Reading isn’t just about turning pages for pleasure; they have the power to touch us in many ways and sometimes even become the catalyst for social change. Here are nine novels that we believe fit the ‘shape the way we think and act’ criterion.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Abraham Lincoln reportedly addressed the author as ‘the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war’ on meeting her. It was a decade after she had written the story of Uncle Tom, an African American slave, and brought the horrors of slavery to the attention of the public. It was the second-best selling book of the 19th century, after the Bible.
The Jungle, Upton Sinclair.
This journalist’s 1906 novel portrays harsh working conditions, extreme poverty and exploitation faced by the many immigrant labourers in Chicago’s meat-packing industry. On reading the novel, President Theodore Roosevelt commissioned an investigation into the industry and within a year, the Meat Inspection Act was passed, along with the Pure Food and Drug Act (which became the Food and Drug Administration).
Abraham Lincoln reportedly addressed the author as ‘the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war’ on meeting her. It was a decade after she had written the story of Uncle Tom, an African American slave, and brought the horrors of slavery to the attention of the public. It was the second-best selling book of the 19th century, after the Bible.
The Jungle, Upton Sinclair.
This journalist’s 1906 novel portrays harsh working conditions, extreme poverty and exploitation faced by the many immigrant labourers in Chicago’s meat-packing industry. On reading the novel, President Theodore Roosevelt commissioned an investigation into the industry and within a year, the Meat Inspection Act was passed, along with the Pure Food and Drug Act (which became the Food and Drug Administration).
All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque.
One of the best-known anti-war novels, depicting the horrors of the First World War trenches from the perspective of a young German soldier. It was translated into more than 20 languages and became a much-awarded Hollywood movie in 1930. It was among the first books banned and publicly burned by Nazis.
Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe.
Written by this Nigerian novelist, poet and essayist in 1958, the novel describes the tribal society falling apart because of the arrival of Christian missionaries. It has sold more than 10 million copies in 50+ languages and is still widely read and studied as an example of the impact of colonialism on African culture and identity.
One of the best-known anti-war novels, depicting the horrors of the First World War trenches from the perspective of a young German soldier. It was translated into more than 20 languages and became a much-awarded Hollywood movie in 1930. It was among the first books banned and publicly burned by Nazis.
Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe.
Written by this Nigerian novelist, poet and essayist in 1958, the novel describes the tribal society falling apart because of the arrival of Christian missionaries. It has sold more than 10 million copies in 50+ languages and is still widely read and studied as an example of the impact of colonialism on African culture and identity.
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, by Robert Tressell.
This 1914 socialist polemic is about a group of honest men exploited by money-grabbing capitalists and was based on the injustices faced by the working classes in Edwardian England. The novel was an integral part of the drive for social reform at the start of the last century.
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck.
The 1939 classic chronicles a penniless Oklahoma family’s journey westward along Route 66. An immediate bestseller, the novel highlighted the shocking Depression-era poverty and destitution of hundreds of thousands of migrants making the journey to California to find work. The book was banned and burned in some places, including Kern County, California, where the Joad family’s journey ended.
This 1914 socialist polemic is about a group of honest men exploited by money-grabbing capitalists and was based on the injustices faced by the working classes in Edwardian England. The novel was an integral part of the drive for social reform at the start of the last century.
The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck.
The 1939 classic chronicles a penniless Oklahoma family’s journey westward along Route 66. An immediate bestseller, the novel highlighted the shocking Depression-era poverty and destitution of hundreds of thousands of migrants making the journey to California to find work. The book was banned and burned in some places, including Kern County, California, where the Joad family’s journey ended.
1984, by George Orwell.
This book about life under a totalitarian regime inspired many books that envision the future as a nightmarish place with no freedoms or rights. Many other books have been inspired by it, such as A Clockwork Orange. Terms from the book such as ‘Big Brother, ‘doublethink’ and ‘thoughtcrime’ are part of the vernacular today, reminders of the importance of free thought and speech.
To Kill A Mocking Bird, by Harper Lee.
The words of Atticus Finch in this 1960 tale of racial inequality in the 1930s are quoted in many other books and studies. It has left an indelible mark on generations and is a valuable lesson in looking at the world through another person’s eyes.
Beloved, by Toni Morrison.
Nobel Laureate Morrison reportedly spend three years thinking about her Pulitzer-winning novel before writing one word. The story deals with the legacy of slavery and was voted the best work of American fiction in the past 25 years by the New York Times.
This book about life under a totalitarian regime inspired many books that envision the future as a nightmarish place with no freedoms or rights. Many other books have been inspired by it, such as A Clockwork Orange. Terms from the book such as ‘Big Brother, ‘doublethink’ and ‘thoughtcrime’ are part of the vernacular today, reminders of the importance of free thought and speech.
To Kill A Mocking Bird, by Harper Lee.
The words of Atticus Finch in this 1960 tale of racial inequality in the 1930s are quoted in many other books and studies. It has left an indelible mark on generations and is a valuable lesson in looking at the world through another person’s eyes.
Beloved, by Toni Morrison.
Nobel Laureate Morrison reportedly spend three years thinking about her Pulitzer-winning novel before writing one word. The story deals with the legacy of slavery and was voted the best work of American fiction in the past 25 years by the New York Times.