If you are an avid reader, then there are some books that you absolutely have to read. The average person can read around 4,600 books in their lifetime. That isn’t a lot of books, so one needs to select one’s reading list carefully in order to make it as impactful as possible.
Try to be open to other genres, so that you can get the most out of reading. There are lots for you to explore that you may have never considered. This article will tell you about six iconic books that you should read:
Apology
Apology is a literary transcription of three speeches made by Socrates, a Greek philosopher credited with founding Western Philosophy, by Plato. According to the people behind theartofliving.com/book-summaries, Plato was Socrates’ student and Aristotle’s teacher. The speeches featured in Apology were made by Socrates when he was on trial for disregarding the gods of Greece and “misleading” the state’s youth. It is a book that everybody interested in philosophy should read. It can be found online and in bookshops. It is widely distributed, so you won’t have difficulty finding it.
Let It Come Down
Let It Come Down is one of Paul Bowles’ masterworks. Bowles was one of the “Beat Generation,” who flew to Tangier, Morocco, and lived among countercultural legends like author William S. Burroughs and Mick Jagger’s mentor, the art dealer Christopher Gibbs. Let It Come Down is a bleak look into a disillusioned American’s life. The protagonist arrives in Tangier, searching for a new life. Instead, he finds misery, tragedy, and corruption. Let It Come Down has been described as a very bleak, depressing novel. Even so, it is one that everybody should read at least once in their lives.
Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment are often regarded as one of the world’s best books. It was written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, a Russian author. The book tells of a young student, Raskolnikov, who murders a moneylender in a robbery gone awry. The book continues from there, with Raskolnikov’s descent into madness. Crime and Punishment is one of Dostoevsky’s best books, and one of the 19th century’s greatest literary achievements. As with all of the books featured on this list, it is widely printed and can be found in bookshops throughout the world. Crime and Punishment is worth reading if are interested in understanding the human condition.
The Catcher In the Rye
The Catcher In the Rye is famous for all the wrong reasons. The book was authored by reclusive American writer JD Salinger. Sadly, the man who assassinated British musician John Lennon claimed that the book was his “statement” to the world. On the night that Lennon’s killer Mark Chapman killed Lennon, Chapman stood, waiting for the police to arrive, reading A Catcher In the Rye. The book is about a teenager who leaves school, returning to New York where his family lives. Instead of going home, however, the story’s protagonist Holden instead goes on an adventure. It is something everybody should read once. It is the exploration of a teenage boy, disillusioned with his life and the “phoneys” he is surrounded by, alienated from his youth.
Catch-22
Catch-22 is a novel written by Joseph Keller, about a U.S. Army pilot’s adventures in the Second World War. The protagonist, Yossarian, is stationed in the Mediterranean and flies bombing missions into occupied Europe. Yossarian attempts to cope with the madness, violence, and chaos that surrounds him. Despite the book’s dark subject matter, in places, it is very comical. Yossarian himself is a very complex character. Catch-22 should be read once by everybody. The book is often regarded, along with Crime and Punishment, to be one of the world’s best books. This is in part due to the author’s ability to make an incredibly bleak tale funny and engaging.
The Brothers Karamazov
The Brothers Karamazov is another of Dostoevsky’s masterworks. It was the last book completed by the author before his death and is regarded by many to be his best. The book tells of family infighting, religious corruption, and mystery. The Brothers Karamazov is a very long book, but it is worth reading if you have the time. If you struggle to get through it, as many people do, then you can start it and go back to it over time. The book is divided into smaller “books,” so try tackling one book at a time, with breaks between each book for you to think about what you have just read.
There are so many iconic books, this list could never include them all. With that said, this list features some of the most iconic books ever written; ones that simply cannot go unread. As has been stressed throughout, they are all widely available.