Books that everybody should own

It doesn’t matter whether you are a bibliophile or not, whether you like to read or not, there some literary works that you must absolutely read and have in your bookcase.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Renowned American novelist Ernest Hemmingway wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls in Sun Valley, Idaho, Key West, Florida and Havana, Cuba in 1939. The book was published in 1940 and tells the story of young American dynamiter, Robert Jordan, who is assigned to blow up a bridge at the city of Segovia during the Spanish Civil War. The novel is considered to be one of Hemingway’s best books, alongside The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell to Arms and The Sun Also Rises, all of which you must own in your personal library.

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies is a novel written by prominent English author William Golding. The book was published in 1954 and didn’t made a great start during its release – selling less than 3.000 copies. Soon after it became a best-seller and won a Nobel-Prize for Literature. Lord of the Flies recounts the story of a group of allegedly well-behaved British boys who are stranded on a remote and uninhabited island and are forced to govern themselves. The book explores the dilemma between individual welfare and common good. Throughout the years, the novel has been adapted to film on three occasions, 1963 and 1990 (in English), and 1976 (in Filipino).

Anna Karenina

Credited to be “the greatest book ever written”, Anna Karenina is the brainchild of Russian writer Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (known Leo Tolstoy in English). The novel was published in separate series from 1875 to 1877. It was released in such fashion as the author had clashes with editor Mikhail Katkov over political issues. The first complete edition of Anna Karenina was published in 1878 and comprises of 864 pages. The novel tells the life story of Anna Karenina, a St. Petersburg aristocrat and reconnoiters a huge array of various topics.

The Little Prince

The Little Prince is the fourth most-translated book in history (250 languages and dialects, including Braille). It was written by French aristocrat, poet, writer and aviation pioneer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry during the early 1940s and published for the first time in 1943. The novella is about a young Prince who has fallen to Earth and explores various delicate subjects such as love, loss experienced, friendship and loneliness. The Little Prince is one of the best-selling books to ever be published. Sadly, the author died a year after the release of his novel and never got to know that he had written a literary masterpieces.

Into The Wild

Published in 1996, Into The Wild is a non-fiction book by American author and mountaineer, Jon Krakauer. The novel is an international best-seller and focuses on social issues such as how to be accepted into society and how finding oneself can sometimes be in conflict with morals norms and therefore hamper individuals into being active member of a community. Into The Wild has been printed 173 times and has been translated into 14 different languages. It is also used into the curriculum of some of the best educational institutions of the world. In 2007, Sean Peen adapted the novel into a feature film which starred Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde is one of the most celebrated playwrights, novelists, poets and essayists in human history, and The Picture of Dorian Gray is considered by many to be his best work. The book was published in 1890 and was heavily critised by British book reviewers as it challenged the then accepted moral standards. The novel deals with sensible issues such as self-indulgence, aestheticism and moral duplicity. Despite the initial controversy, The Picture of Dorian Gray is currently considered to be one of the most exquisite literary works of the 19^th century. While it may be Gray’s most noted book, it isn’t the only one that is worth your time and attention, so make sure the clear some space on your bookcase because one you read this novel you will certainly want to go through his entire bibliography. You can dispose of old and unwanted book by using certified rubbish removal services.

Slaughterhouse-Five

Slaughterhouse-Five is a satirical novel by American author Kurt Vonnegut. The book was released in 1969 and recounts the adventures of optometrists and soldier Billy Pilgrim during World War II. It is considered to be Vonnegut’s best work and is classified as a semi-autobiographical novel as the author has partially based the story on his own war experiences. Other notable books by Kurt Vonnegut are:

• Player Piano
• Mother Night
• God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
• Jailbird
• Timequake
• God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian
• Fates Worse Than Death

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Published in 1865, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a novel written by English mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson more commonly known as Lewis Carroll. It tells the story of a girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world that is inhabited by odd and anthropomorphic creatures. The author masterfully plays with logic and focuses on numerous delicate issues. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most popular novels in history and a testament to this is the fact that it is adored by both adults and children.

One Hundred Years of Solitude

One Hundred Years of Solitude is regarded as Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s finest novel. It was first published in 1967 in Spanish. The book was translated and released in English in 1970. Since then, it has been translated into 37 languages and over 30 million copies of it have been sold worldwide. The novel focuses on the Buendía family and its patriarch, José Arcadio Buendía, founder of the fictional town of Macondo. One Hundred Years of Solitude is credited to be one of the most important Spanish literary works.

Other notable books