Most re-read: "Clowns of God" by Morris West. Part manic, part depressive, he wrote it amidst a nervous breakdown. The book’s all about humanity and the meaning of love, set in an apocalyptic background. Granted, it's a little cheesy. But its got so much emotion it keeps bringing me back.

I love Hugo's "Hunchback" for the same reasons, but it doesn't draw me back as much.

Most enjoyed (besides the above):

"The Stranger" by Camus. What can I say, it's awesome.

"For the Time Being" by Annie Dillard. I don't like her other stuff very much, but "Time" is just great. Her searching for the meaning of God in a world of cruelty and violence.

And a bunch of esoteric nonfiction I won't bore everyone by listing.


Past year or so I've been reading a lot of post-modern stuff. Some quite good, but unfortunately my memory for titles is poor. In general, though, the genre is really wearing on me. Like all contemporary fiction, it's just so cookie cutter. Some authors succeed at saying something meaningful above the convention, but like everything else in this world, too many see the convention as an end itself.

Just finished "Jarhead." I don't recommend it.