this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2026
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What is the most unique book you have read? (lemmy.zip)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by PenguinVII@lemmy.zip to c/books@lemmy.world
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Let's discuss unique books. What is the first one that comes to your mind? The uniqueness can be about the book's plot, structure, ideas, themes, topics etc.

For me such a book is Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. It's been a while since I've read it but I remember how mindblowing it was for me. Every time I thought it couldn't surprise me more, it actually did. There's a bit of everything there: peculiar characters, a substance called ice-nine that can freeze water on contact (as humans are around 60% water, it can instantly kill them), a fictional religion called Bokononism based on the idea that human life has no absolute truth or meaning, a tiny island nation with its own bizarre world. All of these come together to show us a satire of the absurdity of humanity.

As for a unique book structure, I have to say it's Cain's Jawbone by Edward Mathers. It's a kind of puzzle book where pages are not in order and you need to arrange them in order to guess whodunnit. I haven't finished this one yet but it's a cool challenge.

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[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 33 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Structure-wise, probably House of Leaves. It uses appendices and several categories of footnotes extensively, to the point that the footnotes begin to dominate the pages (putting it lightly). There's so much flipping back and forth that an onlooker would assume you're reading a choose-your-own-adventure book.

Content-wise, it's hard to choose. I'll say The Illuminatus Trilogy, which is a semi-absurdist study of authority and human nature, through the lens of a labyrinthine web of conspiracy theories, jumping between at least a dozen character perspectives.

[–] akilou@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Opened this thread to submit House of Leaves.

It's not just the footnotes though. As the characters walk down an increasingly small hallway, the words on the page start lower and lower on the page like you're hunching down with the characters. And when they sprint, there are fewer and fewer words on each page until you're flipping as fast as they're running.

Oh, and the plot is about a house bigger on the inside than the outside and the cover of the book is like a quarter inch shorter than the pages in it.

So many examples like this

[–] typo@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I keep hearing about this book. I watched a little bit of a no spoiler video to see what it was about. Something about the unusualness calls to me

Would you recommend hardback or paperback?

[–] historicaldocuments@lemmy.world 4 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Haunted by Poe goes along with the book.

[–] typo@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 hour ago

I did a couple searches but I'm not sure what I'm looking for

Wait, I got it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haunted_%28Poe_album%29

That sounds really interesting!! Thanks for adding that info

[–] RamenDame@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

This book is heavy. I had the paperback version and for a fiction read it is massive. I prefer paperbacks to carry around but if you want to keep it to flex take the hardcover

[–] EntheoNaut@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh yes, ye old Illuminatis Trilogy. It’s been over 35 years since I read it and it twisted my young brain up, set me up for life of weirdness.

[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's the only book I've read more than once, and I've read it at least 3 times. Sometimes I'll flip to a random page as a form of divination

[–] EntheoNaut@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I read twice in my twenties and my copy was completely trashed as I’d loan it to friends often. The last time I loaned it out was not returned before I left town.

I may need to read it again soon, probably buy a copy. I’ve been using the library for my reads the last few years and now I only buy books tht I know for sure I plan a reread.

Just this week got used copies of Embassytown and Lord of Light so I wouldn’t need to check them out again.

[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I keep an eye out for cheap copies, and then just give them to people. Besides my personal hardcover, I've probably bought and given away 10 copies over the years

[–] NedKelly@quokk.au 2 points 1 day ago

Hail Eris!