Let me first start by expressing to the reader that this is in no way meant to be a list of ‘greatest’ fiction books ever written nor is it meant to be a list of the only books a young man should read. Naturally there have been lots of omissions because I’m not very well going to write the entire Western Canon but that can be found here: Harold Bloom's The Western Canon and because I haven’t read every book ever written. Your favorite authors may not be on this list in fact I know a few off the top of my head that I’d get bitched at about for leaving off. I wanted to create a list that acts as a starting point for young men looking to educate themselves and gave a very broad overview of different writers and types of stories. The books listed here are not meant to be the equivalent of a doctorate in literature but to encourage further exploration of the world’s greatest fiction. With that explained here is my list of fiction books that every young man should read:

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card- One of the more recent books on this list, Ender’s Game is still amongst the most entertaining. I read this book a little over a year ago after hearing people talk about it for so long and finished it in two days. Ender is chosen to save the world as a child because of how remarkably gifted he is and is taken away from his home to undergo years of training. Orson Scott Card does a masterful job exploring what it is to be human and how you can try to be a good person but the world won’t always allow it.

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky- This was the first really long book that I ever read and it was definitely worth it. Some people say that Crime and Punishment (see below) is Dostoevsky’s greatest work but The Brothers Karamazov is a better story in my mind. The book takes a look at faith and religion through the eyes of each of the three brothers and which view represents the happiest way of living. Without a doubt one of the finest books ever written.

The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe- This isn’t the usual straight forward story but it is presented instead in a series of letters from Werther to his friend. Werther falls hopelessly in love with Lotte even though she is engaged and eventually marries. I think this book is a good representative of the first time a young man falls for a girl that he has no hope of landing. Looking back at that period of time in your life can make you laugh at your young self but the pain of unrequited love has occurred in most of our lives. Just don’t take the route that Werther takes to ease the pain.

1984 by George Orwell- What happens when a totalitarian government has complete control over the populace? George Orwell takes a crack at the question in 1984. Independent thought get virtually wiped out and constant fabrication of what is going on in the world has brainwashed the masses into living in a false reality.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley- While this book is similar in many ways to the aforementioned 1984 such as a controlling government and use of technology to do said controlling it is different in the controlling of life from birth and keeping members of society happy idiots. You should read both of them because they are still very different tales and both amazing.

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse- Siddhartha searches for enlightenment by trying his hand at different ways of living such as the purely spiritual and a life of materialism. A wonderful book that makes you think about the meaning of your life.

The Iliad/ Odyssey by Homer (supposedly)- Two Greek epics of equal importance to the development of Western storytelling. How much of it is fiction? Most of it but there may be some historical truth involved as well.

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding- A funny, somewhat dirty (for 18th century standards) book about the life of Tom Jones, a foundling. You get to see English society and class division in an often lighthearted way.

Candide by Voltaire- Sometimes the best way to fight against all of the wrongs you see in the world is to satirize them. That’s exactly what Voltaire does in this short and often hilarious story mocking the church, philosophers, and the aristocracy.

The Red and the Black by Stendhal- The hero of The Red and the Black is Julien Sorel who has a dream to become a very important man in French society. He idolizes Napoleon Bonaparte and debates whether the best path towards his dream is through joining the army. He ultimately decides to become a priest but only ends up having his hypocrisy revealed trying to be a man of the cloth while carrying on affairs and trying to become rich. Not only is it a great story but questions the social masks people wear and their role in society. Also you may want to read The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendhal.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain- A shattering critique of race relations in the post-Civil War South although the story is set in the time when slavery was still legal. Throughout the book Huck learns to further question the values of the society he was brought up in mostly due to the hypocritical nature of those around him but also because of his relationship with the escaped slave Jim. A true American classic Huck Finn holds relevancy to this very day.

Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad- The story is told from the point of view of a man named Marlow and reads like the type of tale someone would tell over a long dinner or in a bar. His story surrounds the life of a young man named Jim who is haunted by an act of cowardice and moves from place to place trying to out run his memories. This is a rather unique turn of the century novel and might not be as widely read as Conrad’s other book Heart of Darkness.

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce- James Joyce writes this fictionalized story of his own life by enlisting the character of Stephen Daedalus, who wants to become a writer and live the artistic life. What is interesting is that we as the reader get to experience the different viewpoints and beliefs Stephen holds from the time he is a child to his departure from college and ultimately Ireland. Also, the writing reflects each period of his life in terms of becoming more clear and deeper in thought.

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque- When World War I breaks out a young group of Germans enlists in the army to fight for the ideals of homeland and its glory. They soon find out that war is not what they had anticipated and there is very little glory when you are surrounded by death and the worst humanity has to offer.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- Greed, class relations, and materialism set against the backdrop of a 1920s love story. Jay Gatsby is a self-made man who nobody can ever seem to pin down beyond rumor and gossip who is trying to recover the relationship he once had with Daisy years before. Nick Carraway is the narrator who befriends his neighbor Gatsby and plays intermediary between him and Daisy who happens to be Nick’s cousin. Fitzgerald captures this time in American history perfectly and tells a damn good story while doing so. Also check out Tender is the Night or This Side of Paradise.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding- A group of schoolmates become stranded without adult supervision on an island where some of them descend into a violent tribe while others try to cooperate and live a peaceful life. Even though the characters are children there is still no escaping the dark side of mankind.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury- In the future books are not allowed and a group of firefighters set them ablaze instead of trying to put them out. Fahrenheit 451 is a very important book about what society would be like with censorship and a citizenry full of ignorance.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky- The second entry on the list by Dostoevsky and two spots are well deserved. In Crime and Punishment a man named Raskolnikov commits murder and the book concerns itself with the psychological torments he goes through after the crime is committed. A very long book but one that will make you think about society and what actions are right and wrong and dealing with overwhelming guilt.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas- Dumas was a very gifted storyteller and this is amongst his best works. I suggest buying a compilation of three of his novels including this one, The Three Musketeers, and The Man in the Iron Mask and just dive right into them. I bought mine at Barnes and Noble for $13 bucks and got three great stories for the price of a night at the movies.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner- I wasn’t sure which Faulkner novel to put on the list so I went with this one but don’t skip out on reading Absalom! Absalom! and As I Lay Dying also.

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller- Another book that takes place during war (WWII in this case) and delves into the absurdity of it. Of course someone who is sane would claim to be insane to get out of a bombing mission, therefore you must be sane.

A Clockwork Orange- Alex is the leader of a gang of teenage criminals who eventually get set up by his friends during a crime and is forced to face the consequences. He is eventually part of an experimental program that makes him associate violent acts with becoming nauseous and very sick. This is one of those where people say oh the book is so much better than the movie, whatever the movie is awesome too.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut- The story of Billy Pilgrim who experiences random jumps in the timeline of his life. He fights in the Battle of the Bulge and later finds himself in Dresden during the bombing of that city. Billy survives and leads a somewhat successful life but has the war taken too much of a toll on his mind?

Neuromancer by William Gibson- Case is a computer hacker that is poisoned and his central nervous system is so damaged he can no longer hack. He becomes a drug addict and can no longer find work until he is offered a cure in exchange for doing a hacking job.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville- Just as a life lesson if a white whale ever takes your leg you don’t need to seek revenge by harpooning it. This is a pretty dense book full of symbolism and natural history about whaling so be forewarned it’s not just a straight Moby Dick fight scene throughout the novel. Read it, absorb it, and then seek out helpful guides on the book.

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison- Yeah the title sounds like the plot of a Kevin Bacon movie but the narrator isn’t actually invisible he just feels that way within society. As a young black man in a racist America he struggles to find his own identity versus the stereotypes of others including he finds members of his own race.

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane- What is it to be a man? How do you develop courage? Follow the life of Henry Fleming as a Union soldier in the Civil War and find out.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac- At times with this book you may think it seems really dated but even so it still captures through these road trips the life led outside the normal confines of society. It is a must read even if only to understand so many of the works that came after it.

Link to my original article: Ending Your Negative Friendships

Think back on all of the times in your life that you have gotten into trouble or found yourself unhappy with the type of lifestyle you were leading. Was it only by your independent actions you found yourself there? Or
did you find yourself going with the flow only because of the company you were keeping at the time? The power people hold over your life can be immense even if they only influence your lifestyle indirectly just by their negative demeanor. It's interesting to watch the show Celebrity Rehab and one of the things they repeat to the addicts is that in order to beat their addiction they must get rid of the people and surroundings in their lives that led to their crippling habits. Now hopefully you don't have any severe addiction problems but there is a very real possibility that if you're not enjoying the life you've always dreamed of it's partly due to the company that you keep.

Recognizing the Need for Change

After years of dreaming and thinking about ways to change my life it became apparent that my environment was having a very negative impact on my determination and drive. The choices that I made helped to create this lifestyle of depression and listlessness but the job and the people that were present in my day to day life only helped to reinforce these negative aspects. When this idea finally clicked into my head I took stock of my surroundings, did I want to follow the path of the people that had held their same unfulfilling job for over a decade? No. Did I continually want to be dragged down by my friends who when I had motivation to do something brought only discouragement? No. It was clear that in order to change my life I had to change who was apart of my life.

You must do the same for yourself and question what you need in your life to feel happy or at least the motivation to reach that happiness. What are your bad habits? If your overweight do your friends when you spend time with them eat and drink in ways to only reinforce what you want to rid yourself of? If the answer is yes I would suggest that you being the process of changing. Does your job and/or friends make you neglect the achievement of any of your life goals? They may all be very nice people but at what costs are they placing on the way you want to live?

Change doesn't Have to Be Instantaneous

Getting out of a bad job is easy, just quit and move on. However, when dealing with the emotions of your friends it can be very difficult. If you have the courage to cut off ties with someone it can go very badly if it is just done with a simple announcement that you can't continue to be their friend. Try and make it a gradual phase out if you recognize that the positives of having them as a friend are just outweighed by all of the negatives that come with their friendship.

You will need to build positive relationships with people who have goals similar to yours or are already living the type of life that you want to enjoy. Think about the difference of being surrounded by those who don't have the capacity to change and those who are constantly trying to better themselves. It's easy to get caught up in their enthusiasm just like it was easy to get caught in others depression.

I know it is hard to give up on a friend but most of the people you will end up cutting out of your life were really just acquaintances in disguise. Sure they may be really fun to hang out with on occasion but do they have your best interests at heart?

Deciding to change is completely useless if you don't put a plan into action and structure your life in such a way that it will be successful in the long run. Your environment is full of negative reinforcements that can slip your right back into bad habits and idleness if you let them. Cutting ties with those who will only hold you back isn't to be mean spirited and hurt feelings, it's about your growth as a person and making sure that you will dictate how you want to live not the people around you.

Throughout life the person you currently are has been molded by both personal choice and outside forces that label you and try to fit you into some societal pigeonhole. But who you are, or better, who you would like to be is usually a far cry from what the perception amongst your community is. Oftentimes we reflect on who we are and how we live our lives and once the veil is lifted we don’t like what we see. Life is an ugly scene when you’re stuck in a rut and realize that we have betrayed our hopes, dreams, and the very essence of ourselves. What we need to do with these feelings is not dismiss them and further imbed ourselves into the roles we’ve been assigned but rather challenge them and recreate who we want to become.

If you were to turn on the television right now in all likelihood you would be able to find some sort of makeover show that teaches people how to be a better version of themselves and not only that but how to live a happy existence. Isn’t that madness that TV shows like that exist or articles like this are written? People need to be shown another way of existence that isn’t a constant misery? These ruts seem to get built into a person’s character early in life. Take the show on MTV called Made which usually consists of some poor kid with no friends or direction get transformed into someone with a semblance of interpersonal skills. That is what happens to far too many people, they get beat down to the point where they believe that things cannot be better and they are destined to assume a position dictated to them.

I say this not to pass the buck for your failings to other people but to illustrate the conditioning that comes from the environment you are brought up in. Your social conditioning creates fear of change, what will happen if I step outside my comfort zone? Who will be the people laughing at me? What will other people think about me? These can be intimidating thoughts and the natural inclination is to shy away instead of addressing potential problems head on. We bow and apologize for daring to stray from our designated lanes even if these fears loom greater in our minds than they actually would in the real world if you decided to change your lot. This fear does nothing but further suck you into the doubt and stagnation cycle. So how do we breakthrough and reinvent then further develop ourselves? There are five general steps that need to occur.

1. Seize control

You must first decide that you want to change before anything else can be planned. Change your beliefs about life and understand that things can and will be different if you want them to be. Stop standing in your own way, the life you lead now is not the one you want but the one you have chosen to let people see you lead.

For example, I’ve been working meaningless jobs and going to school because like everyone I was told that was the path to take. Education wasn’t something to help you grow as a person, they told me it was to graduate and find a better job. When people surrounding me began to place the emphasis on better what they meant was that the jobs to aim for would make more money not be any more fulfilling. I absolutely hated this idea that was presented; it haunted me, depressed me, and even made me leave school for two years alone in the metaphorical wilderness.

But it wasn’t until I had these experiences that I lost my fear of following societal norms and embraced the idea of playing the game my way, win or lose. As a result, I quit my job and took my survival into my own hands. Maybe your change doesn’t need to be as dramatic a shift as mine has been but you need to put yourself in the driver’s seat. The choices you make are for you to decide and not for others to deride them enough to push you in the opposite direction.

2. What is it that you want to change?

If you want to reinvent yourself you must decide what that means. Is this a small change like a change in the style of clothes you wear? Or will it be a succession of smaller changes that completely alters your life?

Perhaps the best place to start is the thing that you want to improve the most over all the other changes you come up with. Your focus may be entirely on that singular aspect of your life until you have made a successful transition or improvement with that undertaking. Some simple ways to reinvent yourself involve changing your outward appearance or really focusing on how you socialize with people.

3. Learning and Planning

Learning and planning seems to be where most people fall off of the tracks and back into old habits. Think about it, if you are trying to lose weight but you know nothing about nutrition it isn’t going to work very well. Sure you might stumble across some fad or starvation diet and lose weight temporarily but you haven’t made a sustainable lifestyle change. You wouldn’t have a clue as to what steps you would need to take from day to day to achieve and maintain your success. Sticking with this example it would be wise to research exercise and nutrition either from reputable websites or books and really delve deep into the topic. Learning before you take action will help you avoid pitfalls and many mistakes that would otherwise occur and consume even more of your time trying to correct.

Once you have learned enough to where you feel comfortable attempting a change it is time to plan how you’re going to do it. Grab a sheet of paper or open up your word processor and begin writing out specific details on what your daily activities are going to be. Let’s say that as part of our weight loss plan we are going to eat five to six small meals a day in order to keep our metabolism high. How are we going to fit this into a schedule with work, family and other responsibilities? This is where details matter! For example, I will eat at 3:15 while at my desk one of the following snacks. If I’m not able to eat at 3:15 then I must have some kind of back up plan. Keeping a journal or planner with details that you want to follow is extremely helpful when trying to make something into a habit.

4. Go Big or Go Home- The Boldness Factor

You know in your heart what you want and after you have done all of the necessary learning and planning it is time to act. Reinvention requires immediate action, a change is a change and there is no going halfway. If I were and high school and were a total outcast and wanted to recreate myself into someone more social I would have to go all in. My style of dress, demeanor, and confidence would all undergo a rapid change because I have written out what it is going to take to change and know that I have nothing to fear. It’s like the big reveal on Made when the nerdy kid goes back to school with a whole new look and people are shocked. By being bold you highlight your change in other people’s minds and set a precedent that you are the person that you want to be and no one can take that away from you.

A well researched plan allows for this boldness because it helps to remove doubt and the tendency to defeat yourself before you begin. You know that it is the right choice because you have made it after much thought and can adapt to any obstacles that have popped up during your transformation. So embrace this moment and reap all the benefits that have been swirling in your mind.

5. Make It a Commitment and Accept All That Goes With It

A reinvention of yourself requires an overhaul of an aspect or total part of your life and keeping away the bad habits that held you down. You wanted this change and now you will have to stick with it and if it isn’t working the way you wanted make adjustments. Failure happens and things come up that you never considered as a problem. You could set a goal to gain 20 pounds of muscle and once you achieve it realize that you look too bulky, that’s quite alright. You go back and make the necessary adjustments to get to where you want to be.

Changing your life also means changing obstacles and unwelcome effects. Being successful isn’t always sunshine and roses, ask a suddenly famous actor who can no longer have anonymity when in public. If that is the path you have chosen then you will have to deal with the consequences. When I quit my job I actually received some backlash from people it really had no effect on personally. They called me rash and stupid for a decision I contemplated for over a year! Now they present themselves as being ‘concerned’ for my finances or offering me a ‘realistic’ outlook on my life but is it really anything beyond projecting their insecurities onto me?

These are the people than wonder what life would have been like if they had chosen to do this or if someone had given them an opportunity to do that. Their moments of reflection are short lived and their lives never change for the better but they won’t have a problem criticizing others who decide to go a different route. Success becomes a matter of the self and whether you possess the inner strength to develop as a person. If not the criticism and the doubt about what you want begin to set themselves into stone and the rut continues. People can be fearful and jealous of any success you attain but it is up to you not to let them tear it all down.

It’s nice to think about the end result of actualizing who you want to be and seizing each day as your own but in reality it is quite hard to accomplish. Before something becomes routine and apart of your identity it requires daily affirmations to help it take root. But once you’ve decided to be the person you want even your struggles will hold less weight because you know that for you there is no other way to live.

How to Reinvent Yourself