15 books meme
Jul. 3rd, 2009 04:30 pmInstructions: Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Stolen from ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
classics_geek
(I had no idea this will be that hard. Seriously. Most of my favorite books are non-fiction....well, let's have a look at the list)
1.2001: Space Odyssey - CLARKE, Arthur C.
Every book or short story by A.C.C. I've read made me think. All those "what if" and "could this be possible?" that are always playing in my head as I read his works...Although he writes hard sci-fi (meaning: he concentrates or technical stuff more...lots of technical details there, lol) the philosophical worth of his books is priceless.
2. V for Vendetta - MOORE, Allan
Sure - it's a graphic novel...but one of the best books I've ever read. I was sixteen when I read it for the first time. Just like Eve. And I was able to relate to her feelings. She's definitely one of the best females Alan Moore ever created. SHe has personality. And a backbone. Of course, the story of V for Vendetta is another thing itself. And if you haven't read the book - do it! The film was awesome, but some things didn't translate well from comics version.
3. Staré řecké báje a pověsti (Tales and legends from the Ancient Greece) - PETIŠKA, Eduard
I've read this book like...100 times. There are thirty classic tales from Ancient Greece. They're short and written in a language anyone can understand. I always loved the stories with Heracles the most ♥
4. Scanner Darkly - DICK, Philip K.
P.K. Dick...what can one say. He wrote Scanner Darkly when he was on drugs and it's evident. The story of Scanner Darkly is about the relationship of junkies and those who don't do drugs - so called "clean" citizens. I always loved the pessimism of Dick's books...the hopelessness.
5. Odyssey - HOMER
If I have to choose from Iliás and Odýsseia, I'll always choose Odýsseia. I'm not too sure why...maybe the epic aspect of Odysseus' travels? Or the stories of his companions? Or his undying love for his wife and son? I'm not sure, really...All I know is that while I hate Odysseus in Iliás, I love him in Odýsseia. ♥
6. Hellblazer - team of authors
The stories of John Constantine - private detective with supernatural powers. John Constantine constantly questions the matters of life and death, God, Devil....what is morale and how it's set. Drug abuse and its effect on human mind...lol, I like to read about these things, yeah. Sad. :D
7. 1984 - ORWELL, George
A classic - 1984. Big Brother is watching you. I don't have much to say about this book without spoiling it...read it! :D
8. Bílá nemoc (The White Disease) - ČAPEK, Karel
Oh, Karel Čapek...His books are amazing. It's sad though that not many people from West know him. But that's alright, it's always like that. Centre and East of Europe is Russia only after all :D Anyways - Bílá nemoc...it's a drama written before the WWII, when the Germans in Sudettes started protesting against Czechoslovakian government. Bílá nemoc is a warning message. What could happen. What will happen. The danger of war. The danger of charismatic leaders and fanatic followers. This is probably a book I'd suggest to anyone. That and R.U.R.. And Matka (The Mother).
9. Rychlé šípy (Rapid Arrows) - FOGLAR, Jaroslav
One of the first books I've ever read, haha. It's a tale of five friends that lived in old Prague. All of them are very noble and they would do anything for each other. Foglar manages to write about the secrets of childhood without it sounding silly. And I've reread it like eleven times already. Every time I reread it it's only better...even though I'm far past the target audience, haha.
10. The Egyptian Sinuhe - WALTARI, Mika
I always loved stories set in Egypt. Hell, I love Egypt. The mythology, the history...But The Egyptian is something far more than a historical novel. Mika Waltari projects to the life of Sinuhe his own experience from WWII. He writes about tolerance, love and freedom.
11. Ulysses - JOYCE, James
This is another book I don't have any explanation for. It's just that good. And the writing style...it was interesting. It really deserves the tittle of the best English book of the 20th century.
12. Decameron - BOCCACCIO, Giovanni
This is one of the books I never wanted to read at first. The premise is not interesting. Ten people tell ten tales for ten days? Debauchery, adultery, sex, drugs, (rock&roll). But I really got sucked in and I couldn't stop laughing for the whole time.
13. Thus spoke Zarathustra - NIETSZCHE, Friedrich
I love philosophy. I love thinking about what I read. And Thus spoke Zarathustra has it all. And it's pretty short - under 400 pages I think? I should read it again someday.
14. Host do domu - WOLKER, Jiří
This is the best of Czech proletarian poetry. Wolker died very young...just 24 years...tuberculosis. Lots of proletarians died young. His poetry is simple and sententious. Targeted at working class. Well, here, have an example:
Wolker Jiří - Epitaf
Zde leží Jiří Wolker, básník, jenž miloval svět
a pro spravedlnost jeho šel se bít.
Dřív než moh srdce k boji vytasit,
zemřel, mlád dvacet čtyři let.
Wolker Jiří - The Epitaph
Here lies Jiří Wolker, the poet who loved the world
and for the justice he fought.
But before he could strike with his heart
he died, just twenty four years old.
(Lol, I'm bad at translating poetry)
15. The Trial - KAFKA, Franz
I don't like Kafka. I really don't. He's one of those authors that I really can't stand. I mean...he was Jew and loved Germany and German. Fine okay. Nothing against that. But he totally hated Czechs and bashed us everywhere. Also...all the cool kids love Kafka, don't they? Guess what? I don't. O: His style of writing is weird and disgusting. Not naturalistic or decadent. Just disgusting. The Trial however...it's a really good book. The Metamorphosis is his best known book, but the novella The Trial is far better I think. Kafka managed to capture my attention and hold it tightly to the end of the book. The whole time I've read it I just prayed that it ends well. It...didn't. It didn't end how I expected it to end either...but the book was worth reading. The suspension - the unknown. Well played, Kafka.
classics_geek (I had no idea this will be that hard. Seriously. Most of my favorite books are non-fiction....well, let's have a look at the list)
1.2001: Space Odyssey - CLARKE, Arthur C.
Every book or short story by A.C.C. I've read made me think. All those "what if" and "could this be possible?" that are always playing in my head as I read his works...Although he writes hard sci-fi (meaning: he concentrates or technical stuff more...lots of technical details there, lol) the philosophical worth of his books is priceless.
2. V for Vendetta - MOORE, Allan
Sure - it's a graphic novel...but one of the best books I've ever read. I was sixteen when I read it for the first time. Just like Eve. And I was able to relate to her feelings. She's definitely one of the best females Alan Moore ever created. SHe has personality. And a backbone. Of course, the story of V for Vendetta is another thing itself. And if you haven't read the book - do it! The film was awesome, but some things didn't translate well from comics version.
3. Staré řecké báje a pověsti (Tales and legends from the Ancient Greece) - PETIŠKA, Eduard
I've read this book like...100 times. There are thirty classic tales from Ancient Greece. They're short and written in a language anyone can understand. I always loved the stories with Heracles the most ♥
4. Scanner Darkly - DICK, Philip K.
P.K. Dick...what can one say. He wrote Scanner Darkly when he was on drugs and it's evident. The story of Scanner Darkly is about the relationship of junkies and those who don't do drugs - so called "clean" citizens. I always loved the pessimism of Dick's books...the hopelessness.
5. Odyssey - HOMER
If I have to choose from Iliás and Odýsseia, I'll always choose Odýsseia. I'm not too sure why...maybe the epic aspect of Odysseus' travels? Or the stories of his companions? Or his undying love for his wife and son? I'm not sure, really...All I know is that while I hate Odysseus in Iliás, I love him in Odýsseia. ♥
6. Hellblazer - team of authors
The stories of John Constantine - private detective with supernatural powers. John Constantine constantly questions the matters of life and death, God, Devil....what is morale and how it's set. Drug abuse and its effect on human mind...lol, I like to read about these things, yeah. Sad. :D
7. 1984 - ORWELL, George
A classic - 1984. Big Brother is watching you. I don't have much to say about this book without spoiling it...read it! :D
8. Bílá nemoc (The White Disease) - ČAPEK, Karel
Oh, Karel Čapek...His books are amazing. It's sad though that not many people from West know him. But that's alright, it's always like that. Centre and East of Europe is Russia only after all :D Anyways - Bílá nemoc...it's a drama written before the WWII, when the Germans in Sudettes started protesting against Czechoslovakian government. Bílá nemoc is a warning message. What could happen. What will happen. The danger of war. The danger of charismatic leaders and fanatic followers. This is probably a book I'd suggest to anyone. That and R.U.R.. And Matka (The Mother).
9. Rychlé šípy (Rapid Arrows) - FOGLAR, Jaroslav
One of the first books I've ever read, haha. It's a tale of five friends that lived in old Prague. All of them are very noble and they would do anything for each other. Foglar manages to write about the secrets of childhood without it sounding silly. And I've reread it like eleven times already. Every time I reread it it's only better...even though I'm far past the target audience, haha.
10. The Egyptian Sinuhe - WALTARI, Mika
I always loved stories set in Egypt. Hell, I love Egypt. The mythology, the history...But The Egyptian is something far more than a historical novel. Mika Waltari projects to the life of Sinuhe his own experience from WWII. He writes about tolerance, love and freedom.
11. Ulysses - JOYCE, James
This is another book I don't have any explanation for. It's just that good. And the writing style...it was interesting. It really deserves the tittle of the best English book of the 20th century.
12. Decameron - BOCCACCIO, Giovanni
This is one of the books I never wanted to read at first. The premise is not interesting. Ten people tell ten tales for ten days? Debauchery, adultery, sex, drugs, (rock&roll). But I really got sucked in and I couldn't stop laughing for the whole time.
13. Thus spoke Zarathustra - NIETSZCHE, Friedrich
I love philosophy. I love thinking about what I read. And Thus spoke Zarathustra has it all. And it's pretty short - under 400 pages I think? I should read it again someday.
14. Host do domu - WOLKER, Jiří
This is the best of Czech proletarian poetry. Wolker died very young...just 24 years...tuberculosis. Lots of proletarians died young. His poetry is simple and sententious. Targeted at working class. Well, here, have an example:
Wolker Jiří - Epitaf
Zde leží Jiří Wolker, básník, jenž miloval svět
a pro spravedlnost jeho šel se bít.
Dřív než moh srdce k boji vytasit,
zemřel, mlád dvacet čtyři let.
Wolker Jiří - The Epitaph
Here lies Jiří Wolker, the poet who loved the world
and for the justice he fought.
But before he could strike with his heart
he died, just twenty four years old.
(Lol, I'm bad at translating poetry)
15. The Trial - KAFKA, Franz
I don't like Kafka. I really don't. He's one of those authors that I really can't stand. I mean...he was Jew and loved Germany and German. Fine okay. Nothing against that. But he totally hated Czechs and bashed us everywhere. Also...all the cool kids love Kafka, don't they? Guess what? I don't. O: His style of writing is weird and disgusting. Not naturalistic or decadent. Just disgusting. The Trial however...it's a really good book. The Metamorphosis is his best known book, but the novella The Trial is far better I think. Kafka managed to capture my attention and hold it tightly to the end of the book. The whole time I've read it I just prayed that it ends well. It...didn't. It didn't end how I expected it to end either...but the book was worth reading. The suspension - the unknown. Well played, Kafka.
