Every now and then you’ll read a book that will make you think “WTF am I reading?”.
Chances are though, it will stay in your head for a while – whether you want it to or not.
These 6 novellas are all strange and quirky tales that for one reason or another will latch themselves onto your brain.
And I’ll bet you haven’t read any of them yet…
1. Bear by Marian Engel
“So this was her kingdom: an octagonal house, a roomful of books, and a bear.”
Marian Engel...
…was a Canadian writer whose work interrogated the day to day lives of women.
Summary
Lou, an archivist, accepts a position to archive the estate of Colonel Cary on an island outside of the city. Once there she encounters a bear. She gets to know the animal better as the seasons change and keeps up her work. Eventually, she forms a, let’s say intimate, bond with the bear.
2. Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss
“I didn't then like the thought of my own bones, waiting inside me for their own eventual exposure.”
Sarah Moss…
…is a Glasgow born writer and academic. Her fiction has been shortlisted for various prizes including the Wellcome Book Prize and the Women’s Prize for Fiction.
Summary
Silvie, a teenager, and her parents are camped out in a rural area of Northumberland. They intend to live like Iron Age Britons did in the past, foraging, donning tunics, and following rituals as part of an archaeological experiment. But as Silvie’s father delves more deeply into Iron Age culture, old rituals and violent behaviours start to show up again.
3. Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler
“It seemed to him a thousand times worse to stand there as the only one unmasked amid a host of masks, than suddenly to stand naked among those fully dressed.”
Arthur Schnitzler…
…was an Austrian author whose work was highly controversial at the time of writing due to its frank explorations of sexuality.
Summary
Doctor Fridolin experiences a psychological transformation after learning that his wife has sexual fantasies of being with another man. What follows this revelation is a 2-day exploration, culminating in a masquerade ball that poses a danger to Fridolin. The book was the basis for Stanley Kubrick’s film, Eyes Wide Shut.
4. They: A Sequence of Unease by Kay Dick
“Destruction doesn't count. One can always create again.”
Kay Dick…
…was an English writer and journalist. She worked in Foyles bookshop for 15 years before becoming the first female director of a publishing house when she was just 26 years old.
Summary
Out of print for years, They is described as a “lost dystopian masterpiece” by the The Paris Review. It presents a dystopian version of Sussex where art has come under attack and artists live as cultural refugees, working hard to preserve their crafts and remember what has been lost.
“I think we're too unhappy to get a divorce.”
Rachel Ingalls…
…was an American writer who spent the majority of her life in England. She published 11 collections and novellas with Faber before her death in 2019.
Summary
Dorothy and her husband are unhappily married and their life has settled into routine. Larry, a part-man part-amphibian has recently escaped from the Institute of Oceanographic Research. When he appears in Dorothy’s kitchen they quickly enter into their own domestic, and intimate, relationship.
6. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing
"Harriet’s parents had taken it for granted that family life was the basis for a happy one."
Doris Lessing…
…was a British novelist born in Iran. She moved to London in 1949 and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2007 – the oldest person to have received the prize.
Summary
A wife, husband, and their four children enjoy domestic bliss, until the fifth child comes along. Harriet, the mother, is forced to make some tragic decisions as the wild, violent and uncontrollable child takes over their idyllic home.
Conclusion
How did we do? Had you heard of these books? Had you read any of them? Let us know in the comments!
These 6 books, all under 200 pages, will make a quirky addition to any bookshelf – the perfect thing for weirding out or confusing your friends when they ask for a good book recommendation.