Day 17: Books That Opened Up My Eyes...

Days of Truth
Day 17 → A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.

Three years ago, I was unemployed for a "short" period of time, so I spent some of my free time reading books off the Top 100 Novels of All Time list. The first one I started before the unemployment was Stephen King's The Stand, per the recommendation of my mother. Although we have quite different tastes in our reading choices, she claimed this book was "awesome". It lacks the horror many of his novels possess, which is why she felt I would enjoy it as well.
She was right. From a few pages into this gigantic novel, I was sucked into the world he created. The creation of that world is what makes the novel so fantastic, the battle that wages between good and evil throughout the entire novel, the absolute pure evil found in Randall Flagg, and the epitome of good with Mother Abigail, and all the characters in between.
But how it changed my views on something? Well, I cant really pin the nail on that. I loved the novel, and one thing it did for me was redefine the term "favorite book." I had never read anything so in depth or riveting. I've never been so engrossed in a book that I absolutely could not put it down, regardless of the fact that it weight 10 pounds. I was there. I was traveling with Glen, Stu, and Nick, right there along that road with them. I was scared of Randall Flagg, and put my faith in Mother Abigail. More so than I've ever been with any other book. The post apocalyptic setting was also very much real, it was not incredibly far fetched, and the traits of each human were incredibly true to life. And Randall Flagg was just so EVIL!

Another book that I absolutely loved, I read right after I finished The Stand, was Memoirs of a Geisha. The book was incredibly inspiring, the story of an old geisha as she is being interviewed. It was exposure to a life I know nothing of, and so very honest. With all stories about those who are in difficult situations and able to eventually rise up, and live to tell the story, I was touched by the success. Although it was fictional, it seemed very real. Again, this book showed me the depths a novel can go to draw in the reader. Most mainstream novels barely scratch the surface of the intensity of these two novels.

The third and final novel, again on the list previously mentioned, is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I read that recently for my book club, the book was chosen by my husband. The book was astounding in it's projections of the technology progression, especially considering when it was written. The story of Ender as he trains to become a commander of a star fleet is heartbreaking but intriguing nonetheless. The one thing that I learned was that the ability of people to manipulate others varies, but yet there are so many ways. The ulterior motives of a person may not be known to you. Others can control you in ways that you have no idea, or if you do have an idea, it is beyond your control or power to act any differently. It was an eye opening view of the military style of persuasion, the childish, selfish ways, and the evil conniving ways. All are effective.

I recommend all of these books to anyone who loves to read!!