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Recommendations
Books I think everyone has to read at least once
Crime and Punishment- Fyodor Dostoyevsky
In my opinion, if you want to understand human behaviour and psychology, the classics is an illuminating place to start. Dostoyevsky's best-known work is a perfect example of this. The main plot, without spoilers, begins when a poor student, Raskolnikov, who constantly ruminates on the meaninglessness and poverty of his life, gets into a headspace where murdering his land-lady is the only possible outcome. The resultant cat and mouse story between him and a police officer gives some of the best and non-preachy musings on morality ever written as Raskolnikov's guilt, despite his nihilistic philosophy, begins to strangle him.
Popcorn- Ben Elton
It makes sense that the writer behind Blackadder and The Young Ones would write a novel that was also immensely funny, with descriptions and tangents that make you think, but most importantly, for a comedy novel, makes you laugh as well.
It follows an edgy, Tarantino-esque director who made it to Hollywood through making ultraviolent films, as he navigates censorship, sick-minded fans and press that believe his films are responsible for the rise in violent crime. It is hilarious, but it is also a clever satire of Hollywood stardom, life imitating art and those who would curtail freedom of speech for their own party.
Frankenstein- Mary Shelley
For a gothic tragedy with a philosophical edge, there is no better novel in my mind than this one. Most people may think of the monster as a Boris Karloff mask that is dressed up as for Halloween. However, the original monster, created by the titular Victor Frankenstein, is a deeply wounded, incomplete being who vows revenge against his creator, against life itself, consumed by his own rage. It is a terrifying meditation on man playing God and what it means to be alive. It is also just beautifully written, with many religious connotations woven into lyrical description and character moments.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Attempting to describe this book in a condensed way, is like trying to whittle down a mountain with a wooden spoon. It might take a long time, but it is just possible.
First of all, it is far more enjoyable than your English teacher made it sound. Second, despite this, it does take some time to really sink your teeth into, at least that's what it was like for me. However, once you do fully immerse yourself, you are rewarded with a tale of epic historical scope that took the author most of his life to pen. In the context of a Russia trying to handle turbulent political strife while dealing with Napoleon's invasion in 1812, there are profound character journeys that deal with the loss of love and innocence, questioning of faith and beliefs, all in war-torn battlefields, ornate ballrooms and villages full of people simply trying to survive. Like all great novels, this one ultimately contends with the human condition, which is why I'm certain it will last forever.
Certain editions of this one come in divided volumes, so there are definitely accessible ways to check this one out.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
It says something about my respect for this series that it appears on this website twice, but then I don't need much of an excuse to talk about one of my favourite books of all time (and yes, I do count the three volumes as one book).
A product of the author's passion for language and his fascination with Celtic, Norse and Anglo-Saxon words and mythology, it is a old-school, archetypal tale of good vs evil, adventure, overcoming seemingly impossible odds and the ultimate triumph of light over dark.
I don't need to detail the story any more, better people than me have done so, but I will just say that it's deep worldbuilding and history, compelling characters and artistic value (artwork, the fantastic films, etc) are second to none. All of which I could take up dozens of pages talking about, which I will, on my blog, at rigorous length.
Now, if only Amazon Prime Video would've left it the hell alone.
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