Excuse me for being a bitch, but are there any non-literary snobs on this site?
Since I excused you for being a bitch, you're going to have to excuse me for being an asshole.

Seriously, though, the reason I put up those books is because those are masterpieces of writing, not because that's all I read. I'm reading the New Jedi Order series right now, for crying out loud. The fact of the matter is that truly great works of literature are rare. Sci-fi and Fantasy haven't been around long enough to have a lot of them. Lord of the Rings, for sure, is a tour de force.
Besides, none of the works listed above are remotely obscure. They're all established (and accessible) masterpieces of Western Lit (except Zen). It's not as though people are saying "Well, hmmm, yes, the plebs just can't understand the eloquent phrasing of Ulysses."
I love reading fantasy, but with few exceptions it isn't nearly as high quality as what's been listed above. And the question was about writing that "blew you away." Why shouldn't the greats be listed? Until this post nobody has even so much as suggested that fantasy/sci-fi is inferior to the classics. Your post comes off as pretty insecure, frankly.
"We feel safe when we read what we recognise, what does not challenge our way of thinking.... a steady acceptance of pre-arranged patterns leads to the inability to question what we are told."
~Camilla
Ghavrel is Ghavrel is Ghavrel
*MySmiley*
~Camilla
Ghavrel is Ghavrel is Ghavrel
*MySmiley*
This message last edited by Ghavrel on 02/07/2010 at 11:25:18 PM
One simple question:
- 01/07/2010 11:00:44 PM
1770 Views
Lolita *NM*
- 01/07/2010 11:13:10 PM
721 Views
Have you read Pale Fire? *NM*
- 03/07/2010 12:14:56 AM
672 Views
No, I haven't. I have, however, been meaning to read The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov...
- 03/07/2010 12:36:39 AM
1166 Views
Re: No, I haven't. I have, however, been meaning to read The Stories of Vladimir Nabokov...
- 03/07/2010 12:38:22 AM
1190 Views
Is it unfinished? I seem to recall that, but I could be mistaken... *NM*
- 03/07/2010 02:15:07 AM
689 Views
Pale Fire is an excellent novel, particularly if you like making fun of Robert Frost.
- 03/07/2010 06:39:29 PM
1230 Views
I've always planned on reading it.
- 04/07/2010 06:30:31 PM
1157 Views
I've read all of Pelevin's books other than t, which recently was released.
- 04/07/2010 06:40:04 PM
1213 Views
Sorry. I'm going to have to get back to you on this later.
- 04/07/2010 07:22:31 PM
1233 Views
No problem. I'm stinking drunk and blew up shit to celebrate America's independence.
- 05/07/2010 05:03:42 AM
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Paradise Lost *NM*
- 01/07/2010 11:23:22 PM
769 Views
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
- 01/07/2010 11:31:52 PM
1269 Views
What is it about?
- 03/07/2010 12:14:27 AM
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The Aeneid, the Iliad, the Odyssey, and Macbeth come to mind. *NM*
- 02/07/2010 02:29:13 AM
704 Views
I'm amazed by these responses.
- 02/07/2010 07:10:31 PM
1415 Views
I spent most of my time trying to decide...
- 02/07/2010 07:22:26 PM
1360 Views
Well. I mean a book/story that you thought was pretty close to perfection.
- 02/07/2010 08:02:55 PM
1492 Views
Then you need to read more. *shrug*
- 02/07/2010 11:23:24 PM
1335 Views
You are not excused.
- 02/07/2010 11:40:16 PM
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Wow. That read enough like Tom that I had to check to make sure it was you. *NM*
- 02/07/2010 11:57:26 PM
675 Views
I take that as a compliment and concur completely with Larry's statement.
- 03/07/2010 06:48:05 PM
1266 Views
You make me want to sing
- 05/07/2010 02:32:37 PM
1669 Views
And you make me want to cover my ears
- 05/07/2010 07:57:12 PM
1258 Views
What is yours?
- 05/07/2010 05:19:23 AM
1691 Views
Wraeththu by Storm Constantine is mine.
- 05/07/2010 07:51:59 AM
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Easy. The Mahabharatha...
- 02/07/2010 11:55:27 PM
1269 Views
Don't tell Roh.
- 03/07/2010 12:13:57 AM
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Which one?
- 03/07/2010 12:59:43 AM
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Re: Which one?
- 05/07/2010 05:28:08 PM
1334 Views
There's a "proper one"?
- 06/07/2010 06:03:55 PM
1187 Views
- 06/07/2010 06:03:55 PM
1187 Views
Re: I sent her Kamala Subramaniam's translation.
- 09/07/2010 08:20:43 AM
1278 Views
Ahhh... One of my favorites...
- 09/07/2010 05:24:55 PM
1611 Views
Re: Parva is not a translation of the MB, though, is it. It's a reinterpretation. Which is fine.
- 09/07/2010 11:01:43 PM
1344 Views
It's spelled "Mahabharata".
- 03/07/2010 06:51:09 PM
1225 Views
That's not how it is pronounced though...
- 03/07/2010 08:54:27 PM
1257 Views
Traditional pronunciation vs. modern pronunciation
- 03/07/2010 09:47:52 PM
1228 Views
I learned Sanskrit for years...
- 04/07/2010 01:28:34 AM
1160 Views
However...
- 04/07/2010 02:31:00 AM
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See, I was taught that ध produced the sound in "that" and थ the sound in "thought".
- 04/07/2010 02:44:56 AM
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Re: I should have read the thread before bothering to give my skimpy response!
- 09/07/2010 08:26:35 AM
1517 Views
American Gods. *NM*
- 03/07/2010 04:49:18 AM
654 Views
I really wanted to enjoy that a lot. It was good, but not amazing, imo.
- 05/07/2010 05:28:53 PM
1219 Views
Shogun
- 03/07/2010 03:08:04 PM
1229 Views
huh. I always felt that...
- 05/07/2010 10:00:29 PM
1157 Views
I really liked Tai Pan as well.
- 06/07/2010 12:37:58 PM
1261 Views
I'd have to say Noble House is the most impressive of the three.
- 06/07/2010 01:30:11 PM
1273 Views
A few that come to mind: Doctor Zhivago, Master & Margarita and Brothers Karamazov
- 03/07/2010 06:53:25 PM
1252 Views


*NM*