MY FAVOURITE NOVELS
September 12, 2017We all have those books we always reach for, no matter how many new ones we buy. I'm guilty of this, as I'm sure many others are. Currently, I'm running out of space in my room to contain my addiction, yet I still don't make time to read what I have before buying something new - I'm a literature student, can you really blame me for having so many books? Instead, I always find myself lost in one of my favourites again and again. Once you find those books that instantly excite, enthral and enchant you, it's hard to let them go in favour of something new. Today, I want to share with you my favourite novels that I keep being drawn back into on those days where I simply have nothing else to read.
"TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" - HARPER LEE
TKAM is hands down my absolute favourite novel, ever. I originally read it when I was about 13, and I didn't enjoy it one bit, but that's because I didn't fully understand the concept or the premise of the book. It wasn't until I studied it for my GCSEs that I began to love and appreciate the story. My teacher used to read aloud and give each character their own accent and charm, so by bringing them to life, her teachings helped me truly understand what the novel is about.
Set in the midst of racial tensions in a Southern state of America, the novel follows two children, Scout and Jem, as they grow up against this backdrop. It explores themes of innocence, growing up and discovery, as they realise the town they grew up in, and the people they know and love, aren't as wonderful as they appear to be. It's split into two halves, and the second half deals with their father's defence of a man of colour as he stands trial for allegedly raping a young, white woman. It's heartbreaking, disgusting, and it truly helped open my eyes to the injustice that still continues to affect POC today. Previously, I buried my head in the sand when it came to social justice issues, but inside I knew I had to speak out and listen. TKAM taught me that, and it also taught me the most important lesson that runs throughout the novel;
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
"A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN" - JAMES JOYCE
I had previously attempted to read some of Joyce's other novels before I studied "A Portrait...", but for some reason I could never get into them. Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of Irish literature in general. I find it all a bit too, "woe betide me," and heavily focused on the complexities of being "Irish." When I studied this novel, I still wasn't too enthused by it, however I chose to write an essay on it (mainly because there were NO other novels on the course I enjoyed,) and I found that once I began to delve deeper into the novel, it began to open up to me.
It's a complicated tale of intellectual rebellion and awakening, as the central character Stephen distances himself from the traditional Catholic and Irish teaching and traditions he has been taught, and his eventual immigration to Europe. This had parallels with Joyce's own life, and Stephen is essentially a fictional version of the author himself. It's not an easy book to read, and it's certainly not one I would recommend to a casual reader, but nonetheless, it's one that I enjoy.
"THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME" - MARK HADDON
Is there anyone out there who hasn't read and enjoyed this book? I have to say, I was a little slow to catch onto the hype surrounding it. When it felt like everyone and their dog started to read it, I was very much in the "Bleh, young adult novels are lame, I want to read grown-up books," stage of my life, so I didn't read this until very recently. I loved it. It made me laugh, cry and audibly gasp at certain parts, and it all started with one boy and a dog.
The novel takes several twists and turns, and inspires Christopher, the young boy, to write his own murder-mystery novel, the very same book that I love reading so much. If you're looking for something intriguing, heart-breaking, but still light and full of laughter, "The Curious Incident..." is a must read.
"REASONS TO STAY ALIVE" - MATT HAIG
I'm sure by now everyone has at least heard of, if not already read this book, and it is well worth the hype. This autobiography follows the author's story of battling mental illness, documenting both highs and lows, and how to deal with your own mental health. His advice is honestly invaluable, and if my boyfriend hadn't talked me into buying it when we were in Waterstones, goodness knows what sort of state my mental health would be in now.
I spotted it after my last really bad depressed slump about two years ago, and of course my mental health hasn't been perfect since, but it has been nowhere near as bad. When I feel myself beginning to struggle, I like to flip to a random page in the book and start reading. Matt Haig's informal style of lists, stories and personal anecdotes make for very easy reading. What I found particularly refreshing about the book, is that Haig wasn't patronising or preachy in his advice, and his honest documentation of his MH was something I could really relate to. I've never been good at asking for help, and I'm the type of person that would much rather battle through something alone, and this novel became my companion, my shoulder to cry on when I was afraid of getting eyeliner on anyone's shirt. I couldn't recommend it enough.
"A CLOCKWORK ORANGE" - ANTHONY BURGESS
WARNING: this novel is not an easy read, and it's certainly not for the faint of heart. Actually, none of the next three books are particularly placid in their content, so if you're not a fan of blood, gore and foul language it's probably best we part ways here.
I feel like a bit of a psychopath admitted that this is one of my favourite novels, and people are a little taken aback when I mention it. The language is a hybrid of English and every other Eastern European slang imaginable, so that in itself can put a lot of people off reading (to be honest, any book that needs an index to understand can put a lot of people off reading it), and the subject matter is not something you can view through rose-tinted spectacles. Alex and his group of friends go on violent, drug-induced rampages, where they rob, rape and pillage innocent civilians for fun, and this criminal activity eventually lands Alex in prison, where he becomes subject to electro-therapy to help "cure" him of his ill intentions. Is it a book I should enjoy? Probably not, but when I started reading I just couldn't put it down.
"THE BUTCHER BOY" - PATRICK MCCABE
In case you couldn't tell already, I'm a little bit of a gore fanatic at heart. I studied this novel in my final year of high school, and again in my first year of university, and I genuinely believe I was the only person to enjoy it. Again, it's a bloodbath that lacks punctuation, but does have a very descriptive, somewhat compelling illustration of a turd. Yep, a turd.
Asides from that, the novel follows Francie, a young boy who struggles to find his place in his small rural community. He doesn't fit in, his family don't fit in and he faces constant ridicule from his peers and neighbours, and there is only so much pressure one young boy can take. It's gruesome reading, and there are some parts I can't stomach to read more than once, but it's fantastic how Patrick McCabe manages to make his audience root for this murderous misfit. It's funny, violent and definitely not an accurate representation of rural Irish communities.
"EUREKA STREET" - ROBERT MCLIAM WILSON
I normally stay far, far away from Northern Irish literature, and particularly anything that focuses on The Troubles, but "Eureka Street" isn't like that. If you're expected a full-blown education into the political climate of Northern Ireland at the time, this is not the novel for you. Instead, McLiam Wilson focuses on the everyday lives of two young men, divided by religion, against the backdrop of the violence in Belfast during the 90's, as they struggle to find their place in a city that has been torn apart by civil "war."
It all comes to a head in the centre of the book, where an explosion devastates the city and changes the paths of the character's lives. It's heartbreaking, and as someone who was born after the ceasefire of 1994, I can't imagine the fear people in my country felt doing even the simplest of tasks. I found this bookmark placed at this very chapter, and it put everything into perspective. By the time I finished the novel, my heart was full of sadness, but I couldn't wait to read it again.
Have you read any of these novels? What's your favourite book?
I hope you enjoyed reading about mine, and maybe you're even eager to read some yourself!
Until next time,
Rachel x
I'm sure by now everyone has at least heard of, if not already read this book, and it is well worth the hype. This autobiography follows the author's story of battling mental illness, documenting both highs and lows, and how to deal with your own mental health. His advice is honestly invaluable, and if my boyfriend hadn't talked me into buying it when we were in Waterstones, goodness knows what sort of state my mental health would be in now.
I spotted it after my last really bad depressed slump about two years ago, and of course my mental health hasn't been perfect since, but it has been nowhere near as bad. When I feel myself beginning to struggle, I like to flip to a random page in the book and start reading. Matt Haig's informal style of lists, stories and personal anecdotes make for very easy reading. What I found particularly refreshing about the book, is that Haig wasn't patronising or preachy in his advice, and his honest documentation of his MH was something I could really relate to. I've never been good at asking for help, and I'm the type of person that would much rather battle through something alone, and this novel became my companion, my shoulder to cry on when I was afraid of getting eyeliner on anyone's shirt. I couldn't recommend it enough.
"A CLOCKWORK ORANGE" - ANTHONY BURGESS
WARNING: this novel is not an easy read, and it's certainly not for the faint of heart. Actually, none of the next three books are particularly placid in their content, so if you're not a fan of blood, gore and foul language it's probably best we part ways here.
I feel like a bit of a psychopath admitted that this is one of my favourite novels, and people are a little taken aback when I mention it. The language is a hybrid of English and every other Eastern European slang imaginable, so that in itself can put a lot of people off reading (to be honest, any book that needs an index to understand can put a lot of people off reading it), and the subject matter is not something you can view through rose-tinted spectacles. Alex and his group of friends go on violent, drug-induced rampages, where they rob, rape and pillage innocent civilians for fun, and this criminal activity eventually lands Alex in prison, where he becomes subject to electro-therapy to help "cure" him of his ill intentions. Is it a book I should enjoy? Probably not, but when I started reading I just couldn't put it down.
"THE BUTCHER BOY" - PATRICK MCCABE
In case you couldn't tell already, I'm a little bit of a gore fanatic at heart. I studied this novel in my final year of high school, and again in my first year of university, and I genuinely believe I was the only person to enjoy it. Again, it's a bloodbath that lacks punctuation, but does have a very descriptive, somewhat compelling illustration of a turd. Yep, a turd.
Asides from that, the novel follows Francie, a young boy who struggles to find his place in his small rural community. He doesn't fit in, his family don't fit in and he faces constant ridicule from his peers and neighbours, and there is only so much pressure one young boy can take. It's gruesome reading, and there are some parts I can't stomach to read more than once, but it's fantastic how Patrick McCabe manages to make his audience root for this murderous misfit. It's funny, violent and definitely not an accurate representation of rural Irish communities.
"EUREKA STREET" - ROBERT MCLIAM WILSON
I normally stay far, far away from Northern Irish literature, and particularly anything that focuses on The Troubles, but "Eureka Street" isn't like that. If you're expected a full-blown education into the political climate of Northern Ireland at the time, this is not the novel for you. Instead, McLiam Wilson focuses on the everyday lives of two young men, divided by religion, against the backdrop of the violence in Belfast during the 90's, as they struggle to find their place in a city that has been torn apart by civil "war."
It all comes to a head in the centre of the book, where an explosion devastates the city and changes the paths of the character's lives. It's heartbreaking, and as someone who was born after the ceasefire of 1994, I can't imagine the fear people in my country felt doing even the simplest of tasks. I found this bookmark placed at this very chapter, and it put everything into perspective. By the time I finished the novel, my heart was full of sadness, but I couldn't wait to read it again.
Have you read any of these novels? What's your favourite book?
I hope you enjoyed reading about mine, and maybe you're even eager to read some yourself!
Until next time,
Rachel x
2 comments
Now I really want to read Reasons To Stay Alive, all of these books sound amazing but it's great to hear how much you benefited from it. Books can be very powerful things x
ReplyDeleteAlice www.accordingtoalicex.com
I agree, and it's an absolutely phenomenal book, I couldn't recommend it enough to anyone! x
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