One of the reasons I decided to become a literary agent is that books affect me more than any other artistic medium. I love movies, I love television, I love music… but nothing really moves me like a great book.
So this is a simple but extremely difficult You Tell Me: what is your favorite book of all time?
You have to pick one. No lists, no caveats, no subcategories, just one book: your favorite book of all time, by whatever criteria you choose.
Mine: MOBY DICK, the longest book I’ve ever read three times. I love the expansiveness, the plot, the characters, the way Melville uses the whale to delve into other topics… it has it all.
What’s yours??
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Christopher M. Park says
Actually, this is an easy one for me: ENDER’S GAME by Orson Scott Card. I love the characters, the story, and the twists. The writing is simple yet compelling, the pacing is great, and it is jam-packed with amazing ideas. No other book has affected me quite like the end of that book does, when Ender finds out what he has done.
Chris
Brian says
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Anonymous says
I prefer my books in epic chunks, so I’m going to list my favorite series rather than favorite books since I find it hard to become really invested in the length of a single “mere” book.
So: The HYPERION/ENDYMION dual dualogy by Dan Simmons ties with A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE by George R. R. Martin (the first three SOIAF books at least, since the 4th was lame).
Lauren says
THE SOUND AND THE FURY, by William Faulkner.
The four different voices, the symbolism, the stream-of-consciousness, the wisteria, the nutty mom, the mausoleum of all hope and desire, and of course my literary boyfriend Quentin Compson. I’ve read it seven times, and I’m sure that number will grow.
Marva says
The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson. Gave me 2500 pages to love. Hmm. Time to start over from the top. I suppose this is sort of cheating since it’s a multi-book series. However, it reads through as one continuous storyline.
Anonymous says
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE by J.K. Rowling. But, if I had to be stuck on a desert island with only one book for the rest of my life, I would pick something that starts with “The Complete Collection of…” 😀
Lisa says
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
Bernita says
Stalky & Co by Rudyard Kipling.
Eric says
The Great Gatsby
CalenhÃril says
Right now, it’s anything by Carol Berg or Jim Butcher. But my enduring favorite, the one that’s been read so many times that the cover is falling off and repaired with tape, lent to countless people, and always remembered when I think of a perfect book: The Forever King, by Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy. It’s a retelling of the Arthurian legend, but that’s too simple. Politics, modern and ancient times, pure emotion, some of the best phrasing I’ve ever come across. I think it was the first book to show me what a twist in the story really was.
Scott says
No caveats, lists or categories? Man, you’re making this hard.
Fine.
I guess since I have to read it once a year or I go nuts (and have read it twice in the last eight months), and because the various editions, translations, and critical expoundings-upon take up nearly half a shelf in one of my bookcases, I guess I have to say BEOWULF.
It’s no easy choice, and it all depends, but you’re not allowing any “depending,” so there you [coughweefreemencough] have it…
Anonymous says
On a deserted island with one book… THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL or possibly the compete works of Shakespeare
Katie says
Squeaking by the competition… PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Jane Austen.
LD says
Watership Down by Richard Adams.
SurfGrape says
THE DOOMSDAY BOOK by Connie Willis.
Now, fess up all you bran fans. How many of you are logging in multiple times under multiple names so you can vote for more than one book?
Eric says
Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance With Death by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Liz says
Wow, just one? Then it would have to be THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances H. Burnett. The one book from my childhood that I’ve read as an adult and it still moves me to tears.
Annalee says
I’m supposed to pick one?
That’s cold, man. That’s just cold.
Well THE GREAT GATSBY’s already been given props, so I’ll go with THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS. But only because Isobel Allende’s ZORRO is only half as good in English, so I only rec it to Spanish-speakers. And I’m not voting for the Complete Works of Shakespeare because he wrote plays, not novels, and everyone else seems to be talking about novels.
That wasn’t multiple votes, though. Honest. THR MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS is my call.
Nick says
Catch 22.
It took him so long to write, but you can see why. Barely a misplaced word. Fantastic!
brian_ohio says
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Anti-Wife says
Miss Piggy’s Guide to Life
David de Beer says
Stranger in a strange land – Robert Heinlein; simply for the wonder and way it changed my thinking at the time.
Great fun, great writing, maybe a moral or so. Nuff said.
the word verifications on blogger aren’t gettign shorter are they?
Dan Leo says
Jeeziz, Nathan, except for your pick I’m noticing a conspicuous paucity of “the acknowledged classics” here so far, with the only pre-20th Century choices being Austen, Kipling, and some obscure scribe named Shakespeare. So I’m tempted to name “The Hunter” by Richard Stark, as that is the first-ever Parker novel, but I’d better go with Proust, the whole of “In Search of Lost Time”, even though I’m only midway through the fifth volume, as that is the one work I know would keep me amused for twenty years on a deserted island.
Anonymous says
ON STRANGER TIDES, by Tim Powers
Stephen Parrish says
The Education of Little Tree, by Forest Carter.
Marti says
Gone with the Wind
Scott says
I already voted, but I just have to say this:
One advantage we writers have over the public at large (PAL) is that, if we ever really did get stuck on the proverbial desert island with only one book, we’d eventually build a library of our own stuff. Even if we didn’t have anything to write on or with (and all we need is a supply of stuff that can be carved and something to carve it with), we’d make up the stories in our heads.
We’re probably the last people PALs would want to be stuck on an island with. They’d be looking for a way to get off the island and we’d enjoy the peace and quiet so we could spend all of our time developing our stories.
B.E. Sanderson says
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
Anonymous says
THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, by Edith Wharton.
Anonymous says
Wow, some of these choices… I am stunned.
Okay, so dispensing with all the usual disclaimers I’ll choose:
MIDDLEMARCH, by George Eliot
Anne-Marie says
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.
RED STICK WRITER says
A classic tale of good and evil by a great storyteller: The Stand, Stephen King.
Laurel Amberdine says
Ooh, cool question.
THE BOOK OF THE NEW SUN by Gene Wolfe.
Like Marva, I’m cheating a little, since it’s a 5-book series.
dan says
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie.
Wooot!
Jaye Wells says
FAHRENHEIT 451.
Even s I typed that I was cringing because five other books were jostling for position in my mind.
cyn says
island of the blue dolphin by scott o’dell
Maniel says
Vol de nuit (Night Flight) by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.
AmyB says
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Harper Lee.)
original bran fan says
THE ARTIST’S WAY by Julia Cameron.
So far, that seems to be the only non-fiction on the list.
Fatimah says
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Stephanie Zvan says
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. Political scheming, identity politics, well-drawn characters, an intelligent treatment of class differences, and perfectly handled sex scenes to boot. What’s not to love?
David L. McAfee says
I…just…can’t…pick…one!
Ask for my ten favorite someday, then maybe I will have somethign to add to the conversation.
Anonymous says
Master and Margarita by Bulgakov.
You wanna talk about butter?
Anonymous says
The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton.
Liz
Anonymous says
Henry James, Portrait of a Lady
DrieserFan says
“An Americsn Tragedy” by Theodore Drieser
Mary Paddock says
Just one? Egad. Reaches into overflowing bag of favorites with eyes closed and plucks out–
“Prayer for Ow . . .
No. Not that one. Reaches in again.
“Of Mic–“
No. That’s not it. Reaches in again, rummages longer this time.
Comes up with–
“Martian Chronicles” by Ray Bradbury
Yes. That’s it. The book that made me want to be a writer.
ello says
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Has the most romantic love letter in all of history.
Miri says
You’re mean. That’s like picking one potato chip.
But I have to say The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine. Beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Twill says
Thanks, Annalee!
(Since you said THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS, I get to do something else. Besides, his rewrite in NUMBER OF THE BEAST ruined MISTRESS for me.)
BECKA COOPER (2006) by Tamora Pierce. Because it’s the most recent book I’ve read that is almost perfect and hasn’t won any awards. Genre = YA fantasy police procedural.
Everything else I’ve read that was that good either is a classic or has a Hugo / Nebula / Newberry or something.