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My brother wants to read, what can I recommend him?
Flay
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
My brother has asked me a few times recently whether or not I can recommend him something to read. I've done my best so far, but though I do enjoy reading and have a bit of knowledge, I'm not exactly a literature buff, and I get the majority of my reading material from the library (which he seems reluctant to go to) so I can't give it to him on the spot and my recommendation falls apart.
Anyways, I've just promised that the next time I was near the local library I would pick him up something to read. The problem is, I'm not entirely sure what to suggest. He claims he doesn't really have any criteria for what he wants, but this is what I've been loosely been able to deduce so far:
Anyways, I've just promised that the next time I was near the local library I would pick him up something to read. The problem is, I'm not entirely sure what to suggest. He claims he doesn't really have any criteria for what he wants, but this is what I've been loosely been able to deduce so far:
- He wants something lighthearted. At the moment, he's primarily looking for something to read before going off to sleep (at the moment), and has complained about a lot of books being too 'serious'. I don't read a lot of comedy - I tend to prefer darker, more serious books - so I'm kind of at a loss in this respect.
- He wants something accessible, but not shallow. To be honest, he's not the most literate person in the world - he hated English during high-school and can be pretty literal at times. He's a smart guy though, and he'll see through any one-dimensional characterization etc...
- He seems to want something with some literary merit, though this isn't essential.
One of the main things I've been recommending so far is 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', since it seems like it'd be his kind of thing. Strangely enough, he also seems to have a particular interest in Victorian satire, or comedies with a victorian setting, and he has his eye set on 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. I'm not sure if a play is exactly what he's looking for (I might be giving him too little credit) but I'll try and pick it up while I'm there (he could certainly do worse than Oscar Wilde).
Aaanyways, does anyone have any suggestions?
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@VoC: I'll run it by him and see what he thinks (yet to be seen if he likes Importance of Being Earnest yet though).
Also, have him read Hitchhiker's Guide.
Youth in Revolt was made into what was likely a super shitty movie but it's a pretty funny book. Avoid the sequel.
Nick Hornby has some great stuff. I haven't read something of his that I disliked. Very British humour though.
It might be tough to find copies of the books in Australia though.
For that matter, I'd imagine pretty much anything from the Discworld series might fit what he's looking for.
Small Gods by Pratchett is a fantastic standalone book in Discworld, it wouldn't be a bad place to start off.
Christopher Buckley might be a good choice too. Thank You For Smoking and Boomsday are both excellent.
Also some rather light reading that's altogether a good mood lifter is The Alchemist. It's not funny, but it does leave you with the warm and fuzzies after reading it.
Maybe some good short story collections? If he's open to anything, but not really sure what he'll like, get him a little bit of everything.
Ooh yes. Also a good one.
I also second the Nick Hornby suggestion made above - he is quite funny.
Though my crowning recommendation, really, and very much, is Jonathan Coe's What A Carve Up. It's hilarious, it's serious business literature, and DON'T be put off by the length. Just don't let it get to you. It keeps the pace going and varies enough in style to be good. It's very victorian-era in structure and content, while remaining a modern satire. It is a fine, fine book.
Don't let me stop you if you've anything else to suggest though.
Anywho, some suggestions going on the "lighthearted/accessible" requirements, justifying their "literary merit" requirements with more simply being old classics, rather than being a life changing experiences that add three points to your intelligence stat upon completion:
A Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain (could be considered sci-fi? maybe?)
Three Musketeers or The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas
Treasure Island or Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stephenson
anything by PG Wodehouse
Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
The Iliad by Homer
Possibly some Haruki Murakami, but he does edge into the realm of Vonnegut-type sci-fi a bit.
Too well known? Too light?
My brother claims that Washington Irving's A History of New York is funny, is you find the idea of a satire about a Dutch guy giving an extremely pro-Dutch history of New York to be funny, but I don't know how accessible it is, and you have to consider my brother often times has rather dry taste when it comes to books.
I'd also suggest Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, only because I suggest it to everyone, but I realize a 3000 page quasi-sci-fi/historical fiction series about 17th/18th century pirates, calculus, and banking may prove to be a tough sell.
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Yeah, Christopher Moore seems perfect for what he is looking to read.
I always view decently written fiction as great material for going to sleep by:
Stephen King - The Dark Tower Series (this is not his usual macabre stuff ... in fact, this is sort of his "life's work" series)
Orson Scott Card - Anything, really. Ender's Game is a great starting point. Enchantment was great.
Started reading about an hour ago and am almost done with it.
Yes.
If he isn't into sci-fi, give him Breakfast of Champions.
And if he's into the old timey style, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and maybe Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters?
World War Z is a great book, and broken up enough that you can read at your own leisure.