Books can be a source of inspiration, entertainment, knowledge, or even an outlet for catharsis of one’s mind and soul.
Reading is an an activity that can be recommended for any group of audience from a child to the elderly. It expands your mind and opens you up to experience different sensations and feelings that could be repressed in one’s self.
Reading per se is still not the only important thing that should be noted down. Another aspect that you should give equal relevance to is what you read.
One can only read several books in their lifetime so it is best that you choose the best among the literary works that have been written until now.
In this article, we will look at some of the best and top-rated works of literature that will help you to make the most out of your reading journey.
1. As a man thinketh – James Allen
Published in 1903 As a Man Thinketh by James Allen is one of the best self-help books in the world.
The book was best described by the author himself when he said this about the book: “A book that will help you to help yourself”. It does exactly so by teaching us to take control of our minds and thoughts to remake and transform our lives for the better.
The book gives you three important lessons that you could keep in mind while you go through life.
These three devices revolve around notions of How your thoughts manifest your actions, How much role you have in shaping the world simultaneously when it shapes you, and how much role your thoughts have in determining how fast you age or how young you stay.
Summarising the above details it can be said that this book will be transformative to your mind and by the agency of which your entire life.
2. Brothers Karamazov – Fyodor Dostoevtsky
Widely acclaimed as one of the most profound thinkers of all time Fyodor Dostoevsky sets a feast in front of us with his book Brothers Karamazov. The Book, which was published in the late 1800s still holds relevance with its commentary on the human condition.
The novel talks about faith, free will, morality, doubt, and reason all through the guise of complicated yet relatable characters.
The book showcases a compelling storyline that is bound to make the readers wish for more and more as they follow through the pages. The story revolves around a simple plot that is expressed to its fullest through the philosophical lens of the three Karamazov brothers.
The eldest of the brothers Dmitri Karamazov is a personification of hedonistic tendencies while the middle brother represents nihilism and the youngest of them Alyosha represents a state of existentialism.
The book is a classical example of a perfect amalgamation of philosophy and actuality expressed through skillfully written characters.
3. Born a Crime- Trevor Noah
The popular South African comedian, writer, and political commentator who is widely known for his hosting gig at the hit American television program Daily Show opens up about his childhood in South Africa Under the Apartheid regime.
He talks about adversity, discrimination, and social prejudice that he faced for being born to a black mother and a white father, which at the time was considered a crime hence giving relevance to the title which he has given to the book: “Born a Crime”.
One of the things that you will notice while reading the book is that Trevor Noah has cleverly ingrained his signature sense of humor into every story and character that he details in his book.
This elevates the reading experience for the reader and further helps them to reconcile and understand the tragedies of the past from a much more interesting perspective.
The book is one of the highly rated ones on Amazon’s Goodreads and was one of the best sellers at the time of its release.
4. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald
The story takes place in the Jazz Age on Long Island, U.S., and narrates the story of the interactions between Nick Carraway, a World War 2 veteran working in the city as a stockbroker, and Jay Gatsby, a millionaire with a mysterious life, and a lifestyle that we can only describe as highly flamboyant.
The novel which was later adapted into a movie and directed by Baz Luhrmann visualizes the obsession of Gatsby to reunite with his lost lover.
The novel depicts the inherent duality of people that everyone seems to forget about. One such instance of proof of this involves the abandonment that one of the main characters in the novel faces towards the end of the story.
The novel is a must-read as it opens up one’s mind to acknowledge that often times what’s behind all the glitz and glamour that we see in front of us might actually be desperation and misery.
5. 1984 – George Orwell
One of the classics from the list, George Orwell’s dystopian novel acts as a warning to all those who blindly follow the path that they have been told to follow.
Orwell takes us to a future where everyone is under the theocratic rule of a supreme all-watching entity known by the name “Big Brother”.
The novel shows a world in a constant state of war where all that is valued is devotion to the system and what is encouraged is the feeling of nationalism.
In this story we see the protagonist Winston Smith try to navigate through the system and discover the truth about the nature of people and how they act while in groups and blinded by a common agenda.
6. One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The novel, often cited as one of the most supreme achievements in world literature tells the story of the Buendia family and the fictitious town of Macondo which the the male-dominant of the family Jose Arcadio Buendia founded.
The novel written by the famed Latin American novelist describes the tragic tale of the Buendia family and Jose Arcadio Buendia all of which is set to reflect on the fate of Latin America while referencing multiple events that happened in it or are bound to happen to it.
7. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austin
Jane Austin was one of the earliest female authors in history. Her novel Pride and Prejudice deals with the depiction of a woman as someone whose worth is defined by her conformity to certain norms and etiquette.
The story which was written as a romantic comedy revolves around the theme of love and the struggles that one has to navigate through while respecting the social structures that were of the utmost importance in the cultured society at the time.
The novel has been interpreted in plenty of ways and has been reimagined using several different means such as drama, film, and television productions.
8. Anna Karenina- Leo Tolstoy
Considered one of the greatest works of literature ever written, Anna Karenina describes the life of the protagonist Anna, a woman who abandons her hollow existence as the wife of Karenin to navigate through a tale of love and passion with a cavalry officer by the name of Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky.
The story goes through her journey afterward while maintaining a constant limelight on the societal expectations and complexities of the world.
Leo Tolstoy has himself described it as his first true novel and publicly acknowledged by many famous writers, publishers, and avid readers to be one of the best books to be written.
9. The Divine Comedy- Dante Alighieri
Everyone has heard of the concepts of Heaven and Hell but have you ever wondered how Heaven and Hell are described in medieval literary works? Dante’s “The Divine Comedy” is your best option to satisfy your curiosity.
For all those who want to indulge themselves in a work of literary masterclass of ideas that vividly describes the journey of Dante through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.
The novel describes Dante’s journey through all of these biblical concepts with a humanistic touch to it.
The novel is considered one of the earliest works in Italian literature and the work that familiarized us with the 9 circles of hell. Divine Comedy is one of the best books that you can pick up from your nearby library the next time you are there.
10. Atomic Habits – James Clear
Known to be one of the most practical and resourceful sources of wisdom and a comprehensive guide to self-improvement the book Atomic Habits is one of the most highly acclaimed works that has been released in the past few years.
The book helps its readers set a clear path in their lives by urging them to make small changes in their lives to commit to a much larger change in their lives. The content of the book is kept entertaining and is easy to follow for any kind of reader.
As one of the highest-rated books on Goodreads and in the Amazon catalog Atomic Habits is one of the best books of the 21st century.
Also Read: Top 10 Blockchain Books You Should Read
Final Thoughts
One thing that we see in common among some of the greatest minds of every generation is their common collective love for books and literature. It is the one thing that is believed to set one apart from the group.
To start your journey into this world all that you have left to do now is to pick any of these books and start reading.
