Which novel most changed your life?

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Repanse de Schoye Tue, Jan 29, 2008 at 05:03 AM EST

I thought I'd contribute--even now in 2008.

1) Old Man and the Sea--Hemingway was writing about much more than an old man's quest to catch a fish...it was a psychological portrait of an old writer, fighting his critics and age and dipping into the collective unconscious once again to see if he could catch hold of the Muse one more time. The reason, too, in looking back at his Nick Adams stories, particularly after WWI, Old Man and the Sea is all the more poignant.

2) To Kill a Mockingbird. My father was a small town district attorney, whom everyone considered their own prosecutorial Atticus Finch. It was also one of the most beautifully-told stories about the goodness of a man whom we wish still exists--where goodness, bravery, and decency are indelible influences.
3. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison. I have never read as lyrical, magical, and powerful a book of fiction. And I am as white and blonde a WASP as they come. It proves literature hits you on a human level, as it should.

j. brand Wed, Nov 14, 2007 at 04:40 PM EST

Look Homeward Angel and Catch 22.

Boone Wed, Aug 2, 2006 at 12:45 AM EST

Joseph Conrad's VICTORY
Dalton Trombo's JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN

Polly Tue, May 2, 2006 at 12:22 PM EST

F/46 Nancy Drew, Diary of Anne Frank, Black Like Me, The Jungle, Siddhartha, all fo Faulkner, Zen & and Art of Mortorcycle Maintenance, Yellow Raft on Blue Water, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale and A Soldier of the Great War.

michael Tue, Apr 25, 2006 at 08:00 AM EST

THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is the best novel I've read in my life. A thriller, a love story, a comedy, a victorian gothic and a profound experience all wrapped in one. Funny, sad, scary, sexy and extremely clever and seductive. Will change the way you read and look at books. Do not miss it!

Mike Mon, Apr 17, 2006 at 02:43 PM EST

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Alice Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 06:07 PM EST

female
1.)Pride and Prejudice
2.) The Age of Innocence
3.) The Great Gatsby
4.) Ethan Frome
5.) The Catcher in the Rye

Mary Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 04:27 PM EST

Female, age 36

As a kid-
all of the Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume books, especially "Are you ther God, It's me Margaret", "Then Again Maybe I Won't", and "Forever"...it was almost required reading in 7th-8th grade!

The Boxcar Children, S.E. Hinton; and "Oh, The Places You Will Go", the first book to make me realize there was a big world out there and it was okay to want to see it.

As a teen -
The Color Purple, To Kill a Mockingbird, and all the Danielle Steele books.

As an adult -
"Frankenstein" (beautifully written and so different than the Hollywood story)
All of the Harry Potter books
"Suzanne's Diary to Nicholas" (don't usually read these kinds of books, but it made me cry at the end)
"Bridget Jones" and ANY poetry by Emily Dickinson (the only poet I can recite from heart)

Angie Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 03:35 PM EST

Have been an avid reader ever since discovering The Bobbsey Twins and Trixie Belden. Teen years brought Nancy Drew and Little House series. Have always read and reread Gone with the Wind, The Stand, East of Eden, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. I read any and everything I can.

Lori Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 03:22 PM EST

Favorite books:
Ender's Game
The Stand
Little Women

Ones that affected me:
The Handmaid's Tale
The Color Purple
Lost Boys (by Orson Scott Card, not the vampire movie)

Pam Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 03:03 PM EST

My favorites in no particular order:
1) The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Milan Kundera
2) Night - Elie Wiesel
3) The Secret History- Donna Tart
4) Beloved- Toni Morrison
5) Heart Breaking Work of Staggering Genius- Dave Eggers

JL Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:58 PM EST

23/M

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" is a must read if you know someone in your life that is autistic - even if you dont, it is still a very touching novel.

kelly80 Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:57 PM EST

My favorite author as a kid was Roald Dahl-I had read everything he had ever written. Also, I loved 'A Wrinkle in Time'. My preteen years I loved all the V.C. Andrew books. However, the most life changing book of all was when I read Maya Angelou's autobiography series starting with 'I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings'. I knew what I wanted to do in life after reading those. Touched me in so many ways.

Stephanie Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:51 PM EST

So many books have made an impact on me, through the years. I, too, read Cherry Ames and Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew books while in grade school and could not get enough of them!
Loved Jane Eyre
Separate Peace (had to write an intensive paper on
that in school)

The Stand
Lament for a Son
1984
To Kill a Mockingbird
Interview with a Vampire
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Tinker at Pilgrim Creek
And probably too many more to count!

kj Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:49 PM EST

43/f

Little House series as a young girl. Tend to read more biographies/true life stuff now. However, just finished reading "The Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay. Great book and the only book of his that you can get here in the U.S.

KC Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:28 PM EST

My parents strongly encouraged reading and read in front of us. Therefore my siblings and I became voracious readers. I enjoyed the "Cherry Ames" series as a girl. Cherry was a strong female protagonist who worked as a nurse in the southwest. From those books I learned about life in a different part of our country. I grew up in NJ but for many years have lived in the southwest.
A Wrinkle in Time was my first science fiction book that I read. I was captivated by the story as well as the finely-drawn characters.
Other favorites in my life as a parent and teacher:
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Where the Wild Things are by Maurice Sendak-the message I gleaned from this as a young adult was that you could be creative and unorthodox and still be loved
The Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl-I loved the Oompah Loompahs.
Winnie the Pooh- wise and funny story
Bunnicula and the other stories in the series-read by my young son and the rest of our family. The humor and puns are fun for all ages especially for young families
Gulag Archipelago by Solynetsyn-an outspoken writer was imprisoned for many years in Siberia. This is his story.
Female-56

V.M.L. Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:19 PM EST

The Catcher in the Rye because it made me feel good that I was not the whiny person in the world.

Raul Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:15 PM EST

Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea

Read it kids.

kirsten Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:11 PM EST

F/32

In Search of April Raintree
A prayer for Owen Meany
The Velveteen Rabbit
To Kill a Mockingbird
Bridget Jones
Pride and Prejudice
The Catcher in the Rye

Don Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:09 PM EST

Complete dork, but these are the books that impacted me the most:

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne. I'm still affected by the sense of wonder every time I read it.

Neuromancer by William Gibson. I read it in high-school before the cyberspace was very accessible. I knew it was the future.

The Best of H.P. Lovecraft by H.P. Lovecraft (duh). Cosmic wonder, eldritch horror, and big, arcane words.

victoria Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:00 PM EST

In no particular order the most influential books for me have been:
1.) Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
2.)The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
3.)To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
4.)Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
5.)Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
6.)Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
7.)A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
8.)The Diary of Anne Frank
9.)The Stand by Stephen King (no laughter please)
10.)The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

That isn't in any particular order, and most of them not particularly original, but "Siddhartha" is really a huge one for me. I was assigned it as a High School sophomore and hated it. I was re-assigned it as a high school senior and it changed my life. "Catcher" is another one that had a dramatic effect. I only recommend the British version of "Clockwork", especially if you haven't seen the film. I must also say I'm a little surprised not to see a little more people list "Fahrenheit 451", mostly because of the subject matter ot that book. Bradbury is a genius, and I had a hard time picking out just one of his, but I guess I'd have to say that one and "Martian Chronicles" of his novels, but ALL the short stories are totally worth thr read too.
I know that a place on the list held by a Stephen King novel is subject to much criticism, but come on, you know you've read at least one of his.
"Lolita" is also subject to much criticism, but it was really eye opening to me, as has anything I've read by Nicholson Baker.

M Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 01:46 PM EST

33/Female

It feels like I was more influenced/changed by the books I read as a teenager:

Island of the Blue Dophins by Scott O' Dell
Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth Speare
Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

or as a young adult:

The Source by James Michener
Shogun by James Clavell
The Slave by Isaac Bashevis Singer
The fixer by Malamud

megan Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 01:35 PM EST

I read so much as a little girl- all of Lewis and Tolkein by the time I was fourteen and so on- but the book that changed my life was Ender's Game, when I was twelve. I related to it in the immediate sense, but it also taught me to be discerning with my reading choices, because I got to find out that most of the rest of Card's work is so intensely plotty that it's really hard to relate to.

Shannon Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 01:31 PM EST

28/F

1. The Chronicles of Narnia
2. Gone with the Wind
3. The Little House Series
4. Jurassic Park
5. Lonesome Dove

I have read these books at least yearly since the first time I read them. I am surprised to see that none of them are listed very frequently on everyone's comments!

Melissa Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 01:28 PM EST

I'm a 26 year old woman working in education and it's interesting re-reading classic literature with my students. I mean, The Great Gatsby is VERY different the second time around. These are the top 3 that changed my life:

SuperFudge by Judy Blume (the first "big book" I read to completion)

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (the first book to make me consider my own place in the world)

Candy Freak by Steve Almond (the first book to help me realize that obsession can be production...not simply destructive)

Sue Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 12:50 PM EST

I'm 37/F and the books that have had the greatest impact on me are in no real order:

1) To Kill a Mockingbird - LOVED it! Read in 8th grade and re-read it all the time, plus I love the movie!
2) The Giving Tree - amazing message!
3) The Outsiders or really anything by SE Hinton - those books got me to love reading!
4) Little Women - I read it to my sister and it's still a bond we have between us as sisters!
5) Love in the Time of Cholera - amazing love story!!

cmweath Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 12:32 PM EST

Female 18
To this day, the best book I have ever read is The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Its one of the only books that I can pick up and read over and over again to this day.

moonstouch Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 12:21 PM EST

f/43
Some books have been life changing, but most have just been books that have gotten me through the trials and tribulations of everyday life. The books listed are books I have read more than once, and will continue reading over and over again in the future. So, in no particular order:
The Stand - Stephen King (This is my first book of memory that made me really think about the delicate balance of life)
The Drifters - James Michener
Centenial - James Michener
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield
Hypocrite In A Pouffy White Dress - Susan Jane Gilman

BTW, I loved reading everyone's choices of books. Made me remember some old favorites I definately need to re-read!

Amy Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 12:12 PM EST

26, Female

The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath (It changed my life - as well as consumed it for several years)

Julie Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 11:58 AM EST

I'm a 26 year old female in the education field.

Here's my list of influential novels:

1) Wuthering Heights blew me away when I was 12 and I've reread it every year since then. It is the book by which I judge all others. It helped form my concept of love. My wife and I even used a passage from the novel as wedding vows.

2) With its grokking and water brothers, Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land changed the way I saw myself in relation to the world and everyone else in it.

3) Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead made me reconsider everything I thought about religion.

4) As an academic and feminist, Gilbert and Gubar’s Madwoman in the Attic shaped and defined the type of literary criticism that I was drawn to.

Bruna Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 11:50 AM EST

female/31

The Black Stallion (obsessed with it as a child)
Jacob Have I Loved (Still love it)
Tales of Fourth Grade Nothing (Really kick started my love of books)
Harriet the Spy
Macbeth
Taming of the Shrew
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Pride & Prejudice
Life of Pi
Bridget Jones's Diary

miuciaverma Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 11:42 AM EST

The novel that most recently impacted my life:
The Fountainhead

In the past (no particular order):
The Joy Luck Club
Where the Red Fern Grows
The Great Gatsby
Catcher in the Rye

Sarah Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 10:51 AM EST

27 year old female:
(in no particular order)

A Prayer for Owen Meany and The Cider House Rules by John Irving
Lamb by Christopher Moore
Great Expectations
Les Miserables
Snow Falling on Cedars

Tiff Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 10:50 AM EST

I hated reading until I read, "To Kill A Mockingbird" I still read that once a year and I'm 25. Also, "Where the Red Fern Grows" That was the first book that I read that I got so caught up with the characters that I cried. I recommend giving that book to any child in-between 11-13. It's a beautiful story.

Mary Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 10:29 AM EST

F/18

Cat's Cradle
Slaughterhouse-5
Hocus Pocus (I really like Vonnegut)
The Bell Jar
Catcher in the Rye
The Wanting Seed
Brave New World
The Great Gatsby
A Separate Peace

Erica Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 10:18 AM EST

28/F
I really had to think about this! I have loved so many books in my life, for many different reasons. The list I came up with below is in no particular order, and not all of them are "important" books. I chose the books that made me cry, made me laugh, made me think, made me love the characters, or simply contained a great story that I couldn't put down.

1. The Color Purple
2. Like Water for Chocolate
3. Roots
4. White Oleander
5. She's Come Undone
6. The Crucible ( I know it is a play, but I was first exposed to it by reading it)
7. Confessions of a Shopaholic (I can SO relate!)
8. Memoirs of a Geisha
9. The Time Traveller's Wife
10. The Bluest Eye
11. Prep
12. Pride and Prejudice

Mary Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 10:07 AM EST

35 year old female

As a child I loved the Little House books and Trixie Belden. As a pre-teen I was deeply moved by The Summer of the Falcon.
Some of the other books that have made an impact are:

1. East of Eden
2. Ethan Frome
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. To Kill a Mocking Bird

But my hands down all time favorite book is Tess of the D'Urbevilles. I've been reading it a least once a year for about 17 years now. I'm surprised this book hasn't been mentioned more often. Thomas Hardy, what a writer!

Gaia Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 10:02 AM EST

I'm a 26 year old female.
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein has always been a favorite book of mine. It has such an important message that is so relavent to the society we live in.

Roots by Alex Haley is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. It gave me perspectives into the plight of the slave that I had never considered before. The fact that this book is based on Alex Haley's family that he traced all the way back to a specific tribe in Africa lends more emotional depth and credit to this masterpiece. I think every American should read this book. As a white suburbanite, it was one of the more humbling experiences of my life.

Gone with the Wind is my all time favorite book. The completly opposite perspective than Roots, but the wealthy white man's experience is relative too. The first time I read it I was eleven years old and I have read it at least four times since then. More than anything this book created a female heroine that I had never seen before. Scarlet, in my opinion, is one of the best American literary characters ever. A character that can provoke so many feelings in a reader ranging from complete loathing to sympathy and compassion is a good, strong character. I can't stand Scarlet but I love her. I love her for being such a strong, smart woman and not allowing societies patriarchal views to keep her from doing what she felt she had to do. I also love her for her maddening ignorance, total selfishness, passion, haughtiness, her loyalty to the things that she loves, and ultimately the depths that she finds in her heart.
This book forever shaped my opinion on what kind of man I think is sexy and desirable. I have been in love with Rhett Butler since I was ten years old.
I think my romantic, grand, sweeping, idealistic views of love stem from this novel. GWTW honestly broke my heart. I have never cried like I did when I read the last 100 pages. I was so in love with Rhett and Scarlet being in love. Every time I re-watch the film or re-read the book I am certain that Rhett won't leave this time. My heart gets re-broken every time. I think I have been trying to find my own GWTW type love my whole life. This is way I have never been satisfied.
This book also piqued my interest in the Civil War era that has obviously grown to an interest outside of fanciful books about the wealthy slave owners.
I could write about this book for hours.
I could go on for hours but no worries, I am stopping.

Rhea Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 09:52 AM EST

When I was a kid it was ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, A WRINKLE IN TIME and WIZARD OF EARTHSEA...Now my favorites are too many..
CONTACT-I love that you mentioned it...it totally gave me this sense of awe and amazement with the universe, one of the best emotions I ever got from a book
ENDER'S GAME-my all-time favorite book...anything by Orson Scott Card is amazing because he writes PEOPLE more realistically than anyone else..also loved The Homecoming Series, The Alvin Maker Series, Wryms, I could go on and on about his work...
DUNE-another all-time favorite
THE HARRY POTTER SERIES-Best consistency in fantastic storytelling
JURASSIC PARK-read it 3 times...made me want to be a paleontologist
THE BEACH & FIGHT CLUB-Some of the best line for line dialogue ever
I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS-Maya Angelou- moving beyond belief...
And JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL-Susanna Clarke

Ann Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 09:47 AM EST

These books have "stayed" with me (female/38):
As a young girl:
Anything by Judy Blume
The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe

As a teen:
The Thornbirds
To Kill a Mockingbird
Romeo & Juliet
A Separate Peace

In college:
The Bluest Eye
Robert Frost poetry

Post college:
Persuasion
Jane Eyre
Memoirs of a Geisha
My Sisters Keeper
House of Sand and Fog
Cold Mountain
Fall on Your Knees
DaVinci Code

Carrie Elizabeth Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 09:31 AM EST

1. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
2. Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo
3. Zami by Audre Lorde

(and I'm female)

Lene Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 09:28 AM EST

If you're a dork, then so am I. The Black Stallion as a girl (I read it and the sequeals over and over again), Contact as an adult. Oh, and - of all things - Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat (also as an adult). It says something about living, as opposed to existing, that I needed to hear.

karen tangent Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 09:25 AM EST

books that changed the way i read and write (therefore, they changed my life):

Orlando by Virgina Woolf
Hunger by Knut Hamsun
Death in Venice by Thomas Mann
The Collected Short Stories of Nikolai Gogol
The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa
Underworld by Don DeLillo
Ulysses by James Joyce
The Complete Short Prose of Samuel Beckett

just a few off the top of my head. i'm 22 and female.

Aramis Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 09:04 AM EST

Male - 26y/o

-"The Fcuk Up" by Arthur Nersesian (It actually IS the F-word but, obviously I can't type it out on here)
-"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
-"The Scarlett Letter" by Nathanial Hawthorne
-"The Metamorphesis" by Franz Kafka
-"Into the Wild" by Jon Krakuer
-"Go Ask Alice" by Anonymous (what James Frey tried to achieve with literature and failed, this person did LONG before)
-"Mrs. Dalloway" by Virgina Woolf, coupled with "The Hours" by Michael Cunningham - read these back to back with a HUGE box of Kleenex.
-"American Beauty" by Alan Ball - okay, so not a novel...I read the script before seeing the movie, and it was QUITE the moving experience.

there's a slue of others...but these are my favorites...well written, intriguing, commentative...INSPIRING.

Ellen Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 08:51 AM EST

I am a 47 year old woman...
After many bitter years spent angry with my mother, I read Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. As I read that gorgeous book, My anger dislodged, and I forgave my mom...and have never looked back since.
Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett, also enriched my life, just from the sheer joy of reading this brilliant story. It has left the most lovely images in my mind and heart.

GA Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 08:46 AM EST

I am a 49 year old female

Hanta Yo - Ruth Beebe Hill

This novel was Published in 1979, Ms. Hill spent 30 years doing research on the Lakota Indians. It is well written and will truly change your outlook on life. I have read it many times over the years, and each experience brings more enjoyment to the story. Although Ms. Hill recieved a good deal of controversy over her factual authenticity, it is good to remember, that she was writing a novel. At 800 plus pages, it is not for the light reader, however, I can assure you that you will enjoy the story.

Lindsay Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 08:33 AM EST

17 y/o female

-Catcher in the Rye- J.D. Salinger
-The Stranger- Albert Camus
-To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

Doug W Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 08:30 AM EST

1) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2) The Last Tycoon by F. Scott Fitzgerald
3) A Separate Peace by John Knowles
4) Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella
5) Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Doug W

Lin Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 08:10 AM EST

When I was in grade school it was "Witch of Blackbird Pond" and "Enchantress From the Stars" for the lessons in being true to myself and the value of tolerance and love. Later "Pride and Prejudice" for the sheer joy of language...but the biggest impact in my life came from "Christy" by Catherine Marshall which made me want to be a teacher. I used to re-read it every August before I went back to school so I would remember what inspired me to go beyond the call of duty and be a teacher who could help kids change their own lives and be the best possible person each of them could be. "The 5 Love Languages", "Raising Your Spirited Child", and "The Explosive Child" made a huge differnce for the good in my parenting, and the Redwall books, Harry Potter books and Lord of the Rings trilogy all helped me teach my kids the same values and love of language I had picked up as a child and teen.

flynn Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 08:08 AM EST

Male - 36

I made my own short list and then read all the postings. My list contained many of the same books already listed. These are the three that I didn't see listed by anyone else.

The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh - This is a very well written account of a North Vietnamese Army soldier during his ten year invovlement in the war against the US. It is agonizing and eye opening.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas - Interesting tale of lost love, abuse of power, betrayal and revenge.
Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins - The prose is fascinating. This was my first Robbins novel. I've read many since and none measure up.

Maria Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 08:07 AM EST

Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
The Solace of Leaving Early - Haven Kimmel
Harry Potter Series

Alex Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 07:50 AM EST

I am a 21 year old male.

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris
Running With Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
The Shining - Steven King

Kurt Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 07:37 AM EST

21 y/o Male.

I've read a lot of great books, but only three changed the way I looked at the world:

"The Giver" by Lois Lowry
"1984" by George Orwell
"On the Road" by Jack Keruoac

Faith Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 07:29 AM EST

As a young girl, my first book that held my attention was "A Wrinkle in Time". Later on as a teen my favorite was "The Fixer", I believe was written by Bernard Mallumed? "Jane Eyre", "Boys and Girls Together" ( by William Gold, who writes a lot of screenplays now), "The Portrait of Dorian Grey", "Leaves of Grass" (Walt Whitman, But the book that has haunted me the most and is still my favorite film, is "To Kill a Mockingbird" Brilliantly simple, and yet so haunting, by Harper Lee. First movie I ever saw that stuck to the book completely! There was a few others that have totally captivated me. "Catcher in the Rye", "Catch 22" "1984" "Brave New World" "Animal Farm", really unnerved me. "Slaughter House Five". That was a brilliant book also. But all in all the one that caught my heart was indeed "To Kill a Mockingbird", to me that book will always haunt me.

Faith Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 07:28 AM EST

As a young girl, my first book that held my attention was "A Wrinkle in Time". Later on as a teen my favorite was "The Fixer", I believe was written by Bernard Mallumed? "Jane Eyre", "Boys and Girls Together" ( by William Gold, who writes a lot of screenplays now), "The Portrait of Dorian Grey", "Leaves of Grass" (Walt Whitman, But the book that has haunted me the most and is still my favorite film, is "To Kill a Mockingbird" Brilliantly simple, and yet so haunting, by Harper Lee. First movie I ever saw that stuck to the book completely! There was a few others that have totally captivated me. "Catcher in the Rye", "Catch 22" "1984" "Brave New World" "Animal Farm", really unnerved me. "Slaughter House Five". That was a brilliant book also. But all in all the one that caught my heart was indeed "To Kill a Mockingbird", to me that book will always haunt me.

Vijaya Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 06:45 AM EST

I'm a 32 old female.
I cried when I left my 1947 compact edition of "Pride and Prejudice" at cash machine in Milan, Italy and didn't realise til I got home.. never found it again. Definatley a classic and it taught me that pride and prejudice exists in every culture and is timeless - I've read it countless times.
Also "Catcher in the Rye"(made me realise everybody becomes confused about phonyness at some point in life!), "Franny and Zooey" and "Raise High the Roof-Beam, Carpenters and Seymour - An Introduction" all made me start to care for characters in books, the 'Glass family' from "Seymour' and "F&Z" became addictive reading and the heartbreaking outcome of Seymour in one of nine short stories in
"For Esmé - With Love and Squalor " broke my heart, all by J.D Salinger.
"To Kill a Mockingbird" taught me about courage and standing up for others in a unreasonble world.
Even "Bridget Jones" which got me through being single by making me laugh out loud!. All these books have had a profound effect on me.

Susan Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 05:24 AM EST

51-year-old female

1. Great Gatsby
2. East of Eden
3. Seabiscuit--What a phenomenal athlete Seabiscuit was, and Laura Hillenbrand's writing style is as entertaining as it gets. I was literally holding my breath as she described the races. This is one of those books where you find yourself laughing out loud and later wiping tears from your eyes.
4. The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III--This book moved me probably more than any other recent read. Both main characters are right and yet both are absolutely wrong in how they handle their mutual conflict, resulting in a terrible tragedy. Great reflection on human nature, pride, stubborness, etc.

dbt Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 04:51 AM EST

Woman, age 48. I see dozens of books/authors on this list that I love, but I don't see "Cry, the Beloved Country." I first read it as a college assignment; it's just so profound, humane and eloquent. Another book, "The Blue Willow Plate" ... just full of good values, hope, tolerance and humanity, though it never came off as a lecture; as a kid, I only knew that I loved it.

simona Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 04:27 AM EST

I'm a female, 33.

1. "Disgrace" by J.M.Coetzee
2. "Rabbit at rest" by John Updike
3. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde

Mark Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 04:15 AM EST

1. "Cats Cradle" Kurt Vonnegut
2. "The Talisman" Stephen King & Peter Straub
3. "Da Vinci Code" Dan Brown

All 3 made me take a look at life in some way or another.

27 year old male

Sean Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 04:03 AM EST

Truly life changing? 1983 South Dakota Driver's Manual

Oh, and Willard and His Bowling Tropheys by Richard Brautigan

Kristian Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 03:52 AM EST

male,23

Ulysses - Joyce
In Search of Lost Time - Proust
The Years - Woolf
A Moveable Feast - Hemingway

Hannah Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 03:46 AM EST

23/f

A Ring of Endless Light - Madeleine L'Engle
Persuasion - Jane Austen
Where the Sidewalk Ends - Shel Silverstein

Dan Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 03:16 AM EST

1. Sick Puppy by Carl Hiassen
2. Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis
3. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Marla Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:59 AM EST

What a great question! I enjoyed looking at everyone's choices.

1) Hello God, It's Me Margaret - Judy Blume
2) Ethan Frome -Edith Wharton (made me fall in love with lit!)
3) A Tree Grows in Brookly - Betty Smith
4) Lord of the Rings/Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
5) The Red Tent - Anita Diamante

I'm a 40 year old female.

Rick Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:58 AM EST

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli
The Piano Player - Kurt Vonnegut
The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
The Prophet - Khalil Gibran

Andy Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 02:39 AM EST

I am a 42 year old male.

Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451, Dandelion Wine
Mark Twain: The Mysterious Stranger, A Pen Warmed Up In Hell
Stephen King: The Dark Tower Series
Frank Herbert: Dune,Soul Catcher,The Santaroga Barrier,Hellstrom's Hive
Ernest Callenbach: Ecotopia
Aldous Huxley: Brave New World
George Orwell: 1984
Robert Heinlein: I Will Fear No Evil
John Steinbeck: The Winter of Our Discontent

These are just a few of the many books I have loved in my life. The good ones are the ones you reread.

amy Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 01:31 AM EST

21/female

As a young child, The Chronicles of Narnia first sparked my imagination (and still do). Later, Lois Lowry's The Giver had possibly the greatest impact on my life: I still owe my dedication to History to its lesson on the necessity of passing wisdom & knowledge down to the next generation so it's never forgotten. In high school Maeve Binchy's Circle of Friends had a huge emotional impact.

Though it's not a novel, I also have to give a mention to the short story The Lottery (by Shirley Jackson I think?) - chilling stuff, a must-read for any teenager who's grown up so immersed in violence they're numb to it.

JN Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 01:15 AM EST

36 yr. old male. When I was in elementary school as a first and second grader I avidly read baseball themed books by an author named Matt Christopher. Those books made the first meaningful literary impact on me. As an adolescent and adult J.R.R. Tolkien definitely changed my life with his tales of Middle Earth. At the peak of my Middle Earth ardor, I'd read the "Silmarillion" followed by "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" every year. Other notable books that have had an impact on me are Stephen King's "The Shining" (most terrifying book I've ever read), J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye", and more recently "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel (this was a book I completely submersed myself in, it's brilliant), and "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden (my favorite straight narrative novel, a rich, beautiful, engrossing period story with great educational value).

Jan Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 01:10 AM EST

I'll mention some of my favorites- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston, it is one of the best love stories ever. Ruby Dee does a wonderful job w/this book on tape.
The 13th Warrior
Jesus, the Last Pharoh
Memiors of a Geisha
When God was a Woman
Any and all of the books by Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, J. California Cooper, Anne Rice, Ruth Rendell, Tony Hillerman, Bill Gates, Stephen King(The Gunslinger Series is great,& especially when he reads his books) & Koontz, Renalt, Walter Mosley and lots of others. If it's historical, metaphysical and a good read I'm on it. I'm a bookaholic, so I also enjoy books on tape/cd while driving, cooking, cleaning & etc. That way, I can keep up with alot of fiction & enjoy reading other books.

tina Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 12:45 AM EST

29/f (in no particular order)

The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Odyssey by Homer
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
Harry Potter series

I could go on and on…

Valerie Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 12:29 AM EST

I'm a 29 year old female, as a high school English teacher, I read so many of the 'greats' constantly, but the ones I truly love are the ones I can read over and over for myself and not get sick of:
-abolutely positively anything by Charles Bukowski- poetry, novels, or short stories. Reading him is like being punched in the stomach.
-"Seymour: An Introduction", JD Salinger. Just a great piece of writing.
-"Pride and Prejudice"- Austen. For the romantic in me.
- "Invisible Man"- Elision. Really complex. Every time I read it, I get more out of it.
- "Ulyssess"- James Joyce. The highlight of my life was visiting the Martello Tower in Dublin on the 100 year anniversary of Bloomsday.
- "Importance of Being Earnest"- Wilde. A play, but a darn funny one. I'm off to go Bunburying!

harry longabaugh Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 12:22 AM EST

I am a 29 year old male and I can't say that this book or that book changed my life, but by far my favorite book is...

"How to Talk Dirty and Influence People" by Lenny Bruce. Read it. You'll understand.

RJ Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 12:06 AM EST

Male/40
I was pleasantly surprised that you mentioned Carl Sagan's Contact, as this novel, for me, is THE ONE.

Sarah Wed, Apr 12, 2006 at 12:05 AM EST

1. The Shipping News
2. The Great Gatsby
3. Gone With The Wind
and anything by Charles Dickens.

I'm 24/F

nicole Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 11:49 PM EST

38 and female
As a kid, A Wrinkle in Time. First book I read with real darkness. Terrified me; also showed me what was possible in books.
In high school, Wuthering Heights I could have said TKAM or Jane Eyre, too, but someone had to speak up for old Emily. And this is a great read with, again, some pretty good darkness. The creepy side of romance.
In college, West With the Night. Wow. Just -- wow. Changed my life.
As an adult, The Secret History. And Pattern Recognition.

Bob Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 11:40 PM EST

Male, 47.
Once in a long while you might read a book or see a movie where your sense of time and space vanishes and you come out of the story a different person then the one who went in.
The first time I read Jack Kerouac's "On The Road" in college I had that feeling. Then in an ambitious mood I read Kerouac's favorite author Dostoevsky, "The Brothers Karamazov", and that was it for me.

Seth Cohen Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 11:36 PM EST

Male/21
These are books that changed my life:

1.) The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery
2.) The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
3.) High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
4.) About a Boy by Nick Hornby
5.) East of Eden by John Steinbeck
6.) Doctors by Erich Segal
7.) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
8.) Nothing Lasts Forever by Sidney Sheldon
9.) Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Alboom
10.)Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
and more more to come...I could go on also Nicholas Sparks books

furry_tom Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 11:16 PM EST

25/male (Writing and Editing major)
On the Road - Kerouac
Catcher in the Rye - Salinger
The Ugly American - Burdick & Lederer
Tao Te Ching - Lao-tzu
A Confederacy of Dunces - Toole

Heather Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 11:02 PM EST

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

A true transcending modernist novel that explores relationships and what it really means to be a woman.

It is a striking novel that truly touched my soul with great intensity.

Lydia Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 11:01 PM EST

FABULOUS BOOKS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE!!!
Oryx and Crake-Margaret Atwood
Holes-?
Galaxarena-?
Sphere- Micheal Crighton
Firestarter-Stephen King
Breakfast of Champions- Vonnegut

bryan Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:57 PM EST

19 Male

1) Don Quixote
2) The Great Gatsby
3) Stuart Little

Christina Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:48 PM EST

I'm 21 years old and female. As an English major lots of books have influenced how I read and the way I see the world. Here are a few in no certain order:

-The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
-The Virgin Suicides, Jeffrey Euginides
-The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
-Slaughterhouse five, Kurt Vonnegut
-Beloved, Tony Morrison
-The Color Purple, Alice Walker
-The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
-Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood
-Disgrace, JM Coetzee

Adam Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:48 PM EST

1) Different Seasons
2) High Fidelity
3) Primary Colors

bruce Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:48 PM EST

male.............David Copperfield ...Charles Dickens

Nancy Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:29 PM EST

Female, 16.

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Anything by Jane Austen. (no, "Anything" is not a book. I mean her collective works, "Pride and Prejudice", "Sense and Sensibility", "Emma" edhc...

JA Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:27 PM EST

I'm a 28 yr.old female but my books would be the common male picks of Catcher in the Rye, and Slaughterhouse Five. I also have to add a book that only has a cult following but I highly recommend (at least to the open minded): Prometheus Rising by Robert Anton Wilson.

Katie Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:26 PM EST

Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Koren Zailckas. Young writer, newer book, I had to read it for my WMST class in college and since it depicts her real life, it's an excellent story of things can happen when your get drunk basically.

Fred Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:26 PM EST

Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevski
The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Merchant of Venice by W. Shakespeare (novel equivalent)

Mary Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:12 PM EST

F/47
1.Fun With Dick and Jane....1st grade
2.The Black Stallion........Walter Farley
3.An Ordor of Sanctity......Frank Yerby
5.Lonesome Dove.............Larry McMurtry
6.Eragon & Eldest...........Christopher Paolini

John Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:09 PM EST

I would have to say "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton because it really shows what life is like for teenage guys.

Ruth Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:07 PM EST

Am aware that the Bible is not a novel, however it is a life changing read.

Ruth Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:02 PM EST

- The Bible
- Ethan Frome (Edith Wharton)
- Anthem (Ayn Rand)
- The Stranger (Albert Camus)
- The Stand (Stephen King)

Melanie's Sis Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:01 PM EST

Oops, I forgot the Phantom Tollbooth and Catch-22.

Kati Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 09:58 PM EST

Female, 28

The Chronicles of Narnia taught me that daydreaming and believing in things that others can't or don't see is an acceptable and relatable life choice. (I may have perished long ago with this lesson.)

The Diary of Anne Frank - reading this at Anne Frank's age left me gasping for air when I thought about the differences between our worlds.

The Nancy Drew Mysteries gave me a strong, intelligent woman to have as a role model that wasn't afraid of getting dirty, standing up for herself and others, or being true to herself even when it was difficult or unpopular.

Melanie's Sis Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 09:48 PM EST

Female/20
The Fountainhead
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
From the Mixed Up Files from Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
And anything by V.C. Andrews, for allowing me to bond with my sisters.

Nicole Steeves Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 09:43 PM EST

I am so sad that anyone who posts on this entry would say that the other posters suffer from literary snobbishness. Perhaps yes, some of the novels are not bestsellers or books everyone reads, but so what? Are you so insecure in your love of fun books that you have to lash out at those who have posted here their love of less popular fare? Is it really so surprising that a blog entry calling for posts on literary love brings out those who have read the canon and the best of the anti-canon? I would expect that anyone who takes the time to post here is someone who takes time to dicover and to explore the very best that literature has to offer, so that the tastes exposed reveal the cream of the crop rather than the easiest books to read on a long flight. So go ahead and celebrate Dr. Seuss and The Da Vinci Code - I love them, too. But loving them is not mutually exclusive with loving Woolf and Bulgakov and Austen.

Jasper Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 09:40 PM EST

Male, 26
Top Five

Matilda- Roald Dahl
The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky
Beloved- Toni Morrison
The Harry Potter Series- JK Rowling
The Unbearable Lightness of Being- Milan Kundera

Recent revelations...
Beasts of No Nation, Vernon God Little, The Satanic Verses, The Stranger, An Instance of the Fingerpost and I love pretty much anything by Beverly Cleary.

CC Tue, Apr 11, 2006 at 09:36 PM EST

Stupid and Contagious.