BOOKS

It’s a classic

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Here’s our pick of five literary classics guaranteed to be a good read. Bonus: you can order them online from Magrudy’s and Kinokuniya in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, so you don’t even need to leave your couch. Now’s the perfect time to settle in with one of the greats…

01 Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen In many ways, this book defined the modern novel – it is considered one of the most sharply written books ever and the language is renowned for its wit and potency. The novel tells the story of the Bennet sisters: five young girls and the adventures that life takes them on as they discover that love is rarely straightforward and often surprising. The love between Mr Darcy and

Elizabeth Bennet has become a relationship archetype in English literature, and this theme of ‘hate until love is realised’ is replicated in many other stories, such as Bridget Jones. Definitely worth a read and there are many movie adaptations to accompany it.

02 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald Widely considered the greatest American novel ever written, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is an absolute must-read. Set in the roaring 1920s, it follows the characters Nick Caraway, Daisy Buchanan, Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby and the ostentatiously wild lives of the wealthy. It is a devastating expose of the ‘Jazz Age’, brilliantly capturing the flaws and insincerity of the American Dream through its captivating storyline, while detailing the moral failure of a society obsessed with wealth and social standing.

03 The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini This coming-of-age story based in Afghanistan and America is loved for its story and its ability to truly make the reader think. Afghani immigrant Amir is summoned from his California home to Pakistan by Rahim Khan, an old, dying friend of his father. As a boy in Afghanistan, Amir’s best friend Hassan was brutally assaulted by a local bully, and because he was too scared to save him he has been tormented by guilt ever since. Often described as like ‘watching a movie’, this book is a must read and those who saw the recent stage adaptation at Dubai Opera will love it.

04 1984 George Orwell In this novel, George Orwell projects his terrifying vision of a totalitarian future and a dysfunctional dystopian society where everyone’s every move is watched by the ominous Big Brother. It follows the life of Winston Smith, who is frustrated by the lack of freedom in his life and begins a subtle rebellion against the party. The truly fascinating aspect of this novel is that the society described is entirely feasible with today’s technology. Orwell’s novella is a warning for the human race and a classic in dystopian fiction.

05 Little Women Louisa May Alcott Generations of readers young and old, male and female, have fallen in love with the March sisters of Louisa May Alcott’s most popular and enduring novel, Little Women. Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy March live with their mother in New England while their father is away serving as a chaplain in the civil war. The sisters struggle to support themselves and keep their household running as the family recently lost its fortune. As the girls grow older, each faces her own personal demons and moral challenges. The novel explores timeless themes and has long been considered one of the most powerful feminist novels. It even has a new film adaptation out by Greta Gerwig to accompany it.

All books are available at magrudy.com and uae. kinokuniya.com.

ALSO TRY…

What’s On reading list Here’s what we’re reading right now…

Laura says… Everything I Know About Love Dolly Alderton

A memoir from British journalist and podcaster Dolly Alderton of bad dates, heartaches, terrible landlords and MSN days. It’s like looking into my own past. Funny, heart-breaking and frighteningly relatable.

Sarah says... Conversations With Friends Sally Rooney Remember how well you had everything together in your early 20s: career, study, relationships? Yeah, me neither. Nor does Frances, the 21-year-old protagonist in this stark look at love and life as we stumble and fumble our way into adulthood.

Miles says… The Dry Jane Harper

A murder mystery set in rural Australia brings Detective Falk back to his childhood home to face shadows from his past. Falk must tackle small town prejudice, rising temperatures and the worst drought in decades to clear the name of a friend.

Elise says… This is going to hurt Adam May

A witty and realistic look at what it’s really like on the front line of the British healthcare service. Adam’s diaries come to light as he comically talks through the highs and lows of becoming a doctor in the NHS. Expect to find a new-found respect for anyone in the medical profession.

ARABIAN SANDS Wilfred Thesiger Arabian Sands is Wilfred Thesiger’s record of his extraordinary journey through the parched Empty Quarter of Arabia. Educated at Oxford university, Thesiger was repulsed by the softness and rigidity of Western life – “the machines, the calling cards, the meticulously aligned streets” – and, in the spirit of T. E. Lawrence, set out to explore the deserts of Arabia. q booksarabia.com