For me it would have to be Revolt Against the Modern World by Julius Evola. No matter where you are in life, no matter how sure you are of your beliefs, this book will at least cause you some mental conflict. I'm sure by now many of you will have either heard of it, or read it, but it's essentially the anti modernist manifesto. Evola makes great arguments for hierarchy, against secularism, against female liberation, and essentially a return to older more Pagan values. The book is very critical of Christianity, but Evola argues his points persuasively, with many of his arguments being hard to deny. The book certainly hasn't made me a Pagan, but it's certainly made me think, so I'd highly recommend it.
What book would you choose?
George Orwell"s Animal Farm and 1984 bundle.
I tried reading 1984 before I was into politics, but I gave up after a few chapters. I've seen the movie since, but I really need to try reading it again.
Read it in middle school for an assignment. Awful read. Literally no dialogue till chapter 5, and the text was so dense that a few pages didn't have a single paragraph break.
However, it keeps coming to mind. I finished it in the late 00s, then watched it slowly become a reality. The Internet has gotten all of us desensitized to mass surveillance, and we are currently entering the endless present in which the party is always right. At this trajectory, the 2 minutes hate, the outlawing of caffeine, and the meticulously structured society will be real by 2030.
1984, for me, holds the odd position of being a terrible read that I'd recommend to anyone.