A Century of Reading: 101 Books, 101 Authors - The Best 101 Books - Softcover

Towle, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1839757833 ISBN 13: 9781839757839

Publisher: Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd, 2021

Synopsis

"A Century of Reading" is a review of the outstanding books published over the last century and is a response to the renewed interest in reading occasioned by a global pandemic. Despite this upsurge in reading, we need to appreciate that books have never gone away. They have survived the introduction of film, television and the increasing availability and reach of the internet and online media. What has never diminished is people's desire to be told a good story; so when we have time on our hands, what books should we read? The contents of "A Century of Reading" may seek to recognise the classics, highlight recurring themes and celebrate popular genres, but it also strives to include variety. This book contains a wide variety of literature; some very familiar and some not so familiar. While we treat some of our favourite books and authors like old friends, we should also be open to experimentation. Authors and novels that are normally outside our regular reading habits need to be embraced. They are not strangers; they are just friends that we have not yet met! With these sentiments in mind, no author appears more than once on the list. There is an entry for every year and each decade has a selected book designed to capture the spirit of that particular age. This is how we have arrived at "101 Years, 101 Authors - The Best 101 Books." Influenced by the words of TS Eliot's "Four Quartets 1: Burnt Norton", we can see that our century of reading that began in the 1920s with a global pandemic, ends in the same way. Perhaps "Time past" and "time present" are uncannily similar. We look forward with optimism towards "time future", much as our ancestors in the 1920s did. The final novel on the list covers a conflict that seems to have always been with us. Will there ever be a workable solution, or is mankind destined to live in a world of division? Has our recent lockdown world given us the opportunity to think about creating a fairer world? As we venture out, we must open "the door we never opened into the rose-garden" of a beautiful new world. The literary wisdom of Eliot, unparalleled since the time of Shakespeare, tells us that "All time is unredeemable." There is much to learn and much to read. What are we waiting for?

About this title

About the Author

Originally from Stockport, Greater Manchester, Michael Towle is a freelance writer based in Staffordshire, UK. He has a wide experience of literature and English teaching, having taught in both the UK and overseas in the Middle East. He is an avid reader of novels, particularly the classics of the 19th and 20th centuries. His special areas of interest are Henry James, F Scott Fitzgerald and literature related to World War I, citing Sebastian Faulks' "Birdsong" as his favourite novel and Vera Brittain's "Testament of Youth" as the greatest autobiography.

Edition details

• Publisher: Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd
• Publication date: 2021
• ISBN 10: 1839757833
• ISBN 13: 9781839757839
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 138