7 lesser-known brilliant books by famous authors
When you hear the name “Douglas Adams”, you think Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. When you hear “Vladimir Nabokov”, you think Lolita. But did you know there were more to these incredible authors than just their most popular novels? From Orwell to Brontë, we take a look at some of the books that didn’t quite leave the same impression as those that came before and after them but are just as great in their own right.
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
He brought us the wonderfully wacky Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but Adams’ 1987 novel Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency is up there with his best. It’s just as crazy, clever and hilarious as all his other work. Don’t believe us? On its cover, Adams describes it as a “thumping good detective-ghost-horror-who dunnit-time travel-romantic-musical-comedy-epic”.
Coming Up for Air by George Orwell
We’re betting you’re familiar with Orwell’s dystopian classics 1984 and Animal Farm, but his 1939 novel is worthy of the title “classic”, too. A bit more down-to-earth than his other work, Coming Up for Air showcases Orwell’s signature pessimism, cynicism and criticism of capitalism and commercialism. One thing’s for sure, it’ll make you think.
Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov
1955’s Lolita, which Nabokov wrote in English, is undoubtedly one of the most famous and most controversial books of the last century, but the novels he wrote in Russian deserve just as much attention. The surreal, metaphorical Invitation to a Beheading was the work Nabokov held in “the greatest esteem” and is ideal for fans of Franz Kafka.
Huxley is best known for his dystopian masterpiece Brave New World, but the author also created a distinctly utopian world in the 1962 novel Island. It tells the story of a cynical journalist, who falls in love with the way of life of a small island on which he finds himself shipwrecked. A recommended read for anyone who has read Brave New World.
Sons and Lovers and Lady Chatterley’s Lover might sound familiar, but how about Kangaroo? The English author wrote his ode to Australia after visiting with his family in 1922. The vivid descriptions of the rugged Australian landscape as well as the politics of the time will give you a new-found appreciation for the land down under.
The talented Brontë sisters produced some iconic novels, but perhaps the most beloved is Charlotte’s Jane Eyre. However, did you know that many consider her fourth novel Villette to be even better? The novel follows a young girl who travels to the fictional French town of Villette to teach at a school and finds herself wrapped up in adventure and romance.
The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne
Milne is most famous for being the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, but the author has also tried his hand in the mystery genre. Set far from the Hundred Acre Woods lies the Red House, where a guest at a local inn is called up to solve a murder that has local authorities stumped. This whodunit will be a hit with Sherlock Holmes fans.
How many of these lesser-known books have you read? Tell us what you thought about them in the comments below.
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