I’ve basically been ordered to pick up any fiction book and read, after a friend discovered I’ve not read anything but non-fiction for a decade.
The ones I’ve enjoyed in the past have been short, fantastical or sci-fi (think Aldous Huxley, Ian McEwan), but crucially with amazing first person descriptive prose - the kind where you’re immersed in the writing so much you’re almost there with the character.
I liked sci-fi as the world’s constraints weren’t always predictable. Hope that makes sense.
Any recommendations?
Edit: I’m going to up the ante and, as a way of motivating myself to get off my arse and actually read a proper story, promise to choose a book from the top comment, after, let’s say arbitrarily, Friday 2200 GMT.
Edit deux: Wow ok I don’t think I’ve ever had this many responses to anything I’ve posted before. You’ve given me what looks like a whole year of interesting suggestions, and importantly, good commentary around them. I’m honouring my promise to buy the top thing in just under 4 hours.
Out of all of that, I'd argue Snow Crash is the most accessible, followed by the Baroque Cycle.
Cryptonomicon and Anathemos are more or less unreadable.
Cryptonomicon I had no problems with, read it thrice now. Anathem was tough, took effort to get 1/3 thru but then went by easily.
It was only after reading anathem that I felt I could do anything and started Quicksilver for the third time and actually finished it. After that the next two in the Baroque cycle were easy.