Here is a very brief presentation of my 5 favorite books. They might be a bit dark and cynical but they are great pieces of literature. I don't recommend these books for you guys that are lighthearted (except nr 1 and 3)

1) The New York Trilogy - Paul Auster 

Mr Auster's first book. 3 surrealistic novels that take place in New York. My favorite is actually the first novel. It shows how one simple phone call can change a man's life. The story is very hard to describe since a person can have many made up identities.  

2) The Torture Garden - Octave Mirbeau

Written back in 1899. The story focuses on a young man who is traveling to China by boat and falls in love with a intelligent and beautiful woman. They have interesting discussions and they start smoking opium. The young man soon discovers one of her favorite hobbies, torture!

3) The Unconsoled - Kazuo Ishiguro

A famous pianist is about to give a piano concert in his home town. He is well known around the world and has traveled quite a lot. Somehow he seems to have lost his vision of reality. He does not really recognize the people around him - his wife, son and father in law. Who are thees people and what do they want? All he wants is to sleep.

Wonderful book about how people can loose understanding of time and place. It is also great when it shows how everyone wants a piece of you when you have something that they haven't got. A backside of fame and glory.

4) American Psycho - Brett Easton Ellis

Most of you have probably heard about this book that later on became a movie with Christian Bale. The book is quite cruel and ironic about a young finance yuppie Patrick Bateman who lives in the "hip" life of the 80's. It contains a lot of sex, fashion, money and disgusting violence.

Although Patrick commits horrible crimes I cannot help but feel sympathy for him. This might be because the book is written in "I" form. Anyway, this novel is a great but scary journey through a young man's mind. And the question that will always follow Brett Easton Ellis is whether it was all taking place in Bateman's mind or did it actually happen? Mr Ellis says it is the later alternative.

5) La possibilité d' ine île - Michel Houllebecq

Houllebecq is quite famous here in Europe (at least) for his rage against certain religions and his praise for prostiution. This book is about a comedian and director who starts getting old. Slowly he sees the younger generations disgust for the elderly.He starts looking for youth but soon realizes that his time is over... so he joins a sect...

Great book that deals with the fear of becoming older.