its messages and its effect will never leave me. It is hauntingly good, stirring, and powerful. Don’t take my word for it, take my grandfather’s. Your intellectual life is incomplete without this story bouncing around your brain.
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3.78 avg rating — 244,553 ratings

"Are you looking for…a tale of combating insanity meets philosophical history, a combination of eastern and western philosophies, an individual who is not afraid to think differently and laugh in the face of those who are afraid of him?

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is not for everyone, but I found both the plot and the rich philosophy lessons spot on. It’s basically a free philosophy textbook told in the guise of a good story. It’s a long book, and one that is best read with a philosophy expert nearby, but it’s a fantastic tale. In addition to really describing philosophy well, you also get a glimpse of a mind teetering on insanity and you witness a very complex father son relationship. Compelling, but also the kind of book that most people start but never finish.
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3.61 avg rating — 446,334 ratings

"Are you looking for…philosophy plus roadtrip plus sex and adventure equals this book, the American spirit?

The first time I read this, I just thought it was about sex, drugs and adventure, yet with each read it becomes more poignant and the deeper meanings emerge along with the fun stuff. If you’re in the state of uncertainly regarding what exactly you want to do, yet you feel the urge of life beckoning you to dive in, this book is for you. It is a uniquely American story that brings different lessons from each corner of this country and combines them into a bad ass tale. So yeah, sex, drugs and adventure a plenty, but dig deeper and the true wisdom shines forth.
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4.20 avg rating — 5,402,881 ratings

"Are you looking for…big government apocalyptic tale, an individual’s struggle against society, the power of love?

1984 is by far the best book out of a genre of literature popular between the world wars that warned against society being consumed by tyrannical governments that turned everyone into a kind of mediocre slush. These books can be moralistic and predictable, but this is different. What stands out about this book is the character’s noble struggle and imaginative mind against the forces that try to hold him down. He seeks love and self in spite of the dangers he faces, and the author does a fantastic job of investing you in his quest. Also, it helps understand the mind of someone who lives under a tyrannical dictator, which unfortunately is still the case for millions around the world.
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4.10 avg rating — 49,785 ratings

"Are you looking for…someone who can both laugh at and love his country, legitimate commentary on modern life that you can still smile while reading?

If the Mysterious Stranger is Twain with his gloves on, Man Without a Country is Kurt Vonnegut chilling at a fireside just chuckling about life. This is not a plot driven story, more just observations Vonnegut has on life and literature in general. It’s the kind of book where you either laugh or say, oh yeah, why didn’t I think about that every sentence. Certainly worth a read for any contemporary patriot and modern thinker.
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3.82 avg rating — 351,917 ratings

"Are you looking for…the hardships of life just told the way they are, a true tear jearker told by a man’s man, a book that puts hair on your chest, a war and love story?

I think Farewell to Arms is Hemmingway’s best story (slightly edging out For Whom the Bell Tolls based on length. If you want to make a 500 page investment, Bell Tolls is equally stunning). It exemplifies the masculine aura of awesomeness that is Hemmingway and the heart wrenching agony of life that he likes to tell. It’s essentially a shot of reality to the face. Hemmingway is rather bleak, but I think he leaves room in his stories for you to see the good, and perhaps just truly empathize with the characters and their struggles. It is heart wrenching and powerful, perhaps all the more with Hemmingway’s understanding outstanding prose.
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3.93 avg rating — 5,865,044 ratings

"Are you looking for…the anguish of love, the evils of money, the danger of betrayal, the distraction of wealth and toys hiding the deep sorrows of love beneath?

I tried not to make this list a list of classics, but this book is an outstanding and uniquely American story of wealth, love and sorrow. I did not really like this book the first time I read it, but now it punches me in the heart each time I read it. Certain sentences are crafted to a perfection, and the story tells about the bummer of love even when clouded in glamour. This is an interesting look at the self made man, and more than that it shows that wealth and materialism cannot protect the heart.
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3.83 avg rating — 1,334,066 ratings

"Are you looking for…the quintessential American adventure, a book that deals with race, religion, and travel which does not seem dated at all?

I really tried to avoid double dipping any author, but I couldn’t help it for Hesse and Twain. Huck Finn is not only the arichtype of American boyhood, he is an extremely complex character who undergoes some deep philosophical issues during the story. Perhaps the best thing about this book, is that the more you read it, the more complex it becomes. One the one level it’s an adventure story you’ll start to love when you’re like 10. However, Twain weaves deeper issues into the story that become apparent to the adult reader. Huck is beat by his father, has no mother, and struggles to figure out family and relationship to the divine. He abandons his religion in favor of the friendship of a slave, who is also shown as a complex and compelling character. This is a story I reread every few years and enjoy it more each time."

4.27 avg rating — 120,506 ratings

"Are you looking for…advice on youth, the struggle of love, the individual’s quest for artistic expression in an indifferent world?

If you want to be a writer, or if you seriously contemplate your interior life, this is a book you must read. It is a series of about 10 letters from a German poet to a student, and they remind me of conversations I have had with my grandfather. Essentially, the uncertain youth turns to the wise old man and gets answers. Ask yourself, must you write? If the answer is yes, you have to read this book.
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4.33 avg rating — 2,450,549 ratings

"Are you looking for…wisdom on life told in a way that young children can appreciate, the wisdom of children triumphing over the cold reason of adults?

The Little Prince is a bit like Siddhartha for middle schoolers, yet every time I read it I come away refreshed and increasingly awed. It proposes that the most important things in life cannot be seen, and that children in with their insatiable curiosity understand the world far better than adults. What this book celebrates is the tender and poetic side of life, one that most children live in fully but most people completely loose as they grow up and the brave and crazy wings of youth get tattered in the rain of life. It’s a way to caress and rock the child in your soul, and a damn good book."

3.94 avg rating — 1,746,830 ratings

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Are you looking for…a kick ass modern narrative that instructs then simply amazes, stories that deal with the incredible human instinct to survive and live through any situation?

This book was on the cusp of this list until I reread it and was blown away again. I’m not a huge fan of contemporary fiction, but this book is incredible. The protagonist goes through a religious tour de world before his life hits an unexpected detour and he is forced to survive on a lifeboat…in the ocean…with a tiger on board. The hook in the preface says this is a story that will make you believe in god. I don’t know about that, but it’s a story that will leave you speechless.
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3.90 avg rating — 2,813,246 ratings

"Are you looking for…an ethical dilemma, the limits of friendship and bonding?

Steinbeck’s masterpiece is essentially a short story that, in spit of its brevity, is able to deeply divulge into some ethical questions that remain with you longer than the story lasts. It is beautiful and grim, and you are able to identify and support the characters enough to have your heart beat faster when things start to get interesting. I liked this better than Grapes of Wrath, which I think is a little too black and white. This story will launch you into ethical discussions with no clear cut answers. Brilliant!
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