There is a sort of viral my most influential books list floating around in Facebook, so I thought Id give it a crack since books have been a huge part of my life for at least fifty years. I have a separate list of books in Spanish that have influenced--this is my English language list. 1. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. This book broke the paradigm for linear narrative for me all the while being one of the great anti-war novels of all time. Yossarian is one of the great anti-heroes of all time. 2. Going After Cacciatto by Tim OBrien. Again an anti-war novel which does not bow down to 19th century narrative arcs. This novel destroys the validity of meta-narratives that are often used to justify war. Brilliant. 3. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut. The craziness of this narrative is both powerful and devastating. War is evil and telling stories is everything, even if you are from Tralfamadore. 4. Sherlock Holmes by Conan Doyle. This is not just about solving crime. Its about what drives human beings to do what they do--a brilliant discourse on human behavior. I still reread these stories and am always learning something new. 5. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. I first read this book in Spanish and it opened a completely new world for me concerning semiotics and symbols--a true tour-de-force. 6. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. Although I dont read much Christie anymore, this book was devastating for lots of reasons I cant put here. Her And then there were none was devastating for similar reasons. 7. Ghost Story by Peter Straub. A book about evil. Fascinating. 8. The Stand by Stephen King. Another novel about struggling against evil and why it is always worth it. Perhaps his best work. 9. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot. This is a collection of stories about a veterinarian in Yorkshire. It doesnt sound like much, but this is less about the animals and more about the people who help them. Pure magic. 10. Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by JK Rowling. It took me awhile to join the bandwagon, but Im sure glad I did because these books are about a lot more than just a bunch of wizards and their magic.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 14:13:35 +0000
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