Has A Good Book Ever Made You Look At Life Differantly ?

Jan 23, 2006
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My answer to this is yes, I read The Silent Twins by Marjorie Wallace, and Stolen Lives by Malika Oufkir, to name a few.Those two books will stay on my mind forever,
Stolen Lives: How a courageous woman spent 20 years in a desert jail.
Silent Twins: The true definition of the words Love and Hate.




How about you?
 
A little Cliche, but "Catcher in the Rye" makes you feel something, even if you can't put your finger on it, you look at things differently.

Some quotes:

*""I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by . . . I don't care if it's a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know I'm leaving it. If you don't, you feel even worse""

*"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around-nobody big, I mean-except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff-I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy"

^^ Love that part.



Also, White Oleander. ( The book is so much better than the movie.) That book gave me so many ideas of strength and weakness.

Quotes that stand out:

"Loneliness is the human condition. Cultivate it. The way it tunnels into you allows your soul room to grow. Never expect to outgrow loneliness. Never hope to find people who will understand you, someone to fill that space. An intelligent, sensitive person is the exception, the very great exception. If you expect to find people who will understand you, you will grow murderous with disappointment. The best you'll ever do is to understand yourself, know what it is that you want, and not let the cattle stand in your way."

"Let me tell you a few things about regret...There is no end to it. You cannot find the beginning of the chain that brought us from there to here. Should you regret the whole chain, and the air in between, or each link seperately as if you could uncouple them? Do you regret the beginning which ended so badly, or just the ending itself?"

It's seriously depressing, but a good read.
 
I'm an English teacher, so I love your question! If I could only narrow it down....The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri made me think about family differently.
 
well...THE "Good Book" aka the Bible, definitely made me look at everything differently (still does).
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien...I don't think I knew what beautiful meant until I read that one.
Unicorns I Have Known by Robert Vavra...more of an art show than a book, but it definitely changed my aesthetic.
The Great Divorce by CS Lewis...about death.

and then there are the nonfictions, Reading Lolita in Tehran and Seven Years in Tibet and Blood Diamonds.
 
toni morrison's the bluest eye...really all of her books made me look at love, race, poverty, and relationships very differently. maya angelou as well...she is so wise.
 
bethany said:
well...THE "Good Book" aka the Bible, definitely made me look at everything differently (still does).
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien...I don't think I knew what beautiful meant until I read that one.
Unicorns I Have Known by Robert Vavra...more of an art show than a book, but it definitely changed my aesthetic.
The Great Divorce by CS Lewis...about death.

and then there are the nonfictions, Reading Lolita in Tehran and Seven Years in Tibet and Blood Diamonds.

Oh my goodness. Another person who has ACTUALLY read the Silmarillion. I didn't want to admit to that one, for fear of looking like a supernerd. An unknown fact to most of my friends is that I am an insane Tolkien ...enthusiast? I've even read the supplimental texts by his son, Christopher. :shame:

I've read the silmarillion at least 5 times. :-p If I may ask, whom did you sympathise the most with? I must admit, I was always on the side of Feanor, and his sons, despite their rash approach to everything. and I agree, it is truly a beautiful work of art.:love: I'm going ot be quiet before I reveal too much nerdiness!
 
^^^hahaha.
I freaking loved the Noldor. Feanor and Maedhros especially.
Throughout the whole book, I think I probably sympathized most with Luthien Tinuviel. Maybe that's blasphemous. But I love that story.

I am SUCH a nerd. I've read all the History of Middle-earth books. My favorite part of those was the 'athrabeth finrod ah andreth', I cry whenever I read it. I AM SUCH A NERD.
 
It's ok!

You'd NEVER guess by looking at me, but I'm such a NERD too. I liked Luthien, but I was never ever a big fan of Beren. IMO He was quite unworthy of her. Still, it's a darling love story. I hate what happens to Thingol and Melian though.

and yes, the Noldor were definitly my favorites:heart: While I liked Feanor, I must admit to liking Fingolfin too- he was so very brave.

I can't remember if "Unfinished Tales" is the right title, but there's a story in there about the two people who fall in love- and he ends up spending all of his time out at sea. I always cry at that story, it's HEARBREAKING.

lol.

I need to go do something REALLY un-nerdy now.
 
i was quite moved by 'the grapes of wrath.' my dad told me that after i read it, i would either be liberal or heartless, and he was right, lol (well, i was already a tad liberal...) but it really is a wonderful book about the evils that we do to each other.