Your Top 5 Novels

1) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
2) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
3) The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
4) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
5) The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

As you can see, I seem to enjoy the writings of these two titans of Russian literature, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.

Dostoevsky borders on the absurd, in how his characters seem to think. He gives the advantage to the sensual, and irrational in human nature. In short, he expresses the extremes of the human spirit. Tolstoy, conversely, as other's have noted, is a better all around writer, and his writing seems to better convey the goals of human living.

In the end, its probably entirely subjective whom we prefer. Tolstoy is my guy.

-Hagakure - The way of the samurai, also made in to a great movie called Ghostdog; The way of the samurai - it received 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. (Very peculiar book and look at a fascinating ancient culture)
-Bruce Lee - Tao of Jeet Kune Do (Philosophy and lifestyle is top notch in knowledge and intrigue, Bruce diagnoses and explains his style in this book written on his death bed just prior to passing)
-48 Laws of power (Human nature and practical knowledge and understanding of power balance within relationships)
-Qu'ran (Knowledge of god, interesting and inspirational)
-Buddhist text (Developing self awareness and self reflecting)

1. The Stonewylde series by Kit Berry (5 books in all)
2. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.
3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
4. Otto's Boy by Walter Wagner
5.The Celestine Prophecy

CX.

1. The Holy Bible KJV
2. Atlas Shrugged
3. 1984
4. A Brave New World
5. Fahrenheit 451

There are way more than five. However, a completely partial list.

Gulag Archipelago
One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
Republic of Plato

Propaganda Bernays

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Covey

The Fifth Discipline Senge

Tragedy & Hope Quigley

Pawns In The Game Carr

reply to post by dontreally


In no particular order...

1) Matthew

2) Mark

3) Luke

4) John

5) Thomas

And as a side note.... Pistis Sophia

I should have emphasized your 5 favorite works of fiction.

reply to post by dontreally


Yes you should have...

Never the less, i will leave my list either way... Fiction doesn't interest me...

And some claim the books i listed are in fact... fiction

To each his own i suppose

1. Outlander. Diana Gabaldon

2. In Cold Blood. Truman Capote

3. Les Miserables. Victor Hugo

4. The Stand. Stephen King

5. The Autobiography of King Henry VIII. Margaret George

Originally posted by dontreally
1) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
2) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
3) The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
4) Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
5) The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy

As you can see, I seem to enjoy the writings of these two titans of Russian literature, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.

Dostoevsky borders on the absurd, in how his characters seem to think. He gives the advantage to the sensual, and irrational in human nature. In short, he expresses the extremes of the human spirit. Tolstoy, conversely, as other's have noted, is a better all around writer, and his writing seems to better convey the goals of human living.

In the end, its probably entirely subjective whom we prefer. Tolstoy is my guy.

edit on 6-11-2012 by dontreally because: (no reason given)

Although there's too many to name, these novels helped change my life and pushed me further into literature.

- Faust by Goethe (all-time favorite)
- The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (loved "Notes from the underground" as well, but more of a novella.)
- Candide by Voltaire (more of a novella)
- Gulliver's Travels by Swift
- Brideshead Revisited by Waugh
- Lolita by Nabakov (added for the most beautiful prose)

more:

Heart of Darkness - Conrad
Catch-22 - Heller
Satyricon - Petronius
1984 - Orwell
Slaughterhouse 5 - Vonnegut

I also love the prose James Joyce but sadly not too much of his content.

ETA: I haven't read any Tolstoy, but due to your recommendation, I will be picking up his books.
ETA2: Oh and "The Man who was Thursday" by Chesterton is one of the few books which made me laugh out loud.

reply to post by smyleegrl

4. The Stand. Stephen King

His best. Almost. "The Shining" edges that out a little. When those first came out I was enthralled. King is excellent with character studies in madness.

reply to post by LesMisanthrope


Anna Karenina is an incredible book. I loved war and peace, but Anna Karenina is clearly Tolstoys best work.

Also enjoyed Nabakovs 'lolita'. I would have included it, but Tolstoys the death of Ivan Illyich was too important
in shaping some fundamental views I hold.

That's what makes a book worth being mentioned; not the 'entertainment' value alone, but in how it influenced your thinking. This is what fiction does. It touches upon those areas of knowledge that can't be transmitted didactically.

In no particular order:

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
The Good Earth by Pearl Buck
Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

1984
Brave New World
A Hand Maid's Tale
Portrait of Dorian Gray
Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stone

Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
1984 by George Orwell
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich

Sorry, I know I cheated on the first one, but I couldn't pick only one of them
It was hard picking only 5!

Cancer Ward
Space
The Once and Future King
The World According to Garp
Lord of the Rings

1. It by Stephen King
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
3. Dracula by Bram Stoker
4. A Place of Execution by Val McDermid
5. Needful Thing by Stephen King

(Funny how people put the Bible, Koran, and Gospels in a request for fiction. Ironic, eh?)

Anyway, 5 of mine are:

Captains and the Kings, by Taylor Caldwell
The More than Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams (trilogy in one volume)
The Dune Series, by Frank Herbert
Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean Auel
Bleak House, by Charles Dickens

There are dozens of others, though.

Ada- Vladimir Nabokov
Pale Fire- Vladimir Nabokov
Giles Goat-boy- John Barth
Titus Groan- Mervyn Peake
Martin Chuzzlewit- Charles Dickens (though Dombey and Son is a hot challenger for the Dickens place)