"That's deep."
November 9, 2010 9:52 PM Subscribe
Books that "hint" at life lessons or realizations about life?
I'm looking for recommendations of books/comic books that tend to leave the reader really pondering about that one line pertaining to a certain concept of life every now and then. The Watchmen comic book, for example, is full of these and I loved it oh so much.
Any novels recommended, I would prefer to have them be <500 pages. I have enough reading to do for my English courses.
Hopefully I haven't been too vague in what I'm asking for here.
I'm looking for recommendations of books/comic books that tend to leave the reader really pondering about that one line pertaining to a certain concept of life every now and then. The Watchmen comic book, for example, is full of these and I loved it oh so much.
Any novels recommended, I would prefer to have them be <500 pages. I have enough reading to do for my English courses.
Hopefully I haven't been too vague in what I'm asking for here.
Tales of the Dervishes
Spider Robinson
The Devil's Dictionary?
posted by carsonb at 10:04 PM on November 9, 2010
Spider Robinson
The Devil's Dictionary?
posted by carsonb at 10:04 PM on November 9, 2010
The Little Prince
posted by pseudonick at 10:20 PM on November 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by pseudonick at 10:20 PM on November 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
posted by chicainthecity at 11:10 PM on November 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by chicainthecity at 11:10 PM on November 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Taking Watchmen as a clue that you might prefer comic book / SF&F recommendations, I suggest Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (particularly later volumes), Terry Pratchett's mid/late Discworld novels such as Reaper Man, Tom Holt's The Walled Orchard (including Goatsong), Patricia McKillip's The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, Zenna Henderson's Ingathering, or Jonathan Carroll's From the Teeth of Angels. None are explicitly wisdom texts, but neither is Watchmen, so I reckon that's what you're looking for.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 11:27 PM on November 9, 2010
posted by Monsieur Caution at 11:27 PM on November 9, 2010
Franny & Zooey by J.D. Salinger
posted by him at 1:46 AM on November 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by him at 1:46 AM on November 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Almost anything by Paolo Coehlo fits nicely into this category. As patronuscharms mentionned, The Alchemist is the best example, but most of his other books are along these lines. The Zahir is a personal favorite.
posted by hasna at 4:47 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by hasna at 4:47 AM on November 10, 2010
^ Paulo Coelho. As many times as I've typed his name, I can never get it right.
posted by hasna at 4:49 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by hasna at 4:49 AM on November 10, 2010
Response by poster: Awesome, guys. I'm liking these suggestions.
posted by Evernix at 6:07 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by Evernix at 6:07 AM on November 10, 2010
Many of the stories in Alice Munro's Something I've Been Meaning to Tell You.
posted by Beardman at 6:23 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by Beardman at 6:23 AM on November 10, 2010
The Border Trilogy - Cormac Mccarthy
posted by Giant luck at 6:23 AM on November 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Giant luck at 6:23 AM on November 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Number Our Days: A Triumph of Continuity and Culture Among Jewish Old People in an Urban Ghetto, by Barbara Myerhoff
posted by teragram at 6:47 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by teragram at 6:47 AM on November 10, 2010
A Wizard of Earthsea and its two sequels
posted by wenestvedt at 8:12 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by wenestvedt at 8:12 AM on November 10, 2010
Actually, don't follow the link above for Life of Pi -- it's full of spoilers. Look here instead.
posted by ottereroticist at 8:35 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by ottereroticist at 8:35 AM on November 10, 2010
+1 for the Boarder Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy. Especially books one and two. Shook me to the core.
posted by brisbane at 11:35 AM on November 10, 2010
posted by brisbane at 11:35 AM on November 10, 2010
nthing Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, as it's the first thing that came to mind for me.
posted by Ryogen at 2:42 PM on November 10, 2010
posted by Ryogen at 2:42 PM on November 10, 2010
I agree with those who think Cormac McCarthy fits your bill, but I would start with his later works like No Country for Old Men and especially The Road. They're shorter, more accessible, and, at least in my opinion, more compelling than the Border Trilogy.
As far as comic books go, Grant Morrison's work if rife with these (for better or worse), but his 90s stuff like The Invisibles is probably a good start.
posted by charleskinbote at 3:10 PM on November 10, 2010
As far as comic books go, Grant Morrison's work if rife with these (for better or worse), but his 90s stuff like The Invisibles is probably a good start.
posted by charleskinbote at 3:10 PM on November 10, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks, all. I got a pretty good list going here so far.
posted by Evernix at 5:54 PM on November 10, 2010
posted by Evernix at 5:54 PM on November 10, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Tuesdays with Morrie
Autobiography of a Yogi
Twilight (haha, just kidding, unless you feel like pondering the hysteria surrounding romance novels of that particular ilk)
This is a great question. I'm looking forward to seeing what other people have to say.
posted by patronuscharms at 9:54 PM on November 9, 2010