Weirdest Book You've Read

VoodooDali · Post by **VoodooDali** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 5:33 pm

I like weird books--surreal, mind-bending books. What's the weirdest book you've ever read? What book (esp. novel) can you think of that really blew your mind?

josh · Post by **josh** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 6:07 pm

I read Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr Seuss.

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 6:18 pm

Originally posted by josh:
I read Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr Seuss.

LOL

I was going to post almost the same thing (The Cat in the Hat Came Back

), but I thought I probably ought to leave this thread to intellectual literature discussion. Now look, you've ruined my good intentions

Weasel · Post by **Weasel** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 6:35 pm

Originally posted by VoodooDali:
I like weird books--surreal, mind-bending books. What's the weirdest book you've ever read? What book (esp. novel) can you think of that really blew your mind?

I don't know if it's a mind-bending book, but Stephen R. Donaldson's "Thomas Convenant" books did (At least I think they did) help shape my look on life, at least in my younger days (18 to 25).

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 6:45 pm

DNA's Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy: A Tirlogy in five Parts, Or Kurt Vonneguts slaughterhouse Five.

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 7:10 pm

Originally posted by VoodooDali:
I like weird books--surreal, mind-bending books. What's the weirdest book you've ever read? What book (esp. novel) can you think of that really blew your mind?

I'm not sure about the English titles, but they are all classic, famous novels so someone here should know the correct titles if my translations are wrong.

A few really absurd/surrealistic novels:

Boris Vian: Foam of the daze, Heartsnatcher
George Bataille: The history of the eye
Michail Bulgakov: The Master and Margarita
Nikolai Gogol: The nose, The coat (short stories)
Daniil Charms: any short story

And this novel by a French female author, released some 3-4 years ago, about a woman who turns into a pig. I can't for my life remember the name of the author, but the Swedish translation of the title was "suggestions".

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 7:16 pm

Anything by Dr. Suess, or Robert Munch.

fable · Post by **fable** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 7:21 pm

Cabell: Jurgen
Lord Berners: The Camel
Apuleius: The Golden Ass
Salinger: Franny and Zooey
Gogol: The Nose
Andreyev: Lazarus, other short stories
D!ck: The Marching Morons

Delacroix · Post by **Delacroix** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 7:29 pm

Kafka's Metamorfosis.
He has a strange way to put the incredible inunderstandable as banal, really amazing and disturbing.
First phrase of Metamorfosis:
"When in some morning Gregor Samsa wake up from his peacefull dreams, and found himself metamorfosed into a monstruous insect". Kafka

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 7:30 pm

Mein Kompf was pretty weird, from a political veiw any way.

Quark · Post by **Quark** » Sun Oct 21, 2001 8:40 pm

Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn

It'll put you in a disturbing mood for at least 3 days.

Shadow Sandrock · Post by **Shadow Sandrock** » Mon Oct 22, 2001 3:16 am

I do believe the strangest book I've ever read must be...

The story the kids in my CCD class wrote yesterday...

"God Loves Us Always" was mostly about suing, divorce, violence, revenge, and punching. Lovely literature piece from 7 year old pre-communionists!

Mr Sleep · Post by **Mr Sleep** » Mon Oct 22, 2001 3:27 am

Naked Lunch by William Buroughs - which incidentally is also crap IMO

Shadow Sandrock · Post by **Shadow Sandrock** » Mon Oct 22, 2001 3:27 am

Originally posted by Mr Sleep:
Naked Lunch by William Buroughs - which incidentally is also crap IMO

I'm not the only one on the boards

Dottie · Post by **Dottie** » Mon Oct 22, 2001 3:42 am

Originally posted by Weasel:
I don't know if it's a mind-bending book, but Stephen R. Donaldson's "Thomas Convenant" books did (At least I think they did) help shape my look on life, at least in my younger days (18 to 25).

same here

Another book wich is more "strange" but imo not as good is Curt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. I also like Karin Boye's Kallocain, about a truth drug in an 1984-like society.

[ 10-22-2001: Message edited by: Dottie ]

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Mon Oct 22, 2001 5:25 am

Posted by Weasel -

I don't know if it's a mind-bending book, but Stephen R. Donaldson's "Thomas Convenant" books did (At least I think they did) help shape my look on life, at least in my younger days (18 to 25).

I am currently in the process of locating my copies for a re-read

Saruman · Post by **Saruman** » Mon Oct 22, 2001 5:27 am

Originally posted by Weasel:
I don't know if it's a mind-bending book, but Stephen R. Donaldson's "Thomas Convenant" books did (At least I think they did) help shape my look on life, at least in my younger days (18 to 25).

You managed to struggle through Thomas Covenant books at the tender age of 18 and your still alive. Geez those books are so depressing I thought about ending it all before I managed to finish Lord Foul's Bane.

Yshania · Post by **Yshania** » Mon Oct 22, 2001 6:30 am

@Saruman - lol!

It always made me smile how he had to fall unconscious at the start of each book in order for the story to progress

I was about 23 When I started reading those books - 25 when I finished

Rob-hin · Post by **Rob-hin** » Mon Oct 22, 2001 10:18 am

the weirdest book ever, "the old man and the sea" "Jonathan livingston seagul" definitely

The old man and the sea SOOOOOOOO boring!
Jonathan livingston seagul very strange!

Bolth books have deeper meanings, but they still are strange.

Ned Flanders · Post by **Ned Flanders** » Mon Oct 22, 2001 11:46 am

The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker. That book is friggin' out there. I thoroughly enjoyed it though.

Reading Lord of the Flies at the age of 12 was only slightly less disturbing than watching the exorcist for the first time a few months later. My parents laugh yet today over my decision telling them I could 'handle' The Exorcist.

The third selection isn't really weird but it did blow my mind and may be the sole reason I still devour sci-fi & fantasy books today: Dragons of Autumn Twilight.