A few books that have managed to lodge themselves deep in my memory:
Neil Gaiman, American Gods: It's been a while since I've read this book--3 years, at least--so my memory of its events is a little fuzzy. I find it impossible, however, to forget Gaiman's wit. I've been meaning to read more of his work (starting with Good Omens).
Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged: I had heard terrible things about this book (mostly about her political ideas) during the first semester of my junior year, so I endeavored to read it over that winter break. It turns out that all of the terrible things were true.
Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: I selected this book for my final English paper last year, but I wish that I had read it with my own initiative. The narrative concept of a prison as a miniature reflection of the outer world was strangely appealing to me. I've heard amazing things about the movie as well.
George Orwell, 1984: Again, I feel terrible for including a book that I've read for an assignment on this list, but it was just such an amazing experiment in structure and society that I have to highlight it here.
William Faulkner, All the King's Men: I'm beginning to think that the fact that I'm selecting several books that I've used for papers is some sort of testament to my good judgement. Although this book is touted as a stellar depiction of corruption in American politics, I drew more value from the way that they impacted the narrator's personal life. This is one of the few books that I've read where I can say that I would've done almost everything that Jack Burden did if I were in his shoes.
The last paper I wrote in college was a comparison of Cuckoo's Nest and Beowulf on the idea of heroic behavior. We can talk more after you've read Beowulf. And All The King's Men is a book I've read about 6 or 8 times--loved it (it's by Robert Penn Warren, though). Thanks for a good list.
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