Modern Good Reads discussion

How far back do you want us to go?

The Bible seems to have done pretty well.

I recently read Moby Dick for the first time, after many many attempts to get through it, and I was surprised how strongly it resonated with me.

It was impossible for me to read it without a contemporary lens. Maybe I read it at the right moment, I don't know, but the environmental themes could have been written yesterday. I don't think I had given the 1800s enough credit for their grasp of biology.

Ahab is such a strong character that the rest of the book is overshadowed by him but the descriptions of the different nationalities of the crew and the ports and the great migrations. They were captivating in their own right.

Any of Kafka's work for me. Prefigured the atomisation of modern life better than most

Jack wrote: "I recently read Moby Dick for the first time, after many many attempts to get through it, and I was surprised how strongly it resonated with me.

It was impossible for me to read it without a cont..."

Jack, What a great book. A classic in every sense of the word. Every time that I read Moby Dick I pick up on something I didn't get the first time around. Herman Melville's depth of knowledge is extraordinary.

Sybil wrote: "The Bible seems to have done pretty well."

The bestselling book of all time.

Roger wrote: "Sybil wrote: "The Bible seems to have done pretty well."

The bestselling book of all time."

are we saying this is a work of fiction?

Marc wrote: "Roger wrote: "Sybil wrote: "The Bible seems to have done pretty well."

The bestselling book of all time."

are we saying this is a work of fiction?"

Depends on what you believe the initial question didn't state that the book had to be fiction.

Sybil wrote: "Marc wrote: "Roger wrote: "Sybil wrote: "The Bible seems to have done pretty well."

The bestselling book of all time."

are we saying this is a work of fiction?"

Depends on what you believe the i..."

Um the forum is called "Literary Fiction" :-)

Okay Marc you win. But I don't think all the bible is fact just the same, however lets move on. How about Pride and Prejudice?

Marc wrote: "Roger wrote: "Sybil wrote: "The Bible seems to have done pretty well."

The bestselling book of all time."

are we saying this is a work of fiction?"

Good point, Marc. How far back do you want to go? I thought The Count of Monte Cristo was an excellent read.

Sybil wrote: "Marc wrote: "Roger wrote: "Sybil wrote: "The Bible seems to have done pretty well."

The bestselling book of all time."

are we saying this is a work of fiction?"

Depends on what you believe the i..."

Just a little tidbit of a priests humour.
Father Koenig, later a Cardinal, was asked by a eight grader ife the Bible was true. He stood stock still for a minute then said, "... I don't know how much of it is true, it has been told so many times, some of the facts may have been altered, but it does help us Priests a lot to sell religion...!"

Erich wrote: "Sybil wrote: "Marc wrote: "Roger wrote: "Sybil wrote: "The Bible seems to have done pretty well."

The bestselling book of all time."

are we saying this is a work of fiction?"

Depends on what you..."

Like it Erich it probably true of all Christianity.

Going way back I offer "The Epic of Gilgamesh."

In the 19th century it's Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" for its complex portrayal of race.

Closer to our time, "Under the Glacier" by Halldór Laxness serves as a terrific read.

Going back a century and more, I have to nominate Bram Stokers Dracula...it has survived wars and always made a recurrence, who does not think of Vampires, like the stories or not...the myth has survived better than most, longer than others.

Hear, Hear...I have to agree whole heartedly...he is good better than the emulators.

I agree with Dracula in terms of Vampires and those ideas in general but I actually didn't enjoy Dracula at all.
I really like Pride and Predjudice but in my opinion Nineteen Eighty-Four is one of the most important books. It's timeless and you can still apply it to our society. It's so good while it's also pretty scary and one of my all time favourite books.

Erich wrote: "Going back a century and more, I have to nominate Bram Stokers Dracula...it has survived wars and always made a recurrence, who does not think of Vampires, like the stories or not...the myth has su..."

Hmm, the vampire myth was well established in folklore long before Victorian authors latched on to it of which Stoker of course was the epitome. The revival in interest must be down to the movies and more lately TV teen vampires in high school series. Glittery vampires up and about in sunny California, poor old Bram must be spinning in his grave. Though of course he would have turned to dust decades ago.

Not if he was bitten...maybe he is just waiting for someone to raise the lid on his tomb...LOL

I would suggest the works of Louisa May Alcott. Those show the beginnings of the feminist movement in America.

Been reading for a long time but when Patrick O'Brian's sea sagas appeared I was made to sit up in admiration; his descriptive passages and characterization are simply astonishing and gripping; he was still writing beautifully into his eighties.

Dianne wrote: "Loved Louisa May Alcott and what about books that appealed to us in our formative years? Remembering the Nancy Drew series and think a series was called Cherry Ames. Great literature, no, memorabl..."

Nancy Drew... now wee go back into a age most of us old timers wish to forget. YA books, yes they were the books made for pre-teens. Great writing and adventure, I read them when my kids were that age, god ..let me forget, my kids will not want to remember when I made them read instead of carousing.

Depends what you mean by 'Best Book'. It could be favorite book, classic for the ages, most ground breaking, unique, loved by all... And I think 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen fits all those descriptions, I was a young buck when I first came across this true classic and thought that I would just plough through this kissy, romance chick-lit nonsense and, boy, was I wrong. Austen has a gift for storytelling, characterization, narrative flow and the craft of writing that most writers can only dream of. Wheather your 6 or 60, male or female, rich or poor everyone should read this book because it transcends genres. If a young man full of himself thinking he was cooler than he could ever be and engrossed in horror and action novels can love it anyone can.

Also, honorable mention to 'A Christmas Carol' by Dickens. It not the best written book and should be read aloud in a family setting to really be enjoyed but the basic story has been plagiarized countless times and there has to be something in that.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is one of my all time favourites.

"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens was my favorite, but I loved all his books.

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy is another one I enjoyed.

I agree with Christine, I read A Tale of Two Cities twice, but love all of Dickens stuff. Tried getting into the Pickwick Papers once but couldn't...have always loved the title though.

I found Dickens a bit wordy, but there's no doubt he was a massively influential writer.

Far from the Madding Crowd

I just recently finished "Vanity Fair" and absolutely adored it. It was funny, sarcastic, and entertaining. Becky Sharp is refreshingly flawed, and SUCH a character!