Short Books, Profound Stories (Part 1)

This is the first of a two part post in which I share some of the best books I have read.  Like many busy people I am always short on time.  And because I don't have time, I  have a bias towards short books that make an impact.  I have come to learn that if an author cannot get it done in 350 pages or less he doesn't want me to read his work.

The following randomly ordered titles are enthusiastically recommended--each has made an impact on my life and many are now classics (or rapidly getting there).

Enjoy.

 

 

 

1. The Book of Sand and Shakespeare's Memory - Jorge Luis Borges

I am not sure what translation this is, so I will recommend the Penguin Classics Paperback (the one with the Maurits Cornelis Escher's art on the cover).  Incredibly deep and through provoking, these short stories show Borges is truly "the writer's writer".  And guess what, I bought this for light reading on my trip to Rhodos, Greece.  I had already read Ficcones but was totally surprised at how diverse and deep these stories are.  Borges wrote this near the end of his life.  As I am getting older I am coming to learn many of these were clearly his and personal.  My favorites in this volume are the Other,  the Mirror and the Mask, and the Book of Sand.

This book was perfect for lazy summer beach reading and Borges made my trip to Rhodes, Greece, even more memorable as a result.  I think you may agree there is incredible value here.

147 Pages

2. The Invention of Morel - Adolfo Bioy Casares

So it turns out Casares was BFFs with Borges.  Seriously, he was!  And Borges even wrote the intro for the edition I have.  This is a very deep, story, with a picturesque and original imagery (and in my opinion Casares best work).

This novel was one of the most influential works of the 1940s; and what's amazing is the futuristic vision from that time.  I really enjoyed everything about this one including the few black and white illustrations that are included.


103 Pages

 

  

3. The Stranger - Albert Camus 

This book is a an incredibly gripping and powerful story that is masterfully told.  This is an undeniable vision into a place that not everyone is ready to experience and may only resonate if you understand the "outside looking in".

This book is often categorized as core to existentialism, and while I do associate Camus with other writers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Friedrich Nietzsche, I think this story provides a different and unique voice--that it has carried its own.

117 Pages

 

 

 

 4. Nineteen Eighty Four (1984) - George Orwell

This one I went for the Everyman's Library Hardcover edition.  I really love the quality of these hardcovers, how they present the works, the curration, and yes even the ribbon bookmark they bind into each copy.  One of my favorite publishers.

"War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength". Wow, this is the classic dystopian that with "WE" (by Yevgeny Zamyatin about 25 years earlier) really gave rise to the Genre.  This book is required reading for those who are wisely suspicious of power.  Published in 1949, Orwell paints a strikingly bleak picture of humanity in the year 1984--just 35 years later?  And I was struck by how present and current the ideas and issues of his day remain today. This is an amazing work.

326 Pages

5. Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway

My first Hemingway, a fast paced read that drew me in.  I found the themes of personal struggle, adventure, victory, and defeat to be highly relateable.

One caution to those who have not "lived the struggle" or who cannot relate: this is a book that you either like or don't (there's no middle).  For example, one of the comments I recently read on Goodreads was something to the effect of:  "Oh my God, what a waste, just cut the line already and just go to McDonalds."  If this sounds like something you'd say, skip it.

127 Pages