Books are famed for their ability to take you to another place and time. However, transformational changes of the human body are less heard of. Here are stories with transformational protagonist themes, assuring you vague and truly fantastical experiences
THE BONE CLOCKS BY DAVID MITCHELL
A new release and nominated for the Man Booker prize, this book is a hooking mystery. A teenage runaway, Holly, has a scarred childhood, nearpsychic visions, voices in her head and the perception of a nightmare bought to life. She has also attracted wanton mystics to her already traumatic life. The book is a coalition of different stories from absurdly dissimilar places coming together to make final sense. Here are some books that hold the same intrigue:
KAFKA ON THE SHORE BY HARUKI MURAKAMI
The book is the story of a teenage runway and a mentally retarded old man who traces lost cats for a living. A prophecy, a hint at an Oedipus complex and eating raw cats’ hearts, this novel is the perfect blend of the supernatural and crude realities. A mix of freaky and intriguing, the book has to be read and re-read to figure its true beauty.
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY BY OSCAR WILDE
Based in Victorian England, this book is based on the story of a boy who sells his soul in exchange for perpetual youth and beauty. It encompasses Dorian’s greed for beauty, lust, ambition, glamour and love. Not to give out spoilers, but you definitely won’t look at self- portraits the same way again.
THE METAMORPHOSIS BY FRANZ KAFKA
This story is the journey of a salesman Gregor Samsa and his metamorphosis into a creepy insectlike creature. The book makes one too many implications and attacks on human society and its pretentious ways. It also teaches a thing or two about families and their responses to transformations of members of people within their own family.
FRANKENSTEIN BY MARY SHELLEY
Victor Frankenstein, an eccentric scientist creates a creature from the stolen body parts of human beings in an unconventional science experiment. Once the creature is born, the scientist is frazzled by its oddity. As the story goes on the creature goes on a rampage of murderous activities against its creator.
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
Let’s start backward. Mr Button is born with the appearance of an old man. From old man to young boy, the book encompasses Button’s journey every step of the way. An interesting read purely because of the abstract nature of the tale, the protagonist and Fitzgerald’s beautiful writing.
Volume 4 Issue 4
