5 books that every 20-something gentleman should read

‘There’s no friend as loyal as a book’, Ernest Hemingway astutely observed and this is as true today as it was in Hemingway’s time. Any young gentleman should seek to expand his mind and build himself a library – here are five books to start with.

AMERICAN PSYCHO BY BRETT EASTON ELLIS

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Brett Easton Ellis’s 1991 tour de force has become a modern classic since it was first published almost a quarter of a century ago. The novel’s protagonist, New Yorker Patrick Bateman is a twenty-six year old investment banker whose hedonism, vanity, lasciviousness and violence provide apt metaphors for the excess of the 1980’s. He spends days on murderous killing sprees – though whether he’s imagining them or not is left ambiguous. A hilarious black comedy that perfectly encapsulates the 80’s zeitgeist, American Psycho is a must-read in your twenties.

SOLARIS BY STANISLAW LEM

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The novel, which has twice been adapted for film, is widely considered to be the best science fiction novel ever written. With deep philosophical themes and an almost transcendental view of space and the wider universe, Solaris has influenced filmmakers such as Christopher Nolan, Steven Soderbergh and Stanley Kubrick. It remains cruelly undervalued within the canon of 20th century literature but, despite this, it is unquestionably a masterpiece.

HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE BY TOBY YOUNG

, Toby Young’s memoir reflects on the five years he spent in New York in the early 1990’s working as a contributing editor for Conde Nast Publications’ Vanity Fair magazine. Some of what Young got up to seems highly improbable – and yet you don’t care because it’s sidesplittingly funny! How to Lose Friends and Alienate People shows how incongruously an Englishman can come across in New York society.

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THE PRINCE BY NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

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The ultimate guide to fighting for, consolidating and holding power, this Renaissance ‘how to’ guide is still relevant in the 21st century. For any young, ambitious gentleman The Prince is a wonderful introduction to negotiating your way to the top and dealing with those that might hinder your ascent. Pertinent to almost any sector – be it commerce, politics, retail, academia or medicine – The Prince is a how to guide for the truly ambitious.

THE GONZO PAPERS BY HUNTER S. THOMPSON

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Hunter S. Thompson is perhaps the hippest journo that has ever lived, even beating the great Tom Wolfe into second place. He is the reason we have BuzzFeed and Vice, Mashable and Louis Theroux documentaries and was a trendsetter with his trademark ‘gonzo’ journalism. The Gonzo Papers is a four-volume series, compiled of selected writings of Thompson from 1979 to 1994. As most of the texts are from newspaper/magazine articles, much of the content is easy to simply dip in and out of when the mood takes you – perfect for the capricious, modern gentleman.

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