i need ideas to suggest to a book club, preferably about tolitarian society and dystopias or actually just really good books that arent boring and make you think really hard and are totally deep. DONT PUT 1984, ANIMAL FARM, FHARENHEIT 451, ANTHEM, or WE. or LORD OF THE FLIES
2007-02-03 14:20:28 · 14 answers · asked by picklestra 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
A fine dystopian book likely to spark discussion about sexual relations between men and women and the role of government in sexual relations is "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood.
2007-02-03 18:57:41 · answer #1 · answered by infinityorzero 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How about looking into The Investigation by Stanislaw Lem. On the surface, it is a book about a detective who is called in to resolve a string of odd cases in which someone appears to be breaking in to cemeteries and moving corpses around, but it is actually a book that can be read as a commentary on how scientific method works out in practice, and, although it is ostensibly set in England, it provides a picture of life in a rather stifling society which I suspect was meant to be a commentary on the author's native Poland under communism. Thus, the book is "deep" "smart" and (while not actually a political screed) "about totalitarian society." The elements of horror suggested (are the corpses perhaps moving themselves?) and the social, intellectual and even spiritual risks the main character is facing combine to lend an urgency to the solving of the "crime(?)" which guarentees that the book is never "boring" and will encourage you to "think really hard." The final resolution -- without giving anything away -- is not dependent on a cheap "out" of some kind, as is fitting for a book that is "totally deep." In all, the book would seem to fit your stated desiderata quite nicely.
One final note: Stanislaw Lem is best known as a science fiction writer, but this book is from an early part of his career (it was written in Polish in the early 50s) and is not really science fiction (no space aliens, speculations on the future of humanity, time travel, etc,etc.) In fact, it does not much resemble his later, better known books (Solaris, Memoirs found in a Bathtub, the Futurological Congress, the Cyberiad, e.g.). I enjoyed these, but I think this is his best book by far.
2007-02-03 23:33:39 · answer #2 · answered by james t 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Rising Sun
The Washing of the Spears
The Haj
The Crystal Cave
are four of my suggestions.
2007-02-03 22:29:28 · answer #3 · answered by ladydamorea 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Reading Lolita in Tehran - A memoir about teaching Western literature in revolutionary Iran, with profound and fascinating insights into both. A masterpiece. Plus, there's a reading group guide with this novel which can help generate discussion for your group.
2007-02-04 17:30:15 · answer #4 · answered by lizajane 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Thirtenth Tale
Memoirs of a Geisha
Speak
2007-02-03 22:32:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for but you can try "Angelhair" by Joseph Noga A preview is available at the authors website for you to check out. Go to www.joenoga.com
2007-02-03 22:44:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would suggest
"Life of Pi" by Yann Martell
"The Once and Futrue King" by T.H. White
2007-02-03 23:39:10 · answer #7 · answered by bribri75 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES by John Kennedy Toole
Absolutely excellent.
2007-02-03 22:29:16 · answer #8 · answered by Geaux-Geaux Girl 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
"echo" by francesca lia block
"wuthering heights" by emily bronte
"sense and sensibility" by jane austen
"on the road" by jack kerouac
anything by hunter s. thompson
any of the "classics," theyre called that for a reason : )
2007-02-04 00:05:33 · answer #9 · answered by kitty pryde 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Les Miserables, im reading it for my english class, it really makes me think about how badly ppl suffered
2007-02-03 22:30:18 · answer #10 · answered by Margaret 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋