7 books to reflect on

Are you looking to expand your reading list? Here’s a selection of literary works that’ll encourage you to contemplate a variety of social issues and what it means to be human.

1. 1984 by George Orwell
This seminal dystopian social science fiction novel depicts a future characterized by totalitarian rule, mass surveillance and the persecution of independent thinking.

2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
In a dystopian society where books are outlawed, a fireman tasked with burning any volume he finds begins to question his role in censoring literature and destroying knowledge.

3. King Kong Theory by Virginie Despentes
Originally published in French, this book is a series of essays that combine the stylings of a memoir and a feminist manifesto to denounce the subjugation of women.

4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Set in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, this novella recounts the year-long friendship of a struggling writer and a young woman who rejects social conventions.

5. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
With the help of simple yet elegant illustrations, this beloved classic explores friendship, love, and the things that are lost when children grow up.

6. Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
The author explores themes of vanity and technological advancement in a story about the creation of a monster that’s rejected by society due to its grotesque appearance.

7. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
This absurdist tale, in which a man struggles to adjust after he inexplicably transforms into a giant insect, alludes to the alienation experienced by those who are different.

Look for these and other intriguing titles at the Royal Oak bookstore.