Which Book Has Inspired You/Changed You And How?

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NOTE: I know you all must be confused as to why I am posting old posts now? Well, these are posts from my erstwhile blog (sounds so royal) and I have had people read them last year. But to my new readers, these are fresh posts and I don’t want them to miss out on any book related posts 🙂 So I will be re-posting random blogs, which some of you might have already read.

Was going through Buzzfeed, where there is a list of books that have changed people’s lives. Now I wonder which of the books have changed me as a person or have inspired me.

I would say that in my case, books are 99% inspiration/motivation and 1% agents of change 😉 So, here is my list of books that have made me what I am today:

  • Enid Blyton Malory Towers and St.Clare’s. Made me work hard at school and taught me lessons in friendship.
  • Harry Potter. A no-brainer and a staple in all book lists. It was the connection to me and my two besties. We speak in Harry Potter you know!! (Check this post I couldn’t resist placing here)
  • The Diary Of Anne Frank. Still makes me think. 😦
  • The Boy In Striped Pajamas. Makes me numb in knees. Its a recent addition, but had a real big impact on my psyche.
  • Pride and Prejudice. Made me read more of Austen and the Bronte sisters and thus, improved my English.
  • Oliver Twist. I realised that I can’t stand injustice of any sort.
  • Kusum. It was an NBT book and taught me about child labour. A must-read to know the nuances.
  • A Thousand Splendid Suns. I read it first and then the Kite Runner. Followed by the Mountains Echoed. But it will be one of the books I can read from any page. And fall in love with it over and over and thought that if the protagonists could, I could too.
  • The Penultimate Safari. Nadime Gordimer’s story took me to Africa and the civil war torn nation. Made me thankful for living in much better conditions.
  • A Gathering Light. All those pseudo feminists out there…read this.
  • Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants. Made me realise that characters are based on real life people such as my besties 😀
  • A Golden Age and The Namesake/The interpreter of Maladies/Unaccustomed Earth. Made me feel more Bengali than anyone else could.

Special Mention: Shitty Indian Novels. Made me realise if they can exist, I can always be the second worst writer 😛 Hahahha

You tell me, which books have left their imprints on you?

53 thoughts on “Which Book Has Inspired You/Changed You And How?”

  1. Harry potter, For me.

    Harry potter was there first. That magical world was what pulled me into reading more books.

    Dan Brown (w.r.t most his best sellers) taught me that I had a uncanny capability to devour his fast paced books.

    Although I did get through LOTR I tend not to like the grandiose epic nature of LOTR, makes me reconsider my decision to read such epic books in my pipeline like Game of Thrones.

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  2. I love “Gone with the Wind”, it is a very interesting, fun book with historical facts. Though my all time favorite are Leo Tolstoy’s short stories and Maxim Gorky’s “Childhood” – he fleshes out the characters so beautifully and the experiences he has had in life are amazing…

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    • We had Tolstoy in school. Really inspirational stories. Maxim Gorky…I think I have read. But don’t know which one. I have heard a lot about Gone With The Wind, but more so because of the movie.Thanks for your list Ish 😀

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  3. Love this list, and I share four. When I decided, about twenty or so years ago, to take up writing, there were two considerations: what could I do until I fell off the twig and what could be enjoyed and enjoyable at many levels – writing is a clear winner.

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  4. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom…changed my life… Strenghtened my resolve to leave the confines of a corporate cubicle and chase that dream of becoming an educationist!

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    • I have heard a lot about the book. On my list now 🙂 I think I have the book somewhere in my home…Have you read You Can Win by Shiv Khera? It is my favourite and perhaps my first non-fiction book.

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  6. Ah! We have the almost same list, though I would add satyajit ray’s feluda in it too! I feel so damn proud of being a bengali while reading the english interpretations of the books because I can’t read bengali ;'( so much for pride 😛

    But Anne Frank still makes me sad, I always read the book till just a few pages short of when she stops writing, breaks my heart to imagine what she went through. Had got my first copy of the book when I was in class 6th needless to say now it looks like an antique book with pages that I have marked to read time and over again.. 🙂

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    • For the first part of the comment…well I bought a lot of Bengali books including Satyajit Ray at the Durga Pujo stall.
      Here is a low down -http://suchetabiswas.wordpress.com/2014/10/31/what-am-i-reading/.
      Stay posted to know what else I blew a large chunk of money on (the store keeper was adamant).

      Anne Frank makes me wonder about the entire holocaust thing and feel like reading similar works. Do show us your copy of Anne Frank or any other books. We are suckers for that you know 😉

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        • Its Ma Shorroswotii 😛 No I have not. I stay away from the Greens! Have a copy in digital format though. I hope to read it some day. Is it really that good?

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          • I read it way long back before it caught up with its movie hype. Its a heart warming read, not too much about romance but just what a person who is nearing the finish line of life feels… The book has a few beautiful lines and is vague in some areas so gives you the breathing space for questions…

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  7. You clearly have impeccable taste in books! I LOVE The Namesake and A Golden Age too. Have you read The Good Muslim as well? A bit harrowing/depressing, but more of the same beautiful writing as A Golden Age.

    Also, have you read The God of Small Things? Also, try The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver if you haven’t already. It is *probably* the best book I’ve ever read (although it’s a tough, tough choice). Both are in the life-changing category, but also in the intimidatingly wonderful one too (as in, how could I write a book this good?!)

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  8. Thanks for sharing.

    My favorite book of all time is Desert Solotaire by Edward Abbey. It spoke to a part of me that needed guidance in my early 20s. I went on to read all of his works and loved just about every word he penned.

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  9. The Diary of Anne Frank (read it when I was 5 or 6, that can make an imprint!), John ….Juan Salvador Gaviota of Richard Bach (read it when I was 12, must get those life changing books on early), Ines del Alma Mia by Isabel Allende made me write about a thousand short stories. The Iliad of Homer, not because of what it said but because of the process that was reading it.
    Oh, and the Bible.

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    • Nice ones Narami! You read Anne Frank really early and I envy you for that 🙂 I read it in 9th grade! I hope to read Ines del Alma Mia. Maybe it will inspire me as well!! I have not read Illiad or Odessey yet. Because of the depth and the lack of time to explore that depth. I also have a copy of the Holy Bible and love to read the old testament over and over.

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  10. Wow…too many to count but the one that made me consider what it is to truly live was ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’ by Kundera. Just a stunning tale.

    More recently I’ve really got into Murakami and working my through his back catalogue. I can hight recommend ‘Hardboiled Wonderland and The End of the World’.

    Cheers!

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    • Thanks for your insight. I have been meaning to read Murakami and Pamuk after I complete my long-pending reading list. Will definitely have a go at the books suggested by you 🙂

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          • I’m not reading it primarily because I don’t want to move over HP. People have told me that LOTR is waaay better than HP and I’m like, if I don’t read it I will never know so yay! 😛 😀

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            • No way….both are chalk and cheese. I unsee what I just read in your comment 😛 Lol! But my friend – a HUGE fan of LOTR and HP, she never cited this!!! I think you are misguided. LOTR has more depth and all that and many more names, characters etc. But HP is in a league of its own. ❤

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            • Ah, I’m not sure I’m up for so many characters right now, cause just done with remembering lot of nonsensical stuff for the exams.

              Btw stayed up yesterday night to watch khoobsurat and at 2.30 am was wondering as to why why why will anyone make a movie like this!?

              PS – do not, I repeat do not watch it!

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            • Ratna Pathak Shah is the same sarabhai repeat, but impeccable and Kiron Kher as the loud mouthed Punjabi is some much needed drama,

              Fawad’s voice, Oooof!!! It melts like chocolate, his always prim and proper stance and no loud acting is such a relief but still doesn’t compare to Sonam Kapoor’s non existent acting, that crap is bound to get onto anyone’s nerves in a while!

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            • OOoh…I see!! If you like him, then do watch his shows on Zindagi. In fact, watch only Zindagi. A relief from soaps with bindi wearing saree clad mannequins. BTW…check the 90’s tab on my menu. I am sure you are a 90’s kid?? 😀 You missed out on so much 😛

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            • Me and the 90s started almost together 😛
              Love Malgudi days!!! 🙂

              I watched zindagi for a day or so but it runs in seasons and I was so out of track 😦

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