Shakespeare’s Julius Ceaser, Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, Bram Stocker’s Dracula…
The past few centuries have not only led to astounding technological development but also fantastic development of literary excellence. Every decade saw its own artistic genius, be it books, movies or music. The legacy that our ancestors left behind has been breathtaking.
But what about today’s generation? Are we capable of only producing better gadgets and remaking films? Has the Shakespeare been replaced by the Steve Jobs? Most certainly not. The creative genius is just as intact as the wiz kid. And some of our modern day authors back this notion.
The only reason classics are what they are today is because of the adulation of thousands of readers over tens of generations. So if some of the recently written books were to outlive all of us and survive for that long, then they might just find a place in textbooks and the ‘Classics’ section with Romeo- Juliets and Oliver Twist. Here is my list of the 5 books that have the best shot!
1. The Da Vinci Code
There are very few writers who can appreciate the value of time as well as Dan Brown. Quite literally! All his books featuring Robert Langdon span over a day (two at the most). The sheer pace with which this innately gifted professor solves unfathomable mysterious keeps you hooked onto the pages. And the perfection with which the story is presented from multiple perspectives makes Da Vinci Code the work of a skilled virtuoso.
2. Harry Potter Series
I highly doubt that anyone would disagree on this phenomenal series by JK Rowling. I read somewhere, ‘We owe our childhoods to JK Rowling’. And then I realized the level of impact this book has had on the lives of children in the most formative years of their lives. Suddenly from wanting to be astronauts and film stars, every child wanted to be Harry Potter. Achieving a feat like that, the series has the potential to be a classic.
3. The Master of The Game
Very few writers can disregard the value of time as well as Sidney Sheldon. Among all of Sheldon’s books, The Master of The Game is the one that makes you stay up late in the night reading and probably miss a meal the next morning. Starting from Jamie McGregor, the book delves into the life of his daughter- Kate Blackwell, her son and his twin daughters. So basically in a matter of 400 hundred something pages, you span 4 generations, cover two wars, deception, mystery, love, drama and spinning chilling thrill. If this book doesn’t make it to the classics, then maybe classics are over rated!
4. Kane and Abel
Although each of Jeffery Archer’s books is a beacon of unparalleled genius, Kane and Abel deserves a special place alongside the other classics. The book centers around William Lowell Kane and Abel Rosnovski, two men born in different parts of the world, literally and metaphorically, and their journey from birth, their ambitions, struggles and intersected destinies. The profound impact that this book leaves on your mind makes it well worth the honour it’ll most certainly get.
5. The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho’s books are often accused of being too optimistic and often, boring. The Alchemist is no exception. But just because a book isn’t compelling you to finish it in 2 hours doesn’t mean it’s not worth reading. In fact, classics rarely do. You might read the first half and forget about the book for a few weeks or even months. You might not understand the whole point of reading it even after you have finished 3/4th of the book. But the sense of hopefulness and contentment that the book propagates and almost manages to make you believe in, by the end of it, is definitely worth the time you spend on it. And the best part is that it’s a self help book that lets you live in the false sense of security that you don’t need a self help book.
There are a lot more that can be added. But if you haven’t read these, you better start cracking! What other books do you think can become classics in the future? Let us know in the comments!
Image courtesy: goodreads.com
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