10 Books of European Literature You Should Read

10 Books of European Literature You Should Read

Here is a list of 10 best books from European Literature to devour. Most of these are classics – mainly from Germany, France, Russia and Portugal

The Sorrows of Young Werther

The Sorrows of Young Werther

This German masterpiece by a man whose literature is on the same shelf as Shakespeare follows a young boy called Werther.

The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge

The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge

German poet Rilke’s only novel is the account of the suffocations of a man in the vibrant city of Paris.

Madame Bovary

Madame Bovary

This poignant book is about the beautiful and charming Emma Bovary, who is trapped and bored in a banal marriage.

Don Quixote by Miguel des Cervantes

Don Quixote by Miguel des Cervantes

This Spanish classic is the story of the mad adventures of Don Quixote and literary critics often consider it the world’s first novel.

The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count of Monte Cristo

On the eve of his engagement, the protagonist of Dumas’ masterpiece is wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn’t commit.

The Stranger by Albert Camus

The Stranger by Albert Camus

To summarize, this is the story of a man who, through a series of unfortunate coincidences, becomes party to a murder on an Algerian beach.

Perfume by Patrick Suskind

Perfume by Patrick Suskind

This is the story of a boy, Jean Baptise Grenouille, who has an extraordinary sense of smell.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy’s most famous work follows a woman who falls in love outside of marriage. On the other hand, a young Levin, who prefers the idyllic rural life.

The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera

This is the story of an orphan girl, Christine, who learns to sing with the help of an opera ghost, Erik. But when he falls in love with her, things get complex.

The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa

The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa

This Portuguese classic is a collection of fragments about life, philosophy and everything in between.