Some of the Greatest Books ever writtenSome of the Greatest Books ever written

With A SynopsisWith A SynopsisFor EachFor Each

This book is about a hobbit called Frodo and his journey to Mount Doom to cast the One Ring into the Cracks of Doom. He undergoes a long journey full of danger before he reaches his goal. He and his hobbit-friend Sam both try to bear the power of the Great Ring but it is a terrible burden. Frodo nearly dies with the effort. But finally he triumphs. On the road,

he meets several enemies, but he finds allies in odd places.

Dostoevsky's last novel (1880) Dostoevsky's last novel (1880) is both a crime story and a is both a crime story and a passionate philosophical passionate philosophical

debate. Dissolute landowner debate. Dissolute landowner Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov is murdered; his sons - atheist is murdered; his sons - atheist intellectual Ivan, hot-blooded intellectual Ivan, hot-blooded

Dmitry, and saintly novice Dmitry, and saintly novice Alyosha - are all at some level Alyosha - are all at some level

involved. involved.

Often called the greatest novel Often called the greatest novel ever written, ever written, War and Peace War and Peace is is

at once an epic of the at once an epic of the Napoleonic Wars, a Napoleonic Wars, a

philosophical study, and a philosophical study, and a celebration of the Russian celebration of the Russian

spirit. Tolstoy’s genius is seen spirit. Tolstoy’s genius is seen clearly in the multitude of clearly in the multitude of fully realized and equally fully realized and equally memorable characters that memorable characters that

populate this massive populate this massive chronicle. Out of this complex chronicle. Out of this complex narrative emerges a profound narrative emerges a profound

examination of the examination of the individual’s place in the individual’s place in the

historical process, one that historical process, one that makes it clear why Thomas makes it clear why Thomas

Mann praised Tolstoy for his Mann praised Tolstoy for his Homeric powers and placed Homeric powers and placed War and Peace War and Peace in the same in the same

category as the category as the IliadIliad..

Thrown in prison for a Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined Edmond Dantes is confined

to the grim fortress of If. to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great There he learns of a great

hoard of treasure hidden on hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and the Isle of Monte Cristo and

becomes determined not becomes determined not only to escape but to unearth only to escape but to unearth

the treasure and use it to the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the plot the destruction of the

three men responsible for his three men responsible for his incarceration.incarceration.

Sensational, dramatic, packed Sensational, dramatic, packed with rich excitement and filled with rich excitement and filled with the sweep and violence of with the sweep and violence of

human passions, LES human passions, LES MISERABLES is not only MISERABLES is not only

superb adventure but a powerful superb adventure but a powerful social document. The story of social document. The story of how the convict Jean-Valjean how the convict Jean-Valjean

struggled to escape his past and struggled to escape his past and reaffirm his humanity, in a reaffirm his humanity, in a

world brutalized by poverty and world brutalized by poverty and ignorance, became the gospel of ignorance, became the gospel of

the poor and the oppressed.the poor and the oppressed.

Dr Jekyll, a physician Dr Jekyll, a physician conscious of the duality in his conscious of the duality in his nature, and fascinated by the nature, and fascinated by the

idea of the advantage that idea of the advantage that would arise if these elements would arise if these elements could be clothed in different could be clothed in different

personalities, discovers a drug personalities, discovers a drug by means of which he can by means of which he can

create a separate personality create a separate personality that absorbs all his evil that absorbs all his evil

instincts.instincts.

At the heart of Joseph At the heart of Joseph Heller's bestselling novel, Heller's bestselling novel, first published in 1961, is first published in 1961, is a satirical indictment of a satirical indictment of military madness and military madness and

stupidity, and the desire of stupidity, and the desire of the ordinary man to the ordinary man to

survive it. It is the tale of survive it. It is the tale of the dangerously sane the dangerously sane

Captain Yossarian, who Captain Yossarian, who spends his time in Italy spends his time in Italy

plotting to survive.plotting to survive.

A terrifying encounter with an A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on escaped convict in a graveyard on

the wild Kent marshes; a the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter, summons to meet the bitter,

decaying Miss Havisham and her decaying Miss Havisham and her beautiful, cold-hearted ward beautiful, cold-hearted ward

Estella; the sudden generosity of a Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor – these mysterious benefactor – these

form a series of events that change form a series of events that change the orphaned Pip’s life forever, the orphaned Pip’s life forever,

and he eagerly abandons his and he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life humble origins to begin a new life

as a gentleman. Dickens’s as a gentleman. Dickens’s haunting late novel depicts Pip’s haunting late novel depicts Pip’s

education and development education and development through adversity as he discovers through adversity as he discovers

the true nature of his ‘great the true nature of his ‘great expectations’.expectations’.

In this controversial classic In this controversial classic fairy tale, a farm is taken fairy tale, a farm is taken over by its overworked, over by its overworked,

mistreated animals. With mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and flaming idealism and

stirring slogans, they set stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of out to create a paradise of

progress, justice, and progress, justice, and equality, setting the stage equality, setting the stage for one of the most telling for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned. satiric fables ever penned.

Written in the 1930s, this grim Written in the 1930s, this grim view of a plastic world, in view of a plastic world, in

which science and technology which science and technology condition the people to condition the people to

passivity, is a warning against passivity, is a warning against false optimism and the dangers false optimism and the dangers inherent in scientific progress. inherent in scientific progress. Huxley got it; man's obsession Huxley got it; man's obsession

with material goods and with material goods and movement away from moral movement away from moral

and spiritual values leads to a and spiritual values leads to a dangerous society. The book is dangerous society. The book is a warning of where our society a warning of where our society

could be headed.could be headed.

  Set against the Set against the background of background of Oklahoma and Oklahoma and

Californian migrant Californian migrant life, this novel tells of life, this novel tells of the Joad family, who, the Joad family, who,

like thousands of like thousands of others, are forced to others, are forced to travel West in search travel West in search of the promised land.of the promised land.

The Good EarthThe Good Earth presents a graphic view presents a graphic view of a China when the last emperor reigned of a China when the last emperor reigned

and the vast political and social and the vast political and social upheavals of the twentieth century were upheavals of the twentieth century were but distant rumblings for the ordinary but distant rumblings for the ordinary

people. This moving, classic story of the people. This moving, classic story of the honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless honest farmer Wang Lung and his selfless wife O-lan is must reading for those who wife O-lan is must reading for those who

would fully appreciate the sweeping would fully appreciate the sweeping changes that have occurred in the lives of changes that have occurred in the lives of the Chinese people during this century. the Chinese people during this century. Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck traces Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck traces

the whole cycle of life: its terrors, its the whole cycle of life: its terrors, its passions, its ambitions and rewards. Her passions, its ambitions and rewards. Her

brilliant novel -- beloved by millions of brilliant novel -- beloved by millions of readers -- is a universal tale of the destiny readers -- is a universal tale of the destiny

of man.of man.

The EndThe End

With Metta,With Metta,

Bro. Oh Teik BinBro. Oh Teik Bin

““Reading Reading maketh a full maketh a full

man, man, conference a conference a ready man, ready man,

and writing an and writing an exact man.”exact man.”

Sir Francis BaconSir Francis Bacon