Plato
The Republic: what to read next?
Books close in genre, era, author or reading level, to read in bilingual editions.
Niccolò MachiavelliThe PrinceAn ambitious ruler seeks to seize and maintain power in an unstable and dangerous world. Through concrete examples and direct strategies, he learns to manipulate alliances, anticipate threats, and impose his authority. The author lays bare the mechanisms of power, where…Same genre
Karl MarxThe Communist ManifestoWritten on the eve of the 1848 revolutions, this short text presents history as a succession of struggles between classes. Marx and Engels describe the rise of the bourgeoisie, the way industry transformed labour, and the formation of a working class they hold bound to…Same genre
Émile ZolaLourdesOne August morning, the national pilgrimage leaves Paris for Lourdes, with whole trains full of the sick and of pilgrims. On board are Marie de Guersaint, a young woman who can no longer walk, and Father Pierre Froment, her childhood friend, who became a priest but no longer…Same genre
Charles DarwinOn the Origin of SpeciesDarwin, a passionate naturalist, observes the living world and seeks to understand the mechanisms that govern the diversity of species. Drawing on his travels and research, he develops a revolutionary theory based on natural selection. This idea challenges established beliefs…Same genre
Diogenes LaërtiusLives of Eminent PhilosophersDiogenes Laërtius traces the lives and ideas of the great philosophers of antiquity, from Thales to Epicurus. Through anecdotes, sayings and sometimes surprising stories, he reveals the personalities and doctrines of these major figures. Each portrait offers an accessible…Same countrySame genre
Emma GoldmanAnarchism and Other EssaysEmma Goldman, a committed activist, develops a radical reflection on individual freedom, society, and power structures. Through her essays, she critiques political, economic, and social institutions, proposing an alternative vision based on autonomy and justice. Her ideas…Same genre
PlatoSymposiumAt a banquet in Athens, the physician Eryximachus invites each guest, including the philosopher Socrates, to speak in turn about the nature of love and desire. Each one offers his own view, revealing different facets of this complex feeling. Through these exchanges, a deep…By the same authorSame genreSame era
Stefan ZweigThe World of Yesterday (Volume 2)The second volume opens in the first hours of August 1914, with cheering crowds and the loneliness of those who refuse. Zweig describes his work in the war archives, his stay in Switzerland near Romain Rolland, then the collapse of Austria and the inflation that emptied…Same genre
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
ChateaubriandMemoirs from Beyond the Grave, Volume 4 (1815–1828)This fourth volume of the Memoirs from Beyond the Grave covers the years 1815 to 1828. Chateaubriand, writer and statesman, tells of the Hundred Days, which he spends in Ghent with King Louis XVIII, of the Battle of Waterloo heard from afar, and then of Napoleon’s exile and…Same genre
Stefan ZweigThe World of Yesterday (Volume 1)Stefan Zweig begins with the Vienna of his youth, what he calls the world of security: a city that believed in progress and cared more for the theatre than for politics. He recalls an Austrian schooling, the discovery of literature, then travels to Paris, Berlin, London and…Same genre
HomerThe OdysseyOdysseus, king of Ithaca, tries to return home after the Trojan War, but his journey turns into a long wandering full of trials. He faces mythical creatures, capricious gods, and temptations that slow his return. Meanwhile, Penelope, his wife, resists the suitors invading their…Same countrySame genre