great books you probably haven't read (or even heard of)
Submitted by chicky on Tue, 02/20/2001 - 10:00
Tags:
- Violet and Claire (Francesca Lia Block)
- Stranger in A Strange Land (Robert Heinlein)
- The Little Prince (Antoine Saint-Exupery)
- Song of the Lark (Willa Cather)
- np (Banana Yoshimoto)
- The Small Rain (Madeleine L'Engle)
- Summer (Edith Wharton)
- And the Band Played On (Randy Shilts)*
- The Sweet Hereafter (Russell Banks)*
- Girl, Interrupted (Susanna Kaysen)*
- The Talented Mr. Ripley (Patricia Highsmith)*
- all about love: new visions (bell hooks)
- The Rose and the Beast: Fairy Tales Retold (Francesca Lia Block)
Author Comments:
A qualification or two:
1. The four that are starred are also movies, so the chance is much greater that you've heard of them, but haven't read them. If you've seen the movies and didn't like them, well, then don't read them. But if you either haven't seen the movie or saw it and liked it, then go ahead and read them. They're a lot of fun and very good.
2. These are all books that i enjoyed quite a bit, whether because they challenged me, made me think, or were simply nice stories. They are all books that i would recommend to people if they were to ask me what books i thought they should read, and they are all on my list of favorite books. If you do read them and enjoy them, i'm glad; if not, at least you tried something new, eh? :)
Stranger in A Strange Land is, I think, perhaps the best book I've ever read, and I agree, most people don't seem to have heard of it.
Good call on including it :)
I've heard of six of your books, but have only read one: The Little Prince. It's incredible how a short story could contain such significant a message.
I think everyone that's taken a foreign language in this country has probably read it :)
I have actually read "Stranger", "The Little Prince" (several times), and "Girl, Interrupted." Did not like the movie Talented Mr. Ripley so I suppose I'll pass on the book. Always looking for more "good reads" so thanks for the list.