A good friend of mine, Karim Labossiere, asked me to name the five books I would recommend... And I thought it would make a good post. Feedback is more than welcome, as well as other recommendations. My choices are a bit odd, but here it goes: 1) The Educated Imagination by Northrop Frye... This book is actually a series of Massey Lectures that he gave, but it is a phenomenal primer for literature. He breaks down the different forms of human expression, and explains the basic myths and themes that recur in all eras of literature. Heavy reading, but worth the effort. 2) The Trial and Death of Socrates by Plato... Yes, I know. Really? Yes! Plato has told some of the most simple and philosophically inspiring tales known to Man. This particular story shows us how to be honourable and unmoving. Socrates is a fascinating character who chose his principles over life. Its a great read, so dont judge. 3) The Story of Philosophy by Will and Ariel Durante.... This is one of the books in a longer series on the whole of civilization, but I enjoyed it so much. Its an exquisite story that walks us through all of the major philosophers in chronological order. Its not as dry as you might assume, so give it a chance. 4) The Bachman Books by Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman.... This is a more mainstream choice, but these really are amazing stories! The Long Walk is such a great piece of storytelling. Pick it up. 5) Any good poetry book... Seriously. Its a reading category that most people dont consider, but a good poet will say more in a dozen lines than a novelist will spew in five hundred pages. Dont focus on rhymes or stiff structure... The real magic is in free form. Some of my favourites are Carl Sandburg, Emily Dickinson, Rainer Maria Rilke and Pablo Neruda. There are many good ones. Search and be inspired. I apologize, Karim, for taking so long with my response. You made me think! I know my list is strange and eclectic, and it could change in a year, but its the best I could do. Let me know what you think. Peace.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Apr 2014 03:07:58 +0000
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