Books to recommend?

[MKJ]

Ok - read a lotta books. Dickens etc - Tolkein etc - but I getting to the age now I re-reading everything. I need books that have substance in abundance and not youthful insights (if such a thing exists). I would like to read stuff from intelligent and insightful people with their roots firmly entrenched in the ground we all walk on. Real grown up literature from people who have lots to say. Who can yu recommend?

Credentials:

48
Fading - very aware of my bodily decline
Addictive? - drink too much
Brain? - as active as ever - sodding thing! - nah my saviour

Enough - wot books then?

 

[Ormorof]

what kind of books you after? fiction? alternate history/fantasy/sci-fi? historical? comedy? factual? or a combination of some of those?

 

[Dommers]

One name: Dan Brown

 

[dysfunction]

Books by Jonathan Coe are a good read...

 

[DaGaffer]

One name: Dan Brown

Ahahahahahaha! You've got to be joking

 

[throdgrain]

Seriously, go to a book shop, look for novels by Patrick Obrian. He has a series of 20 books recounting the lives of 2 people during the Napoleonic wars.
Real grown up intelligent writing.

 

[ECA]

Check out Jerome K Jerome - Three men in a boat, hysterically funny.

 

[Sissyfoo]

Neil Gaiman!

American Gods or Anansi's Children

Two of the best books I have read in the last few months. Possibly in the last few years.

Also, check out Boris Akunin's quadrilogy of books about a detective called Erast Fandorin. All of them are great read but always seem too short.

 

[Louster]

"Real, grown-up literature"? Uh. I might be totally off, but it sounds like you're wanting to impress people with your reading habits.

Which is silly, really.

Anyhow, 'Something Happened' is probably one of my most memorable reads. Written by Joseph Heller, the guy that wrote Catch 22. Very interesting, compelling and unusual book, and thick enough to get your teeth into.
And ignore the few negative reviews on amazon.co.uk - they seem to be based on the assumption that it's supposed to be primarily a dark comedy, in the exact same vein as Catch 22, and that's a somewhat dumb way to approach it.

 

[Chilly]

Or maybe he just wants to read some real books?!

I'm reading a russian book atm (english translation) called The Master and Margarita, very weird stuff about the devil and the origin of christianity and Moscow early last century.

It is very funny and very odd - dunno if it quite matches what you want but it certainly isn a child's book.

 

[Trancor]

I have 2 that are good and semi thoughtfull. 'Rhinegold' by Stephan Grundy or 'The Stone and the Flute' by Hans Bemmann, either one will keep you reading for a while.

 

[harebear]

The reality dysfunction


I like it, good sci fi shizzle.

 

[Skyler]

Things like this annoy me.

Everyone rants on about some book that they love or a really great author and they give them the pluggage they deserve.

I'd love to know why that author is plugged and what they wrote in their book, there just isn't enough time to read every single book that people mention. That just frustrates me.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

One name: Dan Brown

As was said before, fucking lol.

 

[Sar]

Dan Brown is a pulp fiction author. Hardly weighty, gravitas sodden stuff.

 

[leggy]

Shantaram - Gergory David Roberts

I have been touting this book for a couple of years. One of the most thought provoking and absorbingly brilliant books I have read. A non-fiction adventure epic.

 

[VultureGirl]

I love this book (non-fiction): The Lost Language of Plants.

 

[Louster]

Or maybe he just wants to read some real books?!

It's just that "real, grown-up literature" sounds, to me, redundant and pretentious. Being "real" and "grown-up" doesn't necessarily imply "good" in the least.

On a more constructive note, perhaps, I just re-read World According to Garp, and it's still as good as I remember it, though I guess most people will have read it already.

 

[TdC]

I haven't, but it is on my list. My list is long though...