Best book you've ever read...

[bovine_blue]

The Book of the New Sun - Gene Wolfe

[CthulhuKefka]

"Best" is really subjective to taste, but I'll lend my thoughts (even though they've already been pretty much already mentioned lol).

To go along with a point that was mentioned, for me at least, I know that my definition of "the best" book has varied as I got older.

When I was three years old, at least once a year until I was old enough to read them myself, my dad would read me the Lord of the Rings trilogy. His father read it to him, and I will read it to my child if I ever have one. That takes the childhood favorite category, although I still consider it one of the best I've ever read.

In my high school years I went off on a reading binge and started reading anything and everything I could get my grubby hands on.  I think out of that era, I'd have to say Les Miserables took the cake on that one. And yes, the unabridged version. At the time it was like nothing I had ever read and I loved it. Along with that, I would have to say the original Dragonlance Chronicles (Autumn Twilight/Winter night/Spring Dawning/Summer Flame). Another high school fave was The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum.

And yes, I'll admit it too, Elantris/Mistborn top the list for right now.

[GreenMonsta]

Faith of the Fallen- Terry Goodkind.

As I have so far noticed there doesn't seem to be a lot of Goodkind fans who post here so I wont get too deep. This was the sixth book in the Sword of Truth series and my favorite. The series involved a lot of political intrigue, action (both third person and third), personal strife. This book imparticular had a lot of special meaning and drive behind it. Amazing read.

[BurnPewter]

I'd have to say the Hero of Ages.

Never in my life have I experienced anything like this book.  Nothing compares.  Not even Harry Potter 7, which had years of anticipation building.   The emotional impact that HoA had on me is indescribable, which is probably good, because if I could describe it, it might imply some small spoilers

[GreenMonsta]

Oh come on, another alpha reader on the forum. Sweet all we need is another Ook running around stirring the pot and messing with our heads. Although I would miss Ook if he left, come on really?

[BurnPewter]

Oh come on, another alpha reader on the forum. Sweet all we need is another Ook running around stirring the pot and messing with our heads. Although I would miss Ook if he left, come on really?

Technically I"m not an alpha reader.  I just fortunate fan who recently was given a copy to read.  There are a few of them floating around out there

Don't worry, I won't be another Ook, cruelly dangling things in front of your face.  I do enjoy those threads though

[GreenMonsta]

Well now that hurts even more. Its slightly reassuring that you wont be tempting us with the things you know even though it can be fun. Its worse that your not an alpha and instead your a fan like us who for some lucky reason was given the chance to have the book early. Might I persuade you to maybe send it over to boston? I mean I would probably go the route of Ook if I had privlaged info but that would be fun for all so who can it hurt.

[JCHancey]

Ender's Game. Nothing compares, well maybe I Am America (And So Can You!) but Ender's game takes it all.

[Miyabi]

That is definitely one of my favorites. The rest of the series was slow and not nearly as good, even though Card ONLY wrote Ender's Game because he needed the prequel of Xenocide in order for it to make sense.

[Hanami]

Oh, well... for me, it was the "Time Master" trilogy, by Louise Cooper. They've been republished recently by Mundania, so I finally achieved my goal of having them in the three languages I can read - that is, Spanish, French and English. Something funny happens with thoose books, though. I believe the Spanish translation is better than the original, it's the only one case I know of!

[kevinpii]

for me it allways depends on the mood I'm in. but id have to say that my favorite all time book is the count of Monte cristo. i have to say that I'm really impressed at all the people who read the classics here i really thought id see only fantasy readers.

[Hanami]

for me it allways depends on the mood I'm in. but id have to say that my favorite all time book is the count of Monte cristo. i have to say that I'm really impressed at all the people who read the classics here i really thought id see only fantasy readers.

Well, being a fantasy reader doesn't mean you don't read other genres too, does it? For example, I like the book you've mentioned, but I still think that Alexandre Dumas did his best with "The Three Musketeers", and its continuations. It's only that I would say that no classic is the "best book I've ever read"... mainly because of the differences that are between that society and ours. But, if you consider Oscar Wilde as a classic, I do love his books, especially his tales, and if we have to go far deeper in history... well, there is "The tale of Genji", by Murasaki Shikibu, or "Dream of the Red Chamber", by Cao Xueqin. Those two are some of my favourites, and a really good example af how good Asian literature can be. Oh, and the "Coplas a la muerte de su padre" ("Stanzas on his father's death") by Jorge Manrique, if we talk about Spanish literature.

[SarahG]

I'm with kevinpii, The Count of Monte Cristo is quite a bit more enjoyable than The Three Musketeers.  However, I have no desire to read either of those (or, for that matter, Les Miserables) unabridged.  The verbal detours are way too longwinded and irrelevant for the modern palette - or at least for mine.

OK, it's time for all you purists to tell me what a short attention span I have. 

[Hanami]

Well, I liked both of them, but I guess I'm more of a get-a-sword-and-solve-things-out person (now is when you read the other books I mentioned and start laughing). I don't like reading if it isn't unabridged, though, too many things change when people want to cut or change things from the original. But it's my opinion, as well as yours, and the fact is, first time I read "The Three Musketeers" it was abridged. Well... I was five years old by then, so... I believe I can be forgiven. But better reading an abridged version than not reading it at all, don't you think?

I haven't read "Les Miserables"... I should...

[readerMom]

I haven't read "Les Miserables"... I should...

I read the unabridged version one summer in a friend's hammock while everyone else was off working and I was taking a semester off.  It was the perfect way to read such a long, complex and good book.  I haven't tried anything so ambitious since because I moved away from the hammock and don't get summers off anymore