Gossip Girl, Breaking Bad, and Love Island.
These TV shows are some of the most popular shows, and I get it.
They’re so exciting, and I love sitting down and mindlessly watching a few episodes to unwind at night, every day, too.
Don’t you?
But let me ask you a question: How does that benefit you?
Now, don’t roll your eyes at me as I start to remind you about your mother. Give me a chance. Unlike your mom, I’m not here to force a book into your hands!
I believe that that should be the journey you choose to start on your own, which is what I’m here to help you with today!
Yes, you’re tired. So opening a book and using your brain to process it now is probably the last thing you want to do.
But who said you have to go for the hard, philosophical reads?
Give Fiction a Chance!
Let’s not forget about the classics; they’re classics for a reason!
But since most of these classics are fiction, I know what you might be thinking.
“But that’s the genre that kids read! Give me the real stuff that’s about real life!”
Well, to discount the complexities of fiction would be doing yourself a great disservice.
For example, allegories are stories with hidden meanings, where the characters, settings, and events represent something else.
Take ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’, where the events and characters are usually interpreted as Christian events, with Aslan the Lion being the Christian God.
You Are What You Read
Ever read ‘Farenheit 451’?
The absence of books in that world shows how people become cold, unfeeling, and unthinking creatures.
Furthermore, I don’t mean to sound like a snob, but some of the “blandest” people I’ve met, unsurprisingly, couldn’t remember the last book that they read years ago.
There is definitely a correlation between the genre of literature that one likes to read, or their favourite author, and their personality.
A person who loves sci-fi might be imaginative and love sociology as well. If your friend loves Oscar Wilde, they might enjoy the finer things in life and look at life through rose-tinted glasses.
The Benefits of Reading Fiction
If you’re “finding yourself” now and want to be your own person, fiction can help with that. (Although you can definitely learn a lot from non-fiction too!)
When you read fiction, you’ll open your eyes to the infinite universe of different fictional worlds, points of view, and realities.
Honestly, I went through a phase where I couldn’t get into reading a couple years back. But I soon realised that it was because I didn’t know what genre of books I liked.
So in this guide, I’m going to introduce you to six fictional must-read classics to help you on your journey of self-discovery or learning to love reading!
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
Would you leave the comfortable life you have now to chase a recurring vision that you can’t get out of your head?
Even if the life you have now is the one you thought you wanted and even left home for.
In this short and sweet read about chasing your dreams, follow Santiago as he makes his journey across the Mediterranean to chase his dreams while learning many hard truths of life and discovering the powers of the universe.
In this book, everything in the universe is connected.
Who this book is for: Dreamers and Hopefuls
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Rodion Raskolnikov is a young Russian living in absolute poverty.
Absolutely despaired and feeling hopeless for the future, he commits a murder but is then haunted by guilt and paranoia.
This book highlights Russia’s poverty-stricken state in the 1860s and shows what destitution can drive men to do, physically and mentally.
Who this book is for: Cynics and Advocates
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Have you ever wondered what a world without books might be like?
A world without meaning and depth, or humans with independence and originality?
In this book, the ‘firemen’ are the ones who start the fires to burn books, as they’re illegal.
And Guy Montag is proud to be a fireman.
But he soon begins to question the oppressive regime he lives in when he begins to see the value of books.
Who this book is for: Dystopia and Scifi Lovers
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Contrary to its children’s book-like name, Animal Farm is an allegory.
In this dystopian story, the farm animals rebel against their human oppressors—the farmers—only to form their own tyrannical rule.
In this allegory, communism, the dangers of corruption and totalitarianism are explored through the animal’s uprising on a farm.
Who this book is for: Thinkers and Revolutionaries
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
School, eat, homework, sleep.
School, eat, homework, sleep.
School, eat, homework, sleep.
It might be hard to still have a sense of adventure and take risks when we live such safe, but mechanical lives in Singapore. Most of the time, it seems like we’re all just cogs in a system.
So escape to a world of adventure by living through Alonso, a Spanish noble, and his companion, Sancho, in 16th-century Spain.
Who this book is for: Adventure Seekers and Freedom Lovers
Journey To The West by Wu Cheng En
We all grew up with this story and are vaguely familiar with it.
But how many of us actually know about the whole journey to the West?
This book is a humorous and extremely engaging read that starts off as a spiritual journey of self-discovery with Sun Wu Kong, the Monkey King.
But throughout the book, it talks about Chinese traditions and social customs, encounters with mystical creatures, a lot of demons, dead kings from the afterlife, wars in heaven, loyalty, betrayals, friendship, and everything in between!
It’s a whirlwind journey, but one that I’d gladly take again.
Who this book is for: Lovers of Chinese Culture, Surrealism, and Magic Realism
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
If you’re on a journey of self-discovery now, you would probably find solace in Holden Caulfield, the book’s protagonist.
This book is one that I’ve held near and dear to my heart since my teenage years, as the comfort and relatability I felt from Holden is nothing I’ve ever felt again in literature.
Deeply flawed, insecure, and disgusted by the world around him, Holden Caulfield will definitely be able to reach out and touch anyone of any background.
Who this book is for: Souls on a journey of self-discovery
Conclusion
So, interested in any of the books?
If you are, then congratulations on your upcoming metamorphosis (another great piece by Franz Kafka) that is bound to happen once your mind expands.
Fictional literature can be a great tool to discover yourself, as it’s a mirror of reality and the many complexities of humankind.
And do not worry about your command of English not being “good.” Everybody has to start somewhere.
If you’d prefer an English language tutor to aid you, SmileTutor’s English tutors will help you unlock your potential!
So don’t rob yourself of the pleasures of fiction and head to your nearest bookshop today!
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