There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life

[TransitJohn]

There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.

[bananas]

1. Mork from Orc?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mork_%26_Mindy

[DCKit]

2. I read both, now I'm twisted. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

3. I guess I lucked out, then, because 14 was when I discovered Robert Anton Wilson.

:shrug:

[cali]

4. there are far, far more than 2 novels that can change a bookish 14 year old's life

One book that changed mine at that age, that I found in MaPa's library, was The Well of Loneliness
http://www.amazon.com/Well-Loneliness-Radclyffe-Hall/dp/0385416091
T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland was also a seminal read for me at that age. As was Robert Lowell's For The Union Dead. So was a Picture of Dorian Grey, the novels of Jane Austen and quite a few other titles.

[vi5]

5. Good one...Do I need to credit if I use this line?

Or did you cop it from someone else? Either way I like it.

Based on the other responses in this thread it doesn't seem like they got that it was supposed to be a joke (Pssst....I don't really think the OP actually believes there are only two novels that can change a 14 year olds life).

[NWHarkness]

6. Attributed to John Rogers

http://www.paclink.com/~ascott/they/quotesr.htm