Aug 18, 2003 09:55 PM
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(Updated Aug 18, 2003 10:42 PM)
So hard to pick.I would have felt much more comfortable if we got to pick the fifty best books. These are only the good ones that I’ve read in recent memory. I’m sure there are tons of really good books that I’ve forgotten about. Well anyway here it goes…
1) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevesky. The pages seemed to fly by and this is one of the few books that led me to fully experience everything that was going on. And you surprise yourself(“Hey, I’m identifying with a guy who murdered an old lady for no reason!”). From Raskolnikov the murderer to his intelligent, independent sister Dunia and Sonia, the proverbial pr*stitute with a heart of gold, all the characters are unforgettable.
2) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. The story of the four March sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. A Civil War classic enjoyed by generations of readers. You haven’t lived unless you’ve gone through the experience of reading this book.
3) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Self-disciplined and independent but childish, Gatsby lives in his own world even though he is living in others’ at the same time. He knows everyone, but no one knows anything about him. To the narrator’s amazement, Gatsby has everything in the world except for the one thing he really wants, and the pursuit of that one thing ultimately destroys him. Fitzgerald has meticulously used hundreds of little details and phrases to portray a character that is both larger than life and human to the point of being vulnerable.
4) A Prayer for Owen Meany—Owen Meany is a tiny miracle. At the age of eleven he knows exactly how and when he is going to die. He also knows that he was created to be a hero. Set during the Vietnam era, this book is dizzyingly real and sad without being mushy. Widely considered the author’s best book. Owen Meany is A REAL HERO. He is UNFORGETTABLE. My favorite line: “WHAT’S THE POINT OF BEING SCARY?”(You’ll understand the use of capitals when you read the book).
5) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte—Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier is a decent book, but it pales when you compare it to the original, Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre has the same characterization, but it is much richer and longer. The story of a governess who falls for her moody employer Mr. Rochester, a man harboring a dark secret. The happy ending is a big plus, although now that I am older I found Mr. Rochester's treatment of a certain character very troubling.
