1. The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
(He time-travels, they both write about their meetings at various times in the past/future)
Mentally challenged and exhausted, physically upset – I did actually cry!
2. The French Lieutenant’s Woman – John Fowles
(An enigmatic woman fascinates a 19th century gentleman)
Entertained but ultimately cheated by an inconclusive ending
3. The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
(A youth living an isolated existence develops bizarre rituals)
Shocked, frequently amused and surprised by an ending I hadn’t seen coming
4. Far from the Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
(A woman considers three suitors)
Like several of Hardy’s other novels, this elicits feelings of frustration (at the plot), pity for the characters and admiration of their tenacity – all that walking!
5. Let’s Go Play at the Adams ’ – Mendal W Johnson
(A group of children kidnap their babysitter)
Shocked and sickened – it must be 20 years since I read this, and the feeling remains
6. The Hobbit – J R R Tolkien
(A quest through a fantasy land)
A sense of wonder and total immersion in Biblo’s world
7. Carrie – Stephen King
(A girl uses her telekinetic powers to exact revenge)
Horror with some empathy for the young girl and her circumstances
8. The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
(A human escapes from earth before it is demolished and its original purpose is revealed)
Entertained and humoured
9. Angels & Demons – Dan Brown
(Clues lead the hero on a race against time through Rome
Thrilled, admiration at the research and a desire to visit Rome
10. Winnie the Pooh/The House at Pooh Corner – A A Milne
(The adventures of a ‘bear of very little brain’ and his friends)
Comforted and amused
PS I read a book in the late 80s about a couple escaping from the Champagne region of France
I cant say I've heard of the Second World war book Julie - try posting your question on the books forum at Amazon and I guarantee an answer in hours.
ReplyDeleteThanks for saying so clearly how the books made you feel.
I've read about half of these and they're justly classics! One I've never heard of though is Let’s Go Play at the Adams’ by Mendal W Johnson. It seems to have had a powerful effect on you. In fact many of the books you chose did - but in different ways. It's interesting that authors can produce these various responses - and knowing what effect you want to produce with your novel is going to be helpful in enabling you to achieve it, I think.