10 masterpieces considered one of the best books in literature
The history of storytelling dates back to when our ancestors would gather around a campfire and start creating stories. Stories have really strengthened our survival and allowed us to develop perspectives on religion, politics, law, and everything else we know.
The lists are always questionable and inconclusive; However, the following literary works are considered literary innovations in the context of their times and milestones in the formation of literature. So if you're ready to ditch the best treasures in literature, here are the top ten masterpieces that will change your life and sharpen your character.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
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| War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy |
Tolstoy is not exactly Mr. Fun Times. After all, he has a reputation for being a tormented pessimist, a stubborn eater of eggs and vegetables, and a novelist who focuses on furry-lipped protagonists! He did not write many novels (perhaps because of his monkish diet). Yet his 2,200-page book, War and Peace, is frequently described as the greatest episodic novel of all time.
War and Peace covers the period from Napoleon's conquest of Russia in 1805 to the eventual burning of Moscow in September 1812. It traces the lives of five fictional Russian aristocratic families: their rise and lineage. Tolstoy presents war in its most charming aspect by coagulation. Even Ernest Hemingway once mentioned that it was Tolstoy who taught him to write about war.
Tolstoy presents countless real historical figures, such as Tsar Alexander and Napoleon, as fierce rivals in his epic. However, Tolstoy's epic rewards success by stating that "history is the life of nations and of mankind." In fact, it is the capricious chaos of war rather than the decisions of the rulers that drives the narrative. The novel revolves around the thoughts of real characters, such as André and Pierre, two unhappy men who fight against love and destiny.
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
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| The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky |
The Brothers Karamazov is Dostoyevsky's last novel, completed before his death, at the peak of his spiritual and moral consciousness. The novel reveals the story of reckless prodigal Fyodor Karamazov and his sons, Dimitri the Pleasure Seeker. Ivan, rationalist and atheist; Alyosha, a devout Christian; and Smerdiakov, who is depressed all the time and commits suicide (bad days).
Fedor's children are representatives of humanity, caught between faith and doubt, pleasure and love. Evan claims that atheist Bean Poti is tortured for his disbelief and the idea that ultimately, earthly suffering might be meaningless. Existentialism aside, which isn't to everyone's taste, The Brothers Karamazov is a mystery novel in which Dostoyevsky enlists his readers to solve a riddle about Fyodor's murder at the hands of one of his four son.
Canon of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Donan Coyle
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| Canon of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Donan Coyle |
Do you want to feel the adrenaline running through your veins as you solve puzzles until you get angry? So be a guest of Sherlock Holmes!
Sherlock Holmes is Britain's greatest fictional detective of all time. He is a man with exceptional powers of observation sufficient to unscrew the most certain screw in the head. He is also a master of disguise and a sociopath, imbued with an irrational need to reveal the truth.
Sherlock's fierce and distinctive vivacity draws readers in again and again, which is why his famous line "the game is in full swing" sets the tone for every subsequent project. Plus, if The Adventures of Sherlock doesn't appeal to you, Sherlock and Watson's complex friendship is always funny, heartwarming, and never fails to be charming. Sherlock loves letting his friend down in the middle of a fight that sends Watson into the wall. However, such teasing is a sign of intimacy and friendship between them which never belittle each other.
The Iliad by Homer
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| The Iliad by Homer |
The Iliad is an epic that summarizes history and myths. It tells the story of the Trojan War from the perspective of Achilles, Greece's greatest warrior. Although Homer's readers at the time were well aware of the story's end (the fall of Troy), the story manages to haunt later generations as it offers the vital ingredients for a captivating reading: a lightning adventure and a resonant human tragedy; It is not just a timeline of war, but also a story of human rage, pride and honor.
The story begins when Zeus asked Paris, son of Priam of Troy, to judge a beauty contest between three goddesses: Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. Aphrodite bribes Paris by offering the hand of Helen of Troy, a woman of enchanting beauty. The kidnapping of Troy leads to the outbreak of an endemic war. And yes, it was worth fighting for.
The Iliad shows two opposing enemies: Achilles and Hector. Achilles is an individual warrior who craves manly honor, while Hector is a family-minded soldier fighting for his community. Such a conflict indicates the contradictory values of society and the values of the individual. Should politics defend the individual or society? Should we view society as independent individuals or as unified groups and entities? These are some of the exciting questions that the Iliad will leave you with.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
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| Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte |
In a society where women are valued only on the basis of their own beauty and are even forbidden to write, a clear and radical heroine appears to declare that she is "a free man of independent will". Jane Eyre was, without exaggeration, a blatant rebel against the social mores of her time. Casting a shadow over her lover, Jane appears as the counterpart of the beauty archetype. Portrayed as "a free and inanimate thing," Jane represents a new era on the literary scene: the era of an intelligent heroine who entertains readers, not by her looks, but by allowing her ideas to flow.
Richard III by William Shakespeare
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| Richard III by William Shakespeare |
Richard III is a gripping play about Machiavelli, who has a gift for words, words that can lure prey into his own trap. Although it is a historical work, the character of Richard takes precedence over his own. Readers can still enjoy reading without being aware of the literal accuracy of historical events.
Shakespeare presents a psychological play that explores the question of why people turn to evil. Richard was not even loved by his mother from birth and could only understand life through love of himself and contempt for all others. Shakespeare used Richard's unhappy childhood as a driving force for Richard, eliciting great sympathy. However, there is still a clear message: although Richard is not responsible for the way he was raised as a child, he is entirely responsible for not healing himself as an adult.
The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran
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| The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran |
1984 by George Orwell
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| 1984 by George Orwell |
1984 by George Orwell is one of the best dystopias ever. It represents the suffering of citizens under a manipulative totalitarian regime that distorts the course of history to consolidate its political control. Ironically, history has even been changed by a ministry called the "Ministry of Truth"! In such a dark dystopia, people are still accustomed to believing the truth of the ministry, even when you say "two plus two equals five!"
William Smith, who works in the Ministry of Truth, decided to attack such an oppressive regime by recording the true history of the country in his diaries. William plays a warrior uninterested in confronting the most heinous crime in the law: the crime of self-expression. An interesting note from Orwell reveals that Orwell himself was under government surveillance when he wrote in 1984 criticizing government censorship.
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
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| The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri |
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
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| Les Misérables by Victor Hugo |
The story of Les Misérableshinges about Jean Valjean, a man released after spending 19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread! However, Hugo's goal was not just to write a moving story that would lead to social change, even if he was a pioneer. His motivation was to write a novel that "creates hell on earth" and presents revolution as the only way to bring society back to its prime. Hugo's story oscillates between revolution on the barricades and panoramic stories of heroes, giving readers the head start on overcoming the catastrophe of existing tragedies.
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