It is very easy to assume that enjoyment of a book is entirely down to personal tastes, but there are always novels and short stories that everyone should experience in their lives. Every book, every story told, is an adventure we are a part of. We learn to love or to hate the characters as we join them on their journey and without this vital element, any story is lifeless. Whether you are an avid reader or whether you just enjoy some holiday literature, picking something engaging is quite a task.
Simply being a page turner might be enough. With simple reads like The Da Vinci Code or Twilight flooding the market, it may seem hard to pinpoint something with depth and significance. You have to look a little harder and dig a little deeper. Despite the popularity of some authors out there, their well known name does not necessarily make them particularly esteemed and you can't always trust the bookstore recommendations either.
So, what should you be looking for? A good novel has something important to say. It has longevity and significance, commenting on one or many aspects of society that capture attention; religion, environment, politics, psychology - anything and everything can be discussed via the medium of literature, simultaneously engaging the reader with an appealing story and loveable characters that have a subtext to stir debate.
There are novels in every century that have achieved this; Bronte's Wuthering Heights, Waugh's Bright Young Things, McEwan's The Cement Garden, McCarthy's The Road. You have undoubtedly heard of the first novel. It is what is commonly known as a 'classic' and there is a reason for that.
Each of these novels offers substance and meaning, presenting important themes we can apply to our own lives or the lives of someone way back in history. Reflecting a society we may or may not know, they comment on what is wrong and what is right within it. Building a story around these elements is a skill few have mastered. A good novel should change us for the better.
Simply being a page turner might be enough. With simple reads like The Da Vinci Code or Twilight flooding the market, it may seem hard to pinpoint something with depth and significance. You have to look a little harder and dig a little deeper. Despite the popularity of some authors out there, their well known name does not necessarily make them particularly esteemed and you can't always trust the bookstore recommendations either.
So, what should you be looking for? A good novel has something important to say. It has longevity and significance, commenting on one or many aspects of society that capture attention; religion, environment, politics, psychology - anything and everything can be discussed via the medium of literature, simultaneously engaging the reader with an appealing story and loveable characters that have a subtext to stir debate.
There are novels in every century that have achieved this; Bronte's Wuthering Heights, Waugh's Bright Young Things, McEwan's The Cement Garden, McCarthy's The Road. You have undoubtedly heard of the first novel. It is what is commonly known as a 'classic' and there is a reason for that.
Each of these novels offers substance and meaning, presenting important themes we can apply to our own lives or the lives of someone way back in history. Reflecting a society we may or may not know, they comment on what is wrong and what is right within it. Building a story around these elements is a skill few have mastered. A good novel should change us for the better.
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