by John Gray

Created on: February 22, 2007   Last Updated: September 18, 2011

In our fast moving digital world of internet and television the old fashioned book at times seems left behind. However there is so much pleasure still to be found from shutting out the world and getting lost in a good book. The very best books however have the ability to stay with us long after we have finished reading them. Here are five of my own personal favourite books which have meant so much to me over the years.

*The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde's only novel captured my imagination from the very first page and still remains one of my all time favourite reads. The novel itself possesses a haunting quality, and a sparkling prose style which in itself really drew me into the decadent nature of the story. The plot revolves around three central characters, Dorian Gray the attractive youth and the object of the portrait, Lord Henry Wotton the silver-tongued philosopher and Basil Hallward the artist. Over a conversation regarding youth, Dorian wishes for eternal youth and somehow his wish is granted, with devilish consequences. Altogether it is a truly addictive little novel.

*Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

Hardy is a well renowned Victorian writer. Several of his books are still very much largely read today and frequently made into adaptations. I am a huge fan of a number of his works but Jude the Obscure is my particular favourite. Part of the reason why I like this tragic novel so much is that I can greatly empathise with the plight of Jude, the protagonist of the novel. Throughout the story Jude, although born to working class parents, has the burning desire to be a scholar and teaches himself Latin in order to try and gain acceptance in a world so stained with prejudice. It is also a soul destroying story of love and loss. Be warned, this is a deeply moving novel.

*Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein is one of those works which has absorbed its way into popular culture and must have been re-worked a thousand times in all number of cheap horror movies. The quality of this book however is a sublime and all those movies do a great discredit to this beautifully written and interesting novel. Most people think of Frankenstein as a horror, which it is, but it is so much more than that. It is a work which encompasses many elements and pulls the reader into the fabric of the text and represents a read they will never forget. Superb novel.

*Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

The most modern novel to make it into my selection but still published

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>