Alright, I’m not quite fiction-illiterate!

My favs which I read again not so long ago are George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm.

BTW, I started a similar type of thread to this one which got us away from politics and the woes of the world for a while.

It is on music and is still active, if anyone wants to check it out:

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=5030

Otokonoko,

I am going to read "The Little Prince" as I have it here somewhere - same with "The Life of Pi". Have you read "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde? I read it to my son last year when he was nine years-old. He decided mum was going to read him something boring and put the cover's over his head, but at the end he was blubbering with emotion. It goes right to the heart that story and it was a special moment when my son responded like that.

I have read "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" - a great vehicle to explain the peculiarities associated with Aspergers.

Just wanted to add:

"Stanley, Stanley, where art thou bloody letters? I've searched high and low all avo and they're nowhere to be found (and boy have I hoarded a mountain of paper junk!)...I mean I can picture the big envelope that contains them all.

Grrrr, I know it's here somewhere....

No, I haven't read 'The Happy Prince' - it's on my 'to-read' list, but that list just keeps getting longer all the time. Another one I forgot to mention (well, I shafted it at the last minute for 'The Curious Incident ...') is 'Beatrice and Virgil', also by Yann Martel. It is brilliant, and also contains a bizarre twist. It's one of those 'literary' texts that could be discussed endlessly without ever really reaching a conclusion. A very satisfying read.

Do you ever find books that you don't enjoy reading but, when you have finished them, you find yourself deeply satisfied? I found myself in that position last year when I read 'Foucault's Pendulum' by Umberto Eco. All the way through, I was aware of how the author (and translator, perhaps?) was manipulating my mind - alienating me at every opportunity, torturing me and deliberately making for a dense read. In doing so, it became an 'experiential' read - I went through much of what the characters went through. I hated every second of it, but find myself recommending it at every opportunity. Bizarre ...

Otokonoko,

How strange that you should mention "Foucaoult's Pendulum". I have a bookshelf in the bedroom, and that book by Umberto Eco has been sitting there for a year or so silently beckoning me to read it. I've read the first few pages and the blurb does sound as if it's an unusual read - okay, it's next on my list.

The other book that I wanted to mention was "Perfume" by Patrick Suskind, although we've already had a thread on that.

Dear Poirot,

I can also recommend "Passion," by Jeanette Winterson.
As well as , "Oranges are not the Only Fruit."

So many books so little time.

Thank you, Lexi. I shall note them down.

Another book that looks like a great read is "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. (Again, it's a book that I bought second-hand to shelve for future reading...my particular weakness : )