And two books that are not so important to him:
A classic that, on rereading, disappointed:
Alan Paton's Cry, The Beloved Country. Still a great book, but it has not aged well.
A Certified Important Book that you haven't read:
A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking. I tried; I really tried.
Read more about Alexander McCall Smith's five most important books.
--Marshal Zeringue