Discovering my own stories in the pages of Classics

I’ll brazenly declare that fiction helps expand worldview as much as non-fiction, if not more.

I’d like to think Elizabeth Barret Browning meant the bounteous experiences hidden in books when she said, “And every common bush afire with God”. Yes! Every book. Despite running the risk of disagreeing with the reality radicals (read non-fiction fans), I’ll brazenly declare that fiction helps expand worldview as much as non-fiction, if not more.

For the major part of my childhood, reading has been with me. Rather than educating, reading deepened my understanding of household affairs; my appreciation for others’ lives; and showed me the many other possibilities of life.

Although widely known as ‘nothing-more-than-novels’ among readers, the following works have been foundational for what I am today and how I see the world around me.

Hard Times

The Dickens’ novel has had me wonder over the years, “Should I be worried about liking it a bit too much?” Trudging through distressing scenes, the novel is likely to be the least favourite for a teenager. I had just completed school in the summer of 2012 when I found ‘Hard Times.’ Dickens’ upsetting rendition of the Gradgrind’s family was a melancholic reminder of what I was living at the point. In finding a story closely relatable to mine, I found absolute peace.

Pride and Prejudice

What better literary company for unconventional women than a 'Jane Austen’s novel?' The book depicts how ridiculous social structures and gender roles haven’t really changed a lot since the 1800s. Its pages mirrored my emotions and expectations as I myself was shillyshallying through days and dreams of courtship. Through the complex yet enchanting personality of Elizabeth, Austen projects feelings exclusive to plain and ambitious women.

Elizabeth’s liveliness had me muttering, “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you” way too many times throughout the read.

Animal Farm

As funny as it sounds, the climax of this 112-page allegory knocks at your door only after days of completing the book. The lucid narrative and the elementary characters tricked me into believing it was a children’s book. So when the realization that I had just read an accurate account of one of the world’s prominent political entities kicked in, I was bowled over. George Orwell artistically presents in this dystopian fiction how we, as the common public, vainly believe in revolutions. Indeed, vainly.

That is why, “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which” remains the most memorable last line of any book to me.

The Metamorphosis

Franz Kafka and I share an admirable quality- we love being brutally honest about human lives. It doesn’t take harrowing existential crises for one to ruminate the meaning of existence. But it hits hard when the question is about what a human has to offer, especially after one’s obligations are stripped off. Marked by burden initially, Gregor’s days heartlessly transform to guilt-ridden ones, leaving no room for the lad to relax.

In Kafka’s words, “I cannot make you understand,” but you have to read the book to understand the limits of sympathy in humans.

Anna Karenina

I have never been a fan of the happily-ever-after tropes. So I can safely say I enjoyed the book’s extensive passages of adultery and self-discovery. Through Anna, Tolstoy makes us compare the depths of human minds and superficial societal values. Time to be honest- one requires immense patience to sit through his boundless depiction of 19th century Russia and its cultural, agricultural practices. A mere spectator - Tolstoy never once judges Anna as she navigates the phases of uncertainty, passion and infidelity. Because life just happens in many ways. No way is right or wrong!