By Jordan Cuevas
Inner peace is a hard skill to master, and sometimes the mountains of self-help books don’t speak to your soul. It’s in those times of need that the philosophical fiction novel shines through the clouds to give you a mantra, a beacon of light to focus on.
Listed below are 3 of those novels that can help you transcend your daily emotional outbursts and frustrations:
Island - Huxley is best known for Brave New World, but his final novel, Island, was his most hopeful and what he hoped would be his defining work. Island follows a man that finds himself washed upon the shores of a utopian island whose inhabitants slowly chip away his cynicism to reveal what life could look like from a different perspective.
Candide, Or, Optimism - Initially a little difficult to read, once you settle into Voltaire’s flair for language, the story of Candide – the terminally hopeful gentleman – makes you truly think about what it is to be happy. It is a witty and fast paced adventure that forces our main character to push his mantra (“everything in the world is for the best”) to its limits.
Siddhartha - There’s a reason every freshman in college is required to read Siddhartha. The epic of Siddhartha, following as he bounces from idea to idea, place to place, discovering insight from a cast of characters that are equal parts fantastical and painfully human. Siddhartha’s journey represents the journey of every idealistic person striving to find the simple answers to life.
Want More Suggestions? Ask Us!
Looking for more philosophical fiction titles? Our staff can create a custom reading list just for you. Simply answer a few questions about what you like to read and we will email you 4-6 titles we think you'd enjoy. Request a Custom Reading List.
