There are a million books out there. But these ten are the ones which I think everyone should read during their lifetime. As they say good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader, not the fact that it is raining but the feeling of being rained upon.
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Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
A novel set against the backdrop of the American Civil War has the leading lady Miss Scarlett O’Hara- a selfish, manipulative woman, who tries to survive the war all by herself when the world around her falls down and grows from a careless, pampered girl to a self-made woman. Amidst this, she finds herself at crossroads regarding two men in her life- the one she loves the idea of being in love with and the one who she unknowingly loves.
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The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth
If there is any contemporary author who knows how to write a crime novel it is Frederick Forsyth. A French dissident paramilitary organisation hires a professional assassin- one of its kind- The Jackal to kill the French President. Spun along 380 pages is the intricate detailing of the plot, manhunt and the kill with a savage twist in the end.
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The Godfather by Mario Puzo
A crime novel, it is the story of the American Mafia. Vito Corleone or “The Godfather” as popularly called by his benefactors is the head of the 5 crime families of New York. It chronicles the tussles for power among them which facilitates the rise of Michael Corleone, the law-abiding son of the Godfather to come out from the shadows of military and take over the reins of the real business which he so rightfully deserves.
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Macbeth by Shakespeare
Let us admit nobody can make a character appear so real like Shakespeare. Macbeth, a victorious general is drunk on power and on hearing the prophecy of the witches he takes it upon himself to make those prophecies true at the cajoling of his wife.
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The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
A philosophical novel set in the 19th century Russia. It is a spiritual drama which raises the struggles of the mortals concerning faith, doubt, reason, and morality through the actions of the feuding Karamazov family.
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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Nobody is a stranger to these two vices. Elizabeth Bennet is blinded by her pride in judging people correctly and her prejudice against the rich that she fails to recognise the love of her life. The book provides a humorous insight into the customs during that period.
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Animal Farm by George Orwell
An allegorical and dystopian novel in which the animals of a local farm protest against the owner and gain control of the farm.
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Twelfth Night by Shakespeare
If nobody can write a tragedy as good as Shakespeare then the same goes for comedy. Viola and Sebastian are twins separated during a shipwreck. Viola (disguised as a boy) falls in love with Duke Orsino who in turn is in love with Countess Olivia who is in love with Viola, thinking she is a man and what ensues is a disorder.
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
A story about a boy of about 13 years named Tom Sawyer and his adventures with his orphan friend Huckleberry Finn in the fictional town of St. Petersburg.
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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
This novel explores the spirit of Christmas. As 3 Christmas ghosts pay the cold Mr. Scrooge a visit, we are taken back to his past and forward to his future, a future devoid of all happiness if Mr. Scrooge doesn’t mend his ways. It also reminds us what Christmas truly signifies- spreading happiness and being generous.
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