The Book That Changed My Life: 'Lord of the Flies', 'Game of Thrones' and 'Dracula'

 

Louisa Burton

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Although there are many books that I love, this is the book that changed my life. It was our set GCSE text at school, and at the time I must admit that I didn’t enjoy it in the slightest. However, I have read it again since and listened to the audiobook, and now really appreciate the key themes and metaphors that make up the story. My English teacher would be truly stunned if she knew that I had selected this book (!) but it encouraged me years later to read a lot of literary classics which I feel I can now really appreciate. Plus, so many literacy classics are referenced in sitcoms and films, and it’s always great to understand them… There was even a Spongebob episode which was based on Lord of the Flies which for me was two loves combined!

Chris Ellis

Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

Growing up, I was never much of a reader. I was never able to sit still long enough to get into a book and found more pleasure spending my time being active and on the move. When I was 21, the librarian in the first school I worked in suggested I read Butterfly Lion by Michael Morpurgo. It was an easy read with a good story line and I got through it quite quickly. From here I moved through other children’s books such as the Artemis Fowl and Percy Jackson series. Two years later, when preparing for a holiday, I spotted Game of Thrones in a two-for-one offer in Waterstone's. This was the first ‘grown up’ book that I read and, from here, my love for reading has grown. The story draws you in with such a vivid depiction of the world and its key players. The constant twists and turns made reading on a must - no other option. Now, the first thing I consider for my holidays is which book I am going to take.

Emma Kirby

Dracula by Bram Stoker

I first discovered an amazing Usborne illustrated version of the story when I was 7; I must have read it over 100 times! Before long I was listening to Stoker’s story in audio form and then soon picked up the complete novel: it was the first classic book I read. It inspired a life-long love of gothic literature (I quickly moved on to Carmilla and Frankenstein) and I ended up doing my MA dissertation on the subject of ‘subjectivity’ in the novel. It remains my firm favourite.