It’s Sunday! I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend. Mine has been pretty special because Saturday involved an early morning yoga class, lunch al fresco with great conversation, a Cuban reggaeton dance class in the afternoon and delicious pizza & today I went on a gorgeous yoga-trek in Parco Portoselvaggio and learned lots about prehistoric discoveries in this area which I shall be writing about in a post to come. Most importantly, all of this fabulous stuff was combined with SUNSHINE!! I feel very alive and less vitamin D deficient than usual tonight! 😉
“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.”
― Groucho Marx
This week’s Far From Listless is on one of my favourite subjects – BOOKS!
I’ve tried to list these books in more-or-less the order in which I read them because the subject of the list is 10 Books That Left a Mark.. and there’s a touch of personal history behind these choices. This list does not necessarily contain my FAVOURITE books – rather books that contributed to who I am today in a notable way. All the cover pictures I’ve used are the same as the copies I own – ’cause I’m sentimental like that. Ok, let’s go!
1. THE BFG – ROALD DAHL
Roald Dahl is without a doubt my favourite children’s author and I’ve read all of his books and short stories for both children and adults bar two. Of them all, the BFG was my childhood favourite. I read it around age 7 and I suppose the fact that the little girl’s name is Sophie made it even more special for me. Dahl’s imagination is something to be wondered at… he understood the way to a child’s heart. The jumbled up way the BFG spoke created such a clear idea of his voice in my little head. And who can forget the ‘disgusterous snozzcumber’ and ‘delumptious frobscottle’ where the bubbles go down and not up which leads to ‘whizz-popping’. Haha! His books are full of marvels.
2. THE ATHENIAN MURDERS – JOSE CARLOS SOMOZA
This one was a present from my Uncle Alex when he came to visit England when I was about 13 – he’s very good at buying spot-on presents for people. It is the book that got me into the murder mystery genre and also prompted me to further my education in ancient history. It’s subtle yet complex with multiply layered points of view that connect beautifully through the history and mythology of Ancient Greece, specifically Athens. A fabulous read, I’d recommend this to anyone who loves a mystery.
3. SOPHIE’S WORLD – JOSTEIN GAARDER
Another book I came to through my Uncle Alex and in fact I am guilty of thieving his copy.. I fully intend to buy him a new one at some point. I read this on one of my many long summers in Greece when I was 14 and I loved it so much I couldn’t bring myself to part with it. Again, main character called Sophie, which fits because this book awoke in me my love of philosophy. It’s the perfect book to begin with if you have no philosophical education because it takes you through the history of philosophy but it’s a beautiful work of fiction too.
4. THE GOD DELUSION – RICHARD DAWKINS
I don’t want to cause any controversy with my list but I must be honest about my own view of the world. This book caused me trouble but ultimately lead to freedom from the chains on my mind. I tried to read it once at age 18 and couldn’t get past chapter 3 without getting angry and throwing it down. That’s because it challenged me. A LOT. Although I’d always had unanswered questions and upheld points of view not consistent with the dogma of my religion, at that time I couldn’t handle fully facing the holes in my logic. I came back to it a couple of years later after I had spent a lot of time advancing my scientific education and was able to read it with a much more open mind and deeper understanding. Suffice to say, I underwent a complete change in my belief system after that.. and it was tough, I argued with my family for a long while but ultimately my stance was accepted. Love is something we all practice…
5. THE NAME OF THE WIND – PATRICK ROTHFUSS
This one is on here as a favourite. It is quite simply the best fantasy book I’ve ever read. –Most people would expect me to say ‘Lord of the Rings’ but in truth, I came to love Tolkien after watching the LOTR films.- This series, ‘The Kingkiller Chronicles’, is just stupendously written. I could not put this book down and it’s pretty hefty too. It is an escapist’s dream. It left a big impression on me and I had to wait 2 years to read the next installment. I’m now waiting faithfully for the 3rd in the series..
6. HELEN OF TROY – MARGARET GEORGE
At some point a girl grows into a woman – she begins her cycle, she falls in love, she learns woman’s place in history, society, the world. Finally, she begins to understand what it means to herself to be a woman. The story of Helen of Troy is one known the world over but this book gives us the story through the woman’s eyes. And it does so in such a sensitive way that I was blown away when I read it. I was 20, understanding more and more the differences between men and women through my own experiences and how easy it is for us to misunderstand each other. Everything converged in my mind during the reading of this book and by the end I felt like I had finally understood ‘woman’.
7. PERFUME – PATRICK SUSKIND
This book is on here because it is no ordinary murder mystery story. It is completely original as an idea and the way it is unfolded is somehow simple and yet that which is obviously abhorrent (murdering young girls) becomes completely fascinating. The film is naff and shallow in comparison. There is one obvious error (the main character has such a sensitive olfactory system and yet no mention is made of how this affects his taste which would also be extraordinarily heightened) but overlooking that it is brilliant in concept and execution.
8. ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE – GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ
All of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s books are great works of art but this one is mentioned because it was my introduction to him and subsequently made me want to read all the rest of his books. His writing style flows along in a way that is barely noticeable and I find he has a way of describing everyday life and people which makes them seem magical in their ordinariness. Details are brought forward which seem so important that I can’t believe I didn’t notice them before. It’s hard to explain, but for me it is the most noticeable and loveable thing about his stories. This book created an inner atmosphere that has never left me.
9. LIFE OF PI – YANN MARTEL
Life of Pi was a recommendation from a friend of mine when I was 17 but I didn’t get round to reading it until I was 23. I’m so glad I did. It initiated another phase in my spiritual development. It made me ponder on how truth is perceived by people and how being spiritually connected and at one with nature and the universe is a state of mind and not just confinement to a specific religion. And, we cannot change the nature of nature – Richard Parker remains a wild tiger.
10. THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING – MILAN KUNDERA
I read this book in January 2014 and was initially attracted by the title… such a brilliant phrase.. but what did it mean??? The writer certainly did not disappoint – he entered so fully into the heads of each his characters and the philosophy of each was expounded so clearly. His writing style left me aspiring to emulate it in the novel I am tentatively writing. Kundera presents his own philosophy in the short passages of prose and jumps around in time and space but masterfully connects the plot. I was left wanting more at the end but aware that I had more than enough to chew over.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it and perhaps have taken away a recommendation or two. As always, I’d love to know your own choices for books that left a big impression on you… so please share!
Until next time.
Baci. Kisses. Filakia
– Sophia ❤
Searching for Wisdom 