- Milorad Pavic came across even translated. Highly recommend both the Dictionary (I read the feminine version ;P) and Landscape Painted with Tea. The former is quite intriguing to say the least, and the latter is simply beautiful and pleasure to read. (The latter also most certainly did influence my objection to NATO dispossessing the Serbs from their holy homeland.)

- The first half of Lolita. Almost perfect. Amazes me that the guy was not an Irishman and rather a Russian.

- Gabriel García Márquez and One Hundred Years of Solitude. Can't imagine how beautiful that must read in Spanish. Hugely influenced my own writing when I was younger. Love those epic paragraphs.

For Iranians, there are many candidate books, but there is the singular presence and impact of Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), written by Ferdowsi and by every account singularly responsible for rescuing Iranians from the fate of other nations steamrolled by the corrosive Arab occupation -- look at the poor Egyptians and Syrians, for example. That book is responsible for the fact that Persian is still spoken. We name our sons and daughters from the characters of that book. Then there are the poets and these days two of them (Mowlana aka Rumi and Hafiz) are rather hip in certain Western circles.

(One of our great works of literature -- kinda like the "Gulf" -- has gotten hijacked and goes by the moniker of "1001 Arabian Nights, complete with Persian characters and not an Arab character in sight. It used to be called Hezar (1000) Afsaneh (Stories).

Of the holy books, certain passages of OT -- just read in sing song Genesis and be amazed -- The Song of Solomon, certain Psalms of David, and of course portions of The Gospels are very dear. The Qur'an's ace in the sleeve is in fact its aural impact on the reader/listener; it has a remarkably powerful voice; I have not encountered anything like it in my years.

But then there is The Gita. I love the Gita.