I was always a reader. As a child I would sit and read an Enid Blyton book in an evening. I devoured books, ranging from fiction to encyclopedias.

 

This love of reading has never left me and over the last thirty or so years I’ve probably read over a thousand books. Over time there have been many books that I have enjoyed and so it is difficult to pick out a top fifty, let alone a top ten! But here’s my attempt to list my top ten favorite books of all time.

So what makes Lord of the Rings so good?

 

There’s something indefinable about Lord of the Rings. It has that quality that makes it difficult to put a book down. While reading, you’re fully engulfed in a real world, with real people. The detail that Tolkien puts into his writing really makes Middle Earth come out of the pages and form an amazing picture in your mind.

The writing is superb, demonstrating what it takes to be a classic, with amazing poetry, superb descriptions and a fantastic pace (aside from the first few chapters) that keeps the story moving along nicely.

Brief Synopsis.

Bilbo has had many adventures throughout his 110 years in Middle Earth and thus decides it’s time to retire; he plans to announce this at his 111^th birthday partner. Reluctantly, he passes his prized possession to his young nephew. This ring is far more dangerous than he could ever  have known; it is the One Ring that was created by the Dark Lord Sauron and is used to spread Sauron’s domination through the world by having power over all the other magical rings.

 

Frodo is warned by Gandalf (a mighty wizard who helped Bilbo in his adventures) that the ring is very dangerous, and must not be captured by Sauron. Frodo, joined by Sam, Pippin and Merry set out on a journey to Rivendell so that a grand council can decide the fate of the ring.

After much argument, Frodo decides the only course of action is for him to take the ring and destroy it. The council forms a fellowship that has members from many different races; the four hobbits, Gandalf, Gimli a stout old dwarf, Legolas an enigmatic Elf, Boromir a noble but troubled man and Aragorn a ranger.

 

The Fellowship of the Ring sets out on a quest of epic proportions to destroy the ring; with intrigue and danger around every corner, they are beset by armies, orcs, balrogs and nazgul as their quest often seems to be doomed.

Simply put, Tolkien has infused reality into the book; he’s combined happiness and song, with danger, fear and tears; he’s brought death and married it with life; he created a living breathing world full of amazing characters, fearsome monsters.

So what makes Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone so good?

In the true sense of the meaning, this book is not a classic; however J K Rowling has the ability to tell a story very well and to engross the reader in the story and characters. Her subtle style of writing makes the story flow of the pages straight into the imagination.

Why do I consider this one of the top ten books I’ve read? It’s simply because of the way in which it manages to bring families together, and instill the love of reading into our children. With the Hobbit, this is one of the first books I read to my children, and to this day we all have a love for anything Harry Potter, even though they are now eighteen.

Brief Synopsis

Harry Potter hates his life; he’s stuck sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs and his uncle and aunt treat him more like an animal rather than the orphaned son of his auntie’s sister. It’s not until Hagrid, a half-giant man from Hogwars school, appears to celebrate Harry’s 11^th birthday that her realizes he has a heritage that is not so mundane.

Luckily for Harry, he has been accepted into Hogwats school of wizardry, and despite his uncle and aunts misgivings, he attends the school. As he enters this new world he is caught up in mystery an intrigue. Harry with his new friends Hermione and Ron, embark on a quest to find a magical stone before the sinister potions wizard (Severus Snape) finds it and hands it over to Lord Voldermort.

Lord Voldermort is the most dangerous wizard in the world and also murdered Harry’s parents.

The book tells the tale of how Harry forms great friendships, while meeting many enemies. It is full of high adventure, comedy and social commentary and is a great introduction into the Harry Potter world.

So what makes Brave New World so good?

 

I read this book in school, and it was the first book that I analyzed rather than just simply accepted it for what it was. The deep themes in the book lead to many moralistic discussion, while the advanced and often difficult vocabulary enhanced the learning experience.

It was the first book that challenged me intellectually, and really had a great influence on the way I have analyzed ‘life’ and made choices as I’ve grown and matures. It’s this ability to make me think that makes this a classic book for me.

Brief Synopsis

In a Utopian Word, where the most ‘dangerous’ form of entertainment is a movie that stimulates the senses, Bernard Max feels there is something he is missing from life. The world is violence free, and no one wants for anything yet he somehow feels that there is more to life than simply existing.

 

When he begins a relationship with a young women he begins to break out of the box of conformity and begins to question the society he lives in. In a world of sterility, Bernard Max begins to experience life, rather than live; he doesn’t realize the inherent dangers there are with such actions.

So what makes Animal Farms so good?

This was another book I read an analyzed at school. On the surface it was a simple book, but when analyzed it proved to be very intellectual and spoke volumes about what western society thought about communism.

The ability of the book to portray such deep moral issues in the shape of animals and to give these animals human characteristics was an amazing way in which to press forward an opinion. The book, with its cleverly mundane writing style and yet complex language and nature further enhanced my abilities to analyze situations objectively.

Brief Synopsis

When the abused and neglected animals on Manor Farm, dispose of their human masters and take over the farm, they are proud of their achievements and collectively begin to work together to improve the farm.

After a successful season, where food is plentiful the animals agree to Seven Commandments that setout how all animals are equal, and how they should treat their fellow animals.

However, soon the pigs, who see themselves as leaders in this ‘equal’ society, begin to succumb to the temptations of success and believe their superior intellects are needed to manage and organize the animals. They amend the commandments to excuse their excesses and soon the ‘lower’ animals realize they are no better of now than they were when the human’s rule.

Orwell’s novel is satirical and funny, but underlying this is a damning commentary of communism and the evils it often causes.

So what makes Ender’s Game so good?

This is perhaps another one of those books that isn’t really classed as a traditional classic, but it has an intangible quality that is hard to explain. While predominately a science fiction novel, it’s the underlying commentary on human society, the inequalities there-in and the ability of mankind to overcome adverse odds.

It focuses on characters, and this is what I like about any book -if the characters are interesting, and real to me then the book has done a good job. This book is a little quirky at times, and perhaps a little predictable, but it’s the interaction of the characters that is most enjoyable.

Brief Synopsis

With the potential of an imminent attack by aliens, the government has bred children genii to become soldiers and leaders. Andrew ‘Ender’ Wiggin is one of these children. He’s brilliant and lives with is aloof parents, his sadistically strange brother and the one person he truly loves in life; his sister.

We follow ‘Ender’ as he goes through tougher and tougher training, becomes isolated from the majority of the students and is constantly pressurized by his teachers. He not only battles his peers, but constantly battles his inner demons.

The book combines many different social and political elements; add to this a touch of xenophobia and then spice it up with bullying anger and teenage angst and you hopefully get the picture.

 

So what makes Catch 22 so good?

For once I actually read the book after seeing the movie. For me the movie was very surreal and at times amazingly funny.  The movie struck a chord with me, with the satire and the way in which a sane man was trying to deal with insane issues – so much so that I bought the book.

As usual, the book was far better than the movie as it allowed you to get to know the characters far more deeply. This ability to not only produce funny writing, but also make it profound at the same time impresses me. It’s another book that explores the complexity of the human character, and due to the excellent writing and humor throughout, it rates as one of my favorite books.

Brief Synopsis

This classic book embarks on a satirical journey into the minds of normal people during abnormal times (WWII). The book delves into the lives of a group of bomber pilots in Italy, and how they do their best to stay alive while on dangerous missions.  Their lives are full of sexy nurses, strange and often dangerous widows and somehow despite losing their comrades, and despite tha nguish they still have a desire to survive the next bombing run!

The book treads a fine line between horror and humor as death continues to haunt the group. Interspersed with this are dilemmas, and hopelessness. It is a classic in terms of classic writing, but also in the way it deals with difficult issues.

So what makes The Grapes of Wrath so good?

This was one of the first classic books that I read that wasn’t a school project. Having been brought up without wanting for much, it really brought home to me the meaning of poverty and the struggles of people during the Great Depression.

The writing was simple and straight forward, but portrayed the starkness and the reality amazingly; it captured the desperation of the times incredibly, and really pressed home the moral problems, and the power of the government at the time (and today).

The book was very powerful and really pressed forward many questions that we often don’t want to answer.

Brief Synopsis

The book traces the migration of the Joad family from Oklahoma to California. Their hope of a new life, which is propagated by advertising, is soon broken as they arrive and fall into the depression inspired injustice that befell many families that followed the same path.

The journey takes us through many struggles of the Joad family, as they struggle to deal with the injustice and the power that a few people have over common people – it tells the tale of how the family fights to stay together despite many misgivings within the family that threaten to break everything apart.

So what makes The Grapes of Wrath so good?

What impressed me about this book was the vivid way in which it really made me believe in the characters and the way in which it scared the living daylights out of me. Cleverly telling the story through the eyes of one of the characters, let me feel a part of the story rather than a by-stander – and it was this that allowed me to feel the anger and the brutality in a way in which I have never experienced in a book before.

This is classic writing at its best.

Brief Synopsis

In a mental ward, a bully of a nurse (Nurse Ratched) goes head to head with a newly admitted patient. Randle Patrick McMurphy is boisterous to say the least. He’s like a combination of John Wayne and Charlie Chaplin; funny but tough as old boots. He decides that someone has to oppose the tyrant nurse and attempts to battle for the freedom of all the inmates.

Seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, we witness the tumultuous battle that ensues between the two juggernauts.

So what makes Nineteen Eighty Four so good?

This is simply a brilliant book. It is written incredibly well, but has a prophetic warning for us all, one that was profound and disturbing at the same time. Orwell has instilled this book with gloom; perhaps consistent with his other classic book ‘Animal Farm’ he continues to warn of the dangers of a communistic state, and how the power of such a government could be very dangerous for all our futures. He has coined a ‘saying’ that is used often today, and has actually spawned a reality show – ‘Big Brother’.

Brief Synopsis

Winston Smith, works for the Ministry of Truth. He is depressed and begins to think the unthinkable; rebelling against the Party – if found out he would face death. HE soon becomes curious about a female machine operator, and begins a love affair with her, away from the prying eyes of ‘Big Brother’.

Their love begins to change the way Smith thinks about the Party and tries to instigate revolution; what follows is a cat and mouse game full of intrigue, deceit and horror. The books tells of a utopian future that is full of fear and control and really doesn’t conform to the true idea of utopia.

 

So what makes I’Cladius so good?

I’Cladius is one of those books that is hard to put down. It examines the Roman Empire in such a detailed way, and really doesn’t hold anything back as the book includes orgies, sibling sex, murder and general mayhem.

It is very easy to read, and while much is not known to be true, it is written in such a way that you believe every word of it. You find yourself feeling sorry for many characters (Augustus, and Cladius) and reviling others (Caligula). It is this ability to make you loathe a character that makes this book stand out for me.

Brief Synopsis

 

Cladius, the apparent fool, dribbling and drooling through life is an enigma; he’s very intelligent and often misunderstood. The book is a fictional biography of Cladius; it provides a superbly detailed introduction into the Roman empire, focusing on the emperors, the politics and mostly the deceit and instability of these men.

 

As we see Tiberius first landing on an island, we see the paranoia at first hand as he punishes a fisherman who offers a fish, not seeing a gift but rather seeing a portent of doom.

 

The book reads like a history book with characters as it details the rise and fall of many emperors ranging from Tiberius, through the thoroughly mad Caligula (who his own baby from the  stomach of his sister) to ultimately Cladius. 

 

The book also deals with the power that women often held in the Roman emperor especially with Livia, the self centered, power hungry and conniving wife of Augustus, who used everything in her power to promote her own control over Rome.