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Please Help, I Need a Novel for English Class

apsterling

apsterling

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 24, 2007
581
2
I need some help finding a 450+ page fictional book by an American author for my Lit class, and our independent reading project, and I'm interested in the following topics:

  • The KGB
  • Space Exploration
  • Government Conspiracies

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
 
Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. Or any other books by him.

Wait a minute- is this for high school? Pynchon would be too difficult. I know it would have been for me.
 
if it doesnt necessarily have to be 450+ pages, i'd recommend American Psycho. the book is 100x better than the movie, and the movie was awesome.
 
A good bit of Robert Ludlum would fit in the government conspiracies department. John Le Carre and Frederick Forsyth are all I can think of who has written extensively on the KGB, and I don't think either is American.

Robert Heinlein would be good for space exploration. "Stranger in a Strange Land" is a great book, and you should be able to find plenty of resources on line to help spark ideas for term papers. Same goes for Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles" or Isaac Asimov's Foundation books.

As for Clancy, I think "The Cardinal in the Kremlin" involves a government conspiracy, the KGB and a high-tech satellite. Execrable characterization, though.

mt
 
Well, it is high school, but I've been reading at a Seniors' level since 7th grade, so I don't think it'd be too much of a hassle. And I like to be challenged.

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys, I'll definitely be looking at a bunch of these and determining what it is I want to read.
:)
 
I assume you're not caring about the distinction between commercial and quality fiction? Tom Clancy books, as well as most (can't say all) of the recommendations here are very commercial, which, if you're bothering to read a book for an English class, you'll want a more quality book. Of course, if you don't know the difference between quality and commercial fiction, then it's a moot point. Can't really help with a recommendation, as I don't have anything in those genres, or that exceeds 450 pages :p

Edit: I'd recommend Crime and Punishment if you haven't read it. Very deep, quality book. Don't think it's 450 pages, and it's not about any of those topics, but it is a very good book. Just be warned: It's difficult. Not only to comprehend the greater message in the book, but also the reading itself...be willing to spend a good hour and a half to two hours just to get through fifty pages.
 
Hum, were to start. I have read, well actually listened to, my fair share of books.

I highly recommend:
1. the Ender's Game Series by Orson Scott Card (about a kid who becomes the savior of mankind)
2. the Bourne Trilogy by Robert Ludlum (government conspiracy type stuff)
3. the Dan Brown books Davinci Code, Digital Fortress, Angles and Demons, or Deception point.

That is just a short list. I have listened to nearly 100 books (mostly in the scifi genre) so if you want some more suggestion let me know.
 
prostuff1 said:
Hum, were to start. I have read, well actually listened to, my fair share of books.

I highly recommend:
1. the Ender's Game Series by Orson Scott Card (about a kid who becomes the savior of mankind)
2. the Bourne Trilogy by Robert Ludlum (government conspiracy type stuff)
3. the Dan Brown books Davinci Code, Digital Fortress, Angles and Demons, or Deception point.

That is just a short list. I have listened to nearly 100 books (mostly in the scifi genre) so if you want some more suggestion let me know.
Click to expand...

I've already read and reread Dan Brown's books, so that's pretty much not gonna be doable (I'd gladly reread Deception Point or Digital Fortress, both were great books, but alas, that's against the rules. And I read Ender's Game but it didn't captivate me too much, it just seemed forced.

I might do one of the Bourne books, though, just based on things I've heard about them.
 
Would Deception Point by Dan Brown be acceptable? It's has a lot to do with Space and Government.

EDIT: Oops... you already read them. thats what i get for not reading the thread all the way thru.

iFail
 
apsterling said:
I've already read and reread Dan Brown's books, so that's pretty much not gonna be doable (I'd gladly reread Deception Point or Digital Fortress, both were great books, but alas, that's against the rules. And I read Ender's Game but it didn't captivate me too much, it just seemed forced.

I might do one of the Bourne books, though, just based on things I've heard about them.
Click to expand...

"Ender's Game" made a great short story, but didn't work as well when stretched to book and then series length. I'll second Asimov's Foundation series and the Heinlein recommendation. I'll suggest Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress."
 
http://www.amazon.com/Life-Ivan-Denisovitch-Signet-Classics/dp/0451527097

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch by Alexander Solzhenitsyn

I read it back in high school and liked it quite a bit. It was a required reading but I really enjoyed the book.

It is something that not many people are going to know about but I think those who have read it all really liked it.
 
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leumluath said:
Asimov's Foundation series
Click to expand...

I know I was forgetting something!! This was another very good series i have listened to.

Lets see if i can give some more:
The Eragon Series (three books currently with at least one more to come) by Christopher Paolini. There was a movie that came out a while back that was based on this book. Please don't let the movie, if you have seen it, stop you from reading the book. The book is SO much better.

Also take a look at Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. Long book but i liked it
 
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