— Books —

Sunday's Shelf

Book reviews and recommendations

Note from Kyle

Near the start of the 2025 school year, Mili's soundtrack sparked a reflection upon my abundance (or rather a lack thereof) of literary exploration. I found that, as school progressed, the pressures of time's finitude drew me unarguably towards work; regardless of whether that zugzwang manifested as tangible progress, or as wasted time on social media. Still, the soundtrack resonated with my sentiments in unexplainable ways.

Thereby, it was inevitable that I soon discovered Limbus Company, a game for which Mili had composed soundtracks, each attuned to a canonical literary "sinner" from classical works of fiction. Although I never courted the game, I quickly fell in love with their most-listened song, , which is based on Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. The game itself features archaic characters, such as Charon, Mephistopheles, and Dante (as a shortlist from many more) — famous figures from Greek, Faustian, and medieval mythologies of hell. But the range of literary characters span millennia, including modern works such as The Stranger by Albert Camus and Moby Dick by Herman Melville.

I adopted a vow to pierce into the world of iconic literary fiction, using Limbus' reference list of 14 books as a point of departure. After reading Hell Screen, The Stranger, and Crime and Punishment, this effort bloomed into a larger interest in the literary world.

all book reviews

Brave New World

by Aldous Huxley

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Summary

Set in a dystopian, futuristic London, humans are split into social classes and raised in factories, with impulses controlled through the use of conditioning, drugs, and sexual pleasure. Relationships are no longer monogamies — everyone has sex with everyone else, and marriage is forbidden and uncivilized. Although, barring the human "savages" that live in unurbanized areas, everyone is "happy" as they have been conditioned to be. What happens when one of those "savages" — a human with a culture not so different from our society — is brought to this supposed utopia?

I first picked up Brave New World because a friend promised she'd read the book — which had been on both of our lists for a while — alongside me. Funnily enough, despite months of persistent effort, she… didn't end up finishing (cough, Nina). This little anecdote is not to say that the book was bad by any means. On quite the contrary, Brave New World effortlessly cements itself as one of my FAVORITE dystopian novels of all time. The book is certainly meant to disturb the reader with a perverse society that is considered regular by its inhabitants. Huxley’s story is gripping and witty, driving the narrative into unexplored fictional territory.

Dual reactions to this book are not historically uncommon. In the 1930s, Huxley’s novel had evoked strong emotions on both ends for readers and critics. On one hand, many now-famous literary authors recognized Huxley's brilliance, such as George Orwell, who used Brave New World as direct inspiration for his quintessentially-western novels 1984 and Animal Farm. On the other hand, this novel was both criticized and banned for its obscenity and rejection of 1900s social norms. Regardless of their opinion, most readers were left shocked by the end of the novel.

Should you read Brave New World? A resounding yes from my end. It's the perfect mix of world building and surprising plot, perfectly devoid of clichés. If you can handle the sexual content, I think the story will leave you shocked and in deep thought. Although it's not horror, it's an iconic piece of dystopian literature that isn't afraid to explore the darkest parts of human nature.

The Myth of Sisyphus

by Albert Camus

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Summary

One of the most influential philosophical texts of the 20th century, The Myth of Sisyphus is an essay on existentialist thought. Kafka presents a meditation on suicide—the question of living or not living in a universe devoid of order or meaning. While acknowledging the absurdity of existence, Albert Camus brilliantly reasons a way out of despair, reaffirming the value of personal existence and the possibility of life lived with rebellious authenticity.

The Myth of Sisyphus is first and foremost an essay. There is little narrative plot except for in the references to other novels, such as Don Juan or Kafka’s masterpieces. However, it still tackles an interesting question. That is, if existence is meaningless, as assumed in absurdism (different from nihilism!), is suicide the answer? Albert Camus, who grew up between the two world wars, exemplifies the despair of relapsing into a second war. Although he is known for formalizing absurdism, a hopeless view on the life, Camus argues against suicide; living in the face of meaningless may have reason after all.

Should you read The Myth of Sisyphus? If you’re into philosophy or appreciate deep questions, by all means. But not if you’re expecting a compelling narrative, complex literary characters, or a plot. The Myth of Sisyphus is, quite simply, an profound essay on suicide.

The Trial

by Franz Kafka

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Summary

Written in 1914 but not published until 1925, a year after Franz Kafka’s death, The Trial is the terrifying tale of Josef K., a respectable bank officer who is suddenly and inexplicably arrested and must defend himself against a charge never revealed to him. As the stakes increase, less and less is certain about the mysterious court—full of corruption and lies—that will be judging his sentence.

The Trial is almost like a mystery. As the main character Josef uncovers more and more about the accusations placed against him, he reveals shocking and disturbing secrets. Indeed, Kafka’s point may be exactly that the court system can be so misconstrued and corrupted, it becomes nothing better than an animalistic ritual of punishment. And he portrays this point brilliantly, using uncertainty that left me in suspense the whole book.

Should you read The Trial? The Trial is a phenomenal follow-up if you have finished or enjoyed the disturbing nature of Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Both describe alienation from society and both portray humans in animalistic despair. If you’re interested in a powerful tale of the abuse of power—and how totalitarianism can manifest non-violently, integrated into law—this timely novel may prompt as many questions about today as a century ago.

The Bell Jar

by Sylvia Plath

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Summary

The Bell Jar was published just one month before author Sylvia Plath, suffering a depressive episode, thrust her head inside a gas oven and committed suicide. With inspiration from her own mental health struggles, The Bell Jar chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under—maybe for the last time. Sylvia Plath masterfully draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that Esther's insanity becomes disturbingly real. Such deep penetration into the dark and harrowing corners of the psyche is an extraordinary accomplishment and has made The Bell Jar a haunting American classic.

If it isn’t clear from the summary, The Bell Jar is a tough read. Sylvia Plath really does immerse the reader in Esther’s madness, highlighting burdensome relationships, cutthroat female standards, and a loss of direction that made me feel deeply distraught during my reading. Only read this book if you are in a healthy state of mind—to do otherwise would be adding fuel to the flame. At the same time, The Bell Jar masterfully illuminates what other authors typically fail to portray: a nuanced story of depression that powerfully expresses the overwhelming struggles of life. The fact that this work is inspired off of Plath’s own mental health crises and past suicide attempt make the story feel unsettlingly real. From a generation plagued by wars and disillusionment, The Bell Jar reflects a larger American crisis,

Should you read The Bell Jar? This book will certainly not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you enjoy inner struggle, the horrors of humanity, feminism, or journeys into mental health, this book is perfect for you. But again: Do not read this book if you are not in a good state of mind, for Plath’s psychotic descriptions will only plague you further into the depths of the mind’s twisted recess.