I have read over 500 books in my life.
The task of listing some is a bit daunting.I can only recall around 300.
Feel free to comment and I'll feel free to retort.Jacqueline Carey
The Fantasy Genre is not my favorite but every now and then I do find a book that intrigues me. To say that I enjoy Jacqueline Carey's complete works is even more astounding since she is a fantasy-fiction writer. There's something sultry about her prose; think Anaïs Nin without the overt sex.
House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski
The most brilliantly disturbed and odd piece of literature ever written. It's not for everyone. That is all.
The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt
I was completely captivated by DeWitt's oddly constructed debut novel. Sadly there's a pathetic movie of the same name but I assure you it has nothing to do with that crap movie. The title refers to The Seven Samurai directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film serves as a pseudo-male figure to a fatherless child. There's a lot of warmth and hilarity between single mother Sibylla and her genius child Ludo. A must for any fan of Kurosawa and/or single parents.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
I know you're thinking that a pattern is developing here. Life of Pi is another oddly constructed novel. Martel stated he needed to write this novel to put some direction in his life. Naturally this appealed to me.
Karakter by Ferdinand Bordewijk
Karakter was a difficult read for me. I got through it quickly but it stirred up emotions that completely drained me. On the surface, it feels like something Charles Dickens wrote but it was dark and read more like Kafka. Never knowing who my biological father is I can surely feel the contempt and rage Katadreuffe had for his dad.
Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
The best piece of literature on selling your soul to the devil, period. It's also the only work written during the Elizabethan era that deals with the subject. Oh yeah, Christopher Marlowe wrote what is attributed to William Shakespeare. ☺
The Big Drop: Classic Big Wave Surfing by John Long
All I recall from this book is what happened to me at Banzai Pipeline.
Ok, I think I'm done. The toughest part was selecting which books to put in. My head hurts. Where am I?
I gotta tag someone... Karen, you're it!
thank you. i will be adding a few of these to my 'must read' list. only because you recommend them, you understand.
ReplyDeleteNo I don't understand "because I recommend them." Who the hell am I to be taken seriously? ☺
ReplyDeleteI know I'll be adding a few of these to my list as well. I'd never heard of them, except for Life of Pi. And now I'm very curious about Jacqueline Carey's novels. Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteNooooo! Not me! ;-)
ReplyDeleteI suck at tag. Blog tags even more.
Thank you Mr T and that's a slick reading list you've got there. Haven't come across Karakter. The title sounds more Kafka than Dickens whom I loathe probably more than Austen if that is at all possible. Ha.