What Are Some Of The Best Books To Read?

By Lisa Fox


There is really nothing that compares to picking up a good book from time to time and becoming completely engrossed in a story. Some of the best books to read over the history of literature have topped lists around the world time and again, despite the constant flow of new writing every year. Here is a list of some of the world's greatest stories of all time.

'Don Quixote', written by Miguel De Cervantes, is a book that was published in 1605 and 1615 in two separate volumes. This is one of the most influential pieces of Spanish literature. The story follows the protagonist - Alonso Quixano - as he sets out on a journey to revive chivalry and uphold justice, having lost all common sense and sanity after reading too many romances. His sidekick, Sancho Panza provides witty comic relief throughout.

'A Tale of Two Cities' is set in Paris and London simultaneously before the French Revolution. In this book, Charles Dickens details the plight of peasants who are frustrated with the poor treatment they have been receiving from the aristocracy and the actions that follow. This story was released in monthly installments in the mid-1800s in Dickens' literary periodical called All The Year Round.

J. R. R. Tolkien appears on the list of the greatest works of literature twice. Both novels were turned into Hollywood blockbuster movies. 'The Hobbit', as well as 'Lord of the Rings', fall into the genre of children's fantasy. That being said, much like 'Harry Potter', these kids' books appeal to a wider audience.

'The Hobbit' was published in late 1937 and follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit who generally likes to be in his home doing normal, everyday things, but is suddenly thrust into a sinister world of adventure searching for treasure guarded by a dragon. The novel was a Carnegie Medal nominee and also received a prize for best juvenile fiction given by the New York Herald Tribune.

'The Lord of the Rings' was originally intended to be the sequel to 'The Hobbit', but the literary work grew so large over the years that it stood well by itself when it was finished in 1949. The story follows 3 hobbits from the Shire along with their traveling companions. They are on a quest through Middle Earth and the tale details the War of the Ring through their perspective. The book is broken into three volumes: the first is 'The Fellowship of the Ring'; the second is 'The Two Towers' and the third 'The Return of the King'.

'The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupery holds the fourth spot in the world's most translated books. It also holds the title of the best book of the twentieth century in France. It is a simple book which tells the story of the communication and conversation between a pilot stranded in the desert and a young prince who has come to Earth on an asteroid.

The greatest books in the world cannot be mentioned without naming 'The Alchemist' by Paulo Coelho. Though the Brazilian author has a number of literary accomplishments, 'The Alchemist' is undoubtedly a novel that speaks to everyone in a different, albeit significant, way. This is a story about a boy's journey to find his destiny and how he finds himself in the process.




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