Why literature has only become more relevant during these trying times.

Hi, I'm Kayley and as you're about to see, I'm a bit of a literature enthusiast! Enjoy a small yet comprehensive look at the importance of a good book nowadays.

In times like these, it is hard to really feel like ourselves. Confined within the walls of our homes, there are only so many home improvements, only so many new recipes to try before we feel a semblance of our normal lives. But when all the walls have been repainted and you’ve run out of flour, what else is there to do but read? Literature is a fantastic way to rediscover what it means to be you, find who you want to be or simply immerse yourself in the shoes of a daring fictional protagonist. Here is just a small list of some thought-provoking works to help you celebrate the world beyond the end of your driveway. 

A book to read when you feel out of touch: 

Carson McCullers’ highly acclaimed debut novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, is a compassionate study of humanity’s isolation. Drawing on themes from all walks of life such as Marxism, gender and race, McCullers uses a small town in the deep South and a secluded cast of struggling individuals to tentatively explore the human condition. From the restless young Mick Kelly to the observant yet internally conflicted Biff Brannon, each character confides in the deaf-mute John Singer, for whom loneliness is a familiar spirit. Even as the seasons change and the world shifts around them, Singer remains a constant in their lives of misfortune and misery, and McCullers gently reminds us that it is okay to be hopeful when the world is looking anything but. 

A book to read when you want to cry: 

Ian McEwan’s Atonement is a frustratingly beautiful lament to a pair of young lovers, and the crimes committed in spite of their love ultimately fall upon the reader’s judgement. The novel is told retrospectively by Briony Tallis, a girl with an indulged but neglected childhood, who makes a fatal decision. Through McEwan’s careful use of perspective and allusions, only by the end do we come to understand the catastrophic domino effect her mistake has had on those around her. Set on the cusp of WWII, McEwan reveals how ugly a world rife with war and upper-class indecision can be. However, don’t let this fool you: at its heart, Atonement is a poignant tragedy of romance and the fragile steps that must be taken to reconcile love after an unforgivable betrayal. 

A book to read when you want to lose yourself in fantasy: 

On a lighter note, if quick-witted, card-dealing outcasts and squirrel cats are your thing, then Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell is the perfect book for you. The first in a series of six, Castell offers us a refreshing array of quirky characters, set against the backdrop of a world rich with magic and facing political unrest. Through comedic narration, we follow the story of Kellen, a mage who is incessantly told he is nowhere near as capable as his peers. However, his world radically changes when the enigmatic exile Ferius Parfax arrives and offers him a new, perhaps his only possible incentive for life. Cleverly heightened by fast-paced action and full of cliffhangers, Castell’s hybrid world of the wild west and high fantasy lore is easily captivating, and the high stakes are only going to have you reaching for the next book in this spellbinding series. 

Happy reading!