Daily Times

Perhaps it is magic itself when authors conceive ideas and stories that change reader’s perception, sends them into introspection, provoke their thoughts and eventually create a ripple effect to envelope the readers under its aura+

Fictional novels have been attracting reader’s attention for centuries with their out-of-this-world stories, larger-than-life characters, and an appealing writing style. Where J. R. R. Tolkien (1892 – 1973) created high fantasy works including ‘The Hobbit,’ ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and The ‘Silmarillion,’ George R. R. Martin gave us ‘A Song of Ice and Fire,’ which has been adopted as ‘Game of Thrones.’ It takes ingenious prowess to write a novel, create captivating characters and develop a progressive storyline while accentuating the tussle between the protagonist and the antagonist to keep the readers glued to the book. It is in this creative process that authors connect with their thoughts and develop such heroes, villains, stories, and worlds that become a classic.

J. K. Rowling through ‘Harry Potter’ series portrays such believable characters that children can relate themselves with and learn from them positive traits. Perhaps it is not in what is being written, it is how it is being written that makes the difference. Where dragons are part of ‘The Hobbit’ and magic part of Harry Potter, it is the effective and innovative expression and style opted by the authors in showing to readers their world and characters that adds credibility to such functional stories.

While ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Harry Potter’ are relatively modern-day novels, it was in 1870 that Jules Verne published Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, that still stands as one of the finest science fiction novels of all times. It revolves around three visitors who accidentally reach the depths of the ocean where Captain Nemo lives. Thinking of this kind of a story must have required Verne to ponder on life beneath the ocean and then create a world out of it. When talking about realistic characters, Sherlock Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle, is one of them. First published in 1892, ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ followed the life of Holmes, interestingly, from the point of view of Dr. Watson, Holmes’ trusty companion. There was nothing absurd in Doyle’s portrayal of Holmes. The story was set in the present time of when Doyle actually wrote it. Holmes used his imagination and curiosity to solve mystery and crime and that added credibility to the character.

It is amazing to see the transition and evolution of fictional literature over the years. C. S. Lewis gave us ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ (1950), a fantasy novel, the first seven that are collectively called ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’. Lewis created the fantasy world of Narnia comprising humans, talking animals, fearsome beasts and strange creatures. The story’s four main characters, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy befriend Aslan, the King of Beast, who shows courage and sacrifice, qualities of a leader that instill similar traits among young readers. This book is still one of the best and widely read children novels.

Another evolution came forth in 1951 when J. D. Salinger published ‘The Catcher in the Rye,’ narrating the life of a 16-year-old Holden Caufield, who explains his opinion of the adult world while residing in a sanatorium. This novel profoundly talked about how children look at themselves and at adults. A number of social ills become part of the narration and the loss of innocence was the premise of it.

In 1988, Paulo Coelho published ‘The Alchemist,’ a novel explaining the journey of Santiago, who searches a treasure he saw in his dreams. A number of life-changing lessons in ‘The Alchemist’ are that fear of suffering is worse than the suffering, the truth will always become visible, gratitude makes you see the good in life, live in the present, when you do good others benefit from it, focus on the journey and keep moving forward to learn. ‘The Alchemist’ brought some spirituality and mysticism, a different approach as compared to the genres of magic and fantasy.

‘George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four’ (1949) is a relatively dark novel set in a dystopian world where propaganda and an ever-present surveillance is a norm. Themes such as nationalism, censorship, surveillance and punishing people having opposing thoughts for the government do relate greatly with today’s world. ‘Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll, published in 1865, is a fantasy novel using symbolism to convey messages of building confidence among women, facing their fears and their problems of adulthood. World literature is expanding and evolving as we speak. Perhaps it is magic itself when authors conceive ideas and stories that change reader’s perception, sends them into introspection, provoke their thoughts and eventually create a ripple effect to envelope the readers under its aura.

The writer, an independent researcher, and an author is a columnist writing on diverse topics including current geopolitical affairs

Published in Daily Times, November 19^th 2018.