Listmania!
A few all-time favourite novels
The MagusThe Magus by John Fowles
Buy used from: £0.09
This is one of the finest books any one could hope to read, compelling from start to finish. I envy anyone who is yet to be captured under it's spell.
Brighton RockBrighton Rock by Graham Greene
Buy used from: £0.01
uncompromising and gritty this is a beautifully crafted novel.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (New Directions Paperbook)Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (New Directions Paperbook) by T Williams
Buy used from: £4.31
'Cat....' is the finest of Williams tales - The temperature is high, the amotsphere could be cut with a knife and then a few home truths are told.
The Outsider (Essential Penguin)The Outsider (Essential Penguin) by Albert Camus
Buy new: £5.97 / Used from: £2.56
A short and deeply disturbing novel.
The Man in the High Castle (Roc)The Man in the High Castle (Roc) by Philip K. Dick
Buy used from: £2.48
Ignore the fact that it's sci-fi, anyone can enjoy this - the social tension is tangible throughout.
BirdsongBirdsong by Sebastian Faulks
Buy new: £4.79 / Used from: £0.01
A bit different than most of the books here, its a good story nontheless and well told.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are DeadRosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard
Buy new: £5.96 / Used from: £0.60
A great stage play, very witty and thought provoking.
All Quiet on the Western FrontAll Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Buy new: £5.07 / Used from: £2.54
Superior to Birdsong in many ways, but very different and leaves an overiding feeling of sadness.
The Pearl (Penguin Modern Classics)The Pearl (Penguin Modern Classics) by John Steinbeck
Buy new: £5.34 / Used from: £0.01
Simple in presentation but has some great underlying philosophy.
They Shoot Horses, Dont They? (Midnight classics)They Shoot Horses, Dont They? (Midnight classics) by Horace McCoy
Buy new: £5.49 / Used from: £4.95
Bleak, desperate and an uncomfortable read, this is a classic tale of people desperate to better themselves at all costs.
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Penguin Modern Classics)One Hundred Years of Solitude (Penguin Modern Classics) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Buy new: £6.46 / Used from: £1.50
This is just amazing, nothing compares to the genius behind the plot and devestating conclusion!
Death and the Penguin (Panther)Death and the Penguin (Panther) by Andrey Kurkov
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £1.48
I hadn't heard of this guy before I read this, the book was recomended to me by a friend and it doesn't disapoint. Darkly funny and very original.
A Confederacy of Dunces (Penguin Modern Classics)A Confederacy of Dunces (Penguin Modern Classics) by John Kennedy Toole
Buy new: £5.92 / Used from: £2.87
A masterpiece of tradgedy and comedy, never has a book made me laugh out loud this much before.
Le Grand Meaulnes (Penguin Modern Classics)Le Grand Meaulnes (Penguin Modern Classics) by Henri Alain-Fournier
Buy used from: £6.49
I was strangely drawn back to this recently, it has certain qualities that are rare to find in modern fiction.
A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics)A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics) by Charles Dickens
Buy used from: £0.01
I know Dickens isn't everone's cup of tea - but this is cool, honest.
The Feast of the GoatThe Feast of the Goat by Mario Vargos Llosa
Buy new: £5.50 / Used from: £0.47
This is really moving stuff and a great way to learn more about the murky history of the Dominican Republic.
Chronicle of a Death ForetoldChronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Buy used from: £0.64
Short and sweet - this is Marquez at his story telling best.
South of the Border, West of the SunSouth of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami
Buy used from: £1.00
Perhaps not Murakami's best known work, but my favourite so far.
Ubik (S.F. Masterworks)Ubik (S.F. Masterworks) by Philip K. Dick
Buy new: £4.48 / Used from: £2.46
Multi-layered and always keeps you guessing until the end. Very clever superior sci-fi tale.
Miss Smilla's Feeling for SnowMiss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg
Buy new: £6.66 / Used from: £0.01
Facinating reading and not a bad film either, well worth checking out.
SurvivorSurvivor by Chuck Palahniuk
Buy new: £5.49 / Used from: £1.98
Compelling and at times disturbing to read, fans of fight club will not be disappointed.
Lord of the FliesLord of the Flies by William Golding
Buy used from: £0.01
As cool a novel now as it was 20 years ago when I first read it.
Nineteen Eighty-FourNineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Buy used from: £0.18
Orwell's finest? Probably.
The World According to Garp (Black Swan)The World According to Garp (Black Swan) by John Irving
Buy new: £5.96 / Used from: £0.01
I wasn't sure about this at first but it really grew on me, well worth having a look at.
Post Office: A NovelPost Office: A Novel by Charles Bukowski
Buy used from: £2.96
The chronicle of a man pretty hard done by, sounds great right?