What Is The Most Unique Book You Have Ever Read?

JusticeLukeYou

Hi,

You can now buy books on almost any subject imaginable.  What is the most unique and bizarre book you have ever read?

Smurfin

The Bible.

EarthRod

I love reading, so many books are unique to me! Here's a few unique and bizarre examples:

Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer
A World Out Of Time by Larry Niven
Piece Of Cake by Derek Robinson
Consider Phlebas by Iain Banks
Master & Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Enemy Coast Ahead by Guy Gibson

I've deliberately stayed clear of any of the classics because everybody thinks they are unique or bizarre.

Smurfin

Interesting list, what did you make of Consider Phlebas and Master & Commander?

Although my "The Bible" response was partly tongue in cheek, here's some of mine:

The Canterbury Tales - Chaucer
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
Consider Phlebas - Iain M Banks

Probably a load more but I can't think of them right now!

EarthRod

Consider Phlebas is typical Iain Banks, but his love of detail descriptions of nasty behaviour and horrible situations really come to fruition in the book.

Master & Commander has wonderful descriptions of characters and life on board one of Nelson's frigates during the 1800s. But IMO it is the detailed description of the character of Jack Aubrey which is so bizarre and so funny. Typical big randy bloke who can be naive and deep at the same time. Great stuff.

Your list is good, I forget about Catch 22 because it's not in my collection. You are right about the bible - only have to read the first few pages to see how unique and bizarre it is, contradicts itself repeatedly!

Darkness Visible by William Golding is a unique but weird book - very disturbing.

Smurfin

In truth I wasn't sure what to make of Consider Phlebas, and although I have a few of his M books on the shelf, to date it's the only one I've read.  Master & Commander is sitting on the shelf along with the rest of the series, but I'm yet to read it (or any of Patrick O'Brians books).

Another weird one....Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.

Soundwave

Mine would have to be House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski

House of Leaves - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's a really great read & very clever in it's execution.
It's basically put together in a sort of diary way, with pages sometimes back to front, words that spiral into the page, foot notes, drawings etc.

It's just brilliant & actually features a moment that genuinely made me feel uncomfortable

Well worth getting if you can.

I've not read the companion piece as I didn't realise it existed until I read the Wiki link so I will be picking that up now

Neil

cebs_uk

I think Cloud Atlas is quite an unusual read and structure.

FruitBat

Thinking about Iain M Banks, I'm surprised at the choice of Consider Phlebas. I notice you had Excession to begin with, change of mind or slip-up? Of the Iain M Banks that I've read (all except Hydrogen Sonata), I would suggest Feersum Endjinn as the "most unique".

Generally I would say this is a hard question. Some possibles of the top of my head:
Anything by Will Self (actually I've only read 3 but they're all candidates: Book of Dave, Great Apes, How the Dead Live).
If On A Winter's Night a Traveller (Italo Calvino)
The Manuscript Found at Saragossa (Jan Potoci)

Theydon Bois

Welcome, and please prove my Mod senses wrong - I am expecting a suitable link posted by you to a book that is written by you or a publishing company you work for.

Hopefully you will prove me wrong!