A Book That Made A Difference

[Diva]

My father died when I was thirteen. I was lost. One of my teachers asked to speak with me after class. She gave me a thin paperback and said that when she lost her father, someone had given it to her. I still read this from time to time. Do you have a book, poem, etc... that helped you through something or you keep to lift your spirits?

http://www.nochicktrix.com/fun/oth/vb/me/lilprince.jpg

ha ha ha. what book, eh? probably the Brothers Karamazov. it was so long ago, but the section on The Grand Inquisitor was extraordinarily brilliant. oh yeah, that Grushenka chick was hot too, 'cause the way she was described sounded JUST like this friend of mine i wanted to bone; so readin' 'bout her made my balls tickle.

[Amaurote]

Under Western Eyes, by Joseph Conrad. I'm a huge fan of all things Conradian anyway, but I was going through the motions when I read it, in my early twenties, and I was duly converted: I identified with the central character - Razumov - completely, which is highly unusual for me.

Conrad excels at reminding us all of the ethical and moral complications of everyday existence, and, despite his reputation for pessimism, his stories often end with a reaffirmation of human dignity. Under Western Eyes is still, for me - despite its much criticized narrative device - the best novel I've ever read.

[Diva]

I thought that I'd bring this thread back to life. Does anyone have a book or poem that helped them through a tough time or that they enjoy reading from time to time?

[JakeD]

I'd have to vote Jack Kerouac's On The Road as an all-time favorite, along with John Krakauer's Into The Wild, Charles Bukowski's Notes of a Dirty Old Man. And Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves. Each of these books appealed to an aspect of my personality at the time I was reading them, so they stand out in my mind as classics that I could pick up at any moment and read from cover to cover twice without even bitching.

[Banger]

I know Ive mentioned this time and time again, but I really enjoyed Catcher in the Rye...Siddhartha (Hermann Hesse) and Macbeth...just to name a few...

[kittyroze]

The book I just read was wonderful...full of angst/anger/intelligence/wit/sadness/pain/humor. I'd reccommend it to just about anyone who likes to read... A HeartBreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggars. It's set in San Fran. I loved it just from the acknowledgements. "The author would like to acknowledge that he does not look good in Red. Or pink. Or even orange. He is not a Spring."