Five fantastic short reads (all under 200 pages!)
A collection of short books that possess more power and a profundity than the page count suggest. Each of these books are under 200 pages, making them great for anyone looking to break a reading rut or explore different genres. Be warned – though they are little, these books contain some of life’s largest questions.
The Word for World is Forest, Ursula Le Guin [1972]
160 pages
The Word for World is Forest, Ursula Le Guin [1972]
Somewhere in space, a peaceful alien civilisation are enslaved by human colonisers, forcing them to abandon their nonviolent ways. Led by Selver, they rise up in resistance. Every act of violence against their oppressors introduces Selver and his people to the “evil dream”, threatening the very soul of their society.
#FLODown: From a true master of their craft, this novella is a sci-fi story that was responding to the Vietnam War. It is a challenge against the dehumanising ideologies of colonialism, illustrated through sharp but delicate prose and rich characterisation. There is a concept within the book of “world time” and “dream time”, which is highly relevant in the context of this article. Go read the book to find out why.
“… between the two groups, Selver, the translator, frail, disfigured, holding all their destinies in his empty hands. Rain fell softly on the brown earth about them.”
We, Yevgeny Zamyatin [1924]
199 pages
![We, Yevgeny Zamyatin [1924]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c9534c4af4683461d462c6b/1f083ee3-f877-4389-81f1-fb3f2cc4cda2/We%2C+Yevgeny+Zamyatin+%5B1924%5D)
We, Yevgeny Zamyatin [1924]
A groundbreaking dystopian novel set in the 26th century, telling the story of mathematician named D-503 who discovers he has a soul. His awakening challenges the totalitarian order, which was perhaps the reason why the novel was banned in Russia for decades. It endures as both a vivid work of science fiction and a powerful call for freedom.
#FLODown: We is the original modern dystopian story, having influence on 1984 and A Clockwork Orange. In OneState, everyone lives (literally) in glass houses. Individuality is a crime, and imagination is deemed an incurable disease. Told through diary entries, Zamyatin’s world is trippy, troubling and tragic – and perhaps a bit too real. A must read for fans of dystopia.
“You're in a bad way! Apparently, you have developed a soul.”
The Island of Dr Moreau, HG Wells [1896]
160 pages
![The Island of Dr Moreau, HG Wells [1896]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c9534c4af4683461d462c6b/ae147643-1d42-4c8c-a971-c1817a64efb9/The+Island+of+Dr+Moreau%2C+HG+Wells+%5B1896%5D)
The Island of Dr Moreau, HG Wells [1896]
In its time, this book was deemed horrifying and blasphemous. A man named Edward Prendick is shipwrecked on an island of “beast-people” that is lorded over by a mad scientist named Dr Moreau. It is a thriller, an adventure, and a horror wrapped in one, and the thematic friction concerned with the use and misuse of scientific developments remain highly relevant (and perhaps even more uncomfortable) today.
#FLODown: A fascinating observation of the chaos caused when men assume the place of gods. Wells again wields science-fiction as a philosophical device to scrutinise the way in which the pursuit of science and technology can lead to a dangerous immortality.
“His is the House of Pain.
His is the Hand that makes.
His is the Hand that wounds.
His is the Hand that heals.”
The Prophet, Khalil Gibran [1923]
128 pages
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The Prophet, Khalil Gibran [1923]
The prophet is leaving town, but the people there still have questions for him: about good and evil, beauty, work, love, and all of humanity’s grandest ideas. This collection of poetic essays is a timeless and treasured work that has sold millions of copies all over the world and earns its place on every bookshelf.
#FLODown: Gibran offers perspective rather than answers through this book, and whether we have our own answers or not, The Prophet has something to show us. In the rush of everyday life, it can be difficult to find the headspace to think about the vast themes, and so we can count ourselves lucky that this illuminating book exists to help us see the world through such a wondrous lens.
“People of Orphalese, beauty is life when life unveils her holy face.
But you are life and you are the veil.
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in the mirror.
But you are eternity and you are the mirror.”
The Lonely Londoners, Sam Selvon [1956]
142 Pages
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The Lonely Londoners, Sam Selvon [1956]
At Waterloo Station, lead character Moses meets hopeful immigrants from the Caribbean arriving in London. Just like him, they soon discover that the streets are not paved with gold. Instead, the harsh realities of racism, poverty, and the bitter cold of the city bind these lonely Londoners together.
#FLODown: Selvon channels a Dickensian spirit in the way he paints vivid portraits of the characters of London in the 1950s. Humour and tragedy are intwined as the cast attempt to find their place in the city. The Lonely Londoners is an early example of a book being written in dialect, making it a crucial work in the canon of British literature. These pages are a time machine that drop us into the every day lives of a generation who helped to make London the city it is today.
“Always, from that first time he went there to see Eros and the lights, that circus is the beginning and the ending of the world.”
Words by Angelo Mikhaeil
