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

Post by tb_technical » Tue, Oct 08, 2024, 9:24 PM UTC

hluska wrote: post #881

tb_technical wrote: post #755

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Well, thanks! That's much appreciated. I was being a little whimsical with the parent comment, by the way. The entire comment tree is honestly really baffling to me. From people claiming I'm a secret fan of Rand, to people claiming I'm antisocial, or a sociopath - it's been a wild ride. From my perspective, it would be worse to subject myself to people who hate me. And just because I'm not friends with someone doesn'…

Dude…you need to stop justifying this bullshit. This is too much - holy fuck. What you’re doing is wrong. Thats a full stop and there’s no room for debate. What you are doing is wrong. Functional people don’t lie when they’re asked about their favourite book. And you chose a lie that hurts the most people. It may be bizarre to you. But you’re actually the most bizarre person I’ve met in a very long time.

Post by _gabe_ » Tue, Oct 08, 2024, 9:53 PM UTC

edanm wrote: post #662

_gabe_ wrote: post #620

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I’m reading the mistborn books right now. I was up until 2 in the morning finishing the first book in the trilogy the other night. These books are fantastic!

I'm pretty much required by law to tell you that his other books are also fantastic, and that if you like Mistborn, you should (after completing the trilogy) try The Stormlight Archive. Kidding aside, Sanderson is by far my favorite author, and his fantasy books are honestly some of the greatest books I've ever read. And I read a lot . I highly recommend finishing the Mistborn trilogy, and then reading some more :)

Post by illwrks » Tue, Oct 08, 2024, 11:36 PM UTC

cbracken wrote: post #397

illwrks wrote: post #178

Not the best book, but the maddest was IQ84 by Haruki Murakami. It’s a wild story and lead me down a path to read several of his other books.

If you enjoyed 1Q84, and haven't yet read the Wind-up Bird Chronicle, there's a little bit of a connection you might enjoy. The first Murakami book I read was Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, and it's still one of my favourites, with a new translation by Jay Rubin coming out later this year. The book of his that's always spoken to me the most is South of the Border, West of the Sun. If you're ever in…

Post by reddit_clone » Wed, Oct 09, 2024, 12:45 AM UTC

ataylor284_ wrote: post #504

adamhp wrote: post #168

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I was in your boat. I revisited later and powered through and it does indeed get better. The narrative forms into something more cohesive and you start being less exhausted by all the lingo because you've learned it. You settle in. You have to sort of try to immerse yourself. I'd recommend trying to read in larger chunks of time and really absorb the aesthetic of the world.

This is exactly how I feel about Dune. The invented words and world-building are overwhelming at first, but once you absorb them it makes the narrative richer.

Post by llamaimperative » Wed, Oct 09, 2024, 12:43 PM UTC

morbicer wrote: post #911

djsavvy wrote: post #713

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How is Wealth of Nations surprising for a modern reader? My (perhaps incorrect) intuition is that these sorts of old foundational books tend not to be too surprising because their ideas have permeated society already, which is why I’m curious to hear your take.

Someone might not expect sth like this from the "father of capitalism" “As soon as the land of any country has all become private property, the landlords, like all other men, love to reap where they never sowed and demand a rent even for its natural produce.”