What book has affected your life the most?

[Puck]

There are many wonderful books out there that have had a vastly profound effect on those who read them. I was just curious what book has fundamentally shaped your life, changed your outlook or affected you deeply, and why?

For me, I would have to say that book would probably be Lord of the Flies (which I'm currently re-reading)

Aside from the fact it was one of the first novels I ever read in my life, it is also that rare blend of mixing together a wonderful story with wonderful writing in a way that seems almost symbiotic. Nothing seems out of place or jarring to the reader, there is no sense of remembering you are reading a book and detached from the story. I felt as though I was right there on the island with Ralph and Piggy and Jack when I first read it at the age of 8...and 19 years later the feeling is still there. This book is the cornerstone on which I hope to base my own writing some day.

It was also the first book I read that dealt with some very heavy issues: the breakdown of society, held together by the thinnest of veneers, mental health, murder, symbolic beasts...the book has it all. It is one of my favorite novels and was responsible in part for how I view modern society.