New Delhi: Inspirational stories have always found a popular place in the mainstream narrative. Inspiration can come in any form, be it films, books or web series. Among the many forms, movies and books have always been the most popular forms to tell inspiring stories.
When it comes to books, fictions help our characters to grow while non-fiction guides us on how to and how not to do everything. Inspirational books have always been a massive source of motivation. In this article, we will take a look at some of the most inspirational books of all time.
Most inspirational books of all time
The Alchemist
Written by Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist was first published in 1988. The book was originally written in Portuguese and became an international bestseller with numerous translations. It tells the story of Santiago, a shepherd boy and his journey across North Africa to the Egyptian pyramids after he dreams of finding treasure there.
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is a famous novel by Harper Lee. The novel follows the story of a childhood in a sleepy Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it. The book was successful after its first publication in 1960 and became an instant bestseller and a critical success. In 1961, the book won the Pulitzer Prize and was later made into an Academy Award-winning film.
The Art of Happiness
It is a book by the 14th Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler, a psychiatrist who questions the former extensively, providing context and describing some details of the settings in which the interviews took place, and also adding his own reflection. The book deals with the ways we can train our outlook and face the challenges of life. The main concept is that the purpose of life is happiness and that happiness is determined more by the state of one’s mind than by one’s external conditions.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Published in 2007, the novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini follows the story of Mariam, an illegitimate teenager from Herat who is forced to get married after a family tragedy. The life of Laila, born a generation later, intersects with Mariam’s when a similar tragedy takes place.
The God of Small Things
The novel by Indian writer Arundhati Roy tells the childhood experiences of fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by the “Love Laws” prevalent in 1960s Kerala. The novel explores how apparently insignificant things shape the behaviour of people in deeply significant ways. The novel also explores the lingering effects of casteism in India. In 1997, it was given the Booker Prize.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is one of the greatest inspirational books ever published. It is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe which was published in two volumes in 1852. Notably, it impacted the attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the US and reportedly played a crucial role in laying the groundwork for the American Civil War.
Man’s Search for Meaning
It is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl. In the book, Viktor chronicles his experiences during the World War II as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps. He describes his psychotherapeutic method including identifying a purpose to everyone’s life through one of three ways: Task completion, caring for others, or finding meaning by facing suffering with dignity.
