Books
I was a big reader when I was a child, but one day I gained unlimited access to the internet and computer games. I started reading again sometime during college and it still surprises me how vividly one can experience literature. I think most of these are well-known, but if you’re looking for something to read here’s what I can recommend.
A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
Reading Nadsat might give you a headache, and watching the events of the book unfurl can cause seizures. For people like me, such visceral experiences and emotions are hard to come by, short of intentional self-injury.
Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes
Apparently this is the first modern novel. Written all the way in 1605, the humour is surprisingly modern. I’m quite certain Xavier: Renegade Angel is a modernisation of Don Quixote’s spirit.
Dune, by Frank Herbert
My middle school librarian recommended this book to me, but back then I had not yet gained the mental capacity to appreciate the book. When the 2021 film adaptation was announced I decided to try reading the book again, and I was hooked. It’s hard to believe it was written so long ago.
House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski
I don’t know how I first heard of this book, but I’m certainly glad I did. The best way I can describe it is, imagine if the concept of the backrooms was pushed to its literary limit, and then some.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey
In heart and in spirit, I think One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is quite similar to stories like The Shawshank Redemption. I was surprised to find on its Wikipedia page a history of controversy and getting banned from schools, but I think that’s all the more reason to give it a read.
Silence of the Lambs, by Thomas Harris
The whole Hannibal Lecter series is phenomenal (well, the third book gets a little weird), and I do think Silence of the Lambs is my favourite. In fact, the titular Hannibal Lecter is but a minor character in the first book Red Dragon, and he is far from the brightest star in the sky there.