5 ‘Difficult’ Books Worth Reading

The pandemic has created a reading revolution. In the past few months, more of us have turned to tackle the ‘classics’ or more difficult reads. With more time on our hands, it makes sense.
Books traditionally seen as more ‘difficult’ do not necessarily mean they are better than those deemed as ‘easy’, but they do have their merits.

Reading habits can often reflect the feeling of society at the time — and in the middle of a pandemic, it can be interesting to note what people are turning to.
A recent survey by the Washington Post asked 1600 readers what they had read between May to August of this year — and the results were interesting.
Readers tended to turn towards science-fiction (a bold move, considering the apocalyptical feeling of 2020), romance, self-help and of course, books dealing with social and racial inequality. Notable authors included Hilary Mantel, Emily St John Mandel, Albert Camus, Ibram X Kendi and Isabel Wilkerson.
Although this survey is far from conclusive, it does reveal that despite fiction’s obvious intent of escapism, it, can give us comfort in the knowledge that we have been in a similar, difficult time before. There must be a reason why 2020 readers are turning to Albert Camus’ The Plague, written in 1947. It sure isn’t for escapism…
Therefore, fiction does not just offer us escapism, but a chance to learn and empathize with other past struggles. It shines a light onto the universality of human experience and can give us comfort in dark, unknowing times.
These books may be deemed as ‘difficult’ because they are not your typical happy go lucky read, but they always offer us something to takeaway, long after finishing the final pages.
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What Are Difficult Books? And Why Should We Read them?
Calling a book difficult is subjective, as it depends on the reader. However, for this article, a ‘difficult’ book will be defined by two factors. One, if they are hard to read because of the language and two, because of the subject matter.
When we think of difficult books we typically turn to the classics. Indeed, many classics are hard to read because they were written in a time very different from our own. But some on the other hand, with the popularity of literary fiction, there are modern books which are difficult to read, due to their subject matter and approach.
People read for different purposes — but difficult reads should be at the heart of everyone’s reading list. Not all the time — but now and again. We tend to judge a book’s success by how easy they are to read, rather than what they can teach us.
Some people like to read for pure escapism, and do not want to have their world view altered, but some do. Life is complex, so in theory, fiction should be too.
In light of this, if you’re looking for some difficult books that are worth reading — here are my top 5.
Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
Fiction
Told through the perspective of Humbert Humbert, this novel explores the moral and psychological difficulties that come with a man who is obsessed with a 12-year-old girl, Dolores, and the lengths he will go to fulfil his predatory desires. Humbert cannot live a life without her, and he takes abnormality to a new level as the reader follows his obsession.
It’s a difficult read for both reasons — the subject matter is disturbing, but it is also a dense, lyrical book to get your head around. It’s told through the first person in a monologue narration which forces the reader to get inside Humbert’s head and silences the victim, Dolores.
Despite the book being difficult to read and digest, it is one that is thought-provoking and unsettling by nature. It is very well written from a linguistic point of view and poses all sorts of moral and ethical questions the reader has to confront.
It is unique in its blatant contrast of beauty against the horror of Humbert’s crimes. Nabokov writes beautifully and poetically, which is contrasted with the sick and predatory nature of Humbert’s personality. A startling read.
“We are not surrounded in our enlightened era by the little slave flowers that can be casually plucked…” — Vladimir Nabokov
A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
Classic fiction
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Set in Paris and London between the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror that follows, Dickens tells a tale of the stark repression and injustice at the heart of this period.
He documents the brutality of the guillotine, which was used by the oppressive French state, and the ordinary people that it affected. Charles Darnay, the lover of Lucie Manette, is wrongly imprisoned in the Bastille and the story follows the fight to get him released.
Like a lot of Dickensian novels, this one is hard to read. The language is dense and for many pages, the reader goes without any dialogue or sense of structure. Dickens likes to provide a commentary on the society he is depicting, which features heavily in this novel.
For fans of plot-driven novels, this one is difficult. However, there is always a sense of suspense as the reader wants to know whether justice is restored. The plot is not the easiest to follow, as there is so much depth to Dickens’ writing, however, unlike his other novels, there are only a select few characters to keep track of.
In a period of uncertainty and upheaval, Dickens provides a sense of hope that a society in ruins can arise from the rubble. It’s a work of art and paints a brilliant picture of a particular moment in time — and is well worth reading just for that.
“I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss.” — Charles Dickens
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
Political fiction
Robert Tressell creates a portrayal of Edwardian, working-class life in this stunning work of political fiction. Told through the perspective of working people, struggling to stay afloat, it is a timely insight into the entrapments of poverty and a failed state.
It offers a direct political message that forces the reader to consider the necessities of socialism, compiled with a story about collective suffering and wider, Edwardian life. It is brilliant for many reasons, but primarily, for its ongoing relevance. Although written in 1914, it still contains a worrying relevance to the injustices that are at the heart of our world today.
This book is dense, complex and hard to follow. It deals with a lot of heavy issues, mainly the critique of the capitalist system and what we can do about it. It’s a book about politics, solutions and the natural inequality created by a society stepped within the capitalist framework. It displays and depicts poverty on the streets and in the home in an alarming fashion.
But, it forces the reader to confront themselves and question the societal framework they are a part of.
It’s a work of its time, but also incredibly timely.
“Every man who is not helping to bring about a better state of affairs for the future is helping to perpetuate the present misery, and is therefore the enemy of his own children.” — Robert Tressell
An Essential Read: The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists
A unique work of political fiction that makes the case for the eradication of capitalism.
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On the Road, Jack Kerouac
Fiction/autobiographical
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On the Road is a tale of two Americans who are fed up with their lives, and decide to embark on a road trip across Northern America. It’s based on the real travels of the author himself and the experiences he had. It was one of the first novels of its kind, featuring openly the use of drugs and alcohol dependency.
Told in Kerouac’s characteristic, incoherent and poetic prose, it will never be for everyone. But at its heart, is an exploration of what it is to be human, the limits of freedom and the failed expectations of the American dream. Kerouac was part of the Beat Generation of writers in the 1960s, who explored American politics and culture in the post-War period.
Many in the book community and society at large like to dismiss Kerouac for being part of the white, heterosexual elite, and they have a point. However, I fell in love with his prose.
But the book has no structure whatsoever and is by nature hard to follow. Kerouac writes how he thinks and is known for never revising his work, in this way, sentences often don’t make sense and lack the pristineness that has come to define the literary world — what he was writing against.
It’s unique a work of its time, and a refreshing take on the American novel, but will not be for everyone. Kerouac was writing to be heard — not to create a work of art.
“because he had no place he could stay in without getting tired of it and because there was nowhere to go but everywhere, keep rolling under the stars…” — Jack Kerouac
Half a World Away, Mike Gayle
Contemporary fiction
Half a World Away follows the lives of two very different people, Kerry and Noah. They were both separated in care, and as a result, have lived alternate lives. Kerry is a single Mum living with her son in a council estate in a deprived area of London, whilst Noah is a lawyer living in Notting Hill.
The two haven’t met since they were very young — but Kerry makes it her mission to re-connect with her younger brother. It’s a book exploring the impact of going through the care system and the lack of opportunity this can create. Not just in people’s careers, but how it can damage relationships long term.
The initial plot also goes beyond this and explores the wider difficulties of poverty, inequality, the realities of being adopted, and coping with loss.
It’s a difficult read because of the issues explored and is a sad book in many respects. However, it’s also a book about hopes and dreams, love, family and is an honest insight into two people’s lives that have been largely spent apart.
We read for pleasure, knowledge, escapism and insight, but that doesn’t mean we should only stick to easy reads. Books come in all forms and are read for many purposes — but those that challenge our expectations and widen our world, are ultimately going to be beneficial.
People often turn to fiction to escape the realities of real life, but fiction often reflects the struggles of real life, even if written hundreds of years ago.
Reading can offer as the comfort we desire, even if that isn’t in the form of escapism. However, difficult books like the ones mentioned can unite us by the shared experience that we are all human, and have faced similar problems as those before us.