Book Depository has it own Best Books Ever list. Looks like I have many good books ahead of me! Although, I’m slightly puzzled to see On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin in that list. It’s undoubtedly a huge and important work, but is it really the best book ever? The same question goes for Anne Frank’s diary, a unique document of course but, forgive my blasphemy, is it really such a good literary work? Maybe Book Depository just compiled best literary works with the most influential ones.
Anyway, here’s my humble list from the books I read in that category, ranked from those I liked the most to those I liked less:
1. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
2. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
3. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
4. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
5. Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood
6. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
7. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
8. Short stories by Anton Chekhov (Although that’s not fair. There are many stories. How can one judge all of them as one piece?)
9. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Hey, is there anybody out there? Are you reading this? What books would you suggest to read from that Best Books Ever list?
best books “ever” is quite a challenge ! the more I think about it, the more I need to think about it 🙂 …. I have to say that I do like your No. 8, I love books of short stories (I have a short attention span, probably,or just impatient).
Im just reading “Some rain must fall & other stories, by Michel Faber”. I read it a few years ago, came across it (its a real, hard copy paper book) decided to read it before throwing it out (Im trying to make space!) and was hooked again. “Fish” only 8 pages (!! 🙂 ) but captures a possible future under-water world where nature gets its revenge on humans for destroying the planet (it sounds cheesy, but its very believable, and haunting ). Other stories also are thought-provoking, and although written in 1998, now 20 years later, many of the stories seem more (spookily) true today.
Thank you so much for such a comment! Now I want to read “Fish” also. I like the idea. I’ll probably feel quite avenged on the part of nature. 😀
For me the question on the best book ever is still an easy one. To me the best one is A Moveable Feast by Hemingway. I recently enjoyed Miss Ex-Yugoslavia just as much, but they are not comparable, of course.
yes I think you would like “Fish” and nature definitely needs avenging ! 🙂
ah, your 2 choices sound very different indeed 🙂
I am going to read A Moveable Feast, inspired by it being your best book ever choice !
I am wondering, is “best book” the same as “favourite book” ? Im thinking a best book may be one so well written, captivating,thought-provoking, whilst a favourite one, more personal, sentimental, maybe from childhood, or early life when I was (possibly) happier, more carefree. ? More like a book that is my companion/friend, to keep as a treasure.
Its just made me think, thank you !
p.s I love your outfit in your Readerwitch photograph – very mysterious and artistic 🙂
I love your question! It could grow into a separate post, actually. I mean the question if the best book is the same as the most favourite one. I can’t even answer it right now as I have to think more about it. I think how much one personally likes the book would definitely play a role, but only to some extent. As for A Moveable Feast, it’s probably closer to “favourite book” rather than just “the best one ever”. ps: I’m happy you noticed the photo! I took it and post processed it, and then I was like “hm… and what should I do with this black-and-white drama now?” And then a few days later the blog appeared and the photo came in very handy 😀 I actually wanted one with the full Moon, but on that day it appeared at 3 a.m. so I postponed that photo session till the next full Moon.