"Buddenbrooks" is a 1901 novel by the German author Thomas Mann. The novel was Mann's first and was published when he was only 26 years old. The novel was a success and was directly referenced as part of the reason that Mann won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929. Mann reported that his chief goal in writing the … [Read more...] about Buddenbrooks
The Island of Doctor Moreau
Published in 1896 by H.G. Wells, "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is the narrative of a well-educated man that is rescued from a ship wreck and then placed on an island of fantastical beasts. There he meets the perpetrator of the beasts, Dr. Moreau. For over ten years Dr. Moreau has been performing vivisections on animals. … [Read more...] about The Island of Doctor Moreau
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
"Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" is a 1985 novel by the German writer Patrick Suskind. The novel, set in eighteenth century Paris, revolves around a newborn baby that is left to die in an alley by it's mother. The baby is rescued and given the name Grenouille but the priest that is caring for him quickly realizes … [Read more...] about Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
"Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None" is a novel by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche that was originally published in four parts between 1883 and 1891. The novel is a philosophical treatise on Nietzsche's ideals and his idea of the "overman". Several of the philosopher's most famous concepts are … [Read more...] about Thus Spoke Zarathustra
The Glass Bead Game
"The Glass Bead Game" is a novel by the German writer Hermann Hesse. Hesse began writing the novel in 1931 but did not publish it until almost fifteen years later in 1943. The novel was originally rejected for publication in Germany in that time because of Hesse's anti-fascist political views. It was then published in … [Read more...] about The Glass Bead Game
The Heart of a Dog
"The Heart of a Dog" is a short novel by the Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov that originally written in 1925 but, because of it's content (which was denounced by the Russian government) was not properly released until 1987. The story centers around a stray dog named Sharik, who is taken in by a professor named Philip … [Read more...] about The Heart of a Dog
Death in Venice
"Death in Venice" is a 1912 novella by the German author Thomas Mann. Originally published under the title "Der Tod in Venedig," the novella relies heavily on allusion and metaphor to construct the narrative which centers around an elderly man falling in love with - and becoming obsessed with - a teenage boy. Gustav … [Read more...] about Death in Venice
Doctor Zhivago
"Doctor Zhivago" is a 1957 novel by the Russian author Boris Pasternak. Due to the novel's subject matter and it's stance on the Soviet Union and the October Revolution, the USSR refused to publish the novel and Pasternak had to publish it in Italy after it was smuggled into the country by a friend. The novel centers … [Read more...] about Doctor Zhivago
Silmarillion
Published in 1977 by J. R. R. Tolkien, "Silmarillion" is the prequel to the "Hobbit". After the success of the "Hobbit" Tolkien's publisher wanted him to write a sequel but when the publisher saw this book he didn't understand it and rejected it. This led Tolkien to write the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. But this book … [Read more...] about Silmarillion
Demons
"Demons" is a novel by the famous Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky that was first published in the journal "The Russian Messenger" over several months in 1871 and '72. To this day, it is considered one of Dostoyevsky's best works and a masterwork. The novel is a commentary on the political nihilism prevalent in Russia … [Read more...] about Demons