What is the most inspirational novel you have read and why?

Answer 1

"Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis.. This really isn't a novel, but I love this book. I am currently reading it. It really makes me think and reflect upon my faith and upon other things.

Answer 2

Pillars of the Earth By Ken Fowlett......mans battle against all odds. Brilliant book. And if you love the history of cathedrals this is the one for you. I have read this novel four times and I always find something new waiting round the next corner for me to learn about. A well researched peice of work, even though it is a novel the details and accuracy are amazing.

I'm led to believe that Ken Fowlett has agreed to a film to be made after many many years of film producers trying to persuade him I just hope it is not lost in translation as I think Philip Pullmans Dark Materials will be when it is released later this spring.


And thank you so much for this question. I can get quite flippant when I ask questions these days but this one has captured my interest.


I also enjoyed the lide of Pi and many other books such as Crinme and Punishment by Dostroevsky...though not for the feint hearted.

Answer 3

Amazing how many people don't seem to realise that a novel is a work of fiction and therefore memoirs/biographies/autobiographies don't apply in terms of this question. Maybe if the question was "What is the most inspirational book you have read and why?".

Answer 4

It is good that you asked otherwise it could have went unnoticed. It is a masterpiece in creation, a genuine voice speaking of life, a soul trying to live in the entirety of its being, searching for answers, looking for assurances, thinking that it is loosing its significance in this big wide world, all alone and lost in a multitude of people. Each line speaks volumes as it cries out sometimes in agony, and sometimes in joy, joy that prove illusive and temporary where sadness last forever weaving fabrics of situations even more intense and captivating. The dilemma of the main character is that he has lost the memory of his glorious past and in the mist of an illusive world he does not see too further into the future either. A life where hope courage and human spirit come to terms with possibilities of all sorts every moment in being. I assure you that there is not even a single dull moment in this book. But I do not have much time to tell you more as I am in the middle of this book myself, I can tell you later though. Oh, the name of the novel, the name of that inspirational novel is – My Life. If you want to find it close to your home look into your own heart friend, and just read with is so earnestly being written.

Answer 5

War and Peace is a wonderful novel about family relationships and high society in Moscow during the Napoleonic Wars. I thought that the character Prince Andrei (who should have been the Hero but, in fact, died of his wounds) was the perfect romantic hero. I absolutely loved it.

The other book, which I read recently, was 'The Island' by Victoria Hislop. This gave such a warm, compassionate view of the plight of lepers in Greece from the late 30s to the late 50s. It is not a bit depressing, though sad in places, and has a generally uplifting effect. A wonderful book.

Answer 6

The Man Who Laughs-Victor Hugo
I am struck by how the small can be strong, how the broken can be beautiful and how the cruel and be proven crueler still. Everything in the book has so much symbolism. One thing actually means 3 or 4 things, all of them relevant all of them powerful.

I am not even all the way finished with it. The problem is not that parts of it really are slow but parts are so beautiful, I keep going back and reading those parts over and over. Especially the part after Gwynplaine is abandoned, then he rescues Dea and they are taken in by Ursus. He is so broken but he is still a hero. The book is not poetry and it was translated from French but the words are still beautiful like prose. That just amazes me.

Answer 7

Soul by Andrei Platonov. Translated from the Russian (originally Dzhan). It is an incredible story about the life of a man who survived a traumatic early life and yet kept pushing himself and eventually strived to go back and help his people, the Dzhan. It has a poetic quality, spiritually uplifting and moving, whilst heaving your chest with the gritty emotional/physical turmoil endured. Well worth hunting this one down. I got it from the library originally after reading a great review and then couldn't bear not to buy it. You will appreciate everything about your life after reading this book.

Answer 8

Two books by Ayn rand come to mind.

Atlas Shrugged is the first, and the second is simply calle 'Anthem' You could read Anthem in an evening. A story of a young man escaping an evil socialist society against all odds.
Atlas Shrugged is a frightening picture of what could happen when a society becomes totally socialistic.
We should all take note.

Answer 9

The amazing, couldn't-put-it-down-until-the-last-page last page, "Life of Pi". Ostensibly about an Indian zookeeper's son adrift the best part of a year nowhere in the Pacific with a Bengal tiger in an open boat, with strange undercurrents continually bubbling up. An astonishing tour de force of novel-writing. And highly inspirational.

Answer 10

I would agree with 'To Kill A Mockingbird', but my number 1 choice would have to be 'Round The Bend' by Nevil Shute.

Why? Because it taught me that there's no such thing as a 'common man,'.

I recommend it to anyone who's looking for an uplifting read, although it does take a while for the story to get going; it's got it, though- travel, exotic locations, love, friendship and loss, action, as is a reminder of a bygone era (all based around an aeronautical context).

Good question!

Answer 11

"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen...
The main character is a cantankerous, still-sharp 93-year-old man, and his frustration at being trapped in an old man's body is palpable. The story of his incredible life and adventures with the Benzini Brothers circus unfolds in a way that is emotionally wrenching, and yet flashes of good humor pervade throughout. The characters are richly drawn, and even the animals are given complex personalities that make them a pivotal part of the story. There is something in the novel for everyone: it is equal parts adventure, mystery, fictional memoir, love story, and historical account. I highly recommend this book!