Book recomendations :)

[kafro]

Hi, i'm brand new to the forums and sadly...books. I have always loved reading, but its getting started that is my hardest part, and i am trying to overcome that now. I would like to as for your help as i am new to books so i really don't even know where to start but i found this forum so i hope its a good place to start . If it isn't to much trouble i would like to ask you guys for some book recomendations. I just turned 17 and am a junior in high school. Things i would love to start reading are books that really turn your head, they change your point of view on life. Some of my favorite movies are Memento, Requim For A Dream , The Usual Suspects, Donnie Darko, Pi, Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Barrels, and American History X (although Snatch and Lock Stock don't really leave you thinking). I would love it if i could find some books like those (hoping they exist!) so i can start enjoying reading. Please, any suggestions will be GREATLY appreciated, and thanks for all those who help!

 

[phil_t]

You could try Life of Pi by Yann Martel, its not a terribly difficult read and it definately makes you think one way or another. Its not the easiest book in the world to get into though, as the first few chapters ramble on a bit, so persevere with those and it gets a lot better

Phil

 

[Øystein]

Hi there, I guess what you might want is something slightly twisted and dark?
I'm probably not the best to direct you into those waters, as that's not much of what I'm into, but perhaps some of these might be of interest.
First off, I suspect you might dig ol' Paul Auster, whose book "The New York Trilogy" is a whole lot of fun; the plot's structural playfulness could in a way remind you of Donnie Darko and the like.

I suppose checking out Hubert Selby Jr's book "Requiem for a dream" would be quite natural as well. Haven't read it myself though.

Furthermore, Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange is a must-read for a both hilarious and chilling tale, if you've seen the movie, you'll know what to expect.

Looking into the likes of Italo Calvino and the science fiction author Philip K. Dick would probably be a very good idea for you as well.

I'll leave it at that, as I figure that'll give you some ideas, and then you can go exploring beyond those later, instead of having some ridiculous, endless list that you'll hardly know where to start on
Despite that, I'll give you al ist of some of the important mind-twisters, note that these are heavier reads than the ones I've already mentioned though: Virginia Woolf, Georges Perec, James Joyce, Flann O'Brien, Thomas Pynchon etc.
Heck, just google post modern literature, and you'll undoubtedly find heaps of syllabi for the kind of things you seem to be on the lookout for.

PS: For something completely different from what you seem to be looking for, check out Wodehouse's Jeeves books. I'm just mentioning them for the sake of being a pushy old codger. The English language just doesn't get much funnier than that

 

[marlasinger]

You sound like you have the same taste in movies as me.

A good dark and (very )disturbing book is The Demon, by Hubert Selby Jnr. Or how about The Beach by Alex Garland, or Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk?

That's all I can come up with at the moment.

 

[kafro]

Hey thanks a lot Oystien I'll probaly pick up a few of those while I'm at the library today. Haha I'm not really dark and twisted, I just like movies and books that go places that no one has before, show you a different side of life, like a more realistic one.

Haha Marlasinger thats neat that we have the same taste in movies, me and a few of my friends are the only people I know who enjoy those movies also. And I'll be sure to pick up The Demon and The Beach while I'm at the library also.

Thanks a lot guys I'm very excited to start reading these books...the only trouble is which one to read first!

 

[True@1stLight]

I like alot of the movies you listed, particularly Donnie Darko and Pi. Aronofsky is one of my favorite directors, and can't wait for him to make more movies.

Oystein gave some good recommendations, although some of the latter ones seem a daunting task for someone getting into reading. I recommend A Clockwork Orange , personally I thought the book was better than the movie. (I"m not a Kubrick fan though) I think you might like Calvino or Vonnegut a good deal....short, creative books with lots to say. Perhaps The Moviegoer by Walker Percy would be worth a shot as well. It seems it would be the type of book you would be interested in. Ishiguro might also be an author I would look into.

Welcome to the forum, I hope you find what you were looking for....

 

[Øystein]

Oystein gave some good recommendations, although some of the latter ones seem a daunting task for someone getting into reading.

Agreed, I was of two minds whether or not I should include that brief list at the end, but decided to put it in there, since some like to jump directly into the deep end.

I think you might like Calvino or Vonnegut a good deal....short, creative books with lots to say.

Oof, yes! Vonnegut might be exactly the right author to go for here, both easy to read, funny and full of those nice twisty narratives that I guess Kafro might be looking for.

I'm going to have to look into this Walker Percy character that you recommend myself, as he's completely new to me.

 

[kass21]

I started reading seriously around 20, and wish I had started earlier...Anyway, Your movie taste are similar to mine, I have a Memento poster on my wall and find half of the listed movies very fun(I'll look at the other half soon)... BTW, if you haven't seen Pulp Fiction or Shawshank's redemption, do so, these are classical and I'm sure you'll enjoy...

As for the books, 1984 (George Orwell) makes you think about totalitarism, and as I said in another thread, if you're american, you ought to read it. (Your president recently brought the patriot act, you'll understand)... There is also, a book that my philosophy teacher made me read, but it is nothing like the usual philo book, nothing... it's called "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley. It shows what the society could be in the future, with all the pharmacology, biotechnology and technology in the future, but really criticize, by forecasting what could happen, our society.

Those two are easy read, and when you'll be more at ease, if you are open to science-fiction, read the foundation serie by Isaac Asimov...He's the one who invented the word robotic and is brilliant. He wrote the story of "I, Robot", but I find it a little too much hollywoodised...I counsel you to read it later, because it's 5 tomes, so it starts slow...

Anyway...enjoy!

 

[Love4OneAnother]

I'll second the Vonnegut and Clockwork Orange reccomendations.

I tried reading the 'Moviegoer' awhile back, and found it to be horribly boring, and put it down about halfway through. Is it worth a second try?

 

[Stewart]

At 17, it's time for that one last bit of rebellion: The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger.

 

[marlasinger]

....Georges Perec....

Have you read Life: A User's Manual? If so, would you recommend it? The title initially caught my eye, and the blurb on the back sounds interesting, but I still haven't read it.

 

[Drizzt Do'Urden]

It suprises me I say this, but I've finished reading most of the book "The Demon Awakens" by RA Salvatore. Some of the training the Touel'Alfar but on young Elbryan really changed my perspective on life. Real inspirational stuff.