There are books that you simply cannot drop before turning to the last page. You start to like literally everything about this kind of romance: the storytelling style, the sophisticated characters, and, of course, the story itself.
It’s not an easy task to come up with a great plot that immediately grabs the reader, but going even further and managing to portray an entire life in a relatively short story is certainly another level of artistic skill.
Here’s our list of 7 short novels that grabbed us from the first page. We couldn’t drop them until we finished them all!
Which one’s your favorite?
By Night in Chile (Roberto Bolaño)
This is the story of a Chilean priest who, being on his deathbed, confesses many cruelties associated with the dictatorship of the seventies in Chile.
One of his friends, a woman who gave big parties at her home to Chile’s literary elites, had a secret chamber in her basement where they tortured people to death.
Bonjour Tristesse (Françoise Sagan)
This is a new and moving novel about a young woman who spends the summer with her widowed father and her mistress.
The story is full of news: her first love, her first discovery and adventure, and, inevitably, her first disappointment.
Despite all the jealousy, rivalry, and excruciating pain, the main characters continue to fight for love.
Silk (Alessandro Baricco)
The novel tells the story of a young French merchant who leaves his wife and travels to Japan in the 1860s to support his business.
The country is still almost completely closed to foreigners and is experiencing growing anti-Western sentiment.
However, there is always a place and a time for love. He falls in love with a local baron’s geisha, who turns out to be a European woman.
The narration is soft, smooth and beautiful, like a piece of the finest silk.
The Pigeon (Patrick Süskind)
‘The Pigeon’ is about a bank security officer who lives his unhappy life and consequently goes through an existential crisis.
One day, a pigeon sits on his doorstep while trying to go to the bathroom. This insignificant event turns his entire life upside down.
The pigeon is a symbol of change in his well-organized existence = a change that has been postponed for more than 40 years.
All Summer in a Day (Ray Bradbury)
This story follows a group of 9-year-olds schoolchildren on Venus. Their parents came to Venus many years ago, colonizing a planet plagued by constant storms, where the Sun can be seen for only one hour in seven long years.
Margot, a girl who came to Venus five years ago, is the only one who can still remember the bright sun and the warmth it brings so vividly.
The Notebook (Nicholas sparks)
This is not just another female romance about love. It really is a great romance novel, that is, also, based on a true story.
Noah and Allie fell in love at first sight but were forced to separate due to some unfortunate events.
Many years later, they will meet again, but will they meet and relive their feelings? You can be sure that true love has no limits and will melt even the coldest heart.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Shirley Jackson)
This Gothic novel tells the story of two sisters who live in an old family home.
The Blackwood girls are the last surviving members of the family and now live with their uncle, trying to protect themselves from the curiosity and hostility of the residents.
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