Books you read that changed your life?

[LadyOnArooftop]

I've just read 'The last enemy' an inspirational autobiography by Richard Hillary who was badly burned when his Spitfire was shot down during the battle of Britain. I was unaware of this chap's story, I just happen to come across the book in a charity shop. I don't think it made it to the big screen probably because it didn't end well, in those post-war days cinemas demanded a happy ending so the audiences went away in a good mood and would return. If i'd read this book when I was young it might have motivated me to lead a better and more useful life. That could be a new forum thread "Books we wish we'd read sooner" .. . .

 

[azureblue]

The Waste Land T.S. Eliot, not a novel but I got hold of it when I was about 14 and my eyes were opened to the idea that poetry didn't have to rhyme and could be full of strange allusions which at the time were a bit over my head but it absolutely blew my tiny teenage mind and opened doors into stretching myself to tackle 'more difficult' stuff.