Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I'm 51 years old so for me to remember the first time I did anything, apart from have sex or smoke my first cigarette, is nothing short of a miracle, but the first story which left a lasting impression on me was Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
I find the term favourites restrictive, regardless of whether it's colours, food, books, music or actors, you name it I don't like to confine my preferences to a select few, but as far as books are concerned, here five titles which spring to mind: David Copperfield, Crime and Punishment, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and Famine.
The stories are varied and so are my reasons for liking them: David Copperfield, is a masterpiece of descriptive writing. Crime and Punishment, is a tale of great insight in the workings of the human conscience. The Picture of Dorian Gray, is very well written and full of sharp wit. Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, is a story of working men so I can relate to that having been one for a long time, and finally Famine is a tail of life during the great hunger in Ireland and being Irish it was also something which I understood.
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