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Thursday, April 14, 2016

What Are The Best Books To Read?

By Lisa Fox


Everyone loves to pick up a good book every now and then and lose themselves in a world of fantasy and imagination. If you are looking for the best books to read, then it's a good idea to start with those at the top of the list of greatest works ever in literature. The following suggestions are just a few of these masterpieces.

'Don Quixote', written by Miguel De Cervantes, is a book that was published in 1605 and 1615 in two separate volumes. This is one of the most influential pieces of Spanish literature. The story follows the protagonist - Alonso Quixano - as he sets out on a journey to revive chivalry and uphold justice, having lost all common sense and sanity after reading too many romances. His sidekick, Sancho Panza provides witty comic relief throughout.

'A Tale of Two Cities' is set in Paris and London simultaneously before the French Revolution. In this book, Charles Dickens details the plight of peasants who are frustrated with the poor treatment they have been receiving from the aristocracy and the actions that follow. This story was released in monthly installments in the mid-1800s in Dickens' literary periodical called All The Year Round.

J. R. R. Tolkien appears on the list of the greatest works of literature twice. Both novels were turned into Hollywood blockbuster movies. 'The Hobbit', as well as 'Lord of the Rings', fall into the genre of children's fantasy. That being said, much like 'Harry Potter', these kids' books appeal to a wider audience.

Published in 1937, 'The Hobbit' follows a human-like creature - a hobbit - named Bilbo Baggins, a rather homely character. Baggins is thrown into adventure as he sets out on a journey to discover treasure watched over by a dragon. 'The Hobbit' was nominated for the prestigious Carnegie Medal title, and has also won an award, named by the New York Herald Tribune as the best juvenile fiction.

'The Lord of the Rings' was originally intended to be the sequel to 'The Hobbit', but the literary work grew so large over the years that it stood well by itself when it was finished in 1949. The story follows 3 hobbits from the Shire along with their traveling companions. They are on a quest through Middle Earth and the tale details the War of the Ring through their perspective. The book is broken into three volumes: the first is 'The Fellowship of the Ring'; the second is 'The Two Towers' and the third 'The Return of the King'.

'The Little Prince' relates the tale of a pilot wandering the desert who meets a little boy who is a prince fallen to Earth. Filled with messages and lessons, the simple book is known as the best book of the 20th century in France. Worldwide, this novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is the fourth most-translated book of all time.

When it comes to mentioning some of the greatest books of all time, Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist' surely makes the cut. The Brazilian author has many highly acclaimed works under his belt, however, 'The Alchemist' is a story about the ultimate quest for self-knowledge and understanding. The key theme in this book is that of destiny.




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