Jean-Paul Sartre’s Nausea stands as a monument to existentialist thought, intricately woven into the form of a philosophical novel. First published in 1938, the work is both a narrative and a theoretical exposition, mapping Sartre’s meditations on existence, contingency, freedom, and meaninglessness. It is a difficult book, not merely because of its dense metaphysical concerns… Continue reading
The question of whether diasporic writers like Rohinton Mistry possess a prejudiced or unclear view of India is complex and warrants careful examination. Writers who leave their homeland often carry with them a version of India frozen in time, which may evolve into a nostalgic or critical lens over time. This phenomenon is not unique… Continue reading
The question of whether fiction written by men differs meaningfully from that authored by women is neither new nor easily answered. The domain of literature, particularly fiction, has long served as a mirror to the human condition. Still, it is not a neutral mirror—it is refracted through the lives, bodies, and experiences of those who… Continue reading
Reading philosophical novels differs significantly from engaging with casual contemporary fiction in purpose and intellectual engagement. Philosophical novels often delve into profound existential questions, ethical dilemmas, and abstract ideas, requiring readers to engage in critical thought and introspection. Unlike contemporary fiction, which primarily seeks to entertain or narrate relatable experiences, philosophical novels often challenge preconceived… Continue reading
Who may forget 1984, the novel by celebrated author George Orwell? The novel became a sensation very soon after its publication. However, the popularity of this novel keeps increasing with every passing year. The fear that the world might be inching towards an authoritarian regime is always there. And as long as this fear remains,… Continue reading
I have always felt modern literature (anytime) should draw its inspiration from the legendary publications that became timeless. We still remember works by Thomas Hardy, Austen, Eliot, Thackeray and who can forget Shakespeare! They were the greats who produced amazing works of literature. However, in modern literature, we seldom get to witness a book that… Continue reading
The Mystery Mountains is the second novel by Aurijit Ganguli. I have just finished reading this one. What should I say? This novel blew my mind, seriously! I couldn’t think about anything other than the story for quite some time. The novelist has created quite a – believe-in-it – world in the novel, and a… Continue reading
It is understood if legends like Ruskin Bond produce wonderful literature for children. Many other authors are there. Worldwide fame has come to writers like J. K. Rowling only because they wrote books that could be loved by young readers across the globe. And therefore, to mistake children-readers like ‘casual ones’ might be a mistake… Continue reading
There are many novels and many novelists who remain in our minds for a long time. Inevitably, we tend to share these works and this is what I am going to do in this list. I will be sharing 5 wonderful novels with you that I have read over the year and as the year… Continue reading
I know there are millions of authors in the world and we cannot read everyone even if we want (in a lifetime? impossible). And therefore, there are categories – authors we often read, authors we keep on standby and authors we generally know about but ignore reading them. How do we create those categories? There… Continue reading