By Tanuja Hanmantgad

The coming of August is a formative time in any university summer – as we begin to realise that days of sun and academic freedom are no longer endless but start to feel numbered.  It is important to enter the new academic year with hope and motivation – and to not let what you’ve not done impact what you want to do. With that in mind, here are five books which I believe are perfect companions for reflection and starting afresh. Some are optimistic, whilst some seem invariably bleak – but you are bound to come out with a new perspective or understanding as you close that final page. 

1. To the Lighthouse – Virginia Woolf

(Content Warnings: Death, Sexism, War)

As an English Literature student and long-time admirer of Woolf’s writing, I have always loved just how meditative and introspective this novel is. Set in Edwardian Britain, in the years surrounding the First World War, this novel offers numerous glimpses into the life of the Ramsay family and their dysfunctionality as they dwell within their summer home in the Isle of Skye. The passage of time remains a significant theme of the novel, offering reflections upon the complexity of the human experience. Woolf’s writing will hopefully inspire a sense of hope and resilience, and her meditations upon ambition and regret are bound to linger within your own thoughts. 

2. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – Ocean Vuong

(Content Warnings: Addiction, Animal violence, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Parental abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, War)

Vuong is one of the most talented contemporary writers to exist, and his 2019 epistolary-form novel certainly invites deep reflection. The plot centres around a Vietnamese American soldier, Little Dog, who writes to his immigrant mother – providing complex insights into their relationship and how it is informed by generational trauma. The novel is emotionally heavy but nonetheless offers hope – exploring how beauty may be found amidst trauma, healing, and pain. It is also an incredibly intellectually stimulating novel, preparing your brain well for returning to the academic sphere. 

“It is important to enter the new academic year with hope and motivation – and to not let what you’ve not done impact what you want to do”

3. On the Road – Jack Kerouac

(Content Warnings: Drugs Violence)

On the Road embodies freedom and self-discovery perfectly – reminding us of just how expansive the world is, as we follow the cross-country travels of Sal Paradise. A product of the mid-twentieth century Beat Movement, the novel details the pursuit of personal fulfilment – and views the presence of hope as a liberating force from the constraints of life. Kerouac’s work is a brilliant companion for starting afresh, as the descriptions of the vastness and diversity of the American landscape will instil within you a sense of awe and possibility. 

4. 100 Years of Solitude – Gabriel García Márquez

(Content Warnings: Sexual violence, Violence, Drugs)

Magical realism is always a tricky genre to begin reading, but it is one which is so rewarding to explore and uncover – becoming a powerful literary tool for imagining liberation and freedom. García Márquez’s novel follows the multi-generational Buendía family, and the cyclical nature of history within the fictional town of Macondo. Political upheaval dominates the narrative, but there is an incredible emphasis upon the individual solitude of the family – and how their individual choices cause a disconnect between themselves and the outside world. This novel will certainly leave you pondering over the complexity of human fate. 

“The novel serves as a reminder to appreciate the present moment, and finding happiness in the mundane, rather than idealising the future”

5. The Midnight Library – Matt Haig

(Content Warnings:  Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide)

This novel is known for its hopeful outlook towards existential anxieties – and rightfully so, as Haig constructs a work which offers comfort regarding the possibilities and regrets of life. The plot follows Nora, who finds herself in a library existing between the realms of life and death – whereby each book represents a different life she could have lived based on her previous choices. The novel serves as a reminder to appreciate the present moment, and finding happiness in the mundane, rather than idealising the future. I think it inspires the perfect mindset for entering the new academic year – offering reassurance and consolation amidst chaos and events out of your control. 

Hopefully these works will allow you to reflect upon all you have achieved so far and will have provided you with new perspectives to carry into this next Michaelmas term. Happy reading!

Image Credit: Lauren Evans