Along with War and Peace, Herman Melville's Moby Dick has always been what springs to mind when I think of "great books". I put that in quotes because that was my perception of what literary critics believed, I didn't personally have a view on either of them until recently. When I read War and Peace I was very surprised to enjoy it very much. It remains my favorite book. Moby Dick, not so much. I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't say it was altogether enjoyable.
