What's the best book you've ever read that nobody's ever heard of?

Question

No, "Catcher in the Rye" doesn't count. Neither does "Moby Dick" or (shudder) "The Da Vinci Code." Looking for books most folks don't know about, but should. Thanks!

Answer 1

A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay. This was his only novel, as he died young. It is best viewed as a journey of the soul and not another piece of fantasy or science fiction.

I learned more about myself than I learned about some fictional character while reading it the first time. I have re-read it many times since.

This book is not widely known and becoming harder to find. Find it. Read it. Think about it and then read it again.

Answer 2

Hints for Self-Culture by Hardayal

It was published in pre-partition India in 1945 by Rajkamal Publications, Delhi, with special permission from WATTS & Co., London.

It is a scholarly guide on intellectual culture, physical culture, aesthetic culture and ethical culture. This 384-page book is the most valuable part of my collection since 1945.

Another book that will remain on my bookshelf, next to Hardayal’s book, is

A Brief History of Everything by Ken Wilber (2007)

Answer 3

A good question. I agree with rubylion about "A Confederacy Of Dunces" (One of my favorites)- But actually wanted to include a wonderful little character-driven book called "The Folded Leaf" - written by William Maxwell in he 1930's (I believe). Maxwell went on to be a famous editor as well as author. What makes this book so incredible is it's objective style - a fascinating read.
Also, "Geek Love" a great read about the destructive nature of families and sibling rivalry by an author I can't remember

Answer 4

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

The Master Butcher's Singing Club by Louise Erdrich

I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb

and

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

All the Doctor Doolittle Books [NOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE MOVIE] by Hugh Lofting
He is a little round man that talks to animals...great for kids.

Answer 5

(enn, I've read "A Girl of the Limberlost" too--great book!)

"An Old Fashioned Girl" by Louisa May Alcott

"Winter of Magic's Return" can't remember the author. It's a Young Adult book set in England after nuclear war has sent the world into nuclear winter. Three misfits at this kind of boarding school run away from the school, and one of them realizes he is Merlin the Magician who was awakened after a blast during the war but didn't remember his identity. The three then have to defeat Morgan leFay and find their way to Avalon to bring King Arthur back to save the world. Cool book.

Answer 6

Kusamakura (trans. The Three Cornered World) by Natsume Soseki The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico(more of a short story)

Answer 7

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.
True story of the author's life when he fled to India. I fell in love with the people of India. The way this author writes is beautiful....he makes you feel you are right there and can see every scene...like a video. Couldn't put it down all l,000 pages.
It is such an interesting story that it is currently in the process of being made into a movie starring Johnny Depp.
Although it was a global bestseller - people I talk to have never heard of it.

Answer 8

Watchtower by Elizabeth A. Lynn (Book One: Chronicles of Tornor) 1979. This book is especially appropriate now, its an intense fantasy of a war-torn land and one man's loyalty to its exiled heir.

A friend told me about this wonderful sci-fi/fantasy writer who had written only a few books in the 1980's; this was the first book I read of Lynn's and it was an incredible experience. I had found most sci-fi extremely boring and predictable before this-they seemed to often have the same old society we had in the US, just with a few aliens thrown it to make it seem sci-fish. This author changed my mind about sci-fi.

Octavia Butler may be more well-known, but since she was a sci-fi writer, many people may not of heard of her, but she was an incredible writer, with usually black female protagonists. Her Xenogenesis trilogy was truly amazing, an alien society that was different from any society we had thought of, let alone experienced!

Great question!

Answer 9

"The Crack in the Cosmic Egg" is a book by Joseph Chilton Pearce, Thom Hartmann. The same title was used by musicologists Alan and Steve Freeman for their encyclopedia of Krautrock and Kosmische music, German experimental rock music from the 1970s.

Current cosmological models maintain that many billions of years ago, the entire mass of the universe was compressed into a volume about thirty times the size of our sun, from which it expanded to its current state (the Big Bang), the so-called cosmic egg.



The cosmic egg concept has caught the imagination of many science fiction and fantasy writers, including the creators of the Marvel Comics character Galactus. Galactus was the sole-survivor of the previous Big Crunch who, preserved in the cosmic egg, emerged as a being of immense power in the present universe.

Answer 10

I was going to say 'Broken Ground' by Jack Hodgins (an obscure yet delightful Canadian author). Its a beautifully written story of calamity, passion and hope.

But then I was reminded of 'Conferderacy of Dunces' - a fantastic read both hilarious and biting.

They are both very very good and most people probably haven't heard of them (even though 'Confederacy' did win a big prize, I don't think its in the public conciousness, but what do I know?)

Answer 11

Anything by James McConkey, but, if I had to pick just one, a collection of his short works published as "Court of Memory."

McConkey's pieces are autobiographical short stories that resonate with me in different ways each time I've read them over the last 20 years.

I introduced one of his stories, "The Nightstand," to a book club I was in once, and the universal response was, "How come we've never heard of this guy? This is great!"