Soul by Andrey Platonov

It would be difficult to imagine a more poverty stricken area than the deserts of Central Russia in the late 1930s. As Platonov's writing makes clear, the people owned practically nothing. Meals of boiled grass were common. But even during the blackest times, we see people making the choice to go on, not to die. The reader can feel embedded in the life of a nomadic tribe on the verge of extinction, far from the centers of power and money.

This book is actually a collection of stories. One entitled "The Return" is now considered Platonov's masterpiece. Yet the authorities did not approve of him. I would say he is still rather unknown, despite being perhaps Russia's best writer of prose.

  

Swann's Way by Marcel Proust

Back in 1928, when Swann's Way was first published, there were no cellphones. Servants used to bring handwritten notes around between friends. So much has changed since then, including our taste in literature. Proust's extremely long sentences and paragraphs that take up pages will not be for everyone. I had not read a book like this in 40 years! But it was worth it, since I found this classic quite fascinating. Styles of writing may have changed, but people have not.

How to Forgive When You Don't Feel Like It by June Hunt

Some people think they could never forgive someone who hurt them badly. But to forgive is simply to "turn it over" to a Higher Power and stop holding feelings of resentment. We do this for our own good, not for them.

Maybe I can forgive that person but it is not advisable to restore a relationship with them. "Reconciliation," writes June Hunt, "involves a change in behavior by the offender." If the person who hurt you does not acknowledge the wrongdoing and demonstrate remorse, it is only common sense to avoid them. 

However, there are exceptions to every rule. If you have few friends, you might want to resume contact with the person who hurt you and didn't apologize, so as not to be too much alone.

You might pray for this person. You might pray that they become less selfish and more mature.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S.Lewis

C.S.Lewis (1898-1963) was a learned man who also became a very popular writer. In The Screwtape Letters a senior demon is instructing his nephew, a novice, how to tempt an ordinary man so that he loses his soul. C.S. Lewis was a member of the Anglican Church, which is close to Roman Catholic theology.

In our scientific era, we are encouraged not to believe in spirits interfering in human life. A person can say he or she is a religious or spiritual person and not believe in spirits. Apparently C.S.Lewis's time was a transitional period in which many belief systems were in existence simultaneously. For example, Lewis himself was an atheist for a while after World War I.

In the Screwtape Letters everything is backwards, and God is referred to as The Enemy. Perhaps the book is a satire; I don't know. In any case, it is very amusingly written; funny and serious at the same time.

How to Love by Thich Nhat Hanh

How to Love by this Buddhist monk is truly delightful and would make a good gift. Although the book itself can be read in one sitting, the truths it presents could take quite a long time to put into practice. For one thing, the author assumes that we are willing to look within ourselves and learn to love ourselves before thinking we are ready to love another. In many ways the outlook of the author is quite refreshing!

Talk to the Snail by Stephen Clarke

If you need a laugh, this would be a good book to read. Stephen Clarke, an Englishman, wrote this book about living in France. We Americans think of the French as stylish and reserved, but this book details many of their low down human faults and flaws, which seem hilarious by contrast with our image of them. For example, did you know that the French hate to wait on lines and will push and shove with their elbows to get to the front? Usually they are so civilized!