What is your favourite novel, and why?

I have read lots of wonderful books, having been a bookworm since childhood! I love ‘The Catcher in the Rye’(JD Salinger), Thomas Mann’s ‘The Holy Sinner’ and ‘Death in Venice’, Steinbeck’s ‘The Grapes of Wrath (SO much better than the film!), and many other treasures! My overall favourite has to be Emily Brontes’s ‘’Wuthering Heights’ though. I was given it as a Christmas present by my cousin when I was ten and have been enthralled by it ever since. It is so much more than ‘just’ a love story. I re read it most years and at nearly 67 I can recite portions of it by heart. I don’t know what the fascination is, I just know that of all the fiction I have read it is the one that is the most enduring. And no screen adaptation comes close to its power for me. Now non fiction, that’s a whole other ball game!

Omg Doodledog …….. you’ve given me such a blast from the past ! I read “The Women’s Room” many, many years ago and it gave me the strength to leave my husband. It made me see I was not his property, I didn’t have to do as I was told and I was a person in my own right ! As you say it’s probably quite dated now, but I think I’ll try and down load it, just because it was so pivotal to me.
Ive read too many good books to mention, but I really enjoyed “ Where the Crawdads sing”.

When I was 18 I read every book I could find and I came across John Gordon Davis’s book The Year of the Hungry Tiger. I’m not sure how I managed to get through the first heavy chapter outlying the history of Hong Kong but I persevered and discovered a love story. After a period of sentimental romantic stories, Barbara Cartlands, Georgette Heyer etc it was incredible to read a love story from a man’s perspective. A love between a British policeman and a Communist schoolteacher. I still think it’s amazing. Recently I read American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins which moved me.

Ian McKewan is a go to author and Kate Atkinson is brilliant, particularly Life after Life and Scenes from a museum but the book I'll never forget is Sebastian Faulkes' Birdsong. The writing is beautiful and the love story moved me to tears.
As a child my favourites were Heidi and The Secret Garden.

Many years ago I read Skallergrig by William Horwood. It sent shivers down my spine and did the same as I remembered it to write it here. It was a very moving novel about 2 people with Cerebal Palsy and their connection. It's magic and I am now going to read it again. Thanks for making me think about this Doodledog.

Another fan of George Eliot here. Middlemarch is my favourite novel. Her characters are have a real depth to them; most are flawed to a greater or lesser degree. The complex picture of life in and around a small town is so cleverly and elegantly done. And - hurrah - her heroine finds both love and fulfilment for her intellectual aspirations.

i dont know if they are my favourite but I have just finished The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch and they are right up there.

It's hard to pick out an actual favourite book but I do like most of Thomas Hardy's books (and poems), and many modern Irish writers - Maggie O'Farrell, Edna O'Brien, Sebastian Barry to name just three of many. It must be my heritage - I'm a Dorset girl who was educated by Irish nuns!

There's two that immediately spring to mind.
Billy by Albert French...a story of racism at it's worst in 30s America. It broke my heart.
Dr Zhivago by Pasternak, just a magnificent piece of writing and yes, I love the film too!

My three top favourite books are Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings,’ ‘Pride and Prejudice ‘ and one you will never have heard of ‘The Belle Fields’ by Lora Adam’s. Takes me away from it all, love it.

I learnt a lot about life in my early teens after reading Jane Eyre, Little Women and Lady Chatterley's Lover. Jane Eyre will always be my favourite.

Another vote for "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini.
The sadness I felt when I finished this book has stayed with me to this day.
But it has also always made me realise just how many things I have to be thankful for.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Wonderful film too

I’ve enjoyed reading all your choices - but so hard to pick. I’ve been through phases in my life with reading. When I was younger I was obsessed with John Steinbeck, my absolute fave was East of Eden. I then had phases of Henry James, Wilkie Collins, Evelyn Waugh (my fave was Brideshead) More recently I discovered Melvyn Bragg. I think he is one of my favourite writers. I loved The Maid of Buttermere. I think if I had to choose I would say the Rabbit books by John Updike. Nothing has beat them yet. Oh, and I love the Forsyte Saga by Galsworthy! So many books so little time

My favourite, I've read it so many times and always find something new, is "The Vizard Mask" by Diana Norman. It's such a rich story set in the time of the Restoration and the Great Plague, with enough material for 3 cracking books and mixes imaginary characters with real people such as Aphra Behn and Prince Rupert. My second is "Hatter's Castle" by A J Cronin. I first read this as a teenager when it made a huge impression on me. I was always reluctant to reread it in case I would find it disappointing second time around, but bit the bullet recently and found it just as moving, this story of a coercive bully and his downtrodden family and his descent in life.

LadyGaga
I am totally with you regarding the Rabbit books, I love John Updikes writing, but these are his best.
I love the characters, I could read them over and over.
I also agree with Steinbeck, although my favourite is ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ and love Wilkie Collins, my favourite is Armadale.

Who else, like me, is writing a long list of books (from gransnetters on here) for next library visit.

Katherine by Anya Seton

It tells the story of the historically important, C14th love affair between Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, the third surviving son of King Edward III.

I named my daughter after her, although I spelled with a C rather than a K.

She eventually Married John of Gaunt and became the Duchess of Lancaster.

They owned the manor house in the village where I used to live and had their crest on the Fireplace which was nice. to go and have a look at.

She was buried in Lincoln cathedral and went there once many years ago.

A fascinating story ....

Lord Of The Rings - JRR Tolkien closely followed by any Terry Pratchett novel! Seems I am the only one on here that likes them! No other Fantasy lovers around anymore ?

Oh goodness! Sk many but the ones that spring to mind apart from my favourite from childhood, The Secret Garden. I have read Germinale by Emile Zola, given to me by an English teacher that I had a torrid affair one summer with! I have read it so many times and The Goldfinch another favourite. There’s so many but these two would definitely be on my list.

grannyactivist

As a child, from age 7-14 I used to lose myself in books and the very sensitive librarians at my local library really encouraged me and led me to choose books I may have overlooked, including many of the ‘classics’ already mentioned.

I read Anya Seton’s Katherine, as a young adult and it has never really been supplanted as a book that I can read and re-read and still thoroughly enjoy.

Another book that I’m surprised hasn’t been mentioned is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. It’s a weighty tome, but the characters and storyline are very engaging.

Oh good, another fan! Only book I have EVER read twice (and more ....!)

I read avidly as a child, under the covers - mostly Enid Blyton and 'pony books'. Up until the age of about 50, I read every night before bed. It became though that I would read last night's page again as I had forgotten what happened, read two or three more pages before falling asleep! Sadly as time has gone on, I am no longer able to hold a book, (tried book rests etc to no avail, and I can't get a long with audio books ....

I do miss it dreadfully, but make do with TV nowadays. As I can rarely sleep more than a couple of hours at a time, I can watch a whole series overnight, one night it was two series!

When I was at college everyone was reading Tolkien, but I could never get into it, tried later, but could never see the appeal

Rebecca is one of my favourites. Every time I read it again I see a different way of looking at the characters. As I have got older I have more sympathy for Rebecca and I dislike Maxim more. Another novel I love is one by Daphne du Maurier, My Cousin Rachel. I like the way we are kept wondering what the truth is about Rachel. I love the ambiguity of Daphne du Maurier's characters.

Frost in May by Antonia White
A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush by Eric Newby
Fortunes Rocks by Anita Shreveport
Anything by Barbara Trapido
Anything by Emile Zola
I could go on and will also orobabky change my mind tomorrow.
Having a lot of fun at the moment recommending books for my young adult granddaughter who has caught the reading bug and enjoys the same sort of books as me.

MadeInYorkshire
I too loved Katherine, I remember having to choose a book to review for an exam at school, and I chose Katherine.
I haven’t read it for more than fifty years, I wonder if it’s still in print?