The Best Fiction Books, category Others, suggested and reviewed by Escalating Knowledge.
Albert Camus' 1947 novel ''The Plague'' tells the story of an outbreak of bubonic plague in the Algerian city of Oran in the 1940s. At over 4,900 words, this review gives a comprehensive analysis of the plot, themes, characters, literary devices, and the continued relevance of the novel more than 70 years after its publication.
The first signs of trouble in Oran emerge when rats emerge from buildings and sewers to die painfully in the streets. When the first human victim also perishes from a mysterious illness, the people of Oran carry on with life, unaware of the unfolding tragedy in their midst.
As more people fall sick, the truth becomes apparent - bubonic plague threatens to consume the city. Authorities impose quarantines and restrictions on movement, trapping the citizens together with the invisible killer disease ravaging their community.
Erskine Caldwell's 1933 novel God's Little Acre instantly shot to fame and notoriety upon its release. Within the first year, the book sold over 10 million copies, an astronomical number proving its widespread popularity. However, not all readers reacted positively. In fact, the novel stirred immense controversy across America.
Why did this simple tale of a Southern farmer obsessively searching for gold on his land provoke such passionate responses from the public? What exactly made God's Little Acre so scandalous in its heyday?
As we'll explore in this informal review, the novel's frank portrayal of sexuality challenged repressive societal norms in 1930s America. Modern readers may find it hard to see what all the early fuss was about. But understanding a bit of context helps shed light on why Caldwell's story pushed so many buttons.
First, let's set the stage by peering into the lives of the main characters…
What would you do if you learned your beloved college professor, a man who fundamentally shaped your worldview, was dying from a terminal illness? Would you travel cross-country to visit him one last time? For acclaimed sportswriter Mitch Albom, news of sociology professor Morrie Schwartz’s ALS diagnosis compelled him to do just that.
I found myself on the edge of my seat as, in Tuesdays with Morrie, Mitch described their emotional reunion. Sixteen years after graduation, Mitch spotted Morrie speaking lovingly about living and dying from his wheelchair on TV. Mitch was stunned. The “coach” who had mentored him in college—a man brimming with passion for life even while battling a lethal disease—was now in his final months. Mitch knew he needed to see his professor one last time.
So began Mitch and Morrie’s series of fourteen “Tuesdays together” in the professor’s study. As Morrie’s body failed him, he shared his evolving views on everything from family to emotions to money to marriage. Captivated, Mitch returned week after week to document these precious final lessons.
Michelle Obama’s memoir “Becoming” gives us an extraordinarily personal glimpse into the life of one of the most influential women in modern history. As the first African American First Lady, Obama captivated the world not only through her intelligence, strength, and style, but through her authenticity. This book allows readers to truly get to know Michelle Obama on an intimate level.
You know the feeling when you finish an exceptionally captivating book? You slowly close the back cover, sigh wistfully, caress the smooth book jacket, flip through the pages again as if to cling to the stories for just a few moments more. That's how I felt when I turned the final page on Jhumpa Lahiri's debut short story collection "Interpreter of Maladies.”
Welcome to the enchanting world of Ken Follett's epic saga, "The Pillars of the Earth." In this comprehensive review, we will embark on a profound exploration of the novel's multifaceted layers, delving into the richness of its historical tapestry, the symphony of suspense woven throughout, and the timeless themes of love and ambition that resonate across centuries.
Blistering with authenticity and adventure, James Clavell’s wildly popular novel “Shōgun” vaults readers into feudal Japan during one of the nation’s most pivotal eras. Published in 1975, this 1,152-page epic drama was groundbreaking for vividly depicting the insular world of rival warlords, scheming Jesuit missionaries, stark violence and rigid rituals that defined medieval Japan. Captivating to this day as a mammoth commercial success with over 14 million copies sold, "Shōgun’s" intricately woven tapestry of fictional ambitions, unlikely alliances, brutal betrayals and exotic cultures crystallizes around the remarkable central character of John Blackthorne.
All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, is a beautifully written story that shines even through the darkness of war. Spanning decades and crossing continents, Doerr weaves an intricately crafted tale of two young people trying to survive in the midst of WW2 in France.
We've all experienced times when it felt like the world around us was going mad. Everything was confusing, stressful, or seemed downright nonsensical. Perhaps you can relate if I describe the start of World War I as one of those periods in history. As cross-border tensions exploded into outright war between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and other European powers, the little people got caught up in the overbearing machinery of armies and governments.
In the novel The Good Soldier Švejk, Czech author Jaroslav Hašek plunges us into this baffling time through the eyes of his protagonist, Švejk. And let me tell you, it makes for an absurd yet poignant read. Hašek satirizes the cluelessness of authorities and the pointlessness of war through Švejk's hilarious actions and disarming idiocy.
The classic American novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a sequel to his previous work, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. First published in 1884 in the United Kingdom and then in 1885 in the United States, the book is considered one of the Great American Novels and a landmark of American literature. Like its predecessor, the story is told in the first person by Huckleberry "Huck" Finn, a friend of Tom Sawyer.
