It's difficult, if not impossible, to name just two books that I like the most. But one that comes immediately to my mind is The Love of Wallaya by Seni Saowaphong, pen name of Sakchai Bamrungpong, a national artist in literature.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE PRINCESS MAHA CHAKRI SIRONDHORN ANTHROPOLOGY CENTRE
It's an unusual book. While the name suggests that it's a love story, the book is in fact about the love felt by people who share an ideology _ and it's a very thoughtful work. This may not be a favourite among fans of this author, for his style of writing here is more documentary than novelistic.
My other choice is Les Fleurs du Mal by French poet Charles Baudelaire. "Flowers of Evil" is a collection of poetry which caused a scandal when it was first published. The poems touch beautifully on sinful human behaviour: profane love, sex, lost innocence, etc. Through his refined use of language, we come to the realisation that all humans are tied together by sins like these.
