Every worthwhile literary work will change an attentive reader's life in some way or another. Perhaps not massively, but certainly literature is one of the most rewarding and productive ways to become a better and more intellectual person. I don't really think there are many very literate people who haven't been changed and shaped by the books they read. Happiness is also not really a priority for me in reading. Happiness can be nice, but there is far more to literature than happiness. For me, I think Camus' The Stranger (and The Myth of Sisyphus, but that's an essay) has had the largest impact on me. It really drew me into absurdism, which has helped me to frame how I value my life and others'. There are obviously great works like Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy's War and Peace, Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle, Hugo's Les Misérables, Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front and Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich that have been massive influences, but less known books have been pretty important to me, too. Harry Mulisch's The Assault played quite a large role in developing my conception of reconciliation and studying Ivo Andrić's The Bridge on the Drina has been key in my attitude towards culture, history and ethnic conflict. Literature opens up new ideas, offers a window into other times and overall helps make you a good person. But none of the books I've listed have really made me happy, as such. It's important to be happy, but unhappiness is also a part of the human condition that's much harder to come to terms with. Literature is so important in working to accept or at least try to understand even the unhappiest realities with optimism and dignity.
For me, it was the 'Clan of the Cavebear' books. The main character was thrown an incredible amount of challenges and hardships, and although she wasn't perfect, she dealt with them and grew stronger from the experiences. The books are extremely well-written, in an immersive way that makes me feel as if I'm there. I can't say how the books have impacted me, but they have taught me to deal with each experience not as if it's good or bad, but as if it's a learning opportunity, and to keep on going to matter what life throws at me.
This book really helped me figure out what I wanted out of a job and out of life after I decided to leave grad school.
Every book I read changes my life in some way, but I would say Blood Brothers, by Willy Russell, although it's a play, changed my life significantly. It made me realise that English Literature is my passion and something that I'll cherish forever. I think the biggest contributing factor of my love for it is because it's set in my city. Two books that have arguably changed my life though, are The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, my favourite writer. I can't mention one without the other. They changed my life in ways that I can't put into words and I would urge everyone to read them, The Kite Runner especially. My favourite novel I've ever read.
"The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution", by Dr. Richard Dawkins That book helped me to overcome my fear of hell and improved my rational way of thinking, besides helping me to understand Evolution a bit more.
In a happy way? Most of the books I read just make me realize how terrible the world is mostly. I guess I'd say the book Into The Wild. I realized a lot about myself by reading it. I think the story is so special because at the end you get to read his actual words in that moment when he got a completely different perspective on things than he had had before. So it kinda switches around and gives you this unexpected completely opposite perspective on the whole thing and it makes you think. The book really got to to me because of the fact that it's a real story. A lot of the times when I read a book I'm not very much affected by the story since it isn't "real". The fact that Into The Wild is based on the actual life of Christopher McCandless and contains stories and qoutes from his life actually makes it both tangible and heartrending. I was very emotional at the end of both the book and the movie. Not to mention McCandless eloquence in his writing which got me to tears (positive tears).
I wouldn't say changed my life, but "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Tough Stuff" definitely gave me a better understanding on the consequences after suicide. I received it when I was 16 and reading it was hard, it definitely made me cry, but I understood that if I did it, life would've ended for me, but everyone else's lives would continue and there's no telling if they would recover from it. I learned a valuable lesson that taught me how a lot of people took one another for granted, which is why they don't seem to care. In actuality, they care very much and often feel guilty after someone has committed suicide.
I'd have to pick two books: The Giver, and Fahrenheit 451. In one, humanity lives in a world without color, where any deep emotion has been eradicated. In the other, people's lives are saturated by mindless entertainment. Books are outlawed, society has no concern for right or wrong, and Spoiler no one cares about the coming nuclear war. Two scenes in particular stuck with me: the infanticide from The Giver, and Mildred's suicide attempt in Fahrenheit 451. Both scenes show people who have lost touch with the value of life, whether their own or another's. Since reading them, I've done my best to treasure life and hold on to things that truly like love or art or learning. Those examples aren't really happy on their own, but they've influenced me in a very positive way. It's not like they instantly turned my life upside down, but they did stick with me long enough to make a difference in how I see the world.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven The book helped me to take responsibility for myself and changed my perspective a lot. So I guess you can say it made me happy.
I have quite a few books that I've thoroughly enjoyed, though their impact was not necessarily "happy," -perhaps thought provoking, emotional, or changed my view on certain things. Let's see. I'll try to narrow it down to just a few. Most of these I've read quite a while ago, and I'm sure there are some I will miss out, but here are the ones I can think of right now: Going Bovine by Libba Bray Honestly I genuinely don't remember much about this book. I read it such a long time ago, and all I can recall at the moment is how much it made me think, how creative and original it was, and the emotional impact it had on me. I remember thinking- I have never read a book like this before and I don't think I ever will again. Not necessarily saying it's the best novel in the world, but it was very unique and interesting. I remember also thinking- if there's one book I would take with me when travelling on a roadtrip or going somewhere alone for a while, it would be this one. The Outsiders by SE Hinton I thoroughly enjoyed it when I was younger, and it really inspired me, from how the characters were written to the general philosophy and message of the book. It was a brilliant coming of age novel and I still reread my copy to this day. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande I'm not going into the field of medicine but this book is incredible. Really opened up my perspective about the healthcare industry and the important issues there- quality of care, elderly homes, whether it is always important to extend life or rather to preserve wellbeing, when those two are mutually contradictory- a lot of things aren't as simple as it seems. Really thought provoking. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng An incredibly emotional novel; I had to take breaks in between because I was so moved by some of the scenes and issues explored. It's not lighthearted, it's not something that wraps up in a happy ending. It's very raw and powerful, and explores family dynamics, discrimination, personal struggles, and more. You'll have to read the book because it's difficult to sum it up, and I think everyone can connect with it at least on some level, on something. It was such a realistic reflection of many current issues, and although it was difficult to read at some parts because it is hardly lighthearted and breezy, I'm glad that when writing this novel, the author didn't hold back. Spoiler I'm also currently reading Tenth of December and H is for Hawk, and enjoying them both. Maybe either one will also be significantly impactful.
1) The Universe in a Nutshell! Hawking just has my utmost respect~ 2) Uncle Tom's Cabin - I read it when I was 9 and I remember I felt sad afterwards. Very sad. 3) Nineteen Eighty-Four - because it's unique on so many levels... 4) Catch 22 5) "The gathering storm" by Winston Churchill. 6) "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith. 7) Last, but not least - Freud's complete works. 2000 pages of awesomeness
In german it's called "der besuch der alten Dame", so I guess in english it's "the visit of the old lady". It's a book from Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Just the change of the characterr is so fascinating and how money changes their opinion, without them even knowing. A very very good book is from Janne Teller "Nothing". I cant even describe it. If you have some free time, you have to read it! These two books are great for discussions
The bible! yeah right... Like hell I'm reading that Perks of being a wallflower and I guess the curious incident of the dog in the night time. Then again those are the only books that I've read more than twice, so they're bound to have impacted me in some way, but they both cover things which I find important.