For me, it was a book called ‘The Outsiders’ by S.E Hinton. It is known as a literary classic these days, but it was quite hard hitting when it was released back in the 1960s.
In a nut shell; It is about a group of semi-impoverished greaser friends growing up in 1960s Tulsa, Oklahoma, and all the life challenges they face, and how they react to prejudice against them whilst coping with family issues.
It was the first book that made me realise that some people in society don’t get it easy growing up, and I discovered what it meant to live on the ‘wrong side of town’ and what societal prejudice was. The outsiders was the first novel I read that brought up hard subjects like; domestic violence, alcoholism, street gang violence etc.
It was the first book to shatter my naive way of thinking about the world, at 13 years old! It is still one of my favourite stories to this day, and for all its slightly dark themes, I love the compassionate friendship and brotherhood that is displayed in this book!
First it was Huxley; I read Brave New World and Island for my senior English class at the end of High School.
Then, it was the Unconscious Civilization by John Ralston Saul as I entered the world of work.
Finally, it was the Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein as I left North America to live elsewhere for a time.
Many other books have crossed my path, but these are some of my most common landmarks.
Island… so good
Brave New World is great. I used to get this book and 1984!mixed up because I read them back to back in high school.
I consider The Shock Doctrine essential reading. I have it on one of my bookshelves.