Reading a books takes time and concentration and that is the reason people are getting more inclined towards movie adaptations. Here is a list of 10 short novels in English to read in a day. These are short, crisp novels you can binge in a day!
10 Short Novels In English To Read In A Day:
Animal Farm: By George Orwell
This novella is an allegory to the Russian revolution which established a totalitarian regime. In this, we follow a group of anthropic animals who overthrow a cruel human master. But the pigs who become the successors become even more cruel than the humans. What follows is a descent into institutionalized oppression.
The Prophet: By Kahlil Gibran
This book is in the form of a compendium of poetry like philosophical lectures given by a departing prophet to an absorptive village, The prophet speaks on the themes of love, joy, work, children, marriage, leisure, housing, clothing and other relevant everyday themes that pervade life. It has some of the richest philosophy and most beautiful poetry together.
That Long Silence: By Shashi Deshpande
In this story of the unravelling of a marriage, Jaya realizes after seventeen years that she has no individual identity. She doesn’t respect her husband accused of malpractice and feels claustrophobic in their cramped Mumbai home. Realizing she stifled her dream to become an author for her husband, she must make amends in her life.
The Great Gatsby: By F Scott Fitzgerald
America’s national novel is the story of materialism and decadence in the Roaring Twenties. Through the eyes of our narrator Nick, we follow Gatsby, an immensely wealthy man who is still pining after his first love, Daisy. Daisy is now married, but an encounter with Gatsby stirs a short lived and tempestuous affair which leaves tragedy and destruction in its wake.
Some Prefer Nettles: By Junichiro Tanizaki
in this very short novel, Tanizaki pits tradition and modernity against each other. The essential story is that of a married couple falling out of love as they seek solace in the arms of others. The wife’s father, the paragon of tradition, attributes it to the rise of modernism and a subsequent decline in virtue.
Beauty and Sadness: By Yasunari Kawabata
This book tells the lyrical and poetic story of a novelist man who visits his old lover, now an artist who lives with another young, passionate and jealous woman. Through the individual stories of these three characters and their delicate emotions, the cultural milieu of Japan comes to life. This quiet story is one to devour in a day due to its flow.
Afternoon Raag: By Amit Chaudhuri
In this short poem like prose novel, a nameless narrator draws on the reserves of his memory to paint a picture of his diasporic life. He alternates between his university days and the love triangle he finds himself in at Oxford and middle class childhood in Calcutta and Bombay. In the process, a rich panorama of emotions comes to life.
The Bridges of Madison County: By Robert James Waller
This is a story of a whirlwind romance and passionate love affair that erupts between a South American housewife and a wandering man. In the course of the four days that Francesca’s husband and children are away, they discover the love of a lifetime. When they have to part to save Francesca’s family from small town gossip, the tragedy reaches a peak.
Chronicle of a Death Foretold: By Gabriel Garcia Marquez
This book has an ingenious narrative coupled with a compulsive readability that just wont allow you to put it down. It recounts the story of a man whose death was known by everyone in the village except himself. Through the narratives of each of the villagers and how they failed to inform him, a crazy but wonderful book emerges.
Men Without Women: By Haruki Murakami
This collection of short stories is perfect for a one day reading marathon because it’s compulsively readable. With fantasy elements and Murakami’s classic dreamy style, this book becomes all the more engaging. Some tropes, like the inversion of Kafka’s beetle, and love triangles are super quick to breeze through yet enjoy.
