Comments on: What should we read to be entertained and enlightened?

Question: What should we read to be entertained and enlightened?

thoughtless — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 02:01:02 -0800

Please help this slacker choose a startlingly good book group book TODAY.

So my task for the spare minutes of this week so far has been to choose a book for the next meeting of my book group, but I've been worked like a dog for the past couple of days and haven't had time to do the proper trawling of the old interweb to make a considered choice. And now one of the members is pestering me for the choice so she can buy it in time to take on holiday on friday. So would anyone care to make a recommendation? The choice needs to be made before the day is out!

We're a small group of interested and (I hope) intelligent readers, but we're not very academic about the whole thing, so basically like books which are stimulating reads without being dumb page turners in the da vinci code mould. Intriguing style and/or content is a must. And if it can prompt a wider discussion not limited to a purely literary context (as did a million little pieces, particularly after the whole (non-)fiction furore) then that's just perfick.

My last choice (Edward St Aubyn's Some Hope) was multilaterally despised, somewhat unfairly I thought, so I'm looking to impress this time with a stunning left field choice. What little-known gem should I plump for?

By: methylsalicylate

methylsalicylate — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 02:35:45 -0800

Susannah Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (like Harry Potter for adults), or if you've read that already, her newer book Ladies of Grace Adieu. Or perhaps Hilary Mantel's Beyond Black, or Arthur & George by Julian Barnes. I love any Thomas Pynchon but he's not to everyone's taste.

By: mooders

mooders — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 02:37:54 -0800

You don't mention whether you are looking for fiction or non-fiction, but as a non-fiction reader almost exclusively, my suggestions will be focused on that.

I'm not sure what you would consider a left-field choice - admittedly, each of the below are fairly mainstream so apologies for not answering the question directly.

I have recently read Al Gore's Assault on Reason and been very impressed. There are a lot of talking points, as you can imagine.

Also, A Long Way Gone certainly stirred a great deal of emotion.

James Surowiecki's The Wisdon of Crowds offers much food for thought.

Lastly, Brian Greene's Fabric of the Cosmos was very challenging and could have been better read in a group so there would be a greater chance of understanding the subject in greater depth.

By: googly

googly — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 02:41:15 -0800

Intriguing style and/or content is a must.

The Wasp Factory

Time's Arrow

By: bunglin jones

bunglin jones — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 02:46:03 -0800

Seconding "Time's Arrow" for intriguing style.

By: misteraitch

misteraitch — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 02:55:49 -0800

I recently finished (and loved) All Shall Be Well; And All Shall Be Well; And All Manner of Things Shall Be Well. It's a newish book by a first-time novelist called Tod Wodicka. It's a very well-written tragi-comic tale with an unusual setting populated by fascinating, large-as-life characters.

By: ersatzkat

ersatzkat — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:03:50 -0800

Fiction: No Country for Old Men, non-fiction: The Antropology of Turquoise. Good luck!

By: ersatzkat

ersatzkat — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:05:56 -0800

And an interesting compainion-type read to The Wisdom of Crowds: A Mind of its Own - How Your Brain Distorts and Deceives.

By: pearlybob

pearlybob — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:07:57 -0800

ken follett's Pillars of the Earth

By: happyturtle

happyturtle — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:41:15 -0800

For scads of fun in behavioral science, try Quirkology by Richard Wiseman.

For over twenty years, psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman has examined the quirky science of everyday life. In Quirkology, he navigates the backwaters of human behavior, discovering the tell-tale signs that give away a liar, the secret science behind speed-dating and personal ads, and what a person's sense of humor reveals about the innermost workings of their mind-- all along paying tribute to others who have carried out similarly weird and wonderful work. Wiseman's research has involved secretly observing people as they go about their daily business, conducting unusual experiments in art exhibitions and music concerts, and even staging fake séances in allegedly haunted buildings. With thousands of research subjects from all over the world, including enamored couples, unwitting pedestrians, and guileless dinner guests, Wiseman presents a fun, clever, and unexpected picture of the human mind.

It was just released in the US last week, so no one will have read it yet. I loved it!

By: roofus

roofus — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:44:23 -0800

The Song Before It Is Sung (disclaimer: written by my father) which has had excellent North American reviews.
Alternatively anything by David Mitchell, but especially Cloud Atlas.

By: ollsen

ollsen — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:46:04 -0800

JR Moehringer: "The Tender Bar" and Nick Flynn "Another Bullshit Night in Suck City" both blew me away.
Both memoirs that read like novels and are packed with stuff to talk about. Families, Fathers and Sons, life, alcohol, failure, success, love - you name it. Made me laugh, weep and think about myself.

By: ClanvidHorse

ClanvidHorse — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:47:56 -0800

Vladimir Nabokov's 'Speak Memory'. Autobiography, literature and so much more.

By: bluefly

bluefly — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:50:08 -0800

I really like Nadine Gordimer's books. They're fiction and deal with issues in South Africa (I think she's won the Nobel Literature Prize ). I especially like the House Gun, and None To Accompany Me (the last one is a little more about family relationships than her previous ones, although post-apartheid South Africa still looms large).

By: AwkwardPause

AwkwardPause — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:01:08 -0800

Discovery of Heaven by Dutch author Harry Mulisch.

By: cooker girl

cooker girl — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:06:16 -0800

It's in the 'teen' section, but my god it's an amazing book:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Pick it up and read a couple of sentences. You'll be hooked.

By: futility closet

futility closet — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:54:43 -0800

The Road.

By: mpls2

mpls2 — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:58:44 -0800

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

It's an interesting look at the world through the eyes of an autistic teen boy... kinda touching also. Plus, it's won some awards, if that's important to you.

By: DarkForest

DarkForest — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:15:16 -0800

Mariette In Ecstasy

When you're done, tell me what it was really about.

By: zackola

zackola — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:17:17 -0800

Not really unknown, but The Kite Runner

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:32:10 -0800

The Magus by John Fowles

Like many of the reviewers on the Amazon page suggest, do NOT read the summary on the back of the paperback...I see someone recommended just tearing it off and throwing it away.

By: Sassyfras

Sassyfras — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:33:10 -0800

It's a youth book, but The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was absolutely awesome and would really lend to some great discussions.

By: Meagan

Meagan — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:38:36 -0800

Oh oh yes, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Awesome book, which leads to awesome discussions.

By: DarkForest

DarkForest — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:42:44 -0800

Oh, if you're into memoirs that show something of a lack of honesty or self-insight, you might try The Cliff Walk or Hard Travel to Sacred Places. While not rigorously honest, in my opinion, they were both at least somewhat entertaining.

By: greenmagnet

greenmagnet — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:47:52 -0800

If nonfiction is ok, Mountains Beyond Moutains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World is an awesome book.

It is both a gripping true story and an incredibly eye-opening book on the topic of extreme poverty and our responsibility towards those affected. Reading it was a life-changing experience for me.

Somehow, it manages to be an engaging read, while also being informative and challenging our beliefs on the topic of poverty. It's pretty much guaranteed to stimulate plenty of discussion.

By: splendid animal

splendid animal — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:49:07 -0800

Yann Martel's Life of Pi might fit the bill, if you guys haven't read it already.

By: Wayman Tisdale

Wayman Tisdale — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:57:28 -0800

A Wild Sheep Chase or any other Murakami book. Murakami has a hip, unique style. His books are always a little "left-field" yet accessible. It went over really well at my book club. Those who didn't love it were at least intrigued, and it stimulated interesting discussion.

I don't think there's anything out there quite like Murakami.

By: bernsno

bernsno — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 06:59:14 -0800

Give them Roy Jenkins Churchill. Now there is some healthy holiday reading.

Actually, Evelyn Waugh's Vile Bodies is a quality book from Mr. Churchill's heydays that I would heartily recommend.

By: aught

aught — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:07:02 -0800

I second The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (the author is Mark Haddon), and add Peter Carey's Illywhacker which I am currently enjoying, and also recommend Iain Banks' The Crow Road or Whit (not sure I would throw The Wasp Factory at an unsuspecting group). David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas is also quite a good book.

By: dpx.mfx

dpx.mfx — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:21:04 -0800

Nthing The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Life of Pi, and the Kite Runner.

Good choices depend on who's in your club, though. I attended a book club meeting where Jodi Picoult's book My Sister's Keeper was discussed. Not everyone loved the book, but the discussion was great. Most of her books are on sort of controversial/interesting/timely topics, so even if you don't really like the way she writes or whatever, there's good, interesting things to talk about.

By: theora55

theora55 — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:23:08 -0800

I highly recommend British novelist Pat Barker. The Regeneration trilogy: Regeneration (1990), The Eye in the Door (1993), The Ghost Road (1995). Ghost Road was awarded the Booker prize. Regeneration went over well with my book group.

By: kidsleepy

kidsleepy — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:28:10 -0800

Pillars of the Earth and Cloud Atlas are both excellent books, but a bit long for a book club assignment. If you want something funny, informative, and surprisingly (somewhat) contemplative, try the Know-It-All by AJ Jacobs. It's not very deep but it's a good read. I read it six months ago and I'm still recommending it to my friends.

By: cinemafiend

cinemafiend — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:59:02 -0800

I just finished Cormac McCarthy's BLOOD MERIDIAN and was completely blown away. One of the best works of fiction that I have ever read - McCarthy's writing is brilliant in this work .

I believe this work marked the beginning of McCarthy's shift toward a lean, economic style of writing (see NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN and THE ROAD) from the opulent writing of his earlier works. I tried to read his SUTREE and the eloquence of his style was far too rich for my literary palate and I stopped before the first page. That page made Faulkner read like Hemingway...

BLOOD MERIDIAN has quite the reputation though, so I don't believe that it is a true "choice from left field."

My "choice from left field" would be Charles Willeford's THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY - its an extremely intelligent pulp novel and should provoke some interesting discussions on the relationship between art, hype, and criticism. Very well written

By: Adelwolf

Adelwolf — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:14:16 -0800

It was mentioned a few questions up, but I have to bring it up again (and again, and again)

American Gods, Neil Gaiman. (would link, but can't access amazon.com here at work)

Thoroughly amazing story, so much so that I read it twice, back to back -- and I NEVER do that, ordinarily.

By: jamjam

jamjam — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:43:07 -0800

As we approach the end of the Second Gilded Age, I'd be thinking in terms of The Great Gatsby for a book group.

(By the way, did you know that F. Scott Fitzgerald's full name is Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald? Gatsby is certainly an interesting counterpoint to his distant cousin and namesake's creation.)

By: dr. fresh

dr. fresh — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 08:57:54 -0800

The last book my book group read that I truly enjoyed was Ella Minnow Pea. I think it easily fits into the entertaining and enlightening category. It's an allegory about language and politics, with some humor thrown in. I remember it being kinda short, which was good for busy readers like me.

By: thoughtless

thoughtless — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 10:04:49 -0800

Now I'm not very good at internet lingo but I'm going to have a try: ersatzkat ftw.

Following a bit of a discussion with the group, and some investigation as to whether we could get a copy (it looks like it's not published in the UK), I've decided on the Anthropology of Turquoise; it meets all our criteria and sounds fascinating, also very different from anything we've read before, which on reflection is quite important.

But thanks everyone for all the suggestions - I know I'm going to keep coming back to this list for personal reading, and there were a number of them that I didn't choose only because of their excessive length, which bothers the group but not me. So: ta!

By: bibbit

bibbit — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:18:24 -0800

Just a note on Pillars of the Earth and Jonathon Strange & Mr. Norrell: bleh. Both are, as mentioned, excessively long and would be really hard (I think) for a book group to get through. Pillars of the Earth keeps getting mentioned in all these "must read!" threads, but I found reading it was like getting bashed over the head with a wooden board. The writing was so....boring as to be, frankly, painful. Jonathon Strange was good, certainly, but could've been several hundred pages shorter.

Of course, totally my opinion, YMMV, majority rules, etc., etc.

By: kidsleepy

kidsleepy — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:36:51 -0800

yay ella minnow pea!