"I am a cat" by Natsume Sōseki 1905. like Murakami, but the first Japanese author to write like that (?) All the other novels he wrote are great too.
Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
41–50 of 175 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#42Confession by Leo Tolstoy. (About the meaning of life :) http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/confessions-tolst...
What self-respecting literature enthusiast hasn't heard of Tolstoy?
Heard if him, impossible. Any Seinfeld fan has heard of him.
Read him? The numbers start to thin out.
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#43Confession by Leo Tolstoy. (About the meaning of life :) http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/confessions-tolst...
I recommend The Death of Ivan Ilyich. It's a short but thought provoking book, for me anyway.
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#44The gods are athirst from Anatole France: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24010
Alternate (probably American title) I remember from high school is The Gods Will Have Blood
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#45anything by Jack London.
I had read translations of his works in russian and after immigrating to Canada, was surprised to know that nobody had ever heard of him here.
A real gem if you enjoy the likes of 'of mice and men'.
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
not really unknown.
The question was "What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the United States?" Although certain 1984 memes (like "Big Brother") are well-known, the book itself is not. Most Americans, if they've read any Orwell, have only read Animal Farm; and other concepts from 1984 (the memory hole, two minutes hate) are completely unheard of... again, because the book is not actually well-known.
Unfortunately, you could argue that it's well known because it's so easy to believe that it's being used as an instruction manual.
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#47Books by P. G. Wodehouse. English author, an outstanding humorist.
My favorite collection is the "The Golf Omnibus" aside from all the Bertie Wooster books themselves.
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#48The Revolt of the Masses by Ortega Y Gasset
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#49Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (1889, London).
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/308/308-h/308-h.htm
The first half of the opening chapter is the best intro to any work of comic fiction I've read.
At face value it's a simple road trip story (by boat), but the episodes of hypochondria and camaraderie still feel contemporary and fun — it is written and to be read for the pure joy of it, and you need look for no deeper meaning.
Re: Ask HN: What are some great books that are relatively unknown in the US?
#50Not sure how well these are known in the US..
Mans search for meaning by Victor Frankl.
Anything by Dostoyevsky.
José Saramago's the double. They made a film based on this with jake gyllenhall but not sure how well known the book and saramego is in the US, both book and film are excellent.
A girl is a half formed thing by Elmer mcbride is the best thing I've read in years with a really unique writing style. It's an incredible tragic book though... Check out first chapter online here to see if you like the style.
http://www.flare.com/celebrity/must-read-the-first-chapter-o...