“Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life.”
Where did the idea of time travelling originate? How did the idea of transcending unseen realms of universe take over popular culture?
An endearing story of a time traveller’s journey into the future. A pull of the lever and the machine sends him to the year 802,701, there he discovers two bizarre races—the ethereal Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks—who not only symbolize the duality of human nature but show the terrifying reality of the men of tomorrow as well. Here, his machine is stolen, will he be able to get back?
The traveller’s journey shows him a reality that is more dystopic than the present, making him realise that some questions are better left unanswered. The modern world’s fascination with time travelling can be traced back to this original story by H. G Wells, considered the father of science fiction.
“Calm —indeed the calmest— reflection might be better than the most confused decisions”
One morning, Gregor Samsa wakes up to find himself transformed into a horrible vermin. Here begins Metamorphosis, the most resounding story of the inherent human conflicts and the suppressed dark side of the human existence.
As Samsa struggles to remind those around him that he is still human despite his new repulsive appearance; we see his friends and family struggle to remember the person that lives in this unappealing creature. Are we inherently a superficial society?
Can we truly look past the surface to appreciate inner beauty? Do we possess the ability to selfishly care for others?
The Metamorphosis is a compelling, sarcastic, and emotional story holding a mirror to the feelings of alienation common to all alike.
- A haunting tale of identity, isolation, and human nature.
- Explores society’s struggle to look beyond appearances.
- A thought-provoking reflection on alienation and acceptance.
- Challenges the idea of selfless care and human empathy.
- A timeless classic that questions the depth of human connection.
“One can’t live with one’s finger everlastingly on one’s pulse.”
Charles Marlow, an English seaman, is an ivory trader on the Congo River in Central Africa. The story is a narration of his experiences as he journeys up the river in search of another trader named Mr. Kurtz.
As Marlow sails into the heart of Africa, he is horrified and confused by the brutalities he sees displayed at the hands of the traders; the torture, slavery and horror that is part of every-day life in that part of the world.
What happens when Marlow finally meets Kurtz? Will he question all of his assumptions and beliefs about civilization and human nature?
It’s a journey into the power struggle and dark truths of European Colonialism, displaying the blatant horrors human suppression. An evocative, thought-provoking book, forcing the reader to seek answers to the harsh realities of civilised life.
“He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.”
Anna Karenina, a beautiful, sensuous, and rebellious young woman, is unhappily married to the wealthy but cold aristocrat Alexey Alexandrovitch. Restless in her passionless marriage, she lives in a society and times where Church rules the order for the wealthy; one wrong can bring down the entire family. Thus, she was floating through life until she met Count Vronsky. They fell passionately in love, convinced they met their soulmates. The story goes through their struggles to get approval for divorce, and their desire to live together in a complex society.
Tolstoy uses his characters to raise complex questions about family’s, egos that become a handcuff, and a society that becomes limiting to individual happiness. His famous novel is seemingly ahead of its times as it questions the inherent bias within people.
“It is because I think so much of warm and sensitive hearts, that I would spare them from being wounded.”
A cruel act of fate is disappointing a young heart which has the softest hopes from life. Born impoverished and orphaned at birth, Oliver Twist begins his life in a workhouse an apprentice. He flees to London fed up with the constant beatings by his mentor.
He arrives in London with high hopes for a better life but is met with a series of rude shocks. What happens when he meets Jack Dawkins, goes to work with him only to be taken to the police when mistaken for a thief?
Oliver Twist is a sarcastic, intelligent, witty novel with incredible twists and turns.
The story the strives to overcome the miserable conditions for the lower class, searches for an identity, and a sense of belonging.
“There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.”
A story told through letters, Dracula is the first novel set against the fantasy of vampires. The story that gave popular culture the tropes of vampire teeth, bites on the neck and their aversions to sun retold time and again.
Set in the wilderness of Transylvania, the Castle Dracula becomes a dark hole where visitors become confined to the prisoners of the castle. Count Dracula, the lord of the castle, is trying to move from Transylvania to England, but is unable to because every person who arrives becomes a victim of his uncontrollable vampire seductions.
A thrilling tale of survival of both the victims and victimizer; the Count’s desperate measures to escape a lonely existence. The horrifying twists and turns make it a gripping read and the spooky settings leaves the reader wide eyed.
“So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or only for hours, nobody can say.”
It’s the 20th century and Virginia Woolf is invited to speak to a roomful of young writers at a few colleges. She left the room and society at large perplexed with the thoughts she raised. Would Shakespeare’s sisters be given the same room to flourish if she had his skill sets? Can a women flourish if given the physical space to be by herself and ideate? Can a woman find a professional identity if not infrastructurally empowered? As a society do we allow this?
This book, although a work of fiction with a fictitious narrator and setting, is inspired by the lectures delivered by Woolf. As a revolutionary work, it remains poignant and relevant even today as we seemingly progress to an equal society but struggle with conditionings of gender roles. Despite its heavy subject, it’s an enjoyable, funny, sarcastic, and sensitive read; like a conversation with a dear friend.
“It is better to learn wisdom late than never to learn it at all.”
An absolute treat for the fans of Sherlock Holmes or new readers eager to explore his world, this collection is the best Sherlock kit.
A collection of four novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: A Study in Scarlet (1887), The Sign of the Four (1890), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902) and The Valley of Fear (1915).
The stories were first published in various magazines and newspapers between 1887 and 1927; and considered the benchmark in detective fiction. Sherlock Holmes does more than solving mysteries and crimes, he has been the ultimate desirable man because of his style, cigars, unattainability, humour, and stoic personality.
The reader is as swooned by the enigma of Holmes as they are engrossed in solving the difficulties of his cases. The friendship between Holmes and his sidekick Watson adds an endearing quality to the stories making them a classic for a reason.
“I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul.”
The storming of the Bastille, the drop of the guillotine blade—this is the French Revolution that Charles Dickens vividly captures in the novel A Tale of Two Cities.
It was the era of suppressed people rising for their rights, overthrowing centuries of corrupt regime; for them the wounds and blood was sweet as it was tinged with the air of liberation.
With compassion and empathy, Dickens writes some unforgettable scenes and memorable characters: the sinister Madame Defarge, knitting her patterns of death; the gentle Lucie Manette, unswerving in her devotion to her broken father; Charles Darnay, the lover with a secret past, and Sydney Carton, whose unlikely heroism gives his life meaning.
In Dicken’s enigmatic world of treachery and heroism, explore the bravest and weakest corners of human nature, and the redemptive power of love and sacrifice.
“I realize now that there’s a lot to be said for traveling if you want to see something new.”
When Phileas Fogg, a wealthy gentleman, impulsively bets that he can travel the globe in just eighty days, he sets in motion an extraordinary chain of events. Leaving behind the comfort of his predictable life, Fogg and his loyal valet Passepartout, embark on a race against time.
Passing through exotic lands and dangerous locations, they seize whatever transportation is at hand—train or elephant.
Their quest for the ultimate adventure is not without its challenges. Fogg has become the prime suspect in a bank robbery, with a relentless detective hot on their heels. As they journey across continents, their race against time becomes a race for their freedom.
Will they conquer the world and prove Fogg’s audacious bet right? Prepare to be captivated by Verne’s masterful storytelling as he weaves a tale of suspense, and a thrilling spirit of adventure.
