"Every time we read one now, I'm suddenly back in my attic room in Swansea 40 years ago, watching my dad turn the same pages."
"I liked how it made the afterlife seem ordinary, even bureaucratic, with the Grim Reaper more like a taxman unwelcome wherever he goes."
"Tess was the first fictional character I properly believed in. When she died, the pain I felt was real."
"It was only when I read HHhH by Laurent Binet that I found a book that gave me permission to approach the subject with both levity and seriousness."
Nostalgia for childhood reading experiences is profound, as seen in the connection to Alfie stories by Shirley Hughes. Terry Pratchett's Mort captivated at age ten, presenting the afterlife in a relatable manner. Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles resonated deeply during teenage years, making the protagonist's pain feel real. Laurent Binet's HHhH inspired confidence in writing about personal history, blending humor and seriousness. An older sister's copy of Trainspotting sparked a desire to write, while a long-standing aversion to Dylan Thomas's poetry remains.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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