Book recommendations for when you are social distancing

The coronavirus has forced everyone inside with its pandemic threat, and even though most of us have still got work and studies to do, or both, there is still a lot of time left to kill. There is a lot that you can do, and with the new Quarantine and Chill trend, I am sure you are probably already done with half the movies available on your streaming service.

However, there comes a time when the streaming services just get boring, which is why we have compiled a list of books that can be read while, as the kids call it, you are quarantining and chilling.

1. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

Literally, no one is surprised by this suggestion. This is probably the most recommended book of this spring, with its futuristic idea of the world. Set up as a dystopian novel, Brave New World explores themes of religion, race, and life as a whole and is sure to leave you pondering for a while.

2. 1984 – George Orwell

The inspiration behind Brave New World and some of the best literature to come out of the 20th century, 1984 is also a dystopian novel. However, unlike Brave New World, 1984 captures the problems with totalitarian governments and living in a society where everything is monitored – an idea that does not seem too far-fetched in today’s world. So, go ahead and give this one a read if you are feeling a little existential.

3. The Plague – Albert Camus

The Plague (French: La Peste) is a novel by Albert Camus, published in 1947, that tells the story of a plague sweeping the French Algerian city of Oran. It asks a number of questions relating to the nature of destiny and the human condition. The characters in the book, ranging from doctors to vacationers to fugitives, all help to show the effects the plague has on a populace. It is very in tune with the current state of affairs and is sure to provide everyone with a good perspective.

    4. One-Minute Stories – Istvan Orkeny

István Örkény is the master of grotesque, whose “one-minute stories” and absurd plays depict the predicaments of modern man with a keen sense of humour. The aforementioned one-minute stories became the writer’s trademark: “short, succinct, often shocking, grotesque, or absurd pieces, anecdotes, sometimes objects trouvés,” taken from newspapers or official notices and slightly twisted, stories that “encapsulate some of the absurdity of the age in a succinct and hilarious manner,” to quote Miklós Győrffy. You might say that the style is something that can be labelled as hit or miss, but nonetheless, Örkény’s works are worth a chance, as we are talking about one of the most unique Hungarian writers.

   5. The tragedy of Man – Imre Madach