The Last Samurai, by Helen deWitt

This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite books of all time. I go around shoving it at people, pushing them to read it: it will change their life. It's hilarious and touching and so smart. It's definitely a Book For Intellectuals--not because it's only accessible to them, but because it's such a clever and yet loving mockery of them. I have a whole page of quotes from the book saved on my computer, and often, very often, I think to myself some of my favorite lines: "there are people who think death a fate worse than boredom"; "He was a linguist, and therefore he had pushed the bounds of obstinacy well beyond anything that is conceivable to other men"; "Like a man who plays Yesterday on the piano with Brahmsian amplitude and lushness and so casually kicks aside the thing which is the very essence of the song he is like the Percy Faith Orchestra playing Satisfaction." This book has everything a book should offer: humor, interesting characters, a puzzle of a plot, lots of allusions, pithy, wise statements, intelligence, class, fun, and, in the end, a genuine, rousing, uplifting conclusion. I can't say enough good things about it. Read it. It will change your life.