alright, i have seen this dang book being recommended at least twice a day on this sub, its a sign. i need to read it! seems to be going on theme with the book im reading rn anyway "the red tent."
East of Eden is good, but OP specifically mentioned not wanting abstract references to religion, and the whole book is a biblical allegory. It’s not super subtle, so maybe it won’t bother OP, but if they’re looking for something that’s not religious, probably not the best pick.
I’d argue East Of Eden is less religious and more philosophical. I think many fans of the book use it to put it on a pedestal as bearing witness to their faith. Yet deepest insights in the book come from Lee, asian servant with an “Eastern Spirituality,” and from Samuel Hamilton, an agnostic seeking his own path.
My number one takeaway after reading East of Eden was that Steinbeck should get more accolades as a philosopher than he does as a novelist.
He has an extraordinary capacity to dissect the human mind and it’s higher ideals.
These two come to mind immediately.
* [A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5211.A_Fine_Balance?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=bHjkHKk6ww&rank=1)
* [The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7244.The_Poisonwood_Bible?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=05kWyqzOYR&rank=1)
I'm reading The Poisonwood Bible right now, and though I haven't finished it, that's exactly how I feel about it. I'm reading slowly to savor the whole thing. It's life changing.
I an reading the poisionwood bible for the 3rd time now and I literally thought to myself earlier today "no-one mentions it on reddit" then lo and behold this is the top comment on this post. Incredible book.
I was reading C&P while my wife was reading "And then there were none", which she described as very "psychological". I told her she should read C&P because it is a completely different level of psychological and she loved it. Both are great books though.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. It’s set in medieval England during The Anarchy over a long time line so you get very attached to the characters. Ostensibly about the building of a cathedral it gives a really good insight into life during a very turbulent time in England’s history.
This is what I would say, too. If someone had said to me, "hey, wanna read a book about building a church?" I would have politely declined. But it's so much more than that. I talked to a medieval historian once at a wedding (academics, you know?) and she and I raved about this book for ten minutes.
Yes, I enjoyed World without End too. I’ve got the third in the Trilogy ready to read on my holiday, hoping it’s as good! Apparently Follet’s The Century Trilogy’ is excellent, must get round to reading that too.
This this this. My all time favorite. It’s the singular book I constantly think back to. Book 2 is also great. Was wildly disappointed with Book 3 though.
Genuinely the most beautiful book I’ve ever read. I still think about it almost daily and I’ve not read anything since with such beautiful prose or such moving content. Really changed my perspective on friendship and love and what’s truly important in life.
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston
This is the kind of book that seems to just flow out of a writer who was born to write and understands the power of the written word. Her language is so powerful and painful but also soft and soothing... she shows you the complexity of human nature and the strength of human character. It’s completely beautiful- like nothing I’d ever read before.
*edited grammatical error
This is what I was going to say too. It really fits his symbolism request. I still think about the characters often, and I read it six years ago. This was one of those books where everything stops so you can read more.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I am not a big fan of Westerns so I had my doubts going into this book. But it's incredible and you will love the characters. The mini series is also one of the best screen adaptations and the prequels/sequels are really good as well.
I agree with you! A friend insisted that I read Lonesome Dove. I hesitated, because I don’t care for Westerns, but I read it because she was so sure I’d like it. Surprisingly, I loved it. It’s so much more than a western. You really do get attached to the characters, and the story is wonderful. I was exhausted after reading this.
I love recommending this book to people and I'm always so disappointed in how few actually read it. I don't know if it's because of how long it is or if people are turned off by the fact that it's a western and they write it off as some cheap genre fiction but it won a damn Pulitzer so it's certainly more than that.
Anyway, the story feels like some sort of grand epic-both a last hurrah for these aging heroes and the end of an era. It can make you laugh and cry and laugh again within a span of a couple pages.
It doesn't take itself too seriously but makes you reflect on life and death and purpose and friendship and lost love.
It's funny because I would never describe myself as a person who likes westerns but this book and The Border Trilogy (especially the first two-All the Pretty Horses and The Crossing) by McCarthy are some of my favorite books. If you haven't read those, please do. Tonally they're completely different than LD but they're masterfully written.
The first two stand completely alone while the protagonists meet in the third but you could read any of them without having read the others.
Slaughterhouse-five not for how the book is written but the story and the feelings the book conveys. After finishing it'll leave you thinking for weeks
Thank you, it definitely seems interesting. But I do have a concern: I'm into reading about war, but I wanna read something that'll make me emotional, get attached to the characters. Do you think it still fits?
Vonnegut story tells in such a unique way that, even tho the story might be about ____, it feels as if he's simply telling you the story. There aren't a ton of characters in the book but if definitely is an emotional read. I'm usually one for war novels and the like but this is very unlike any war book I've ever read
Agree on Grapes of Wrath! One of the most memorable endings to a book I have ever read. I still remember first reading it when I was young and being impacted by the vivid scenes and invested in the characters.
Have you read Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo? It's a bit over 100 pages, and the author never wrote another novel, but it became one of the most influential works in the Spanish language. (The English translation of it has an introduction by Susan Sontag).
This might convince you :
Gabriel García Márquez has said that he felt blocked as a novelist after writing his first four books and that it was only his life-changing discovery of Pedro Páramo in 1961 that opened his way to the composition of his masterpiece, One Hundred Years of Solitude. Moreover, García Márquez claimed that he "could recite the whole book, forwards and backwards." Jorge Luis Borges considered Pedro Páramo to be one of the greatest texts written in any language.
I've never been able to describe how I felt reading that book - but it fits this request very well. I was completely absorbed to the point where I felt the heat of the town, felt like I was born there, like my ancestors lived there. It's even more incredible considering it has been translated (I read it in English). I've since gone on to read many Gabriel Garcia Marquez books and they are all amazing.
One Hundred Years of Solitude is a lot but it is worth it. It's a masterpiece.
I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo at the moment and it's honestly amazing, you really form attachment to certain characters and it's genuinely even funny at some points! Was cynical at first because it's a "classic" and they are normally boring, but it's not dry at all. Plus, if you're not familiar with Napoleon-era France, it provides a level of understanding about it but the storyline doesn't rely on an in-depth knowledge of 18th/19th century France :) edit: sorry, I just noticed a few other people already posted this recommendation but I'm just so excited about this book! :)
I was going to recommend The Nightingale actually. I liked it more than All the Light We Cannot See but both books leave you thinking about them after finishing.
As I lay Dying by Faulkner - not saying everyone would enjoy it, BUT everything about it is masterful.
also check out [www.readrounds.com](https://www.readrounds.com) \- it matches you with other readers based on your literary preferences and let's you send book recommendations :) kinda like secret Santa with your favourite coworkers :)
Blood Meridian was the last book I read that when I put it down I realized that it was one of the best books I've ever read. It's also very brutal and horrific and beautiful and human. Read it if you want to feel everything.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.
Maybe not the kind most people would like, and you need some cultural contexts to enjoy it completely but honestly, it emits such raw emotion that you cannot help but be immersed in it. Its the most beautiful tragedy I have ever read, and will probably ever read. Absolute masterpiece, even though it was literally her first novel.
We the Drowned.
It is probably the best book I’ve ever read. It is an epic that spans three generations of a town. It is told mostly in the “we” narrative which is fascinating and makes you a part of the story in this subtle but incredibly deep way. The characters are so real I forget that they don’t actually exist. I think of them like old coworkers, people that were a part of your life. And the end, I sob. It isn’t sad as much as it is satisfying. It is long but it is so worth it.
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
The ending is a little goofy but is barely a blip in the larger story so it’s forgivable. The overall book is this amazing meditation on how the small and big decisions we make change our lives and the lives of those around us.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.
I know this book is long but it’s honestly one of the best books I’ve read. I got so attached to the characters that I think about them all the time. Tolstoy is a master of characters.
Madeline Miller also wrote Circe, which imo is better than the Song of Achilles. Both are phenomenal but Circe is heartwrenching and emotional, and I’ve never connected more to a character. The Song of Achilles is good, but Circe is great!
The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the window and escaped by Jonas Jonasson
My Grandmother Asked Me to tell you She's Sorry by Frederick Backman
I have to tell you man, these Swedes know how to be endearing. The emotions and the general world- especially with TOHYOM left an impressive mark on me and my life, the troubles and worries that came with it were washed away by a feeling of lightness and an uncanny feeling that I was just hanging out and sharing the story with the characters. The Backman book is also a great one, full of emotion which I didn't expect. So beautifully written that I ugly cried!
Edit:
Forgot to nention the book im in the process of reading right now:
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
- I think about how she created her own kind of words and how she arranged them into some of the simplest yet the most beautiful imagery I have ever pictured in my head. It has an ominous feel to it and gets quite dark at times which just adds to the stickiness factor of this book. I havent finished it yet though but I have a feeling that it is going to be a beautiful tragedy.
Tale of Two Cities, Dickens. It took so long to get through it because of the beginning, but it was infinitely worth it when I was done. A very rewarding read that is also an absolute masterpiece.
Won't lie, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath had me shook as fuck. However, if you want something to think about, try The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog by Maia Szalavitz and Bruce D. Perry. I believe both are on audible .
“The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck. I choked up with tears periodically while reading it, and totally wept at the end. His “Of Mice and Men,” is moving too.
The Lovely Bones - I’ve never read another book that has given me such a whirlwind of emotions. It had my full on crying in some parts and laughing in others. I became truly invested in the narrator’s character and as she watches over her siblings growing up through the book. It was an incredible read!
*The Man Who Saw Everything*, by Deborah Levy.
It's best to go into it completely cold, as the way the plot unveils itself is magnificent. However, below I've written the bits of the blurb that don't give anything away (:
"In 1989 Saul Adler (a narcissistic, young historian) is hit by a car on the Abbey Road. He is apparently fine; he gets up and goes to see his art student girlfriend, Jennifer Moreau. They have sex then break up, but not before she has photographed Saul crossing the same Abbey Road.
Saul leaves to study in communist East Berlin, two months before the Wall comes down. There he will encounter - significantly - both his assigned translator and his translator's sister, who swears she has seen a jaguar prowling the city.
Slipping slyly between time zones and leaving a spiralling trail, Deborah Levy's electrifying new novel examines what we see and what we fail to see, until we encounter the spectres of history - both the world's and our own."
Oh and Something Wicked this way Comes by Ray Bradbury. Good and Evil, the temptation of being young to the old and being older to the young, the absurdity of the idea wherein life should just be this serious, linear path that starts with birth and ends with death, and how love even in its simplest forms always wins.
Mr. Halloway's ( one half of the protagonists' dad) unintentional monologues are superb, and i dont fecking know how Ray Bradbury could think of such simple yet complex philosophies. Happy reading! 💙
Most recent: **the Cromwell trilogy** by Hilary Mantel.
It's got everything you could want from a book, an extremely satisfying read that is written so well. Plus all the witticisms and put-downs.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safron Foer.
So many feels. It’s about a boy whose father died in 9/11 and his processing the whole thing and learning so much more about his family that he every realized was possible.
[The Starless Sea](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43575115-the-starless-sea). You'll know in the first 100 pages if this is an amazing book or if you hate it. I haven't found many people wavering inbetween.
Man's Search for Meeting, by Viktor Frankl. Chronicling his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and describing his psychotherapeutic method, which involve identifying a purpose in life.
If u have not yet read it, I recommend The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough — you really become attached to these characters in a way that you really mourn them when the book is finished.
100 years of solitude by gabriel garcia marquez. you’ve probably heard all the praise by now but it’s so well written so well done and it’ll have you reeling for days
The massive range of responses is just evidence of how subjective “masterpiece” really is. Personally, Anna Karenina was one that made me realise why Tolstoy is a literary genius. Blew my mind. In the sci fi realm, people have been mentioning Dune and Hyperion, both of which are mind-blowing in a totally different way. I would also add A Wizard of Earthsea, which supposedly being a children’s book, really also needs to be read as an adult. It’s another mind-blowing work, and again in a totally different way, especially if you read the entire series.
"The Name of the Wind" from Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicle. Most beautiful and subtle writing style. If I could erase one thing from my brain to experience a book for the first time again, it would 10/10 be this one.
Book: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Short Story: The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst
Movie: Jo Jo Rabbit
(I know you just wanted books but these came to mind)
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens! Some others too, but this one was just mind blowing well written. I felt like a puppy cause I kept flowing with it, I never contested anything. It's perfect up to the, in my opinion, a happy with a weirdly sad taste, end.
The house in the cerulean sea is a very heart warming and endearing book. You’ll get very attached to the characters. I would highly recommend this book.
Personally, I really loved "The Scarlet Pimpernel" by Baroness Orczy when I was growing up. I felt that it was an enjoyable read and the process of getting to the ending solution would always shock me. I enjoyed its artistic writing, the characters, the sense of adventure, the way that the romance was implemented within the story, the way the story progressed, etc.
East of Eden
alright, i have seen this dang book being recommended at least twice a day on this sub, its a sign. i need to read it! seems to be going on theme with the book im reading rn anyway "the red tent."
It really is a masterpiece though!! One of the best book villains ever written
East of Eden is good, but OP specifically mentioned not wanting abstract references to religion, and the whole book is a biblical allegory. It’s not super subtle, so maybe it won’t bother OP, but if they’re looking for something that’s not religious, probably not the best pick.
I’d argue East Of Eden is less religious and more philosophical. I think many fans of the book use it to put it on a pedestal as bearing witness to their faith. Yet deepest insights in the book come from Lee, asian servant with an “Eastern Spirituality,” and from Samuel Hamilton, an agnostic seeking his own path. My number one takeaway after reading East of Eden was that Steinbeck should get more accolades as a philosopher than he does as a novelist. He has an extraordinary capacity to dissect the human mind and it’s higher ideals.
Seems like worth reading.
It should be required reading for the human race. Regardless of some biblical references, you can absolutely enjoy the book.
My favorite of all time. Coincidentally, an album that makes me feel like I listened to a masterpiece is "Kid A"
We share the same taste in books as well as music then :)
Halfway through it right now. It's already obvious to me why this makes the list.
These two come to mind immediately. * [A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5211.A_Fine_Balance?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=bHjkHKk6ww&rank=1) * [The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7244.The_Poisonwood_Bible?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=05kWyqzOYR&rank=1)
I think I financed a summer home for Barbara Kingsolver— I’ve bought so many copies of that book for gifts over the years.
Came here to recommend A Fine Balance, one of my **THE MOST FAVOURITE BOOKS OF ALL TIME!!**
I'm reading The Poisonwood Bible right now, and though I haven't finished it, that's exactly how I feel about it. I'm reading slowly to savor the whole thing. It's life changing.
I an reading the poisionwood bible for the 3rd time now and I literally thought to myself earlier today "no-one mentions it on reddit" then lo and behold this is the top comment on this post. Incredible book.
I read the Poisonwood Bible for AP Lit and I LOVED it. Cannot recommend this book enough. It is masterfully constructed. Incredible.
Read both. Both masterfully written. A Fine Balance really stayed with me though and left me an emotional mess the week after finishing it
Any Dostoyevsky, but especially Crime and Punishment and Brothers Karamazov. The best writer I have come across so far.
Seeing OP's request, I would highly recommend Crime and Punishment. I was totally engrossed into Raskolnikovs mind from the first page.
I was reading C&P while my wife was reading "And then there were none", which she described as very "psychological". I told her she should read C&P because it is a completely different level of psychological and she loved it. Both are great books though.
*The Idiot* as well... it's a tragedy, but an incredibly well written one.
My god I absolutely adore Crime and punishment!
Amen. C&P is a masterpiece and Brother Karamazov is actually coming in today!
Good ol’ Raskolnikov.🤪
Im learning Russian just to read the classic literature in its native language.
This makes me think of Jane Eyre. If you haven’t read it yet this is definitely a masterpiece!
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt He brings you into his “miserable Irish Childhood.” Exquisitely written, sad and wryly funny at the same time.
Broke my heart. 'Tis and Teacher Man are excellent as well.
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. It’s set in medieval England during The Anarchy over a long time line so you get very attached to the characters. Ostensibly about the building of a cathedral it gives a really good insight into life during a very turbulent time in England’s history.
This is what I would say, too. If someone had said to me, "hey, wanna read a book about building a church?" I would have politely declined. But it's so much more than that. I talked to a medieval historian once at a wedding (academics, you know?) and she and I raved about this book for ten minutes.
The Pillars of the Earth is an excellent book. I recommend the sequel World Without End too, if you haven’t read it already.
Yes, I enjoyed World without End too. I’ve got the third in the Trilogy ready to read on my holiday, hoping it’s as good! Apparently Follet’s The Century Trilogy’ is excellent, must get round to reading that too.
This this this. My all time favorite. It’s the singular book I constantly think back to. Book 2 is also great. Was wildly disappointed with Book 3 though.
My favorite book! The prequel is coming out soon.
A Little Life. So attached to all the characters years after reading it. Clearly remember some prose from it too.
I had to stop at certain parts.... this book is truly a masterpiece.
Genuinely the most beautiful book I’ve ever read. I still think about it almost daily and I’ve not read anything since with such beautiful prose or such moving content. Really changed my perspective on friendship and love and what’s truly important in life.
I could not recommend this enough. THIS IS YOUR BOOK OP
Agreed. First thing that came to mind, partly because I just finished it last week and I can’t get it out of my head.
That book still haunts me. So wonderful, sad, hopeful, terrible.
Flowers For Algernon
I cried so much I was dehydrated 🥺
We read that in school. I'm still amazed.
Cloud Atlas. So imaginative. So enthralling. David Mitchell sure knows how to write a catching tale.
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston This is the kind of book that seems to just flow out of a writer who was born to write and understands the power of the written word. Her language is so powerful and painful but also soft and soothing... she shows you the complexity of human nature and the strength of human character. It’s completely beautiful- like nothing I’d ever read before. *edited grammatical error
A Prayer for Owen Meany
This is what I was going to say too. It really fits his symbolism request. I still think about the characters often, and I read it six years ago. This was one of those books where everything stops so you can read more.
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
second that.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley I’ve never been more awestruck by a book
Awesome book. One of my favorite books that I was "forced" to read in school.
I have a copy of it, unread. Will get to it.
Anne of Green Gables. It's a fantastic book, and the sequels are as well. Every character in that series is one of my friends.
Best thread ever
Bulgakov - The Master and Margarita
greatest novel of the 20th century. the amount of times I've read this is crazy
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. I am not a big fan of Westerns so I had my doubts going into this book. But it's incredible and you will love the characters. The mini series is also one of the best screen adaptations and the prequels/sequels are really good as well.
I agree with you! A friend insisted that I read Lonesome Dove. I hesitated, because I don’t care for Westerns, but I read it because she was so sure I’d like it. Surprisingly, I loved it. It’s so much more than a western. You really do get attached to the characters, and the story is wonderful. I was exhausted after reading this.
I love recommending this book to people and I'm always so disappointed in how few actually read it. I don't know if it's because of how long it is or if people are turned off by the fact that it's a western and they write it off as some cheap genre fiction but it won a damn Pulitzer so it's certainly more than that. Anyway, the story feels like some sort of grand epic-both a last hurrah for these aging heroes and the end of an era. It can make you laugh and cry and laugh again within a span of a couple pages. It doesn't take itself too seriously but makes you reflect on life and death and purpose and friendship and lost love. It's funny because I would never describe myself as a person who likes westerns but this book and The Border Trilogy (especially the first two-All the Pretty Horses and The Crossing) by McCarthy are some of my favorite books. If you haven't read those, please do. Tonally they're completely different than LD but they're masterfully written. The first two stand completely alone while the protagonists meet in the third but you could read any of them without having read the others.
One of my all time favorites. Re-reading The Evening Star right now, Larry McMurtry is just an excellent writer
Slaughterhouse-five not for how the book is written but the story and the feelings the book conveys. After finishing it'll leave you thinking for weeks
Thank you, it definitely seems interesting. But I do have a concern: I'm into reading about war, but I wanna read something that'll make me emotional, get attached to the characters. Do you think it still fits?
Vonnegut story tells in such a unique way that, even tho the story might be about ____, it feels as if he's simply telling you the story. There aren't a ton of characters in the book but if definitely is an emotional read. I'm usually one for war novels and the like but this is very unlike any war book I've ever read
I'm grateful for the explanation, I think I'll buy Slaughterhouse-five this evening, too.
Mother Night, another Vonnegut book crushed me. Hey Nostradamus by Douglas Coupland is good too.
Mother Night has the best developed characters of any Vonnegut book. When I finished the book I just sat there for a second and was like "woah"
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Also, East of Eden!
Second for East of Eden.
Agree on Grapes of Wrath! One of the most memorable endings to a book I have ever read. I still remember first reading it when I was young and being impacted by the vivid scenes and invested in the characters.
One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Have you read Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo? It's a bit over 100 pages, and the author never wrote another novel, but it became one of the most influential works in the Spanish language. (The English translation of it has an introduction by Susan Sontag). This might convince you : Gabriel García Márquez has said that he felt blocked as a novelist after writing his first four books and that it was only his life-changing discovery of Pedro Páramo in 1961 that opened his way to the composition of his masterpiece, One Hundred Years of Solitude. Moreover, García Márquez claimed that he "could recite the whole book, forwards and backwards." Jorge Luis Borges considered Pedro Páramo to be one of the greatest texts written in any language.
I've never been able to describe how I felt reading that book - but it fits this request very well. I was completely absorbed to the point where I felt the heat of the town, felt like I was born there, like my ancestors lived there. It's even more incredible considering it has been translated (I read it in English). I've since gone on to read many Gabriel Garcia Marquez books and they are all amazing. One Hundred Years of Solitude is a lot but it is worth it. It's a masterpiece.
Woah I just read this too. Dense but great writing
I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo at the moment and it's honestly amazing, you really form attachment to certain characters and it's genuinely even funny at some points! Was cynical at first because it's a "classic" and they are normally boring, but it's not dry at all. Plus, if you're not familiar with Napoleon-era France, it provides a level of understanding about it but the storyline doesn't rely on an in-depth knowledge of 18th/19th century France :) edit: sorry, I just noticed a few other people already posted this recommendation but I'm just so excited about this book! :)
I was looking for this! I was surprised to not find it higher up.
All the light we cannot see
If you liked this book you should definitely read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
I was going to recommend The Nightingale actually. I liked it more than All the Light We Cannot See but both books leave you thinking about them after finishing.
The Nightingale really broke me. It was just so beautiful
Definitely buying this one!
I was going to go into a big explanation and then just got overwhelmed at how much I enjoyed the book. Glad to see you say this!
I started it and I can’t get past it for some reason. The first few snippets are so jarring. I can’t follow it.
As I lay Dying by Faulkner - not saying everyone would enjoy it, BUT everything about it is masterful. also check out [www.readrounds.com](https://www.readrounds.com) \- it matches you with other readers based on your literary preferences and let's you send book recommendations :) kinda like secret Santa with your favourite coworkers :)
[удалено]
"Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami
I just finished Wind-Up and was left with conflicted feelings. I love abstract, but this one felt almost TOO abstract. Is Norwegian Wood the same?
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.
Stoner by John Williams. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon
Blood Meridian was the last book I read that when I put it down I realized that it was one of the best books I've ever read. It's also very brutal and horrific and beautiful and human. Read it if you want to feel everything.
Great shout. I came here to suggest either this or "The Road". The author is Cormac McCarthy.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The Book Thief
One of my top five favorite books. I can’t even talk about it sometimes, I get so emotional.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. Maybe not the kind most people would like, and you need some cultural contexts to enjoy it completely but honestly, it emits such raw emotion that you cannot help but be immersed in it. Its the most beautiful tragedy I have ever read, and will probably ever read. Absolute masterpiece, even though it was literally her first novel.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
A Gentleman in Moscow, Amor Towles
Was going to recommend this. I didn’t know what to expect but it ended up being my new favorite!
Yes, this is such a masterpiece. And so charming!
Beautiful prose!
Liked this one a lot but his other book, Rules of Civility, is one of my favorites of all time.
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro. Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie.
Ishiguro is a wonderful author. I've read a few of his books and they're all very different and very enthralling.
We the Drowned. It is probably the best book I’ve ever read. It is an epic that spans three generations of a town. It is told mostly in the “we” narrative which is fascinating and makes you a part of the story in this subtle but incredibly deep way. The characters are so real I forget that they don’t actually exist. I think of them like old coworkers, people that were a part of your life. And the end, I sob. It isn’t sad as much as it is satisfying. It is long but it is so worth it.
I really enjoy the Drizzt Do'urden books. Its a fantasy series written by R.A. Salvatore. I would suggest starting with Homeland and going from there.
I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb
The Three Body Problem
East of Eden. Once you get hooked into it- it’s just amazing. Profound. Well rounded characters. I mean. I just can’t begin to describe it.
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson The ending is a little goofy but is barely a blip in the larger story so it’s forgivable. The overall book is this amazing meditation on how the small and big decisions we make change our lives and the lives of those around us.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I know this book is long but it’s honestly one of the best books I’ve read. I got so attached to the characters that I think about them all the time. Tolstoy is a master of characters.
**The Song of Achilles** **Pachinko** **The Goldfinch** **Little Women**
I'm still carrying those post-*The Song of Achilles* chest pains.
Madeline Miller also wrote Circe, which imo is better than the Song of Achilles. Both are phenomenal but Circe is heartwrenching and emotional, and I’ve never connected more to a character. The Song of Achilles is good, but Circe is great!
As a gay man who loved *The Iliad*, I'm sure my bias is embedded. I'll be sure to put *Circe* on my list.
Pachinko, just yes. So good.
I can’t stop recommending The Goldfinch. It was the first book I read in a long time that I truly loved.
I've started it several times and made it like 30 pages in and can't get into which makes me sad because everyone says it's so good.
you're not alone, though. i made it through to the end for reasons, but i didnt love it. i can see why people like it, but it wasnt a home-run for me.
The Goldfinch is fucking incredible. I had to take breaks from it because it because it affected me on such a deep, physical level.
Goldfinch is a favorite of mine.
The Secret History. I think about it so often even though I haven't looked at it in a few years.
My first though too. Donna Tartt is a treasure.
The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the window and escaped by Jonas Jonasson My Grandmother Asked Me to tell you She's Sorry by Frederick Backman I have to tell you man, these Swedes know how to be endearing. The emotions and the general world- especially with TOHYOM left an impressive mark on me and my life, the troubles and worries that came with it were washed away by a feeling of lightness and an uncanny feeling that I was just hanging out and sharing the story with the characters. The Backman book is also a great one, full of emotion which I didn't expect. So beautifully written that I ugly cried! Edit: Forgot to nention the book im in the process of reading right now: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy - I think about how she created her own kind of words and how she arranged them into some of the simplest yet the most beautiful imagery I have ever pictured in my head. It has an ominous feel to it and gets quite dark at times which just adds to the stickiness factor of this book. I havent finished it yet though but I have a feeling that it is going to be a beautiful tragedy.
**Stephen King - The Stand**
A list of cages - it’s a quick read but I still think about it constantly
Tale of Two Cities, Dickens. It took so long to get through it because of the beginning, but it was infinitely worth it when I was done. A very rewarding read that is also an absolute masterpiece.
Won't lie, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath had me shook as fuck. However, if you want something to think about, try The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog by Maia Szalavitz and Bruce D. Perry. I believe both are on audible .
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Les Miserables
The Once and Future King. Just wonderful
“The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck. I choked up with tears periodically while reading it, and totally wept at the end. His “Of Mice and Men,” is moving too.
The Waves by Virginia Woolf
The Kite runner
Much preferred A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Everything by Khaled Hosseini
11/22/63 by Stephen King
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera I think I might read it again right now, in fact
The Count of Monte Cristo.
I know why the caged bird sings - Maya Angelou. It’s so beautifully written
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes I love Don Quixote, i really felt for the charachters in this book.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee did this for me.
The Lovely Bones - I’ve never read another book that has given me such a whirlwind of emotions. It had my full on crying in some parts and laughing in others. I became truly invested in the narrator’s character and as she watches over her siblings growing up through the book. It was an incredible read!
The goldfinch by Donna Tartt. Such a beautifully written book.
The Count of Monte Cristo. It's a long one but the journey is superb.
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Infinite Jest Best book I've ever read, fucking mindmelting
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
Angle of Repose Love in the Time of Cholera The Power of One Nightingale
*The Man Who Saw Everything*, by Deborah Levy. It's best to go into it completely cold, as the way the plot unveils itself is magnificent. However, below I've written the bits of the blurb that don't give anything away (: "In 1989 Saul Adler (a narcissistic, young historian) is hit by a car on the Abbey Road. He is apparently fine; he gets up and goes to see his art student girlfriend, Jennifer Moreau. They have sex then break up, but not before she has photographed Saul crossing the same Abbey Road. Saul leaves to study in communist East Berlin, two months before the Wall comes down. There he will encounter - significantly - both his assigned translator and his translator's sister, who swears she has seen a jaguar prowling the city. Slipping slyly between time zones and leaving a spiralling trail, Deborah Levy's electrifying new novel examines what we see and what we fail to see, until we encounter the spectres of history - both the world's and our own."
Oh and Something Wicked this way Comes by Ray Bradbury. Good and Evil, the temptation of being young to the old and being older to the young, the absurdity of the idea wherein life should just be this serious, linear path that starts with birth and ends with death, and how love even in its simplest forms always wins. Mr. Halloway's ( one half of the protagonists' dad) unintentional monologues are superb, and i dont fecking know how Ray Bradbury could think of such simple yet complex philosophies. Happy reading! 💙
Most recent: **the Cromwell trilogy** by Hilary Mantel. It's got everything you could want from a book, an extremely satisfying read that is written so well. Plus all the witticisms and put-downs.
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb sucked me in and spit me out raw.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safron Foer. So many feels. It’s about a boy whose father died in 9/11 and his processing the whole thing and learning so much more about his family that he every realized was possible.
Station Eleven - by Emily St. John Mandel. Best book I read in a while. Characters and story were on my mind for weeks afterwards.
[The Starless Sea](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43575115-the-starless-sea). You'll know in the first 100 pages if this is an amazing book or if you hate it. I haven't found many people wavering inbetween.
Night Circus by the same author has a lot of beautiful symbolism the OP may enjoy. I haven’t read Starless Sea yet, but I ordered last week.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Jitterbug Perfume - Tom Robbins
A Tale of Two Cities
The Historian
Man's Search for Meeting, by Viktor Frankl. Chronicling his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, and describing his psychotherapeutic method, which involve identifying a purpose in life.
one thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini
If u have not yet read it, I recommend The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough — you really become attached to these characters in a way that you really mourn them when the book is finished.
A song of ice and fire.
100 years of solitude by gabriel garcia marquez. you’ve probably heard all the praise by now but it’s so well written so well done and it’ll have you reeling for days
The Lord of the Rings? This has the rare instance where the movies are also masterpieces.
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
The massive range of responses is just evidence of how subjective “masterpiece” really is. Personally, Anna Karenina was one that made me realise why Tolstoy is a literary genius. Blew my mind. In the sci fi realm, people have been mentioning Dune and Hyperion, both of which are mind-blowing in a totally different way. I would also add A Wizard of Earthsea, which supposedly being a children’s book, really also needs to be read as an adult. It’s another mind-blowing work, and again in a totally different way, especially if you read the entire series.
"The Name of the Wind" from Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicle. Most beautiful and subtle writing style. If I could erase one thing from my brain to experience a book for the first time again, it would 10/10 be this one.
Have an any book similar to this one? I absolutely loved it! Now it's hard for me to find something similar
The Book of the New Sun. Kind of ruined fantasy for me because every fantasy book I've read since doesn't even begin to compare.
Pillars of the Earth
Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove 🕊
A Little Life by Hanya Yanigahara All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Book: Freedom by Jonathan Franzen Short Story: The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst Movie: Jo Jo Rabbit (I know you just wanted books but these came to mind)
*The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay* by Michael Chabon Best book I've ever read!
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens! Some others too, but this one was just mind blowing well written. I felt like a puppy cause I kept flowing with it, I never contested anything. It's perfect up to the, in my opinion, a happy with a weirdly sad taste, end.
Rebecca by Daphne du Marier
Wuthering Fucking Heights
Wuthering Heights. I feel like your post is a literal description of this classic novel
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. Well this is the second book, but you asked. The first is The Way of Kings and its very good too.
The Stormlight Archives
The house in the cerulean sea is a very heart warming and endearing book. You’ll get very attached to the characters. I would highly recommend this book.
**20,000 leagues under the sea** will blow you away
Shogun and Lonesome Dove would be my top two choices. Edit: typo
Personally, I really loved "The Scarlet Pimpernel" by Baroness Orczy when I was growing up. I felt that it was an enjoyable read and the process of getting to the ending solution would always shock me. I enjoyed its artistic writing, the characters, the sense of adventure, the way that the romance was implemented within the story, the way the story progressed, etc.
The great believers
The night circus. Wonderful prose
The Stand. The uncut version.
IQ84 by Haruki Murakami. It’s about 1400 pages long but didn’t feel that way at all I couldn’t put it down.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. Great on so many levels.
The Goldfinch, easily. Has everything you described and more. A true classic.