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29POETRYANDSTORIESBOOKSBooksareendlesslyascinatingtheirpagesproidecomorttheircharactersbecomeriendsandtheirmoralsteachusaluablelessonsaboutliedeathandeerythingbetweenApersoncanencounterawell-writtenbookcenturiesateritwaswrittenandthinkthatitisonoreleancetotheirliebutthepowerulnatureolanguageissuchthatitcapturestheeryessenceandspiritotheauthorsthoughtsandemotions.Thissemidiinerelationshipbetweenwriterandreadertranscendsculturetimeandreligionexplainingwhyliteratureissuchapowerulmeansocommunicationwhichhasenduredormillenniaandcontinuestothrie.IcantrememberatimeinmyliewhenIhaentread-andormebooksarethemostpoweruloportalsbecausetheyallowustoescapethestarkrealityolieintoaplacewhichdemandsnothingapartromattention.PersonallyIhaeapreerenceorbookswhicharesetinarawaylandsamongstpeoplewhoseliesareinnowaysimilartomyownnotonlydoesthisallowustoappreciateothercultureswaysolieandphilosophybutitalsoallowsustobecomemorewell-roundedasindiidualsabletoappreciateothersandhaeamoresensitieapproachtolie.KhaledHosseiniisknownaroundtheworldorbeingtheonlyAghanauthorwhowritesinEnglishproidingadelicateglanceintoacountrywitharichhistoryandculturewoentogetherwiththethreadothetraditionopoetryandstory-telling.Foreignerswritingaboutcountrieswithwhichtheyhaebecomeenamouredproducesimilarlypassionateworksbecausetheyareabletocapturethecaptiationwithdierentcultures.TheperectexampleorthiswouldundoubtedlybeArthurGoldensMemoirsoaGeishawhichillustratesthechangesinoneoJapansoldestartormsagainstthebackdropothepoliticalandsocialupheaalwhichollowedtheSecondWorldWarOnamorepracticalleelthereisaclearandinexorablelinkbetweenreadingandacademicsuccessbecausechildrenwhoreadromanearlyageareabletodeelopawiderocabularywhichaidsintheirunderstandingwhichinturnleadstohighlydeelopedocabulary.Itisalmostacycleoprosperitywhichharnessestheskillsneededoracademicandproessionalsuccessindeedthishardworkdeterminationanddesiretosel-educateiswhatcharacterisedtheIndustrialReolutioninBritain.ManyotheinentorswhopropelledBritainintotheIndustrialAgereceiederylittleormaleducationandbuiltontheirbasicliteracywithahugearrayobooksormetheseromanticisedaccountsosel-mademenreiteratetheworldopossibilitiesthatreadingbrings.MostoatHGSoriginateromcountrieswhereilliteracyisaerystarkrealityandbychoosingtonotreadIhonestlythinkthatpeoplediscardtheexcellentopportunitiesthatwehaehadaccessto.LiteratureappealstomebecauseitcomesinmanyormsrangingromthehighlydistinguishedworksorespectedphilosopherstobookswhichsubtlydescribethearyingpigmentationsoacolouryouknowwhatImreerringtomeaningthattheretrulyissomethingtosuiteeryone.Iacceptthatbooksseemattimestobesodetachedromrealitythatthereisnosemblanceouseulnesshoweeritisimportanttorecognisethattheimportancedoesntlieintheexistenceomonstersbutinthelessonthatthesemonsterscanbedeeatedsomethingwhichappliestoallpeopleregardlessocultureageandsocialbackground.Howeeritisimportanttobeawarethatinmanypartsotheworldeentodayartandliteraturearesubjecttocensorshipsuchisthepoweroartisticsel-expressionthatmanydictatorseelittobeaerytangiblethreattotheirholdonpower.IndeeditwasMaozedongounderothePeoplesRepublicoChinawhostatedToreadtoomanybooksisdangerous.AssuchIbelieethattonotreadistohaeacompletedisregardorthereedomthatweasyoungpeopleinBritainenjoythereedomtothinkthereedomtoquestion...IdecidedtoputtogetheralistobooksthatIhaereadandwhichhaehadahugeinfuenceonmecausingmetothinktoquestion.IhopethatyouwillreadatleastaewotheseandseewhyIamsopassionateaboutliterature.Booksarethequietestandmostconstantoriendstheyarethemostaccessibleandwisestocounsellorsandthemostpatientoteachers.CharlesWilliamElliotAmericanAuthorandAcademicReadinglist1.TheKiteRunnerKhaledHosseini2.SchindlersArkThomasKeneally3.TheDiaryoAnneFrankAnneFrank4.ToKillaMockingbirdHarperLee5.JaneEyreCharlotteBronte6.NinteenEightyFourGeorgeOrwell7.AnimalFarmGeorgeOrwell8.GreatExpectationsCharlesDickens9.AThousandSplendidSunsKhaledHosseini10.TheCatcherintheRyeJDSalinger11.TheHarryPotterSeriesJKRowling12.TheGreatGatsbyFScottFitgerald13.WarandPeaceLeoTolstoy14.OMiceandMenJohnSteinbeck15.MemoirsoaGeishaArthurGolden16.ASuitableBoyvikramSeth17.DedasEnglishTranslationSaratChandraChattopadhyay18.OlierTwistCharlesDickens19.AndTheMountainsEchoedKhaledHosseini20.AChristmasCarolCharlesDickens21.CharlottesWebE.B.White22.TheCompleteWorksoShakespeare23.LesMiserablesvictorHugo24.TheCasualvacancyJKRowling25.WinniethePoohA.A.Milne26.LieoPiYannMartel27.MarriageMaterialSathnamSanghera28.TheHungerGamesSuanneCollins29.ThePercyJacksonSeriesRickRiordan30.WutheringHeightsEmilyBronte