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Here are some books that I've read recently that I've really enjoyed:

Restavec by Jean-Robert Cadet
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel
The Ecstatic by Victor La Valle

The obvious common theme is that I apparently enjoy books about human struggle. That having been said, I'm not tied to this theme.

I also typically don't enjoy the "bestseller" type books. I prefer books with more character development.

This isn't much information to go on, but anybody have any recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

benedict

I don't really know any of those authors but I'd like to kick off the replies by first proposing Sylvia Nasar's "A Beautiful Mind", biography of mathematical Nobel Laureate John Nash (who suffered from schizophrenia).

Maybe more "fun", a pair of novels each dealing with a high functioning autistic character in a somewhat different way: Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" & Elizabeth Moon's "Speed of Dark". I know that the former sold well so do not know if it falls outside of the specification.

With the same caveat, see also Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".

Finally, unread by me, I was intrigued by the following review when idly surfing: http://memphisreads.blogspot.com/200...by-colson.html

Double Down

Thanks for the recommendations. Although books are typically better than movies, I typically do not enjoy reading books after I've seen the movie because it takes away from the element of surprise. Since I've already seen the movies for "A Beautiful Mind" and "Cuckoo's Nest," I'll pass on those. I'll take a look at the other ones you mentioned.

Thanks.

Boot

If you've seen "Cuckoo's Nest," I promise the element of surprise is not wasted. The movie is SO different from the book. The essential themes are the same and some of what happens is similar, but as much as I love the movie, it doesn't even begin to touch the brilliance of the book. You should give this one a chance.

TimeandTide

Must-reads revolving around the human struggle:

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius [Dave Eggers]
The Road [Cormac McCarthy]
Aloft [Chang Rae Lee]
A Gesture Life [Chang Rae Lee]
Native Speaker [Chang Rae Lee]
The Sweet Hereafter [Russell Banks]