I love the idea of "five books that started revolutions in the head." Difficult to choose, but here are five novels that I return to regularly. They all started revolutions in my head, and all deserve multiple readings:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain.
I first read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn as a child, then as a teenager, then in university, each time with a greater understanding of the ideas within and greater appreciation of Twain’s writing genius. A truly revolutionary novel, cleverly disguised as a children’s story.
Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell.
I first encountered 1984 as a teenager. It rocked my view of the world, deepened my suspicion of authority, and seduced me with its utter bleakness. The cultural relevance of this novel has, sadly, increased in the 60 years since it was first published.
The Stranger, by Albert Camus.
The Stranger is another novel that I first discovered in my teens. It spoke directly to the issues I was struggling with at the time, and led to my lasting love affair with existentialist authors and ideas. Philosophy aside, it is a striking work of spare, clean, potent prose.
Brighton Rock, by Graham Greene.
I probably should have read this in my teens, but didn’t. One of my favorite works of crime fiction, Brighton Rock works flawlessly on many levels – as a thrilling novel of detection, a social novel of class and religion, an examination of the roots and consequences of violence, and a sad love story. And Pinkie is simply one of one of the greatest literary villains, ever.
Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison.
To my mind, Invisible Man is the most powerful and insightful novel of race in America. Much more than a protest novel, it is a painful, sometimes wrenching journey to self-liberation.
Looking at the list, I am struck by the recurrent issues of personal identity, rebellion, oppression, and freedom. Probably says a lot about me.
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