I was a huge Enid Blyton fan as a child then Derek Tangye and all his animal stories set in cornwall all quiet innocent books but when I was around 12 an aunt sent me for Christmas Ann Franks diary… It opened my eyes to the real world and changed my book reading over night
Which book made you see things in a different light?
1 Like
The Call of the Wild, By Jack London, surviving in the Yukon during the Klondyke gold rush. Great outdoors and nature.
The Diary of Anne Franks
I got hold of a copy of Animal Farm by George Orwell when I was about 11. It was a strange book to me as an 11 year old. I read it carefully and discussed and analysed the story and what Orwell was saying in great depth with my dad. This book certainly made me think and what I took from it stirred in me the beginnings of a political/social conscience. I still have a copy somewhere.
As a young child both ‘The Water Babies’ and ‘Black Beauty’ affected me greatly .
Also as child growing up in the Derbyshire Dales Alison Uttly’s ‘The Country Child’ had a special meaning knowing she grew up in the same area and shared many similar experiences.
I was a bit of a mixed bag as a child. On the one hand I was incredibly active and loved sport and anything in the outdoors. On the other hand, if I was indoors, I was either building something with my Meccano set or I had my head buried in a book. Lots of books were influential for me - Jack London’s novels stimulated my love for the outdoors, the frozen north, huskies and social justice; Richmal Crompton’s “Just William” novels helped develop my sense of humour and lack of respect for “authority”; John Wyndham’s science fiction novels opened up the scary world of the unknown. Probably the most influential of all however, was an old set of Encyclopaedia Brittanica which my parents picked up for next to nothing from a jumble sale - I would spend hour upon hour browsing random topics and learning, second hand, about our amazing world. Those old encyclopaedias were like a treasure trove of knowledge - something I have never tired of.
‘Black Beauty’, oh I never have got over Ginger’s death…
‘Call of the wild’ and ‘White Fang’ both amazing windows into another world
‘Animal Farm’ I still get tearful about Boxer being taken away
Rosemary Sutcliffe’s many historical novels, all brilliant
I still have my copies of White Fang and Call of the Wild.
Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame - remember that one?
I don’t suppose anyone will remember a book called “Grandpop’s Annual” - all about the antics of an old chimp called Grandpop who invented stuff which never worked properly. He had a following of little chimps who got up to all sorts of mischief. The illustrations and the narrative used to make me howl with laughter. Still got that one as well.
I was an avid Enid Blyton fan too (especially the Famous Five of which I was lucky enough to acquire the complete set) but the books that made me look at life differently were probably some of the same as above. I would certainly also include Anne Frank and Animal Farm, 1984, and I think Children of the New Forest set me off being interested in historical novels.
The Time Machine --H G Wells, I found that book absolutely unputdownable (?) and of course Jack London’s books I remember going to the library and after I’d picked my books often had to pick up one for my Dad , he liked Zane Grey westerns etc and he always said that if page 72 had a pencil mark at the end of the last word on the page not to borrow it as he’d read it and as it was in the adult section, I had to have a note as well as his library ticket ,lol
I have a few Hugh Walpole books in very good condition,ie The Rogue Herries series, The Cathedral, and when I was very young I read all the ‘Jeremy’ stories , if you like classic writing you’ll love him, if you don’t already.
Interesting selection of books certainly ones which parallel my childhood reading (except pre teen not the Famous Five I was more Swallows and Amazons)
I can’t say that any of them made me think very differently, Jennings and William books made me laugh, King Soloman’s Mines frightened the crap out of me, The Silver Sword kept me enthralled. At school I systematically ploughed through Dickens, Homer and Chaucer
The first book that really made me realise that things were not always under control, open or obviousand which excited my imagination was Kafka’s "The Trial" which I came to after reading his short story “Metamorphosis”. His books woke me up to a surreal nightmarish kind of existence and also led me on to more modern writers like Jean Paul Sartre “No Exit” (its a play - hell is other people or rather certain other people) then Gunter Grass’ The Tin Drum and Herman Hesse The Glass Bead Game before coming full circle back to Catch 22.
I think all my best and most exciting reading was done in my teens and (perhaps) early twenties - just the stunning realisation that books are just not stories but emotions and insights which can take you places you weren’t even aware existed. Nothing I have read since has recaptured that amazing experience. I hope this is not a book list but a journey because that is what it was for me.
Ah yes Herman Hesse now that was later in life for me not childhood reading … I read siddartha during my pot smoking years and thought it had given me some kind of insight into life …!!
Animal fram and 1984 were also teenage books< I have recently reread them and gained more I think now from them than I did then.
Back to my childhood the lion witch and wardrobe series took me to another world.
Also a school reading book was Lord of the flies …which was fantastic
Awww my best three books have already been mentioned laugh.
Water Babies, Black Beauty, and King Solomans Mines.
As an adult my favourite book has always been Westward Ho again
by Charles Kingsley of Water Babies fame.
I think the first books to have an effect on me was Uncle Tom’s Cabin and To Kill A Mocking Bird. Lessons in slavery and racism not forgotten.
And I loved Enid Blyton’s books, especially the ones with Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox. Lots of Charles Dickens books too. Agatha Christie was a good number of years back.
Aesop’s Fables
Kiplings, Just So Stories and Jungle Books I and II
I think the Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, Brer Turtle, Brer Fox etc., were Uncle Remus stories rooted in African folklore and later on American folklore.
I suppose like most of us there are so many books which will have had an influence on us as children.
I read Aesop’s Fables too. And you are right about the Brer rabbit, fox, etc stories, they were Uncle Remus tales. I loved them.
Good grief - I didn’t read the highbrow books listed here! I read mainly (from about the age of 5 or 6) all the Grimm’s fairy stories and probably a few others.
The books taught me that men were knights in shining armour who could solve all the problems of the world; life taught me otherwise!
Forgot about Brer Rabbit - just seen it in the post above
I read those too Karen. I loved Enid Blyton’s books. I spent half of my childhood away with the Faires:lol: and most of my adulthood too.
Same here mall - it’s a much nicer place isn’t it 
Haven’t read Enid Blyton - I seemed to go straight from fairy stories to horror ones! Hope there are no shrinks on here 