Books that left a long lasting impressions...

[tantrum]

When I  was 9 or 10 I got for Xmas a book called 'The Little Prince (French Le Petit Prince), by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.  At that point, this book had an impact on my life.  I went back later on and re-read this book perhaps 4 or 5 times, once in original and it is one of those great pieces of literature; it's meaning changes depending on when and where the book is read.

In my late teens another book that had pretty changed my outlook on life was Albert Camus' 'The Fall', (Le Chute) and Stanislaw Lem's Solaris
as well as One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad) by Gabriel García Márquez

I wonder what books had left an impact on any of you. 

[bhoywonder]

coming up for air by george orwell

read when i was 14 or 15

and had a very big impact on me because it seemd to reflect how i was feeling at the time

due to a lot of unseen changes un my life at the time

great book

[Tonji]

Primo Levi - If This Is A Man.

The most thought provoking book I've ever read. His experiences & survival of the Holocaust should be required reading in schools.

[mex]

Tao of pooh benjiman hoff.

Changed my whole out look, now more eastern in my thinking.

[RED-DOG]

Primo Levi - If This Is A Man.

The most thought provoking book I've ever read. His experiences & survival of the Holocaust should be required reading in schools.

Many many books have had an impact on my life, none more so than "Jump for Life" by Ruth Altbeker Cyprys, a young Jewish mother who survived Auschwitz.

I agree with you Tonji, they should be required reading.

[bolt pp]

The picture of Dorian Grey, I must've read 6/7 times, nothing about that book i dont like.

[snoopy1239]

I've never read a book, does Tintin or Asterix count?

[Sark79]

The Fuzz Buzz. 

[thetank]

My favourite when I was a kid was Gulliver's Travels. Simple ideas, really fired up the imagination.

All the names Jonathon Swift came up with were a bit wank though, Blefuscu, Lilliput Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg. Always thought his mythology may have been held in higher esteem if he could come up with some decent sounding place names. Houyhnhms and Brobdingnag ffs, hardly rolls off the toungue.

I loved his tales despite the halfed assed nomenclature. Re-read it recently and got a lot of stuff that passed way over my head as a kid. Swift really was a dirty bugger. 

[tantrum]

Gargantua and Panagruel by Francois Rabelais, was a book that did this to me. when i was a kid, very nice little story.  Now I know, the book is a pure filth.

[Poppet7]

A child called 'it' by Dave Pelzer, that is the only book I have ever read that has stuck in my mind and it's the only book that's ever made me cry in public (stupid train journeys to and from Leons in the 3 years before I could drive)

I love all books by Carole Matthews, I can relate to them.

The Lovely Bones (forgotten author) was a really good book too, I read it in one night.

[FlyingPig]

Men are from Mars Women are from Venus...

It sort of makes me understand were she is coming from.. A bit.....

The Art of Zen changed my life (poker life).....

Dude where my country - Michael Moore... Makes you think again about things..

How to talk dirty and influence people - Lenny Bruce - Superb book

[Mbuna]

Janet and John

Books 1 2 3 4 and 5

did it for me (in fact thats how i learnt to read)

[ifm]

To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee, incredibly to think she never wrote another book.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

These 2 stick out because i read them both at school in English Lit.

The Rats by James Herbert, purely because as a kid it scared the hell out of me!!!!!

[thetank]

Of Mice and Men teaches us important lessons.

Sometimes it's best to shoot the slow folk in the back of the head.