The chill, 4 pm sunsets, and general gloom of winter keeping you trapped indoors? On the bright side, with lazier days comes more time to cozy up in your favourite spot by the window, with a cup of tea (or hot chocolate), and spend your day with a good old classic. If you are tired of re-reading the battered paper-back copy of your favourite novel for the hundredth time, here are some under-rated classics (you might’ve never heard of) to add to your winter reading list:
1. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
Purported to be “the closest you can get to Dickens for the twentieth century”, at 1349 pages, A Suitable Boy is one of the longest English novels ever published. Written with resounding clarity and leisureliness, this vague self-portrait of an eccentric, unworldly poet is nothing less than a phenomenal work of art.
Set in post-independence India, the modern classic chronicles the lives of four families welded by marriage, as they embark on the arduous journey of finding a suitable groom for the story’s young protagonist, a maverick named Lata. Though written by an astute, Stanford-educated Indian in the late 1900s, a votary of Dickens, George Eliot, or the Bronte sisters might find this intricate tapestry of words (perplexingly) reminiscent of Victorian realism. It is the perfect fusion of a sobering, yet satirical, political examination of the feudal system, caste and religious divisions, familial relations, and blissful Austenian romance.
A tale of epic proportions, it immerses readers in the tangle and perfume of India, proffering imaginative and unassailably truthful insight into matters of the heart. Know that the moment you step into Seth’s richly described world with exquisitely detailed characters, you will be utterly in thrall of his captivating words.
Should you resolve to valiantly conquer the daunting tome this winter, rest assured your troubles will be well worth it.
2. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
To the Lighthouse was penned by the modernist writer, Virginia Woolf with little regard for literary conventions, as she examines the tensions, allegiances, joys, and tribulations of the quotidian human existence through the lives of the Ramsays. With no consistent narrator, scant dialogue, and little direct action, the novel’s almost non-existent plot takes a back seat to Woolf’s exquisite perusal of the folly of perception, tumultuous human relationships, subjectivity and contradictions, and the nature of art.
True to its name, the shifting perspectives in the novel prompt one to recall the perpetually rotating beam of a lighthouse, with the poignantly lyrical observations transporting one to a barren cliffside; the chilling breeze shifting course ceaselessly, whispering jarring truths in one’s ear.
Should you wish to be (gently) confronted with what it is to ‘be’ in the world, this is the book for you (if you can keep up with Woolf’s disconcertingly unreliable narration and intermingling of separate consciousnesses, that is).
3. The Sultana’s Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain
Is the grim reality of our patriarchal society bogging you down? Then look no further than The Sultana’s Dream for your literary dose of feminism to bolster your optimism for a brighter future, and get a (free) lesson on self-determination and self-worth in the process.
In this avant-garde Indian utopian tale, men remain secluded indoors while women, aided by futuristic sci-fi technology, run the world, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity. Written by Begum Rokeya, a revolutionary pioneer of the women’s liberation movement in South Asia, the novel reflects her longing for a time when women are not seen as the ‘weaker’ sex but rather as immensely capable, intelligent, and strong-willed.
Her lively, yet acerbic, critique of patriarchy, imperialism, and colonialism, and their inter-dependence with science and technology, was perceived as radical by her contemporaries. In the 21st century, with the rise of fourth-wave feminism, it would be (rightfully) praised and admired, as would her neoteric deconstruction of the gender-binary in brief, witty and ironic statements scattered through the pages.
It is a fun, uplifting read, perfect for when you want to indulge in a fantastical world: one where stereotypes are flipped, there is neither crime nor oppression, and for once, women rule.
4. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
A thrilling, hallucinatory fantasy about the early life, and eventual psychological disintegration of the first Mrs. Rochester, the subversive novel serves as both a prequel and an anti-colonial response to Brontë’s novel, challenging the narrative in exquisite prose.
It explores the aftermath of the Slavery Abolition Act, by chronicling the life of a young creole heiress, Antoinette, better known to us as Bertha, from her idyllic childhood in the Caribbean right until her descent into madness, following her cruel marriage to an unnamed Englishman (hint: Mr. Rochester) and imprisonment in Thornfield Hall.
In her evocative, haunting tale of a nightmarishly ill-fated romance, Rhys is unapologetically critical of the degrading view adopted by Bronte in relation to the ‘mad woman in the attic’ and breathes new life into the much-misunderstood, one-dimensional character.
Ever wonder what made the mad woman in Jane Eyre, mad? Read this book to quench your curiosity, as that is exactly the question Jean Rhys seeks to answer in her masterpiece: Wide Sargasso Sea.
5. The Professor by Charlotte Brontë
The first-ever novel of the eldest Brontë sister, The Professor recounts the life of William Crimsworth, through his own voice and consciousness, exploring sophisticated ideas about the incapability and oppressiveness of religion, patriotism, social identity, and gender relations.
A fictional autobiography in some sense, some may find the simplicity of the story off-putting and insipid, but Brontë’s literary flair makes even the banalest moments striking and unforgettable. It compels one to ponder upon the beauty of seemingly mundane occurrences in our own lives, and how even such events are worthy of being treasured and remembered. After all, our trials, tribulations, and joys, no matter how insignificant they may seem, have made us who we are.
If you are in search of an engaging, whimsical, and perceptive prose that will pander to your escapism, then spend without regret on this self-effacing, under-appreciated, and little-known classic.