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Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?

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Re: Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?

#581

Post by gregorymichael »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #362

These threads often end up, with everyone trying to prove they are literary scholars. I prefer junky fantasy books. I'm really too old and cynical to give a damn what y'all think of me. I probably liked David Edding's Belgariad series, along with the Mallorean series, the most. I reread them, regularly, and go through all ten books, in a couple of weeks. They are an easy read. Also, Glen Cook's Black Company books ar…

I've read all 20+ of the Jack Reacher books, some multiple times. Best bedtime reading I've found. Fun enough I actually want to go to bed. Shallow enough that if I miss a page or two because I'm drowsy, no big deal.

Re: Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?

#582

Post by criddell »

analogwzrd wrote: post #531
aquir wrote: post #424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Neuromancer has the greatest opening sentence of all times imho: "The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel."

This is a great line, though it might not have aged well. Younger generations might just think "Oh, the sky was black"

My kids would think the sky is blue because our TV shows a solid blue screen when there's no signal. For people with TVs like mine, I suppose the line still works.

Re: Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?

#583

Post by ink_13 »

cambaceres wrote: post #457

I read The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables by Victor Hugo and I loved both of them, can recommend. Seveneves is an amazing book, just make sure you skip the last part. If you are into history I can recommend The last days of the Incas by Kim MaqQuarrie, it's just an insanely interesting description on how the Incas was conquered, it feels like you're there man. If you like evolutionary biology/phsycology t…

> Seveneves is an amazing book, just make sure you skip the last part.

It's funny that you say that. My impression after reading it is that Stephenson really just wanted to write the last third, but felt that he needed a bit of backstory, and so wrote the first two-thirds.

Re: Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?

#584

Post by WillAdams »

jebarker wrote: post #46

For me, it's The Grapes of Wrath. Simultaneously raised my bar for what I consider good writing and made me much more empathetic to the plight of those at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder through no fault of their own. As relevant today as when it was written.

It is interesting to note the mentionings of it and the socio-political fallout in the letters which mention it from the end of his _The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights_ (and if someone were to take up using Mallory to write a sequel to that, I would pay good money for it).

Re: Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?

#585

Post by travisjungroth »

Y_Y wrote: post #454
travisjungroth wrote: post #342

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not just liking a book, as if they named some cliche young adult novel. It’s the magnum opus of the author’s philosophy as a novel. They’re dismissing them for the philosophical views they’re celebrating. It’s the other end of the spectrum from disliking someone because their favorite book is The Grapes of Wrath or A Brave New World. I actually agree with the values expressed in those books, and I can also under…

I can like a book without agreeing with it.

Absolutely. You could say the ideas are well presented or it provided a contrast that clarified your own thinking. But, if someone asks "What's your favorite book?" and you say "The best book I've ever read was Atlas Shrugged in 8th grade. Changed my life." then... come on. You either like it or are quite the tricky communicator.

"Someone dropped it off a bridge, hit my abusive step-dad and killed him dead. Soft spot for Ayn Ran ever since, beliefs aside." That's someone I'd want to be friends with.

Re: Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?

#586

Post by grecy »

billbrown wrote: post #322
grecy wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The best book I've ever read was Atlas Shrugged I didn't read it until I was well into my 30s, but I very much enjoyed it. Not the best I've ever read, but I have read it a few times now. I don't agree with a lot of it, and I can't relate to some of the characters personally, I just think it is extremely well written. The characters and their motivations are very well laid out, and we get to go on a journey with th…

Congratulations on your independence. May I recommend her other novel The Fountainhead, which is about the war between individualism and collectivism within a person?

I enjoyed that also, but found it much less character driven and I got lost in the weeds somewhere

Re: Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?

#587

Post by light_triad »

Not a best seller but if you like Continental philosophy, The Tears of Eros by Georges Bataille is profound and disturbing.

The central thesis of the book is that eroticism and death are inextricably linked - that the most intense erotic experiences often involve elements of sacrifice, and the transgression of taboos. The author argues that this connection between Eros and Thanatos - the drives of life and death - is a fundamental part of the human condition which he sees as a means by which humans confront their own mortality and the limits of their existence.

The conclusions are often questionable but the scope of the work and the historical deep dive makes for quite a ride.

Re: Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?

#588

Post by abecedarius »

djkivi wrote: post #14

Godel Escher Bach is the best book I've read. Very interesting topics and the sheer creativity of the writing is amazing.

I read it in high school and I probably would've picked it at the time. Fun note though: ~3 years later when I was learning Lisp it hit me that my understanding of GEB had been very shallow.

Re: Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?

#589

Post by criddell »

diggan wrote: post #152
mindcrime wrote: post #26

The truth is, if you ask me this 100 times, you'll probably get 100 different answers, because it's impossible to really pick just one (well two, separating by fiction/non-fiction). But for today I'll go with: Fiction: Neuromancer Non-fiction: The Selfish Gene

> Fiction: Neuromancer I've tried twice to read this, but it looses me about 10% in for some reason. Is it worth continuing past that? Does it get "better"? Or does that just signal that the whole book isn't for me?

I was like you. Plowed through it a couple of times but most of the book didn't make sense.

Then I read a big plot summary I found online and read it again and I really enjoyed it.

Re: Ask HN: What's the "best" book you've ever read?

#590

Post by hinkley »

lordnacho wrote: post #170
tb_technical wrote: post #142

"The best book I've ever read was Atlas Shrugged in 8th grade. Changed my life." Not because I remember anything about it, or believe anything it espouses, or even like it all that much, but because it's a useful filter for obnoxious people in meatspace. If someone I don't know too well asks me what my favorite book is, I say Atlas Shrugged. If they react inappropriately, I'll be cordial and treat them with respect,…

Have you considered that someone who hears Atlas Shrugged is your favourite book might react similarly? I'd be polite, but note you down as either an immature thinker or someone who likes to provoke. With a little more prodding, possibly also one of those people who has to be right about everything, and this is their hill. I guess I'm on passive radar and you are on active.

I’m going to note you down as a manipulator and not only keep myself away from you but anyone I care about.
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