The old man and the sea by Ernest Hemingway

This is a short book that can easily be read in one sitting (and really shouldn't be read any other way). The story is essentially just an old man alone in a boat, fishing. While the plot can pretty thoroughly be summarized in a paragraph, this is not what the book is about. What really makes this book special is the way in which you feel as if this is a real old man, on his boat in the middle of the sea. That sounds simple and unremarkable, but The old man and the sea really creates a complete reality in a way I've not encountered anywhere else.

At any rate, even if you do find it a boring story about an old dude and a fish, the book is over in a couple of hours. So go read it already.