Because I forgot to post my top five list last Friday, I will push the envelope and write a  top TEN list of the books I have read.  This is not a list of best books ever written as decided by experts, but instead is my personal opinion that these are all gems for one reason or another.  Feel free to contribute your own if the topic calls to you.

1. Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad - The best book ever written, hands down.  Writing in the seventh language he learned, Conrad was a master of the English language and the layers of subtle meaning almost overshadow the deeply moving story.  I read this for four different classes in high school and college, and every time it got better.  I continue to read it for pure enjoyment.

2. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte - Another great nineteenth century novel that some try to peg as a chick’s story, but I think it really illuminates the dark side of obsession, longing and revenge.  Heathcliff is one messed character, and the literary apparatus used to tell the story mostly makes up for the hokey ending.

3. Dracula, Bram Stoker - Rounding out the nineteenth century novels (when authors really knew how to write), this tale has endured in the collective imagination, as ageless as the monster himself.  What is it about the invasion of a foreign enemy that no amount of modern English science and know-how can defeat that captures us so fully?  A pretty amazing, well-written story too.

4. Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Tolkien - I had to count these as one because otherwise this would be a much shorter list.  I read these when I was young, read them again in college, and then more recently, and they never lose their charm.  The movies are great too, but the books are irreplaceable.  I think these stories bring out a little bit of hero in all of us.

5. Richard III, Shakespeare - My favorite Shakespearean play, by far.  “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York,” begins the tale of another obsessed character, this one completely mad for power.  Shakespeare was a phenomenal writer, and any number of his plays could be in this top ten list, but I am particularly fond of Richard and his conniving tale.

6. Rabbit at Rest, John Updike - I love Updike’s voice, and believe he is one of the greatest short fiction writers ever.  His Rabbit series is wonderful and rich, and in them he deals with American life in such an honest and myopic way that I can’t help but include this one on my list.

7. Lord of the Flies, William Golding - Is man born pure and good, and those that fall in sin are just victims of their environment, or is man born evil with nothing but civilization to keep us in line?  This is the question dealt with in this wonderful novel in which the boys are separated from civilization and set free to follow their base impulses.  Guess which side of the coin Golding falls on.

8. Beloved, Toni Morrison - Eloquent, disturbing, a wonderfully told story that is troubling to read but makes an impression in your mind and in your heart that can never be removed.  What better compliment could be given a piece of fiction?

9. Once A Runner, John L Parker, Jr - Not on many classic literature lists, this tale is the most accurately described running story I have ever read.  In perfect detail Parker is able to capture the desire, the pain, the ideal imagination of a high-performance distance runner better than my own memory can serve.  If you want to have some idea of what people like Cameron and I went through in college, read this book (if you can find it.  It’s been out of print for years and goes for hundreds of dollars online). 

10. Freakanomics, Stephen Levitt - I know, this non-fiction piece doesn’t seem to fit on the list of an English major, but reading this book opened my eyes to the amazing world of statistics and economic theory applied to the everyday world.  Outside the classroom and hypothetical realm of academia, these applications are intensely useful and help us analyze problems in new ways.

So that’s it.  One final observation that just came to me as I survey my list of favorite books - many of them seem to explore the theme of obsession.  I wonder if that’s a coincidence?  Perhaps pater I will write more about this, it is an odd observation to be sure.  Let me know what you think.