[suranyami]

This is gonna sound a bit corny, but it impacted me for reasons that will become clear: "1984", by George Orwell.

I was 13 at the time, and I was lucky enough to have a passionate English teacher that gave us challenging books to review. I chose "1984". It was the first book I'd read, up to that point, that didn't have a "Hollywood ending". The hero didn't save the day and get the girl… just the victory of tyranny over individualism. Admittedly, I had read a lot of crap, up till then.

As the leader directly tells Winston (i.e. you, the reader): "If you want a picture of the future, think of a boot stamping on a human face - forever."

I was gripped by the writing up till the very last words, then a panic set in… I thought that there were pages missing… I literally checked that someone hadn't torn out the last chapter where everything is made right again. No. There was no liberation. I sat stunned for the better part of an hour.

"The Dispossessed" by Ursula le Guin: never have I experienced the idea of a working anarchism described in such a genuinely coherent form.

[cwover]

My immediate thought after reading the question was also the very last sentence of 1984. It was the first time that a book caused me to feel a deeply visceral, lasting emotional response. Reading through the first 99% of the book, I found it a well written and engaging book, but all of that just lead up to the very last sentence. It absolutely hit me like a truck. I also just sat stunned after finishing the book.