# What is the strangest book you've ever read?



## shacklesofreality (Dec 31, 2008)

What is the wierdest, most out there thing, that has ever graced your eyes? Be it fiction, nonfiction, or something completely different. What book has just been completely mind boggling to you? For me I guess I'd have to say Finnigan's Wake by James Joyce, but I haven't read alot of wtf books.


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## Nightriser (Nov 8, 2008)

Hm, The Jamais Vu Papers The Jamais Vu Papers was a refreshingly bizarre book. Some of it I disagreed with somewhat, but it certainly made me rethink some things. Speaking of which, I should borrow it again. *nudges shano*


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## snail (Oct 13, 2008)

"Darwinia" by Robert Charles Wilson is massively trippy and weird, especially when it finally reveals what happened.


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## EaRMo (Nov 10, 2008)

_The Crying of Lot 49_ by Thomas Pynchon.


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## Alanna (Dec 15, 2008)

Vaudeville! by Gaétan Soucy was really really really strange, and pretty depressing too. I still really liked it though.


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## Deadhorace (Oct 30, 2008)

The Box Man is the strangest book I can think of right now.


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## Shai Gar (Jan 4, 2009)

The Immoralist by Andre Gist

The Immoralist


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## slowriot (Nov 11, 2008)

I would say a thought provoking book would be "Last Exit to Brooklyn" by Hubert Selby Jr.


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## Perseus (Mar 7, 2009)

Xiccarph book of short stories by Clark Ashton-Smith at the time. Probably not as strange as my own writings on a free rein though.


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## Andrea (Apr 20, 2009)

_It came from below the belt.

_it's meant to be bizarre. i bought it on a lark. i didn't get past the first chapter.


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## turbomursu (Apr 14, 2009)

i don't know. i really like strange books so here's my top three (strangest first)

Moscow-Petushki - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia strangest ever
Walking on Glass - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia not as nearly strange as the first one. just try to figure out what is real and what's not and how the stories cross each other.
The Dice Man - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia exellent expriment. i actually thought to "live by the dice", but my friend talked me off from doing that


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## Indigo Knight (Apr 25, 2009)

Ms. Lonelyhearts. If you have never read it, I would suggest you pick up a copy. It will change you.


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## Perseus (Mar 7, 2009)

My own life has always been stranger than fiction, "Sweet Thursday" by John Steineck is the nearest it gets.


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## lunniey (Oct 19, 2008)

I guess *The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde* haha, perhaps it's not a strange book, but because of my lack of English reading skill I found it as a strange book :tongue:


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## Closet Extrovert (Mar 11, 2009)

I found 'Neighbors' by Maureen S. Pusti to be a good but gloomy book...I never finished it because it was too gloomy...


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## Sily (Oct 24, 2008)

Hehe.. no doubt about it, my fav strange book: Principia Discordia. Oh yeah.. it's strange all right. But.. whenever I need a creative break..... _through_, I read it, and it pushes my energies right along.... 










Can be read here.


Now....... for the strangest book I tried to read but just could NOT bring myself to submit to the torture... Thomas Pynchon's Mason & Dixon: A Novel. I'm still pissed this book resides in my home. It. Is. Awful. I bought it because I heard Mark Knopfler used it as inspiration for his song Sailing To Philadelphia, which I love. 

Here's the first sentence:

_Snow-Balls have flown their Arcs, starr'd the Sides of Outbuildings, as of Cousins, carried Hats away into the brisk Wind off Delaware, - the Sleds are brought in and their Runners carefully dried and greased, shoes deposited in the back Hall, a stocking'd-foot Descent made upon the great Kitchen, in a purposeful Dither since Morning, punctuated by the ringing Lids of various Boilers and Stewing-Pots, fragrant with Pie-Spices, peel'd Fruits, Suet, heated Sugar, - the Children, having all upon the Fly, among rhythmic slaps of Batter and Spoon, coax'd and stolen what they might, proceed, as upon each afternoon all this snowy Advent, to a comfortable Room at the rear of the House, years since given over to their carefree Assaults._


See? lol.. the man is NUTS!










My latest strange book I ordered from amazon which I think I might make an honest try with this summer is Foulcalt's Pendulum by Umberto Eco.


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## Alanna (Dec 15, 2008)

Sily Wily said:


> Now....... for the strangest book I tried to read but just could NOT bring myself to submit to the torture... Thomas Pynchon's Mason & Dixon: A Novel. I'm still pissed this book resides in my home. It. Is. Awful. I bought it because I heard Mark Knopfler used it as inspiration for his song Sailing To Philadelphia, which I love.


Hah! My dad loves that book, he is trying to get me to read it


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## Sily (Oct 24, 2008)

You should give it a try especially if your Dad is asking you to read it. You might even end up listing it on your most fav books ever... who knows! :blushed:


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## Alanna (Dec 15, 2008)

Sily Wily said:


> You should give it a try especially if your Dad is asking you to read it. You might even end up listing it on your most fav books ever... who knows! :blushed:


Heh! Well if I end up liking it, can we still be on friendly terms? :shocked:

(Don't worry, I wasn't offended or anything by your post, it's just kind of funny to hear such varying opinions )


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## DayLightSun (Oct 30, 2008)

The belly of the best.
by Jack Henry Abbott
I grew up in a Leave it to beaver family so reading about a prisoner stuck in the prison system sense he was a kid was exotic.


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