Saturday 9 April 2016

What Are The Best Books To Read?

By Lisa Fox


There is nothing quite like sitting with a good book and escaping to another world through literature. The best books to read are arguably the ones that have managed to continue topping bestseller lists time and time again around the world and receive critical acclaim even now, sometimes over a century after first being published. The following is a few of such books.

'Don Quixote', written by Miguel De Cervantes, is a book that was published in 1605 and 1615 in two separate volumes. This is one of the most influential pieces of Spanish literature. The story follows the protagonist - Alonso Quixano - as he sets out on a journey to revive chivalry and uphold justice, having lost all common sense and sanity after reading too many romances. His sidekick, Sancho Panza provides witty comic relief throughout.

Charles Dickens' 'A Tale Of Two Cities' is interesting in that it was published in parts on a monthly basis in 1859. Much of Dickens' work was published in monthly installments in his literary periodical All The Year Round. The novel is set in parallel worlds of London and Paris leading up to the French Revolution, documenting the frustration and uneasiness of the lower class following terrible treatment by those in the aristocracy.

J. R. R. Tolkien has two of his works on bestselling lists around the world and both were made into blockbuster Hollywood movies. 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings' are both classed as fantasy novels for children. However, the writing in these works is so wonderful that, much like J. K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' series, the books are read by audiences of all ages.

'The Hobbit' came out at the end of 1937. It tells the story of a hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who is not really remarkable in any way, until he sets out on an adventure. Bilbo is on the hunt for treasure that is supposed to be closely guarded by none other than a dragon. The book has won the title of best juvenile fiction and was even nominated for none other than the Carnegie Medal.

'The Lord of the Rings' was originally intended to be the sequel to 'The Hobbit', but the literary work grew so large over the years that it stood well by itself when it was finished in 1949. The story follows 3 hobbits from the Shire along with their traveling companions. They are on a quest through Middle Earth and the tale details the War of the Ring through their perspective. The book is broken into three volumes: the first is 'The Fellowship of the Ring'; the second is 'The Two Towers' and the third 'The Return of the King'.

'The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupery holds the fourth spot in the world's most translated books. It also holds the title of the best book of the twentieth century in France. It is a simple book which tells the story of the communication and conversation between a pilot stranded in the desert and a young prince who has come to Earth on an asteroid.

When it comes to mentioning some of the greatest books of all time, Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist' surely makes the cut. The Brazilian author has many highly acclaimed works under his belt, however, 'The Alchemist' is a story about the ultimate quest for self-knowledge and understanding. The key theme in this book is that of destiny.




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