1. Macbeth by Shakespeare
Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's most famous plays and also one of his most widely read and witnessed ones. Scripted in five acts, the play is rich in imagery and the idea that the state of nature affects the state of the world. There is thunder, lightning, doom and gloom.
The lust of power and money can drive even the most strong to moral degradation, and that is described well in the text. A truly enriching experience from the master of literature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
A story of obsession and love, the passage into dark madness and the surrounding chaos. While to most the characters are unlikeable, the grand presentation gifts to readers a book one would complete. The complex plot, stunning and ghastly is something every bookshelf deserves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. The Completed works of Oscar Wilde
If only for ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, this collection of the works of Oscar Wilde is inexpensive and worth three times the price[if not more]. The humour and the sarcasm is timeless in these troubled times. And of course no one insults like Oscar Wilde.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
This epic novel focuses on the mental and moral anguish of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov as he plans to kill a hated pawnbroker. The first great novel, of a mature Dostoyevsky, is a mammoth achievement and a magnificent read. The final question many wonder at the end of the book, is why Raskolnikov confesses his crime? Our question: Have you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger
Two words. Holden Caulfield. The immortal character from a run down, lowly world is always fun to pick up again. Also recommended is the recent novel , Lowboy, that pays homage to this masterpiece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Hard Times by Charles Dickens
The book to read in these times of recession. Industry and trade-unions are central to the plot of this book. A stimulating read through the gears of the machine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The story of sisters and their mother who in imparts to them the wit required in their lives. Known to be quite a tear jerker, the novel explores the life of one sister who aspires to be a writer in a male-dominated society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
A satirical take on war and all it consumes, this novel is set in the WW2 era and deals with the life of an air-force soldier and his need and inability to not serve his interests before the nation’s. The novel’s jarring set of ideas toyed with anti nationalist sentiments. Insider joke: “flies in your eyes”.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs
This controversial classic about a homosexual ex-junkie and his musings. A psychedelic trip, which would lead readers to experience something not quite comforting. The restored version is available nationwide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Also Read
* What we wish: 9 Fiction books to read
* Clutch of new books in fiction bestseller list