# What is the greatest, most memorable, story you have ever read? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 7, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725 "2002-08-07T06:24:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/21 "2002-08-07T18:16:11Z")
Definitely Watchmen. Farenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles. both by Ray Bradbury. **The Veldt** , a short story by Bradbury [The Nine Billion Names of God](http://www.geocities.com/logical_inferences/namesofgod.html) by Arthur C. Clarke Ultimately, however, the one I remember best is a short story by Roald Dahl wherein a woman murders her husband with a leg of lamb and proceeds to serve said chop to the police. I do not remember the title, but the story stayed with me from my first reading of it at nine years of age until now. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/22 "2002-08-07T19:08:42Z")
**The Iliad** **The Odyssey** the **Sandman** series **the Chronicles of Narnia** ---
**Author:** ![davidw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@davidw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidw)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/23 "2002-08-07T19:17:50Z")
Comic: Lone Wolf and Cub Short Story: “The Silence” by Haruki Murakami Novel: “Midnight’s Children” by Salman Rushdie ---
**Author:** ![Morgainelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Morgainelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgainelf)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/24 "2002-08-07T20:40:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Atreyu \* > \*\* > > Short Story: Another hard category, but I have to go with the first story that came to mind while considering it: **All Summer in a Day** by Ray Bradbury.\*\* Wow. I came into this thread to post my favorite short story, **All Summer in a Day**. _I think the sun is a flower, That blooms for just one hour._ I read it in 6th grade and it has stayed with me ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Fingolfin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eada6e/32.png) [@Fingolfin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fingolfin)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/25 "2002-08-07T21:13:27Z")
**The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien** ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/26 "2002-08-07T21:34:50Z")
Hard. General fiction: Red and Black by Stendhal. Science fiction: Ender’s game Fantasy: Lotr, of course Non fiction: A distant mirror by Barbara Touchman Short story: Well my favourite author is Jorge Luis Borges, he writes stories that has a lot of fantasy in them, my favourite is Ficciones (short sory collection. sorry I don’t know how to link it)[http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802130305/qid=1028755732/sr=1-2/ref=sr\_1\_2/002-6495394-2112001](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0802130305/qid=1028755732/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-6495394-2112001) ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/27 "2002-08-07T23:37:32Z")
If I may add another category to my earliest post: Young Adult: **Flowers for Algernon** by Daniel Keyes. Read this for an eighth grade English class, and it has never left me. The last few pages contain some of the most haunting prose I’ve ever read. I still keep a copy of this book my shelf today. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/28 "2002-08-08T01:50:41Z")
Oh, and **My Name Is Asher Lev**. I’m Potok-obsessed right now. Probably **Deerskin** by Robin McKinley, too. ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Second\_Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Guest)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/29 "2002-08-09T01:21:07Z")
**Bluebeard** by Kurt Vonnegut ---
**Author:** ![quarx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/50afbb/32.png) [@quarx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quarx)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/30 "2002-08-09T01:31:19Z")
Mine would have to be Franz Kafka’s **The Trial** , particularly the story of the man who seeks the law. After reading this story, I went out and joined the army, because I didn’t want to wind up like Josef K. OK, there were other reasons, too, but I think Kafka is what tipped the scales. (Along with Hemingway. People do some _strange_ things after reading Hemingway.) Anyway, it’s a haunting novel, and now that my life is starting to wind down into a comfortable routine, it’s probably going to remain the novel with the most significance in my life. ---
**Author:** ![robertliguori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/46a35a/32.png) [@robertliguori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertliguori)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/31 "2002-08-09T02:19:30Z")
Harry Potter series, natch. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.J.Mason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@Capt.J.Mason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.J.Mason)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/32 "2002-08-09T02:37:12Z")
i think the novles “the stand” and “fight club” really change the way you look at the world. even if its only for a while, you still think differently. also the short story, “the most dangerous game” i think the way of short stories, its a keeper. also many Poe stories are worth reading. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/33 "2002-08-09T02:39:08Z")
**sistercoyote** : _Lamb to the Slaughter_. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/34 "2002-08-09T02:45:16Z")
Aw geez. . . **LOTR** , mos def. **Ender’s Game** , the **His Dark Materials** books. **The Parable of the Sower** by Octavia Butler resonated with me for some reason; “the destiny of earth is to take root in the stars” may well be my last and parting words. **Guns, Germs, and Steel** is really good for nonfiction… I always thought **Dandelion Wine** captured the essence of summer, thus making it very memorable… ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/35 "2002-08-09T02:47:38Z")
I guess most memorable for me would be _Good Omens_ by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman. When I first read it, I thought it was just a light, almost trivial, comedy, but I’m constantly seeing things that remind me of it. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/36 "2002-08-09T03:09:51Z")
Childhood: **[The Dark Is Rising](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0020425651/qid=1028862300/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/103-7958337-7392610)** by Susan Cooper. Positively one of the freakiest books/series I’ve ever come across in my life. I picked up volume II (first one with Will) just at random out of the elementary library and have rarely been more enthralled. The whole series is highly recommended, but that one has always remained my favorite. Adulthood: **[Little, Big](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/185798711X/qid=1028862353/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/103-7958337-7392610)** by John Crowley. Those who’ve read it know why; those who haven’t have no idea what they’re missing. A truly marvelous book in every sense of the word. [sub]It seems this one was on **Fenris’** reading list. I wonder if he’s gotten to it yet.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![shagadelicmysteryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ea924/32.png) [@shagadelicmysteryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shagadelicmysteryman)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/37 "2002-08-09T03:41:47Z")
I’ve read a few books that leaving me thinking for a good while after I finish them (either from depression, fear, anger…blah, blah, blah) In the Fear category: _The Thief of Always_ by Clive Barker. I read that in my 7th grade English class. The book engulfed me…so did the nightmares. In the Depresson category: _Hearts in Atlantis_ by Stephen King. I never thought that I would be so depressed as to shed a tear or two when I got through with a book. Again, the book engulfed me…so did the depression. In the Anger category: _The Sun Also Rises_ by Hemingway. I did everything I could to keep from screaming at Jake at the end of that book…reason being: we’re nearly identical twins.(Notice that I said NEARLY. Some parts of my…“character” are still in tact, if you know what I mean.) I really could put myself in his shoes. I got so mad at him, then I got mad at myself for being just like him…Grrrrrrr, Hemingway! You and your psycho/emotional twists! And another to add to the Fear category: _The Giver_ by Louis Lowry. 8th grade reading. The first time I was introduced to the idea of the state being able to control people’s mind. Creepy. And I’ve read a lot of other great books, but, I don’t want to take up the entire page, so, I’ll stop myself now. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/38 "2002-08-09T03:59:11Z")
**Catch-22** is the most memorable book I’ve ever read. It’s totally insane, but it’s just sane enough that you can’t shake the felling that it might actually happen. In science fiction, **Hyperion** , by Dan Simmons. In fantasy, **Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets**. In short stories, **The Most Dangerous Game**. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/39 "2002-08-09T05:24:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > **"East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. A masterpiece…"** Copy that. ---
**Author:** ![Nightime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Nightime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightime)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725/40 "2002-08-09T05:39:48Z")
**The Trial** is probably the most memorable book I’ve ever read. I always find myself thinking about it. **LOTR** **The Chronicles of Narnia** **The Prydain Chronicles** **Grendel** **Bridge to Terabithia** - I still have dreams about this book [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-most-memorable-story-you-have-ever-read/122725.md?page=3)