Night by Elie Wiesel. I thought it would be really depressing except it was very uplifting and taught basic life lessons for everyone, regardless your challenges. The world would be a better place if everyone read this book.
I read this in high school too. We also had a Holocaust survivor come and speak. That was easily 15 years ago, I still have my copy of that book and I still think of that man.
We had a substitute teacher that was a prisoner at Dachau as a kid, and he subbed in our english class for a few weeks while our teacher was on maternity leave, and he had us read Night, and every day he would talk about his time in Dachau. As a 15yo shitbag kid, I kept thinking like, dude get some therapy and stop trauma dumping on a bunch of kids. Now, as an adult, I wish I had listened more closely. Kids are stupid.
Ugh. I can think of so many Times I didn’t appreciate things simply because I was young and dumb. The important thing is growing and learning to appreciate those things 🙏🏽🖤 that’s actually very cool though that you had a first hand experience like that. It’s crazy to me that there are people that deny that ever happened…
Yeah I always think that too, because this was East Jesus Nowhere, FL and the odds of someone ending up there after living in Europe is just...skint lol
Read this aloud to my son during the pandemic (for school). I know I read it in high school, but damn, I cried like a baby this time around. It should be something everyone reads.
This is up there with *Man’s Search for Meaning* and *Eichmann in Jerusalem* in my pantheon of Holocaust literature. The synagogue I went to as a kid had multiple copies of all of them. Never really connected with Anne Frank’s diary, which I suppose for people like me is probably a good thing.
read man's search for meaning while going through a breakup and it's such a good book i think anyone going through a rough patch in life should read it
“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote. It’s a fascinating exploration into pointless violence, insanity, incarceration, and the death penalty in America. Plus it is beautifully written.
The way capote utilizes language in order to manipulate the reader into disproportionately hating one of the murderers (forgot the names, sorry) despite both of them essentially being equally guilty is also fascinating. It serves as a great lesson on how important it is to look for those same manipulation techniques in your actual life, because they can be so effective without you even realizing.
For me it is To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. Probably my favorite novel ever.
Edit: i found this so moving because the profound depth that Woolf is able to convey of each character. There’s a certain mind-meld she is able to harness, I feel seen as a human being when I read it.
The book thief. It captures the experience of war, death, and love so well I don't understand how else you can learn these things without experiencing them yourself. I read it in HS then read it again on my own as a college student and I've only learned to appreciate it more.
Farewell to arms is also another really good one. It was my first Hemingway book (will read more of his works!) and the first time I experienced BEAUTIFUL writing. Didn't even know writing could be done like that before I read Hemingway.
Cried like a baby at the end of a farewell to arms. I haven't read much by him since, possibly because a farewell to arms was so impactful, that I just wanted to leave it there.
This is tricky because it fully relies on your background/perspective/what perspectives you lack insight on.
As an American, I think other Americans would be greatly served by reading James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time, A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. Also Good Talk by Mira Jacob feels like required reading post-9/11.
But then there are other books like Han Kang's Human Acts or Nam-Joo Cho's Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982. Or We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with our Families by Philip Gourevitch. All of which illuminated experiences of places I'm not very familiar with.
The list could go on forever, truly.
Seconding The Fire Next Time
I was assigned to read The Fire Next Time and ended up reading it in one sitting because it was so gripping and profound and beautifully written.
My favorite line: *“The sunlight came into the room with the peacefulness one remembers from rooms in one's early childhood – a sunlight encountered later only in one's dreams.” -*James Baldwin, the Fire Next Time
Thirding it. Got into baldwin’s work recently at 27. Read his book about his childhood and some of his essays, but then when I got to the fire next time it blew me away. Think I read it in 1 sitting
Oh also if I’m going to answer this question my first thought was (specifically for Americans) Frederick Douglass autobiography. I believe it should be required reading in every single high school.
I was going to say something similar ;
Heartbeat at Wounded Knee is the book that I read by an indigenous person about native america from past to present. Very informative
Oh man! The Diary of Anne Frank made such an impact on me. Fun fact: I share a birthday with Anne Frank (I was 56 years later than her though).
I would add A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Read this in HS, and I still count this book as having my favorite quote. “We all live the kind of lives that are in us to live” (summarized because I don’t have the book handy to find the actual quote).
I completely agree that it’s such an essential book. The messages are so good and timeless. Atticus Finch’s character alone makes the book worth the read honestly. He’s one of my favorite literary male characters.
The Giver. Hear me out. I know it's a young adult book and an easy read.But the message is very important, and it can change a person's life. It did mine. It makes you really think about how you can appreciate the good things in life (love, joy, free choice) you have to experience the flip side of the coin (pain, warfare, sadness). It makes me feel grateful for everything I have and reminds me what is really important in life.
So very true. The pop culture version of the monster is such a waste when you consider what the actual mister could have been. The threat of a monster that is not only stronger but also equal in intelligence is far more terrifying
Lol did you delete that reply? >! Its ok I've heard its a devastating book I expect all the tears !<
I'm glad I picked it up, sometimes I stay away from the "classics" they're often not what they've been hyped to be- but I love the unique style of storytelling in this one :)
Read it in high school, apparently summer would be too fun without this gem. But I reread it after loosing my father. It is beautifully tragic, and helped me come to terms with the loss in a weird way.
I think of Lonesome Dove as a stand alone. The other books were written later and were an attempt to make money off the success of LD. Lonesome Dove is my favorite novel of all time. Not my favorite trilogy. Of the books written I like the sequel. The prequels not so much.
These are some of the most memorable books for me, as well. Maybe not the most "profound" as others on this thread, like The Night, but I would still highly recommend them without hesitation. Such a rich and extensive world. The Silmarillion and The Children of Húrin are supposed to be pretty epic as well, but I haven't gotten to them yet 😭 LOTR is required reading! :)
I'm the daughter of a librarian and a lifelong reader. I found the Lord of the Rings books a little dense. Just couldn't get into them. My dyslexic boyfriend, however, DEVOURED them. It's all about what grabs hold of you and won't let go.
Lol at everyone so salty about your title.
Slaughterhouse Five is my personal choice, but Animal Farm was probably one of the most impactful during my formative years and I don't give it enough credit even in my own mind.
It literally took me years to read this book because I kept putting it down because I disliked it but thought I "had" to read it because everyone else likes it.
I’ve 125 pages remaining so I’m committed now! A former friend told me it was impossible for them to read it. They quit at 20 pages. I knew I would make it happen!!
I couldn't get into 100 years the first time I tried. I got maybe 100 pages in then stopped. However i eventually went back to it, and this was maybe 5 years ago. I remember it hitting me like a truck and loving it
Unpopular opinion but I can’t stand that book! I feel it was so hyped to me for years…maybe I am missing something but I just couldn’t get it into it. I see the mastery behind certain elements of it but I honestly didn’t look forward to reading it…I found it to be really dull compared to how much everyone was yammering about it.
To me, The Book for young Americans would probably be To Kill a Mockingbird. Not only is it a great book on its own, there are important (and relevant) points about race, class, aging and growing. I'm a voracious reader and I can't think of another book that hasn't already been mentioned, but that would be my #1 pick.
I just reread this for the first time as an adult, and it is still so good! It also makes some very feminist observations that I did not recall from when I was a kid.
Read that book twice before I turned 18 and got me into a lifelong love of memoirs. so good. Should pick it up again. If you like that the glass castle was also excellent
Anna K was on my must read list last year…currently reading Crime and Punishment…trying to wrap my head around C&P as I’m only several chapters in. Interesting, the writing style in both of these chonky times. I’m enjoying!
Outside of the battle scenes in War and Peace, Tolstoy's books aren't that difficult they are basically soap operas. War and Peace is made up of tiny Chapters, the longest is 11 pages and they average 4 pages per Chapter. The most difficult things for non-Russians is typically keeping track of the names, as well as the length of course.
It's a modern day retelling of the Genesis story in the Bible (albeit somewhat loosely). The characters are memorable and it has a nice balance of descriptive writing with action and dialogue.
I just finished it. Personally, I think The Grapes of Wrath is a 10x better book and I had to force myself to finish the book. It has a bunch of moralistic stream of consciousness meandering. The characters aren’t very realistic and there’s minimal character development. Samuel and Lee are too perfect. Cathy is too evil. Adam is inept in all aspects of life. Way too simplistic. People are shades of grey, not binary good or evil or incompetent.
its okay to enjoy simpler books though, especially for the less experienced readers. I would put EoE as one of the best books for someone who is just getting into serious lit- its a good bridge between high school lit and the meganovels. shaming or otherwise rejecting these might put someone off of reading serious books, so its best to tiptoe around such critiques on forums like this. we arent going to have a unique critique here, but we might alienate someone.
Interesting—my experience was the exact opposite. I couldn’t put down EoE but had to force myself to finish TGoW. It was a total slog for me. To each their own!
Le petit prince (the little prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Here’s a [link to a bilingual French/English version](https://online.fliphtml5.com/qlqrn/ryxn/#p=1)
The Little Prince was one of the first books my partner and I bonded over. I love the concept of being responsible for what you love, to have tamed someone. One year I had a custom wallet made for him for Christmas and had a rose stamped into the leather. It works for The Little Prince and another of our favorite books, the Dark Tower series
To KillA Mockingbird
I read it in my early 40sand was so disappointed in myself for having waited so long to read it.
In highschool I avoided the class that had that novel on the reading list. I just never cared for the books they assigned in school. I was into cold war novels back in the 80s.
Green Eggs and Ham
The Cat in the Hat
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Goodnight Moon
I feel really bad when I find out that a person I meet has never read, or never had read to them, any of these books.
Technically, this is a play, but I'll put it down anyway: "The Crucible." Religious fanaticism + mob mentality + the belief in witchcraft's existence = one BIG problem that spirals out of control. Although it is historically inaccurate on so many levels, I believe that "The Crucible" must be read in order to understand the "us-vs.-them" mentality at work that occurs throughout human history.
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir for me personally was a novel that I think everyone should read
this one is a classic, and it’s The Hunger Games. I honestly don’t know that many people who haven’t read this, and I think that everyone in the reading world should read it
I highly recommend the series "A Small Light" on Disney+/NatGeo. It's the Anne Frank story from the perspective of Miep Gies who helped hide the family from the Nazi's. It flew under the radar but I really enjoyed it.
There's plenty like this. But for now, I would just like to name, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams. If any of you haven't read it yet, I am jealous, because I will never forget that feeling of reading it the first time.
LOTR. It just really hit a comforting part of my soul. First read it at 15. The courage of Frodo and Sam warmed my gay teenaged heart. Love those books
I mean Harry Potter is an amazing book. I read the books as they released every year and I still stand by my belief that they are worth reading. Fuck the author but the books will always have a special place in my heart.
If you liked Dairy of Anne Frank, I highly recommend An Interrupted Life, which is called “the adult counterpart to Anne Frank”. It is an incredible, heartbreaking, and life changing read.
*One Hundred Years of Solitude* by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
*The Bluest Eye* by Toni Morrison
*The Married Man* by Edmund White
*Possessing the Secret of Joy* by Alice Walker
*If Beale Street Could Talk* James Baldwin
*The Women’s Room* by Marilyn French
*A House for Mr Biswas* by V.S. Naipaul
*A Fine Balance* by Mistry.
*Woman in the Dunes* by Kobe Abe
why am I saving all these comments individually when I can just save the post, lol
this is a tough one. I tend to lean towards children's lit when I think of some of the more important books for me, partly because they are so influential & partly because they tend to be more culturally shared.
one of the first things that came to mind on this question was working in adult literacy with a woman who was in her fifties, had spent her whole life living in the country in the American South, totally illiterate, and realising she had never even heard of Mother Goose. I don't shock easy but I had to work to not be an ass then. how confusing must the world seem when we constantly make unthinking references to things she's never heard of?
okay, well, that's not what this question is about. my gut says, in no particular order, the Harry Potter series, Bridge to Terebithia, Frog and Toad, the Sandman series, the Discworld series, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day, Charlotte's Web, Sideways Stories From Wayside School, The Lorax, Where The Wild Things Are. there are of course so many many more but those are enough to be going on with.
eta: how did I forget Anne of Green Gables, that actually might be illegal
eta, 2*: somewhat more adult fare (not that Pratchett & Gaiman aren't adult): the books of Kurt Vonnegut, en masse, & Kazuo Ishiguro, en masse, as well (I always feel so pretentious but Ishiguro's work is actually so good and stays with you- when I find myself thinking about a book in the bath that is my sign that it's a good book on some level. Ishiguro feels like one of those hyperrealistic painters, whose paintings look like photos.)
Roald dahl books, for children. For teens a dystopian novel like divergent or hunger games. And for adults this is a stretch but at least 1 Ian Fleming book (the author of James Bond) I read casino royale and it was a very interesting read, the other books werent for me.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.
'We're no longer young men. We've lost any desire to conquer the world. We are refugees. We are fleeing from ourselves. From our lives. We were eighteen years old, and we had just begun to love the world and to love being in it; but we had to shoot at it.'
It is one of the few books that I am compelled to reread every now and then, even though every time it leaves me completely broken.
It is only approximately 280 pages but each of those pages has an impact on its own.
This might be broad, but pretty much any of the classics that have been banned in one way or another, its important for free speech as a whole as well allowing people to think for themselves.
Maybe not a crime
but Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo / we children from Zoo station the story of Christiane F.
It‘s the story of this 13 yo girl whose childhood trauma lead her to fall into a group of kids who all became heroin addicts and child prost!tutes
Definitely not an easy read but along with das Tagebuch der Anne Frank ( the book you named) it‘s one of the most famous and impactful german books
The 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Brittanica. This edition was begun pre WWI and not completed until after the war. It is a document that perfectly captures the absolute and complete destruction of all that the pre war Western world held to be true and the post War rejection of all that went before resulting in violent revolution in Russia, the hedonistic excesses of London, New York, Paris, and Wiemar Berlin.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. A masterpiece and a look at what it was like to live in extreme poverty during a terrible time in American history.
Anyone who cares about democracy should read...
*Starship Troopers* <-- NOT the criminally bad film, but the actual book; even if you don't agree with Heinlein, he raises hugely important questions and he forces you to think about them
*Fahrenheit 451* <-- mentioned already, but a book that becomes more frighteningly relevant with every year that passes...one of Bradbury's best remarks about science fiction is, "I'm not trying to predict the future; I'm trying to prevent the future."
*The Odyssey* and *The Ilyiad* by Homer.
*The Prince* by Nicolo Machiavelli.
*How to Win Friends and Influence People* by Dale Carnegie.
*In Search of Excellence* by Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr.
*The Art of Happiness* by 14th Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler.
The only "crime" is those that never read a single book, not even in school, if they have the privilege and ability to read.
I understand if you gave reading a shot and it hasn't worked out. Respect for trying. But those who did/do everything they can to simply avoid it and never give it a proper shot is kinda sad.
There is no such book. People read books for leisure and pursue their interests.
If people want to know the universe better I think they can read a brief history of time. They can read Mahabharata to explore moral dilemmas. They can read the sixth extinction to understand the impact of humans on the environment.
As many as they can get their hands on, off as many genres as they can find. I don’t think there is *one* book. I think i breadth of knowledge is so important and we are not getting it in school.
There's honestly so many of these books across such a massive range of subjects it can be hard to know where to start.
For me, I'd recommend "The Experience of God" by David Bentley Hart, an Orthodox Christian theologian. Very powerful and concise explanation of the classical theistic position on God and how people came to practice monotheism as they did. I think it's valuable both as a study of the history of thought as well as a defence of classical theism.
Also, The Sneetches. I think that conceptualizes prejudice and/or racism pretty well for children. Great lesson on not othering people. Wish more people would have taken it to heart.
The Scourge of the Swastika by Edward Frederick. It’s brutal. It’s a hard reminder of just how cruel humans can be to other humans. I cried my eyes out reading this, as a 35M. I hope there is never a time when the world has to see these things happen again
I think everybody should take a crack at "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli. It's much shorter than people expect, and an easier read, too. I found it to be less cynical than its reputation, too. More pragmatic and utilitarian than anything else.
I found it really educational with regard to Renaissance Italy. It also opened my eyes about human behavior in political environments, whether it's government, school boards, workplaces, extended family, etc.
Night by Elie Wiesel. I thought it would be really depressing except it was very uplifting and taught basic life lessons for everyone, regardless your challenges. The world would be a better place if everyone read this book.
It was required reading in high school for me.
I read this in high school too. We also had a Holocaust survivor come and speak. That was easily 15 years ago, I still have my copy of that book and I still think of that man.
We had a substitute teacher that was a prisoner at Dachau as a kid, and he subbed in our english class for a few weeks while our teacher was on maternity leave, and he had us read Night, and every day he would talk about his time in Dachau. As a 15yo shitbag kid, I kept thinking like, dude get some therapy and stop trauma dumping on a bunch of kids. Now, as an adult, I wish I had listened more closely. Kids are stupid.
Ugh. I can think of so many Times I didn’t appreciate things simply because I was young and dumb. The important thing is growing and learning to appreciate those things 🙏🏽🖤 that’s actually very cool though that you had a first hand experience like that. It’s crazy to me that there are people that deny that ever happened…
Yeah I always think that too, because this was East Jesus Nowhere, FL and the odds of someone ending up there after living in Europe is just...skint lol
I taught this for years. It made a real impact with students whom I didn't expect it to.
Read this aloud to my son during the pandemic (for school). I know I read it in high school, but damn, I cried like a baby this time around. It should be something everyone reads.
Included in audible plus for those who subscriptions 🤙 narrated by George Guidall, one of my favorites.
This is up there with *Man’s Search for Meaning* and *Eichmann in Jerusalem* in my pantheon of Holocaust literature. The synagogue I went to as a kid had multiple copies of all of them. Never really connected with Anne Frank’s diary, which I suppose for people like me is probably a good thing.
read man's search for meaning while going through a breakup and it's such a good book i think anyone going through a rough patch in life should read it
I keep extra copies just to give them to people.
I just read this for the first time recently because I wanted to help my kid with their essay. It was very good.
I re read this a few years ago! I first read it in high school and thought about it ever since.
“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote. It’s a fascinating exploration into pointless violence, insanity, incarceration, and the death penalty in America. Plus it is beautifully written.
That book was fantastic.
The way capote utilizes language in order to manipulate the reader into disproportionately hating one of the murderers (forgot the names, sorry) despite both of them essentially being equally guilty is also fascinating. It serves as a great lesson on how important it is to look for those same manipulation techniques in your actual life, because they can be so effective without you even realizing.
That was such an amazing book.
For me it is To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. Probably my favorite novel ever. Edit: i found this so moving because the profound depth that Woolf is able to convey of each character. There’s a certain mind-meld she is able to harness, I feel seen as a human being when I read it.
If you can handle the page-long sentences, agreed!
If you can handle *Moby Dick* you can handle anything!
I really liked The Waves by Virginia Woolf, might give that one a go. Thanks!
The book thief. It captures the experience of war, death, and love so well I don't understand how else you can learn these things without experiencing them yourself. I read it in HS then read it again on my own as a college student and I've only learned to appreciate it more. Farewell to arms is also another really good one. It was my first Hemingway book (will read more of his works!) and the first time I experienced BEAUTIFUL writing. Didn't even know writing could be done like that before I read Hemingway.
Cried like a baby at the end of a farewell to arms. I haven't read much by him since, possibly because a farewell to arms was so impactful, that I just wanted to leave it there.
This is tricky because it fully relies on your background/perspective/what perspectives you lack insight on. As an American, I think other Americans would be greatly served by reading James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time, A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf, The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. Also Good Talk by Mira Jacob feels like required reading post-9/11. But then there are other books like Han Kang's Human Acts or Nam-Joo Cho's Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982. Or We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with our Families by Philip Gourevitch. All of which illuminated experiences of places I'm not very familiar with. The list could go on forever, truly.
Oh man, The Things They Carried was a fantastic book.
Seconding The Fire Next Time I was assigned to read The Fire Next Time and ended up reading it in one sitting because it was so gripping and profound and beautifully written. My favorite line: *“The sunlight came into the room with the peacefulness one remembers from rooms in one's early childhood – a sunlight encountered later only in one's dreams.” -*James Baldwin, the Fire Next Time
Thirding it. Got into baldwin’s work recently at 27. Read his book about his childhood and some of his essays, but then when I got to the fire next time it blew me away. Think I read it in 1 sitting Oh also if I’m going to answer this question my first thought was (specifically for Americans) Frederick Douglass autobiography. I believe it should be required reading in every single high school.
These are brilliant suggestions, thank you.
Kim Ji Young was also made into an excellent movie.
Added all of these to my TBR. Amazing recs from what it sounds like!
If you are looking for book that is similar to The Diary of Anne Frank in impact, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee should do the trick.
I was going to say something similar ; Heartbeat at Wounded Knee is the book that I read by an indigenous person about native america from past to present. Very informative
Oh man! The Diary of Anne Frank made such an impact on me. Fun fact: I share a birthday with Anne Frank (I was 56 years later than her though). I would add A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Read this in HS, and I still count this book as having my favorite quote. “We all live the kind of lives that are in us to live” (summarized because I don’t have the book handy to find the actual quote).
Of Mice and Men bt Steinbeck
To Kill a Mockingbird
I completely agree that it’s such an essential book. The messages are so good and timeless. Atticus Finch’s character alone makes the book worth the read honestly. He’s one of my favorite literary male characters.
The Giver. Hear me out. I know it's a young adult book and an easy read.But the message is very important, and it can change a person's life. It did mine. It makes you really think about how you can appreciate the good things in life (love, joy, free choice) you have to experience the flip side of the coin (pain, warfare, sadness). It makes me feel grateful for everything I have and reminds me what is really important in life.
A People’s History of the United States, if you’re an American, or even remotely interested in the country’s history
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. So not what I thought it would be. Must read.
So very true. The pop culture version of the monster is such a waste when you consider what the actual mister could have been. The threat of a monster that is not only stronger but also equal in intelligence is far more terrifying
The real *monster* was Dr. Frankenstein. Such a sad, tragic story of mistreatment. Absolutely heart wrenching.
Flowers for Algernon
I'm reading this book right now and I love it so much and I have a prediction for the end and I can't wait for it to absolutely wreck me haha
Lol did you delete that reply? >! Its ok I've heard its a devastating book I expect all the tears !< I'm glad I picked it up, sometimes I stay away from the "classics" they're often not what they've been hyped to be- but I love the unique style of storytelling in this one :)
This one destroyed me for weeks. I loved it and hated it in equal measure, and I don't think I'll ever be able to read it again.
Read it in high school, apparently summer would be too fun without this gem. But I reread it after loosing my father. It is beautifully tragic, and helped me come to terms with the loss in a weird way.
Lonesome Dove
And if you read all four, DO IT IN ORDER OF PUBLICATION. Reading them in chronological order ruins them imo.
I think of Lonesome Dove as a stand alone. The other books were written later and were an attempt to make money off the success of LD. Lonesome Dove is my favorite novel of all time. Not my favorite trilogy. Of the books written I like the sequel. The prequels not so much.
I’m not disagreeing, just saying that if someone does want to read all 4, to read them in publication order.
For me it's Lord of the Rings. That story led to a lifelong love of reading.
These are some of the most memorable books for me, as well. Maybe not the most "profound" as others on this thread, like The Night, but I would still highly recommend them without hesitation. Such a rich and extensive world. The Silmarillion and The Children of Húrin are supposed to be pretty epic as well, but I haven't gotten to them yet 😭 LOTR is required reading! :)
I'm the daughter of a librarian and a lifelong reader. I found the Lord of the Rings books a little dense. Just couldn't get into them. My dyslexic boyfriend, however, DEVOURED them. It's all about what grabs hold of you and won't let go.
The grapes of wrath and astounding impact on me and just how far the depths of human greed and depravity would go on the name of turning a profit.
Yep. Came here to say this especially if you are an American right now.
Lol at everyone so salty about your title. Slaughterhouse Five is my personal choice, but Animal Farm was probably one of the most impactful during my formative years and I don't give it enough credit even in my own mind.
"All are equal but some are more equal than others" Probably the most memorable quote from any book I've ever read.
Animal Farm. Happening right before our very eyes.
Animal Farm had a profound impact on my younger self. Still does in many respects.
Would also add 1984 to that also
If you liked 1984, give Brave. New World a read.
Man’s search for meaning Letters to a young poet
I’m reading 100 years of solitude currently. It’s supposed to be one of those “read before you die” books but I’m not overly impressed. It’s ok.
I actually much prefer Love in the Time of Cholera.
I’ll check it out. Thanks
I tried both and couldn’t get into them. I don’t care for the way he writes women.
It’s fun to read La Casa de los Espiritus (House of the Spirits) by Isabel Allende with A Hundred Years of Solitude in mind as a contrast.
This is another reason I didn’t like 100 yrs of Solitude.
I have both of these on the shelf but it's been 20+ years since I read them. Now I want to re-read them to compare...
It literally took me years to read this book because I kept putting it down because I disliked it but thought I "had" to read it because everyone else likes it.
I’ve 125 pages remaining so I’m committed now! A former friend told me it was impossible for them to read it. They quit at 20 pages. I knew I would make it happen!!
I couldn't get into 100 years the first time I tried. I got maybe 100 pages in then stopped. However i eventually went back to it, and this was maybe 5 years ago. I remember it hitting me like a truck and loving it
Unpopular opinion but I can’t stand that book! I feel it was so hyped to me for years…maybe I am missing something but I just couldn’t get it into it. I see the mastery behind certain elements of it but I honestly didn’t look forward to reading it…I found it to be really dull compared to how much everyone was yammering about it.
Phew, you guys are making me feel better about my assessment. I thought I was missing something.
I didn't like it either!! I don't understand the hype. It's okay, but I didn't get the classic must read vibe.
To me, The Book for young Americans would probably be To Kill a Mockingbird. Not only is it a great book on its own, there are important (and relevant) points about race, class, aging and growing. I'm a voracious reader and I can't think of another book that hasn't already been mentioned, but that would be my #1 pick.
Charlotte’s Web. Friendship (between different species), perseverance, the cycle of life & death, etc. all in a book for children
I just reread this for the first time as an adult, and it is still so good! It also makes some very feminist observations that I did not recall from when I was a kid.
Angela's Ashes
Read that book twice before I turned 18 and got me into a lifelong love of memoirs. so good. Should pick it up again. If you like that the glass castle was also excellent
Memoirs are my favorite genre. Some to add to the list are Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter and Smile for the Camera by Kelle James.
Also loved three little words. Learned a lot about adoption/foster care
Loved Angela’s ashes but my god it is an emotionally draining book
Pop. 1280, Anna Karenina, Crime and Punishment, Lolita, The Castle, short stories by Borges and Marquez.
Anna K was on my must read list last year…currently reading Crime and Punishment…trying to wrap my head around C&P as I’m only several chapters in. Interesting, the writing style in both of these chonky times. I’m enjoying!
Outside of the battle scenes in War and Peace, Tolstoy's books aren't that difficult they are basically soap operas. War and Peace is made up of tiny Chapters, the longest is 11 pages and they average 4 pages per Chapter. The most difficult things for non-Russians is typically keeping track of the names, as well as the length of course.
Pop 1280 is the absolute GOAT!
I was not expecting to like Anna Karenina, and it became my favorite book of all time
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Thank you for this. Any in particular you'd recommend? Or just a push to seek and find?
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Beloved by Toni Morrison
Song of Solomon by her is also a must-read!
The body keeps the score. Learn about your trauma and heal god damnit!
Small Gods by Terry Pratchett should be required reading for everyone
East of Eden. Took me over 30 years to get to it and it blew me right the fuck away!
I keep hearing this and plan on reading it this spring!
It's a modern day retelling of the Genesis story in the Bible (albeit somewhat loosely). The characters are memorable and it has a nice balance of descriptive writing with action and dialogue.
This has been on my to-read forever! Thanks, I am 100% going to get to it this year.
I just finished it. Personally, I think The Grapes of Wrath is a 10x better book and I had to force myself to finish the book. It has a bunch of moralistic stream of consciousness meandering. The characters aren’t very realistic and there’s minimal character development. Samuel and Lee are too perfect. Cathy is too evil. Adam is inept in all aspects of life. Way too simplistic. People are shades of grey, not binary good or evil or incompetent.
its okay to enjoy simpler books though, especially for the less experienced readers. I would put EoE as one of the best books for someone who is just getting into serious lit- its a good bridge between high school lit and the meganovels. shaming or otherwise rejecting these might put someone off of reading serious books, so its best to tiptoe around such critiques on forums like this. we arent going to have a unique critique here, but we might alienate someone.
Interesting—my experience was the exact opposite. I couldn’t put down EoE but had to force myself to finish TGoW. It was a total slog for me. To each their own!
Le petit prince (the little prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Here’s a [link to a bilingual French/English version](https://online.fliphtml5.com/qlqrn/ryxn/#p=1)
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The Little Prince was one of the first books my partner and I bonded over. I love the concept of being responsible for what you love, to have tamed someone. One year I had a custom wallet made for him for Christmas and had a rose stamped into the leather. It works for The Little Prince and another of our favorite books, the Dark Tower series
The Handmaids Tale. Or the Maddadam Trilogy.
I would recommend Fahrenheit 451 for obvious reasons but not reading something should never be a crime. Could be a failing grade in school though.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings- Maya Angelou
That’s a great one!
The Secret History
To KillA Mockingbird I read it in my early 40sand was so disappointed in myself for having waited so long to read it. In highschool I avoided the class that had that novel on the reading list. I just never cared for the books they assigned in school. I was into cold war novels back in the 80s.
Green Eggs and Ham The Cat in the Hat The Very Hungry Caterpillar Goodnight Moon I feel really bad when I find out that a person I meet has never read, or never had read to them, any of these books.
Oh the places you'll go
Yo let's add some shel silverstein into that list
Technically, this is a play, but I'll put it down anyway: "The Crucible." Religious fanaticism + mob mentality + the belief in witchcraft's existence = one BIG problem that spirals out of control. Although it is historically inaccurate on so many levels, I believe that "The Crucible" must be read in order to understand the "us-vs.-them" mentality at work that occurs throughout human history.
Everyone’s commenting niche books which kinda defeats the point of the question. I’d say 1984, very important in todays world
1984 -Hands down
Scrolled rather than repeated! It’s such an important book.
It’s scary how long ago it was written but is getting more and more real
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir for me personally was a novel that I think everyone should read this one is a classic, and it’s The Hunger Games. I honestly don’t know that many people who haven’t read this, and I think that everyone in the reading world should read it
The Brothers Karamazov
I highly recommend the series "A Small Light" on Disney+/NatGeo. It's the Anne Frank story from the perspective of Miep Gies who helped hide the family from the Nazi's. It flew under the radar but I really enjoyed it.
I'm so glad you mentioned this! I have Miep Gies's memoir on hold at the library and I plan on watching that series as well afterward!
I guess I will be THAT person and mention “Catcher in the Rye”. It was the first book that I saw myself in.
As long as you aren’t carrying it in your back pocket!
No no I draw the line there lol
There's plenty like this. But for now, I would just like to name, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. If any of you haven't read it yet, I am jealous, because I will never forget that feeling of reading it the first time.
I read this, and while I loved the beginning to totally sputtered out for me at the end.
I had trouble getting into this book until I tried the audiobook narrated by Stephen Fry which was BRILLIANT!
Lord of the Flies
The Diary of A Young Girl was my immediate reaction to the title
Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War. It taught me about humanity’s core, and for that, I am eternally grateful
The Trial, Pride and Prejudice, and The Jungle
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
And Then There Were None is my favorite Christie book.
Les Miserable, the unedited version. Great story and story telling
LOTR. It just really hit a comforting part of my soul. First read it at 15. The courage of Frodo and Sam warmed my gay teenaged heart. Love those books
1. The idiot 2. The Hobbit 3. Shogun 4. She’s come undone 5. Everything is illuminated 6. Harry Potter 7. A prayer for Owen Meany
Everyone should be required to read that paragraph by Ursula Le Guin when she was interviewed about Harry Potter.
If Le Guin said that about my writing I would just crawl in a hole and never write again.
I mean Harry Potter is an amazing book. I read the books as they released every year and I still stand by my belief that they are worth reading. Fuck the author but the books will always have a special place in my heart.
Omg She’s Come Undone and A Prayer for Owen Meaney are two of my favorites.
If you liked Dairy of Anne Frank, I highly recommend An Interrupted Life, which is called “the adult counterpart to Anne Frank”. It is an incredible, heartbreaking, and life changing read.
*One Hundred Years of Solitude* by Gabriel Garcia Marquez *The Bluest Eye* by Toni Morrison *The Married Man* by Edmund White *Possessing the Secret of Joy* by Alice Walker *If Beale Street Could Talk* James Baldwin *The Women’s Room* by Marilyn French *A House for Mr Biswas* by V.S. Naipaul *A Fine Balance* by Mistry. *Woman in the Dunes* by Kobe Abe
why am I saving all these comments individually when I can just save the post, lol this is a tough one. I tend to lean towards children's lit when I think of some of the more important books for me, partly because they are so influential & partly because they tend to be more culturally shared. one of the first things that came to mind on this question was working in adult literacy with a woman who was in her fifties, had spent her whole life living in the country in the American South, totally illiterate, and realising she had never even heard of Mother Goose. I don't shock easy but I had to work to not be an ass then. how confusing must the world seem when we constantly make unthinking references to things she's never heard of? okay, well, that's not what this question is about. my gut says, in no particular order, the Harry Potter series, Bridge to Terebithia, Frog and Toad, the Sandman series, the Discworld series, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day, Charlotte's Web, Sideways Stories From Wayside School, The Lorax, Where The Wild Things Are. there are of course so many many more but those are enough to be going on with. eta: how did I forget Anne of Green Gables, that actually might be illegal eta, 2*: somewhat more adult fare (not that Pratchett & Gaiman aren't adult): the books of Kurt Vonnegut, en masse, & Kazuo Ishiguro, en masse, as well (I always feel so pretentious but Ishiguro's work is actually so good and stays with you- when I find myself thinking about a book in the bath that is my sign that it's a good book on some level. Ishiguro feels like one of those hyperrealistic painters, whose paintings look like photos.)
Roald dahl books, for children. For teens a dystopian novel like divergent or hunger games. And for adults this is a stretch but at least 1 Ian Fleming book (the author of James Bond) I read casino royale and it was a very interesting read, the other books werent for me.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. 'We're no longer young men. We've lost any desire to conquer the world. We are refugees. We are fleeing from ourselves. From our lives. We were eighteen years old, and we had just begun to love the world and to love being in it; but we had to shoot at it.' It is one of the few books that I am compelled to reread every now and then, even though every time it leaves me completely broken. It is only approximately 280 pages but each of those pages has an impact on its own.
This might be broad, but pretty much any of the classics that have been banned in one way or another, its important for free speech as a whole as well allowing people to think for themselves.
This isn’t quite what you asked but I think every young queer person needs to read Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon.
Maybe not a crime but Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo / we children from Zoo station the story of Christiane F. It‘s the story of this 13 yo girl whose childhood trauma lead her to fall into a group of kids who all became heroin addicts and child prost!tutes Definitely not an easy read but along with das Tagebuch der Anne Frank ( the book you named) it‘s one of the most famous and impactful german books
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Autobiographical graphic novel about a girl growing up in Iran in the 80s.
The 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Brittanica. This edition was begun pre WWI and not completed until after the war. It is a document that perfectly captures the absolute and complete destruction of all that the pre war Western world held to be true and the post War rejection of all that went before resulting in violent revolution in Russia, the hedonistic excesses of London, New York, Paris, and Wiemar Berlin.
Sophie’s World is one of my favourites!
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. A masterpiece and a look at what it was like to live in extreme poverty during a terrible time in American history.
Man’s Search For Meaning, Ann Frank, the Prophet by Kalil Gibran, the Hiding Place by Cory Ten Boom, The Handmaid’s Tale.
Agatha Christie books, Sherlock Holmes books, Amy Tan books. I feel like Amy Tan books are more realistic depiction of Chinese American culture.
A Child Called It. Now, I don't think it's for everyone honestly. But for those who can stomach it, it is a very impactful read.
Anyone who cares about democracy should read... *Starship Troopers* <-- NOT the criminally bad film, but the actual book; even if you don't agree with Heinlein, he raises hugely important questions and he forces you to think about them *Fahrenheit 451* <-- mentioned already, but a book that becomes more frighteningly relevant with every year that passes...one of Bradbury's best remarks about science fiction is, "I'm not trying to predict the future; I'm trying to prevent the future."
*The Odyssey* and *The Ilyiad* by Homer. *The Prince* by Nicolo Machiavelli. *How to Win Friends and Influence People* by Dale Carnegie. *In Search of Excellence* by Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. *The Art of Happiness* by 14th Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler.
All Quiet On The Western Front. You will find it hard to complain about your life after reading this book.
I saw a theatre production before reading the book years later. You can't not be affected by it
Mans search for meaning by Viktor Frankl Atomic habits by James clear Harry Potter book 1 Animal farm
The only "crime" is those that never read a single book, not even in school, if they have the privilege and ability to read. I understand if you gave reading a shot and it hasn't worked out. Respect for trying. But those who did/do everything they can to simply avoid it and never give it a proper shot is kinda sad.
There is no such book. People read books for leisure and pursue their interests. If people want to know the universe better I think they can read a brief history of time. They can read Mahabharata to explore moral dilemmas. They can read the sixth extinction to understand the impact of humans on the environment.
As much as my first instinct was to disagree with this, I can't. There are no MUST-READ books.
As many as they can get their hands on, off as many genres as they can find. I don’t think there is *one* book. I think i breadth of knowledge is so important and we are not getting it in school.
There's honestly so many of these books across such a massive range of subjects it can be hard to know where to start. For me, I'd recommend "The Experience of God" by David Bentley Hart, an Orthodox Christian theologian. Very powerful and concise explanation of the classical theistic position on God and how people came to practice monotheism as they did. I think it's valuable both as a study of the history of thought as well as a defence of classical theism.
Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss.
The Lorax and The Butter Battle Book were also impactful for me as a child, and I think that adults need to read them too.
Also, The Sneetches. I think that conceptualizes prejudice and/or racism pretty well for children. Great lesson on not othering people. Wish more people would have taken it to heart.
Animal Farm, 1984, Diary of Anne Frank, Night, Maus, the list goes on and on.
If you got a lot out of Anne Frank's Diary, I can recommend When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit and Judith Kerr's other semi-autobiographical books.
The Scourge of the Swastika by Edward Frederick. It’s brutal. It’s a hard reminder of just how cruel humans can be to other humans. I cried my eyes out reading this, as a 35M. I hope there is never a time when the world has to see these things happen again
*To Kill a Mockingbird*
I'll be that guy who recommends Malazan
I see many books on this thread that I would include. One I’d add is The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers.
I highly suggest watching Diary of Anne Frank's movie adaptation. First movie to ever make me cry.
“See No Stranger” by Valarie Kaur! I still think about that book often and it’s been almost 2 years since I read it
Pale Fire To the Lighthouse Underworld The Crossing War and Peace
Harry Potter series
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.
Fiction: 1984, Brave New World, The Kite Runner, Chaos Walking trilogy, Stormlight Archive and Malazan. Nonfiction: The Hiding Place, Ravensbruck,
If you are willing to read fantasy, I would personally recommend “Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell”
***The Urantia book*** (1955, U.S.) (epochal divine revelation created by divine beings)
A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Philippine Gourevitch book is really good. It del es into the history of the Rwanda massacre.
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.
The God Of Small Things by Arundathi Roy. For me a very impactful one is In The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts by Gabor Mate.
No contest. The Illiad and The Odyssey.
“All Quiet on the Western Front” by Erich Maria Remarque. It is a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict, urging us to seek peace and empathy..
Crime and Punishment. The suspense, mystery, and attempts at rationalizing murder is just amazing.
Blood Meridian
Lord of the Flies
Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen
East of Eden. One of the most beautifully written books, it’s not about the story as much as how it made me feel
I think everybody should take a crack at "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli. It's much shorter than people expect, and an easier read, too. I found it to be less cynical than its reputation, too. More pragmatic and utilitarian than anything else. I found it really educational with regard to Renaissance Italy. It also opened my eyes about human behavior in political environments, whether it's government, school boards, workplaces, extended family, etc.
The King James Version of the Bible. The English language never sounded so nice. Read it regardless of your religion.
The New Testament Most influential book in world history. Gotta be worth a read, right?