By Alex Boersma, Literature Columnist 25/26
While some find the transition from summer to winter grim, I often find so much beauty during the autumnal months. From falling leaves to cosying up with a good book, ideally in a book nook by a crackling fire. If only student accommodation had armchairs and fireplaces! Here are my recommendations for a cosy autumn read to take a break from studying and revert to reading for pleasure!
- On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Although I'm sure you've heard of it, you may not have got round to reading On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous yet. This novel is written in the most elegant form and you can tell almost instantly that Vuong is a poet. The novel is autobiographical, with the protagonist, Little Dog, writing a letter to his illiterate mother about his experience of their bond, family and his own life distinct from them as he forms a relationship with a boy. He writes about everything he wishes he could tell and experience with his mother which he is unable to, touching on their escape from war torn Vietnam to America and the family's history beginning before his birth.
Themes: Race, Trauma, LGBTQ+
- Normal people: The Scripts by Sally Rooney, Alice Birch and Mark O'Rowe
Unless you've been living under a rock, Normal People will not have passed you by. If you haven't read the novel itself yet I urge you to do so ASAP but I also highly recommend the scripts. My dad and I and ended up unknowingly buying each other the script edition for Christmas which is a good indication if you need one! The story follows two teenagers from starkly different worlds at the same school who begin an intimate relationship they keep hidden from those around them. The novel follows their blossoming, young relationship as they grow up and take on life's changes such as university. The one thing that never wavers even after time apart is their persistent emotional connection.
Themes: coming of age, love, class
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Approaching October (aka spooky season), it felt wrong to not include this gothic classic. Wuthering Heights is set in the bleak Yorkshire moors and explores the history of a house, titularly named, and its inhabitants. The past is explained through a framed narrative by a newcomer and a housekeeper as two families past's are revealed. Central to the plot is the turbulent relationship between the daughter, Catherine, and the newly adopted orphan, Heathcliff. Catherine's brother resents Heathcliff and prevents him and Catherine from being together leading Heathcliff to seek revenge later on. The novel is filled with Heathcliff's pursuit of revenge, all consuming love, and ghosts thus making it the perfect gothic novel to devour in Autumn. The stunning edition pictured is also available at the £5 book store on Park street so run don't walk!
Themes: love, class, the supernatural
Georgia Rowe
- The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The novel follows Richard, a student who moves to an elite American school and joins an exclusive group of boys studying under the watch of their charismatic but strange professor, Julian. Richard gradually learns that the group has many secrets and tensions he is yet to uncover. We follow his journey as these secrets come to light and see the effect past and present that these revelations have on Richard and the rest of the group. The novel is filled with explorations of morality, dark academia and the psychological impact of secrets and mysteries.
Themes: class, guilt, morality
- Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
As an English and Philosophy student, this book satisfies my love of both. It contains a series of real-life letters from the poet Rainer Maria Rilke to a young cadet called Franz Xaver Kappus who seeks advice on his writing. Rilke's responses over six years are sent from around Europe as he provides insight on the nature of writing, the nature of life, and the importance of looking inwards to find inspiration. The stunning little clothbound edition pictured above is perfect to chuck into a bag ready to read on the commute to university and small enough to hide under the tables during lectures, just don't get caught!
Themes: art, self, solitude
(Disclaimer: some of these books include depictions of drug use, abuse, suicide and graphic violence. Read at your own discretion!)
Featured Image:Unsplash
Which will you read first?
