“I don’t know how to be silent when my heart is speaking.”
Set in the enchanting streets of St. Petersburg, this is a story of a young man who is a dreamer, and wanders on the city’s deserted lanes during long summer nights.
On a foggy night, under the hazy streetlights, a young man met Nastenka, who captured his heart with her beauty and innocence. They spent four consecutive nights together, as he becomes increasingly besotted with Nastenka, sharing his innermost thoughts and feelings.
Just as he was beginning to feel safe in their oasis, he discovers that Nastenka is in love with another man; a prince who has promised to return to her after a long absence. Yet, he is certain that even Nastenka is drawn to him, each grappling with their own sense of longing and desire for connection.
Through this vivid narrative of the intoxicating power of hope, the young man’s monologues reveal his absolute yearning for love, while Nastenka’s vulnerability and romantic idealism add layers of emotion to the story.
Through these fragile yet sublime characters we witness the beauty and pain of unrequited love.
“For neither good nor evil can last forever; and so, it follows that as evil has lasted a long time, good must now be close at hand.”
One fine day, Alonso Quixano, a hidalgo from La Mancha, picks up the armor, renames himself Don Quixote and sets to right the wrongs and defend the helpless. Obsessed with chivalric romances, he decides the only way to make things better is to become a knight-errant himself, Don Quixote is a complex and contradictory character; he is idealistic, brave, and always willing to fight for what he believes in.
However, he is also delusional and often misinterprets the world around him. On this eventful journey he is accompanied by his squire Sancho Panza, who is a more practical man.
They navigate a world where the line between illusion and reality blurs. While they chase their dreams and idealistic visions, they are soon faced with grave consequences in trying to build the perfect world.
Don Quixote through his adventures in the rich landscape of medieval Spain, raises pertinent questions about what it means to be a citizen, and reminds us of the power in the common man’s will and determination.
Undeniably one of Vietnam’s most beloved stories, Duong Huong’s No Man River is a novel about the homefront during the American War and its aftermath. Awarded the Vietnam Writers’ Association’s most prestigious prize in 1991—the same year Bao Ninh’s The Sorrow of War was published—it has been translated into many languages, and twice been adapted into film. It tells the story of a village in northern Vietnam that must send its men to fight, but at the same time continue the communist revolution’s transformation of their society. An injured but idealistic veteran of the war against the French named Van hopes to create a modern society in which everyone will live in harmony, but first he must overcome the superstition and prejudices still held by his community. He must also keep secret his love for the village beauty, Nhan—the widow of his dearest fallen comrade. Complications arise when his nephew marries Nhan’s daughter, Hanh, just before he leaves to fight in the South. Parents long for the return of their sons. Wives and children anxiously await the return of their husbands and fathers. Resisting the socialist revolutionary notion that war is glorious or heroic, No Man River presents an innovative portrait of wartime and postwar village life that tells the story of the countless Vietnamese who carried not only the burden of war, but also all the tribulations of forging of a new society during the most tumultuous time in modern Vietnamese history.
“We know little of the things for which we pray…”
Set in medieval England, a group of pilgrims from different walks of life embark on a journey to the sacred shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, Cathedral. While on their voyage, they agree to tell stories in the hope to pass time; each vying to outdo the others with their tales of love, morality, humor and tragedy.
One of the characters is the Knight, a chivalrous and honorable man who is also a bit naive. Another is the Wife of Bath, a strong- willed woman who has been married five times. And then there is the Pardoner, a corrupt church official who sells indulgences to people who want to avoid going to hell.
All the stories reflect how complex is the human thought process, their dreams and fears. The idea of the pilgrimage is a metaphor for life’s journey reflecting the wisdoms for a happy life.
A heartening and enlightening read bringing a sense of focus in the chaos around us.
London, 1952. Young man Hamid, adrift from his studies and from himself, uncertain of his future and that of Malaya, not yet a country. He wants to belong to something but is it to his Sultan, to a barely imagined nation or to the British Empire? The answer, he believes, is to find a wife.
In the Great Smog, he meets Tom Pelham, an old friend from Malaya and son of a former British Resident, who invites Hamid to spend Christmas at his family estate. Excited, Hamid anticipates reuniting with his childhood crush, Clare Pelham, only to be met with another pleasant surprise: Clare’s two competitive friends, Hermione and Margaret. Hamid finds them as exotic as they find him. Caught in the middle of the three women, Hamid does the unthinkable, loses Clare’s trust and is thrown out of the house. But all is not lost. Tom offers Hamid a route back to redemption and to Clare—if he spies for England.
Cold War Berlin, 1953. Hamid is sent to seduce an East German communist student leader. Abandoned in East Berlin when it is sealed off during a violent uprising (unknown today outside Germany), Hamid must save himself from Soviet tanks and rely on the unknown loyalties of a Soviet Colonel and especially on the wits of his mistress, loyal only to herself. Hamid must cross the final bridge to safety, to adulthood and to belonging to something, or to someone.
‘‘Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the self-same well from which your laughter rises were often times filled with your tears”
When a messiah, the source of infinite wisdom, comes to the fictional town of Orphalese, the people take it as a sign to get their deepest concerns answered. Here was a man who you could tell, “I’ve been jealous”, “I worry about money”, “I cry a lot”, “marriage is difficult for me”, “I feel life is unfair at times”, and not be judged.
Written as a conversation between Almustafa, the prophet, and people of Orphalese, together they explore what spirituality, freedom, family, ambition, failures, success means to everyone.
The Prophet is a highly moving and thoughtful reading experience, like a compassionate friend gently holding your hand through uncomfortable paths of life. Written in a simple yet lyrical way, it brings a sense of soothing and catharsis to the reader.
A timeless philosophical work that offers guidance and pearls of wisdom.
“Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.”
In the fictious regime of Oceania, with an extremely over-powering administration, lives Winston Smith a disillusioned citizen of this regime.
He works for the party rewriting history to fit its ever-changing narrative to brainwash the minds of the people, reduce their ability to recognize and questions wrongs. He functions as a vessel to maintain the party’s throne, at the cost of reducing people to puppets.
Winston’s life is a monotonous existence of surrender, but underneath the harbors dangerous thoughts of rebellion and an innate desire for freedom. When Winston falls in love with Julia, a fellow party worker, their forbidden affair also strengthens their desire for revolt.
In the midst of absolute control, will Winston and Julia be able to break the shackles placed on thoughts, and carve a world free to love and live equally?
“If one is strong, one loves the more strongly.”
Set in 19th century, Isabel Archer is a spirited, intelligent and independent young American woman who inherits a fortune and embarks on a journey to Europe.
She always believed she’d live life on her own terms and ‘affront her destiny.’ However, during her travel, she realizes that an enduring relationship and a woman’s sense of self don’t go hand in hand. She had various encounters with suitors and manipulative individuals, including the enigmatic and cunning Gilbert Osmond, which challenged her idealistic notions. Isabel though stood fast on her believes and always chose herself first.
Through Isabel’s story we are compelled to wonder, should love to be this complicated? And more importantly, why are women, who are layered and complexed individuals, reduced to such singular roles?
The Portrait of a Lady is a deeply moving, romantic and sensitive story reflecting complex human emotions which will resonate with all readers alike.
‘Man is not truly one but truly two.’
The good and evil are equal parts of a human; what happens when one loses control over their dark side, what chaos ensues then?
Set in Victorian London, Dr. Jekyll, a respected scientist, becomes consumed by the desire to understand the darker aspects of human nature. In an unchecked scientific experiment, he concocts a potion that transforms into his malicious alter ego called Mr. Hyde.
Through this experiment, Dr. Jekyll can observe why Hyde makes the choices he does and what drives the evil within him, which is also a reflection of what must drive the amoral actions of society at large.
While the experiment seems a success, the two personalities become increasingly intertwined, leading to a downward spiral of Dr. Jekyll’s morality, causing immense psychological turmoil.
In an intense psychological thriller, will Dr. Jekyll be able to regain control of his other side, and should there be any limitations to scientific ambitions?
‘To love another person is to see the face of God.’
How crushing and dizzying the hunger must be, that you’re led to steal a bite of bread only to pay for it with your entire life.
Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who is released from prison after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread. Struggling to find redemption and live an honest life, he is constantly pursued by the relentless Inspector Javert. On this journey he meets Fantine, a woman who is forced to sell her hair and her teeth to support her daughter, Cosette. Both Valjean and a young student Maris are in love with Cosette, but their lives require bigger miracles, and this is a tiny problem.
But love is their saviour, Valjean’s love for Cosette helps him to find redemption, and Marius’s love for Cosette helps him to find courage.
Les Misérables is a complex story that displays how unequal wealth dictates lives, and the power of love.
