… in a good way (sort of 😉). Because these are some of the most poignant, heartrending, memorable reads I’ve ever experienced. Let’s just get right into it!
The Book Thief– I’ve been meaning to reread this for years, but I’m so haunted by the first time, I can’t quite bring myself to pick it up again. It completely broke my heart.
Heart of Darkness– the writing that is so hauntingly beautiful, it’s hard to forget. More than that, the story is such that every reread gives me a different impression. It’s a puzzle that I don’t know if I’ll ever solve.
The Stranger- an unusual book, I can’t quite shake it from my mind. When I look back on this book, I feel like I’m in a haze of mismatched thoughts. I don’t know what to think of it- and yet I can’t not think about it!
The Trial– it’s not just the weird, surreal atmosphere that gets to me with this book- the shocking part is how true it turned out to be. Kafka acted as a prophet with this book, reflecting the absurdity of Soviet-style show trials before they ever took place.
Homegoing– this is another story with exquisite writing- yet it’s the overarching narrative that lives in my heart. A disquieting story, it shows the intergenerational ghosts that haunt a single family, coming full circle at the end to put them at peace.
Beowulf– I don’t know what it was- the ancient words or the powerful translation by Heaney, but I felt this story thrumming in my bones. I don’t know if it was the obscurity or the familiarity of the epic- but it’s seized my imagination now and will not let it go.
Wolf in the Whale– this is a story that captured me with its sense of place, I feel like the visuals are imprinted in my mind and the harrowing tale is hard to shake. Fantastical, mythical and yet all too real, it’s not going to be for everyone, but if you do read it you won’t forget it in a hurry.
Between Shades of Grey/Salt to the Sea– yes I’m doing 2 for 1 here, because I frankly can’t choose between Sepetys most celebrated works. These evocative novels shed light on events a lot of people (including me) don’t learn about- and I love that they managed to be subtly interlinked as well.
All That Still Matters at All– I talk a lot about this poetry collection, because I just don’t feel like it gets enough attention. A hidden, Hungarian gem, this has a heartbreaking background and is well worth sampling.
Beneath a Scarlet Sky- ever since I read this book, I can’t quite get the plaintiff tune of Nessum Dorma, floating through the alps, out of my head. I will never forget this story of heroism in WWII and I salute the real life inspirations for it- they should not be forgotten.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles- Hardy stole my heart from the moment I read this, introducing me to his characters and world. I suppose I should be annoyed at how he toyed with my emotions, raising my hopes, only to lead me off into dark woods and dashing my dreams on a rock. But as devastated as I was, I’m not bitter about it! To my mind, it’s the perfect example of how a tragedy should be written.
So, have you read any of these? What did you think of them? And do you have any books that will haunt you forever? Let me know in the comments!
the orang-utan librarian 