John Oliver Hobbes
Robert Orange: what to read next?
Books close in genre, era, author or reading level, to read in bilingual editions.
Anatole FranceThe Red LilyJacques, a man torn between passion and disillusionment, maintains a complex relationship with Thérèse, a seductive and elusive woman. Their affair evolves through attraction, jealousy, and power games. In a refined social environment, feelings mingle with interests and…Same genreSame era
Thomas HardyTwo on a TowerIn the English countryside of the nineteenth century, Lady Constantine lives alone on her estate while her husband hunts lions in Africa. She has promised him to see almost no one, and she is bored. At the top of an old tower she finds Swithin St Cleeve, a young man of twenty…Same countrySame genreSame era
Fyodor DostoevskyCrime and PunishmentRaskolnikov, a poor student in Saint Petersburg, believes that certain men can transgress moral laws to achieve great things. He commits a crime he deems justified but is quickly consumed by intense inner turmoil. Between guilt, fear, and pride, his mind wavers as those around…Same genre
James JoycePortrait of the ArtistStephen, a sensitive and ambitious young man, grows up in an Ireland marked by religion and social conventions. Very early, he feels out of step with his environment and develops intense reflections on art, faith, and identity. His path is punctuated by doubts, revolts, and…Same genreSame era
Franz KafkaThe TrialOne morning Josef K., a senior clerk at a bank, is arrested in his lodgings by two warders who tell him nothing of the charge and leave him free to go to work. The case proceeds without being explained to him, in the attic of a suburban tenement where a court sits among piles…Same genreSame era
H. G. WellsAnn VeronicaAnn Veronica, a determined young woman, refuses to submit to rigid social expectations and seeks to live on her own terms. She leaves home to pursue her ambitions, facing judgment and obstacles. Her encounters and experiences confront her with the realities of the world and her…Same countrySame genreSame era
F. Scott FitzgeraldThe Great GatsbyJay Gatsby, a wealthy and enigmatic man, throws lavish parties in the hope of reconnecting with Daisy, a woman he loved in the past. Nick, his neighbor, observes this world of luxury, illusion, and ambition. Beneath the glittering surface, desires and lies intertwine, revealing…Same genreSame era
Henry ThoreauWaldenThoreau, seeking simplicity, settles alone near Walden Pond to live in self-sufficiency. He observes nature, reduces his needs to the bare essentials, and reflects on modern society. Through his experience, he questions work, consumption, and dominant values. This text blends…Same genre
Friedrich NietzscheBeyond Good and EvilIn nine sections of aphorisms, Nietzsche attacks the prejudices of philosophers and their claim to a disinterested truth. He examines where moral values come from, distinguishes a master morality from a slave morality, and questions the religious certainties of his time. His…Same genreSame era
Joseph ConradThe Secret AgentAdolf Verloc, a double agent living in London, leads an outwardly ordinary life while engaging in clandestine activities. Assigned a dubious mission, he becomes caught in a chain of events that quickly escapes his control. Around him, his wife Winnie and others suffer the…Same countrySame genreSame era
Fyodor DostoevskyThe Brothers KaramazovFyodor Karamazov, a debauched father, is set against his eldest son Dmitri over an inheritance and the same woman. Around them Ivan, tormented by the problem of evil, and Alyosha, a novice at the monastery, take opposite paths, while the servant Smerdyakov looks on. When the…Same genreSame era
Friedrich NietzscheThus Spoke ZarathustraZarathustra, a solitary thinker, descends among men to share his vision of the world and to question established values. Through his speeches, he invites them to go beyond traditional beliefs and to create their own rules. His often provocative teaching pushes the reader to…Same genreSame era