Asklemmy

I love reading! Probably way too much. I'm also an entrepreneur (er--wantepreneur I think they're called?).

In any case I often ask other business people if they're reading. Their eyes light up. "Yes," they say, "I'm reading this book on financial leadership."

Suddenly all the questions I was doing to ask about the metaphors they noticed or the characters they related to the most shatter to the floor and I scramble for a good thirty seconds to recollect my next "serious" questions like how it affected their outlook on their team, who recommended the book, etc.

IMO fiction books are looked down up way too often. But they can also provide just as much--if not more--valuable insight than a nonfiction book.

For me, one book that I recall was Hunger (I forget the Dutch author's name, but it was written like a pseudo-autobiography). It was written from the perspective of someone mentally destitute, but complex in character--desperate for love, but unloved by society. Allowed me to step into the character's shoes and experience their world and not see the world so job-driven.

So, what are some fiction books that people have drawn inspiration from?