Best European Books

Although literature has been present in all the cultures of the world since time immemorial, that of the old continent became one of the foundations of Western thought and narrative. These best european books Not only do they define a moment in history, but they remain timeless classics even in the XNUMXst century and possibly for the rest of eternity.

The Odyssey, by Homer

The work that cemented European and Western literature in itself It dates back a long time, specifically from the XNUMXth century BC in which, according to experts, this poem was finished. Composed of different legends of the Greek microcosm that are perfectly adapted to the story, The odyssey narrates the epic return of Odysseus to Ithaca after the conquest of Troy, housing a universe that has transcended throughout history, inspiring a whole generation of writers and thinkers.

Don Quixote de la Mancha, by Miguel de Cervantes

Considered the greatest work, not only of our lyrics, but of history, Don Quixote inspired the world to delve into its own fantasies until its eyes opened. Published in 1605 and conceived as a satire of the chivalric novel due to its burlesque tone, the adventures of the hidalgo from La Mancha who set out in search of his beloved Dulcinea and assumed the mills of La Mancha for giants a first approach to a realism that would forever define the European works that would arrive in later years and centuries.

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen

The role of women in literature he did not always enjoy the freedom of today. In fact, authors such as Emily Brontë or Jane Austen used masculine pseudonymsIt's time to publish his works in a world dominated by men. Luckily when Pride and prejudice It was published in 1813, something fell apart in the world of letters; something that brought with it irony, subtlety and feminism. The universal story of Elizabeth Bennet as an independent woman willing not to be bowed by the courtship of the perfect man has become over time not only a work necessary to be read at some point, but an example of how a book can change the world.

A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens

Although one of the great authors in history He dedicated part of his life to writing stories of certain social criticism starring children like Oliver Twist or A Christmas Carol, with the work in question here, Charles Dickens jumped to another league, giving the world one of the most necessary novels of his time. History of two cities addresses two stories whose setting in a peaceful England and pre-revolutionary France supposes a comparison of two totally different countries: one calm and stable, and another much more restless and vindictive. Ideal to understand that social episode that was the French Revolution in the XNUMXth century. Along with Don Quixote, Dickens' magnum opus is the best selling book in history.

Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert

The French Flaubert was always a meticulous writer. In fact, he could spend months and months correcting a single paragraph of his work to make it perfect. For this reason, we are not surprised that Madame Bovary has transcended as one of the great works of its time and as a portrait whose essence remains timeless. The universal nonconformity of the human being It is here captured through the eyes of Emma, ​​the wife of a doctor who, despite a perfect life, yearns for something more, seeking to fill a void that neither high society parties nor stability can fill. Conceived as a critique of the French gentry in XNUMXth century France, Madame Bovary is one of the great works of realism and naturalism, directed towards a resolution as revealing as it is powerful.

Ulysses, by James Joyce

Throughout history there have been works that have inspired both love and hate, which have been consumed with the same ease with which a posturet reader intends to immerse himself in a work as complex as it is special. Ulises It is one of them, despite the fact that critics did not welcome it after its publication in 1922, perhaps because of its diffuse structure and its use of an interior monologue to which the most learned were not accustomed. However, time has ended up raising the literary Olympus this modern version of Homer's Odyssey that Joyce moved to the Dublin of the 20s that Leopold Bloom toured during one day of his life. One of the best European books in history, without a doubt.

Ana Frank's diary

Although many have been written books set in World War IIFew came from the heart of what was one of the bloodiest episodes in history. Ana Frank's diary, written by a 13-year-old Jewish girl locked in a shelter in Amsterdam with a family fleeing Nazi German troops reveals not only the horrors of Europe in the early 40s, but also the personal universe of a girl in full maturity, so full of dreams and hopes that going to its outcome supposes an announced cruelty that continues to twist the guts of any reader.

1984, by George Orwell

Forerunner of a dystopian gender that would haunt the world from the mid-twentieth century according to the different social changes that occurred as a result of both world wars, 1984 continues to be a very current book. Set in a year that luckily differed from the content of the work's content, 1984 it places us in a futuristic London ruled by the Thought Police that controls all the actions of a world prisoner of that "Big Brother." The funny thing about it is that Orwell's work remains so thoughtful in a world dominated by technology and the great powers.

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