Join for free
Page 2 of 6 < 1 2 3 4 > Last »
maggis's Avatar
maggis
Senior Member
maggis is offline
Adelaide South Australia
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,022
maggis is female  maggis has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
14-02-2013, 08:28 AM
11

Re: Which childhood book made you look at life differently?

I have a few Hugh Walpole books in very good condition,ie The Rogue Herries series, The Cathedral, and when I was very young I read all the 'Jeremy' stories , if you like classic writing you'll love him, if you don't already.
Bruce's Avatar
Bruce
Chatterbox
Bruce is offline
Wollongong, Australia
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 15,218
Bruce is male  Bruce has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
14-02-2013, 11:13 AM
12

Re: Which childhood book made you look at life differently?

Interesting selection of books certainly ones which parallel my childhood reading (except pre teen not the Famous Five I was more Swallows and Amazons)

I can't say that any of them made me think very differently, Jennings and William books made me laugh, King Soloman's Mines frightened the crap out of me, The Silver Sword kept me enthralled. At school I systematically ploughed through Dickens, Homer and Chaucer

The first book that really made me realise that things were not always under control, open or obviousand which excited my imagination was Kafka's "The Trial" which I came to after reading his short story "Metamorphosis". His books woke me up to a surreal nightmarish kind of existence and also led me on to more modern writers like Jean Paul Sartre "No Exit" (its a play - hell is other people or rather certain other people) then Gunter Grass' The Tin Drum and Herman Hesse The Glass Bead Game before coming full circle back to Catch 22.

I think all my best and most exciting reading was done in my teens and (perhaps) early twenties - just the stunning realisation that books are just not stories but emotions and insights which can take you places you weren't even aware existed. Nothing I have read since has recaptured that amazing experience. I hope this is not a book list but a journey because that is what it was for me.
Nobaggage's Avatar
Nobaggage
Senior Member
Nobaggage is offline
Cornwall UK/ Carcassonne France
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,862
Nobaggage is female  Nobaggage has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
14-02-2013, 11:31 AM
13

Re: Which childhood book made you look at life differently?

Ah yes Herman Hesse now that was later in life for me not childhood reading .... I read siddartha during my pot smoking years and thought it had given me some kind of insight into life .....!!
Animal fram and 1984 were also teenage books< I have recently reread them and gained more I think now from them than I did then.
Back to my childhood the lion witch and wardrobe series took me to another world.
Also a school reading book was Lord of the flies ....which was fantastic
BowieEyes's Avatar
BowieEyes
Senior Member
BowieEyes is offline
Nottinghamshire, UK
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,359
BowieEyes is female  BowieEyes has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
14-02-2013, 11:48 AM
14

Re: Which childhood book made you look at life differently?

Awww my best three books have already been mentioned laugh.
Water Babies, Black Beauty, and King Solomans Mines.
As an adult my favourite book has always been Westward Ho again
by Charles Kingsley of Water Babies fame.
mesco m's Avatar
mesco m
Senior Member
mesco m is offline
manchester
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,277
mesco m is female  mesco m has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
14-02-2013, 07:44 PM
15

Re: Which childhood book made you look at life differently?

I think the first books to have an effect on me was Uncle Tom's Cabin and To Kill A Mocking Bird. Lessons in slavery and racism not forgotten.
And I loved Enid Blyton's books, especially the ones with Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox. Lots of Charles Dickens books too. Agatha Christie was a good number of years back.
Aerolor's Avatar
Aerolor
Chatterbox
Aerolor is offline
UK
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 9,380
Aerolor is female  Aerolor has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
14-02-2013, 10:43 PM
16

Re: Which childhood book made you look at life differently?

Aesop's Fables
Kiplings, Just So Stories and Jungle Books I and II

I think the Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, Brer Turtle, Brer Fox etc., were Uncle Remus stories rooted in African folklore and later on American folklore.

I suppose like most of us there are so many books which will have had an influence on us as children.
mesco m's Avatar
mesco m
Senior Member
mesco m is offline
manchester
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,277
mesco m is female  mesco m has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2013, 12:26 AM
17

Re: Which childhood book made you look at life differently?

Originally Posted by Aerolor ->
Aesop's Fables
Kiplings, Just So Stories and Jungle Books I and II

I think the Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, Brer Turtle, Brer Fox etc., were Uncle Remus stories rooted in African folklore and later on American folklore.

I suppose like most of us there are so many books which will have had an influence on us as children.
I read Aesop's Fables too. And you are right about the Brer rabbit, fox, etc stories, they were Uncle Remus tales. I loved them.
ben-varrey's Avatar
ben-varrey
Chatterbox
ben-varrey is offline
UK
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 7,662
ben-varrey is female  ben-varrey has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2013, 11:36 AM
18

Re: Which childhood book made you look at life differently?

Good grief - I didn't read the highbrow books listed here! I read mainly (from about the age of 5 or 6) all the Grimm's fairy stories and probably a few others.

The books taught me that men were knights in shining armour who could solve all the problems of the world; life taught me otherwise!

Forgot about Brer Rabbit - just seen it in the post above
mesco m's Avatar
mesco m
Senior Member
mesco m is offline
manchester
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,277
mesco m is female  mesco m has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2013, 11:43 AM
19

Re: Which childhood book made you look at life differently?

I read those too Karen. I loved Enid Blyton's books. I spent half of my childhood away with the Faires and most of my adulthood too.
ben-varrey's Avatar
ben-varrey
Chatterbox
ben-varrey is offline
UK
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 7,662
ben-varrey is female  ben-varrey has posted at least 25 times and has been a member for 3 months or more 
 
15-02-2013, 11:52 AM
20

Re: Which childhood book made you look at life differently?

Same here mall - it's a much nicer place isn't it Haven't read Enid Blyton - I seemed to go straight from fairy stories to horror ones! Hope there are no shrinks on here
 
Page 2 of 6 < 1 2 3 4 > Last »

Thread Tools


© Copyright 2009, Over50sForum   Contact Us | Over 50s Forum! | Archive | Privacy Statement | Terms of Use | Top

Powered by vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.