Top 10 Books

Phil from The Phil Factor sent an invitation out into the Blogosphere to get back to him with your Top 10 Books. “Oh” I thought, “fantastic, I’ll have a go at that!”

Like an unripe banana, it’s actually a lot harder than it looks. First, I had to remember what books I’ve read and enjoyed. This is no easy task, some of the books I have loved most, I read 25-30 years ago, it’s entirely possible that I have forgotten my favourite book and will have a ‘D’OH!’ moment later.

Then – once I started thinking of books a load of them all flooded in at once and I had a list longer than ten. To compound things, some of my favourite authors have multiple series never mind multiple books, and can be on very different subjects. So I have put in a self imposed rule of one book per author, harsh, but I had to cull the list somehow.

Putting these books into any particular order though, was a step too far. The order here is more or less the order they came to mind, not necessarily my preference. They are all memorable.

Shindler’s Ark – Thomas Keneally (Hodder & Stoughton 1982)

Holocaust surviver Poldeck Pfefferberg told his story to Thomas Keneally, who wrote it up as a work of historical fiction. It’s an astonishing story, the film is great, but the book has more scope, and time to add layers to characters and plot. Oskar Schindler is a flawed hero, which makes him real, which of course he was. The most unbelievable thing about the book, is that it is based on fact, its won a heap of awards, and theres a reason for that; it’s bloody brilliant.

Foucault’s Pendulum – Umberto Eco (Secker & Warberg English translation, 1989 )

I found the first two chapters hard going, and nearly gave up, but I’m a bit dogmatic and kept going. By the end of chapter three I was hooked, by 9  I could barely put it down, by the end I was pulling all nighters. I remember cleaning whilst holding the vacuum in one hand and the book in the other. I’m glad I read it when I did, my life just wouldn’t allow me to do that now, however much I might want to.

If you like conspiracy theories, this is the Daddy, and leaves Dan Brown eating dust.

Umberto Eco also wrote The Name of the Rose, and I absolutely loved that too, hard call, but Foucault’s Pendulum won out – just.

Equal Rites – Terry Pratchett (Victor Gollancz, 1987)

Do I really need to say anything about the genius that is Terry Pratchett?

My first foray into his work was The Colour of Magic, and be honest I didn’t really fall in love with that (to begin with), but Equal Rites gave me my ‘in’ to the Discworld, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

The book introduces Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick, three witches that will turn up in a variety of other books. It had me howling with laughter, but despite setting the stories in fantasy, the themes that he deals with are real, and Pratchett pokes a bony finger at the absurdity of modern life, absolute genius, and hilarity in equal measure. I love many of Terry’s books, but this was the first – so it gets the gig.

Labyrinth – Kate Mosse (Orion 2005)

Apparently I like French Medieval mysteries – because here’s another, set in both modern times and the Middle Ages in Carcassona at the time of the Cathar massacre. Its a great meaty story to get stuck into. I loved it!

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert M Pirsig (William Morrow & Company 1974)

So despite the title, it doesn’t exactly deal with Zen Buddhism, nor will you be able to strip down a motorcycle engine afterwards. It deals a lot with thought, and the dichotomy of the Romantic versus the Classical mind (go – me, for coming up with that sentence all by myself!) set against the backdrop of a motorcycle road trip.

This made me think about stuff I had never given much thought to, and challenged me in how I think about things and arrive at a solution to problems. I would love to see how Pirsig originally plotted this out, any time I have a big idea it’s usually quite frayed at the edges (romantic), whereas this weaves everything in beautifully (classic). See what I did there?

Ok, moving on…

Shõgun – James Clavell (Hodder & Stoughton 1975)

Off we go to feudal Japan for the first in James Clavell’s Asian series, though the rest are set in Hong Kong/China, and to me seemed quite different. Shogun, transports you back in time but also to a completely different culture, and I lost myself in this completely.

James Clavell gave me a headache, Nobel House is also brilliant – but different following the story of Dirk Struan a Scottish businessman (ahem, cough, pirate?) and Opium smuggler in Hong Kong; then there is also King Rat, which isn’t a autobiography of Clavell’s on time in Changi Prison, but is definitely inspired by it – also harrowing and amazing.

But Shogun – Ah Anjin-san! Thou!

Wild Swans – Jung Chang (Harper Collins 1991)

Staying in Asia, (China) Wild Swans is the autobiography of Jung Chang, and biography of her mother and grandmother, set in reverse order. This isn’t an easy read, I was horrified by some of the things that happened to these women, and the ordeals they went through, but it gives an honest account into a culture and upbringing that was the polar opposite of my own.

Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel (Forth Estate – 2009)

Tudor History as told from the point of view of Thomas Cromwell. Does anyone not like the Tudors; Sociopathic Henry VIII, and his six wives? There is a lot of historical fiction written about this time, with a lot of froth and flounce, this doesn’t do that. This book puts you there amongst the political intrigue. It made me wonder how I would have fared in that time, luckily my ancestors were wilier than I am. Bring Up the Bodies was an admirable sequel, and I eagerly await the finale.

I think Wolf Hall is the only Booker Prize winning novel that I have properly enjoyed, most of them have driven me nuts, and many of them have hit the wall.

I, Claudius – Robert Graves (Arthur Barker, 1934)

My copy was by Penguin, and given to me by my Duke of Edinburgh co – ordinator, back in about 1985, so Mrs Greenlees – I owe you quite a lot really; thank you!

One of the happiest afternoons of my life, was spent in Rome, in the grounds of Augustus’ Villa, re reading this book. I love Roman history, what I know about it owes a lot to this book, which made a lot of information very accessible and memorable. Figures came alive, I feel like I know Livia, Claudius, his brother Germanicus, and Rome itself. I have lost count of how many times I have now read it, Claudius the God is every bit as good.

Catch-22  Joseph Heller (Simon & Schuster, 1961)

Set during World War 2 it follows Captain John Yossarian and his compatriots as they try to keep their sanity during the bombing missions. Starting lighthearted the plot becomes increasingly darker, though there are many moments of satirical and black humour.

It’s a wry look at war, and through the characters you wonder both who the real enemy is, and the real reasons we go to war, very pertinent questions for right now

So thats my top ten books, evidently I have a strong leaning to historical fiction, preferably at leased inspired by fact, but I do read other stuff too.

Somehow Rubicon – the last days of the Roman Empire by Tom Holland didn’t quite get in there, nor did Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, it’s a travesty, they both deserve to be in my top 10, but I couldn’t figure out what to drop in their stead.

What are your favourites?