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I'm a teen who wants to become literate, Help!

H

HoldenCaulfield

New Member
Whats up. I'm 17 years old and have recently discovered the awesome power that is literature. It all started when I read the book Catcher In the Rye. Up until that point I hated books, and the idea of reading. This is mostly because the only books I ever read were school related, which means they were ridiculously boring and unimpressive. Never before had I'd ever imagined that an author could write something fifty years earlier that nails my existence and thoughts of the world to a tee. I was changed to say the least. I have always had an interest in eastern religions, as opposed to christianity, and have read several books on that subject. I now meditate daily. Another book which has influenced me greatly is Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, what an amazing book. I have read several of his other books such as Survivor and Invisible Monsters. After reading Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which I enjoyed greatly, I stumbled upon the authors backgroud. The Merry Pranksters, beatniks, ect. It intereseted me greatly and I have since read On the Road, The electric Kool-Aid Acid Experiment, Naked Lunch and have just ordered similar books about LSD and the beatnik lifestyle. I enjoy books which offer a diffrent outlook on society, and discuss the meaning of life.
My questions are: #1. Do you know of any websites with people with similar interests as mine? #2. Do you know of any books I would benefit from reading on the related subjects?
 
You could try a book called Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Sort of a cyber punk kinda book that may interest you. Check it out on Amazon.
 
Holden,
When I started reading your post here, my first thought was, of course, Kerouac. Don't stop at On The Road . I highly recommend Desolation Angels, The Subterraneans, and Big Sur. You might also be interested in Charles Bukowski (Post Office or Factotum) or John Fante (Ask the Dust ). Plus, Hunter Thompson.
However, I would also admonish you not to fall into the trap of supposing that the Beats were the only people to write about dissatisfaction with life and the world around them. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance leaps to mind. Fred Exley's A Fan's Notes could be said to be Holden Caulfield at 30-something. Or, Chuck Rosenthal's "Loop" trilogy.
I also find Amazon's "Listmania" feature good for getting ideas on a new field of interest. In any event, keep reading. Your interests will naturally broaden. Plus, it's always nice to have another member "in the fold".
 
You might also like Neuromancer by William Gibson. An interesting sci-fi look at what happens when man lets technology overtake humans. Gibson is considered the 'daddy' of cyberpunk.

Otherwise, funes has given you some very good suggestions.
 
I just ordered Desolation Angels. What do u guys think about:

Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell by Aldus Huxley.
Your Brain is God by Timmothy Leary.
The Tibeten Book of the Living and the Dead.
 
Holden,
Unfortunately, I haven't read any of the three books you mentioned. I have the Huxley book, but have never read it. However, I think that you might want to read Kerouac's Big Sur for a "Beat" reaction to the emerging drug culture of the Sixties.
I also think that you might be interested in books like William Least-Heat Moon's PrairyErth or John Crowley's Little, Big . The first struck me as very meditative and unique in it's perspective. The second, in some ways, is very much about the duality between city and country life, between the rich and the poor, etc.
 
Two books that were very popular in the sixties were Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. You mentioned the Tibetan Book of the Dead but other works related to Eastern religions were widely read: I remember reading the Upanishads and the Bhagavad-Gita. Timothy Leary is worth reading for a taste of the era, but not worth taking seriously. I heard him speak once at my university campus -- his brain was fried. I would also reiterate the advice offered by funes -- more Kerouac would not be a bad thing, and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is worth a read.
 
If you read and enjoy Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull - published in 1970, incidentally - I recommend his 1977 book Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah.
 
hm well it depends how far you'll expand your horizons. you might like Of Mice and Men by John Stienback. if you wont, well, it wont be to big of a loss of time considering its around 100 pages.

i also recommend The Stranger by Albert Camus. i loved the transition of the character

looking beyond the classics, Nick Hornby could be your guy. i really liked High Fidelity.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath might not be your cup of tea since its from the point of view from a girl, but i certainly loved it.

Pure Sunshine and the Perks of being a Wallflower were also great reads.
 
Previous posters have given some great things to read, do be sure and write down what has been suggested. After you are done with those, start reading anything by Hunter S. Thompson, especially Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. :)
 
I just finished the Tales of the Otori trilogy, which was excellent if you like historical fiction and action. And ninja.
 
Throw some classics in there! Dickens, Dumas, Dostoevsky, Gogol, Hardy, Doyle, Conrad, Kafka, Joyce, Wilde...
 
WoundedThorns, out of interest, why are you responding to someone who was last here two years ago?
 
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