Ask HN: What books changed the way you think about almost everything?

I'm only a quarter of the way through but it's already giving me vast amounts of insight into the roots of western civilization. It's also equipping me with mental models to analyze modernity and determine where we are in the history of civilization. It looks like we're in the decadent period.

My Struggle series by Karl Ove Knasgaard

An auto-biographical novel that's over 3600 pages for the entire series. It's really just the most accurate literary experience of modern man. I'm finding it quite useful to analyze my own conscious experience through life.

Imagine the plot of three or four excellent movies woven together. It struck me how little human nature changes over time and across cultures. It also features some fascinating Russian history as a backdrop. As a person who almost exclusively reads non-fiction, it changed my view of how powerful fiction can be. I can't fathom what must've been in Tolstoy's mind to have the ability to create something like this.

Honorable mention to The Brothers Karamozov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

I'd like to learn more about Russian literature - I don't know if it's these authors and books that grabbed me, or if it's something larger.

It's an outstanding book though I also liked his 'Beneath the Wheel' and 'Steppenwolf' a lot. Siddhartha has an unusual depth for the topic it tackles, namely achievement and meaning. Highly recommend, and the best part—it is free!

[1] https://bubblin.io/cover/siddhartha-by-hermann-hesse