All the books I’ve read in 2023: Reviewed in one line each (Part 1)

All the books I’ve read in 2023: Reviewed in one line each (Part 1)

Hello everyone, hope you’ve all been well. It’s official, there’s no denying it, 2023 has ended and we’re almost done with the first day of 2024. On the whole, I loved 2023 and nothing makes me happier than stepping into this year knowing that I’ve read all the books I’ve wanted to. And today, as I was on YouTube, trying to find new book recommendations, I was inspired by my favourite YouTuber to go over all the books I’ve read in the past year and *attempt to* review them in short, and that’s exactly what I’ll be doing!

So snuggle with your fuzzy blanket and join me as I nerd over books, once again!

Classics:

1. The Secret History by Donna Tartt 

A group of eccentric misfits at an elite college try to live in a way that rejects all morality. They try to enact Greek tragedies which lead them to do questionable things like, well, murder. And more.  

It was an instant favourite and still remains. The flowery language, the philosophies, the ambience, and all the reasoning and logic they used to justify their actions and their intellectual and moral obsessions had me gripped right from the first page. Absolutely satisfying ending (subjective). Worth all the hype it gets.

2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

Consumed by the desire to discover the secret of life, Victor Frankenstein creates a monster. However, as the creature wakes up, he is appalled by it. He abandons his responsibilities and runs away, leaving the abhorrent creature on its own.

Another must-read classic, this book delves into themes like morality, loneliness, and an unremitting quest for knowledge that leads to disastrous outcomes. Although, slightly difficult to read. 

3. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 

Overcome with the fear of growing old and ugly, Dorian Gray sells his soul for eternal youth. While he engages in a life of decadency and immorality, his portrait rots in his attic, scarred with all his sins. 

This is one of the few books that captures hedonism so well. Dorian’s descent into immorality highlights certain themes like youth, sin, morality, dangers of influence and the superficiality of aestheticism. I’m glad to have read it and would recommend it to everyone.    

4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The tragic story of Jay Gatsby, a self-made millionaire who dedicates his life to pursuing Daisy Buchanan, a wealthy woman he loved in his youth. 

Once again, a classic I recommend to all. It talks about the elusive yet flimsy nature of the American Dream and how no matter how hard you try, the past is always the past, there’s no going back. 

5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinback

The plot centres on George and Lennie, two migrant labourers who, during the Great Depression, start off as employees at a new ranch and have aspirations of becoming farm owners.

A short, easy-to-read book that delves into the American Dream. Other themes include friendship, loneliness, shattered dreams etc. Shows how all classes of people are enchanted by the mirage of the American Dream, which may or may not be true. 

6. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller 

Willy Loman, a travelling salesman struggles with disillusionment and broken dreams. As he grapples with his past and a strained relationship with his sons, the play explores the destructive impact of the American Dream and the pursuit of success.

Following the theme of the American Dream, according to me, this play was a much more complex dive into it. At some point or other, you will see yourself as one of the characters of the book and realise how universal your problems and feelings are. Highly recommend it.

7. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman, wakes up one day to find out that he has transformed into a giant insect. He instantly becomes a burden to his family, now that he isn’t earning anything and his family is disgusted with him.

Kafka is definitely a cult favourite author, and reading this book showed me why. Through the absurd life of Gregor, we are shown the harsh reality of human existence – isolation, alienation, responsibilities, and the cyclic need to always be employed and earn money. This book will hit you hard every time you read it.

8. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Set in 1950s America, this book talks about Esther Greenwood’s descent into mental illness as she struggles with the societal expectations of women and the pressure of conformity. 

Personally, this book did not particularly appeal to me because of how the plot progresses and the ending, but I know for sure that this semi-autobiographical novel has been loved by so many people. It might be the one for you too, so you can check it out, but I suggest looking into the trigger warnings before you do so. 

9. A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

This play focuses on Nora Helmer, a woman who struggles with her identity and societal expectations. The drama examines issues of gender roles, individualism, and societal norms as Nora works her way through a web of deceit to protect her family, culminating in a groundbreaking and scandalous ending. 

Honestly, I wouldn’t pick this up on my own if I wasn’t forced to. However, it served as a revelation for me when it felt like I was reading a contemporary tale, not something that was set in the nineteenth century. It was a sharp reminder of the status of women in our society and how little we have changed, two centuries later. If feminism is something you might not understand and wish to know about, this book is definitely for you. 

10. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

“A lawyer’s advice to his children as he defends a black man charged with the rape of a white girl.” Themes include racism, courage, justice, parenting, loss of innocence etc. 

There is nothing more I have to say about this book than I have here- https://www.priyanshimehta.com/blog/book-review-to-kill-a-mockingbird/.

 It is one of my all-time favourite novels and you must read it at least once in your lifetime.

11. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger 

Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old disillusioned teenager is expelled from boarding school and tries to reason his anger with the adult world for its “phoniness”. The novel explores themes of alienation, identity, isolation, growing up, loss of innocence etc. 

This is in my top 3 books I’ve ever read. I just think it does such a good job capturing the teenage angst that everybody deals with, yet is so misunderstood. It is well-acknowledged in the book community that you either love this book or hate it. Fortunately, I belong to the former category because I see myself resonating with the character a lot. Absolutely devoured this book. 

12. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

“A plane crashes on a desert island. The only survivors are a group of schoolboys. At first, they revel in the freedom and celebrate the absence of grown-ups. Soon though, as the boys’ fragile sense of order begins to collapse, their fears start to take on a sinister, primitive significance.” Survival seems impossible as a terrifying beast haunts their dreams.

Another book that I absolutely loved because of its themes of good vs. evil, loss of innocence, mob mentality, civilisation vs. savagery, illusion vs. reality etc. Again, it fascinates me how such complex ideas are portrayed through children no more than 13 years old, and still, people of all ages can relate to them. I loved the book, and you might like it too. Slightly difficult to read.

13. Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse

Harry Haller, a depressed middle-aged intellectual struggles with the duality of his nature- he thinks he is part man and part wolf. He eventually learns how to transcend himself, and finds faith and hope to overcome his self-loathing through the help of a Magic Theatre and some other men and women he has idolised in his life. 

Herman Hesse has not failed to fascinate me once again. This book (like Demian, my first Hesse book) takes us on an insightful journey into the human psyche, exploring themes like existentialism, loneliness, alienation, elitism vs mediocrity, suicide, etc. As evident, I am a sucker for themes like these and this book only strengthened my love for the author. The book is wildly misunderstood though, in Hesse’s own words, and can be a challenging read.  

14. The Stranger by Albert Camus

Meursault, an emotionally detached Algerian living in France, leads a nihilist way of life through his indifferent reactions to events in his life, like the death of his mother or the murder he commits. 

I read this book as part of the book club, and it was so refreshing to have other people’s opinions on such a book because I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much if I read it on my own. The book’s main themes involve existentialism, absurdism, alienation and isolation, nihilism, etc. These themes may not be for everyone, so I suggest you look into them before reading it.  

15. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 

Raskolnikov debates if he has the right to kill someone if it is for the greater good, and once the deed is done, tries to reason with it. As he faces the consequences of his crimes, he is faced with many a moral dilemma, and following a serious breakdown of his psyche, looks for redemption. 

Oh boy. Honestly, this is a book that I am proud to have finished reading, but would not particularly recommend it to people. I know how much love there is for this book, but I was absolutely disappointed by the ending. The plot was very interesting, but I would have liked a more tangible account of his thoughts rather than him passing out every few pages. Not sure if I’d like to read more of Dostoyevsky in the future, apparently most of his books have a similar conclusion. 

16. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Lolita is a controversial tale of Humbert Humbert, a literature professor, and his fixation on Dolores Haze, a twelve-year-old girl whom he refers to as Lolita. His lust for her leads him to do unspeakable things, and he ends up exploiting the child in inconceivable ways. 

Through horrible themes of paedophilia and the darkest of human desires, Nabokov has managed to produce something brilliant. Through our unreliable narrator, we are made to question our own belief systems and moralities, so intricately and subtly does Humbert manipulate us. Though the themes are awful, the writing is one of a kind. It is one of the rare moments that reading this made me realise the power of words, the art of manipulation. 

Okay, I’d like to stop here for this part, lest the article is too long and boring. Although, look out for the next part which I will upload very shortly. Hope you had fun, for now, I know I did. See you super soon, take care till then!

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