Admired,Filmed and still in Publish : 5 Most famous Novels of Last Century

To the Lighthouse

By Virginia Woolf
To the lighthouse is a novel that has set the milestone for the high modernist novels and was at number 15 on the list of 100 best English Language novels of the 20th century in the Modern Library in the year 1998.This novel was chosen by the TIME magazine as one of the hundred best English Language from 1923 to present in the year 2013. It is among those novels which has been filmed in 1983 and 2007. There are plenty of books which has been written on the theme of this auspicious novel like Finding Myself by Toby Litt, Jayne Joso’s short story was also inspired by To the Lighthouse.
Genre: Modernist, autobiographical.

Characters in Novel: Ramsay, Mrs Ramsey, James, Lily Briscoe, Charles Tansley, Augustus Carmichael, Paul Rayley and Minta Doyl, Prue, Andrew, Camilla.

No of pages: 122.

Date of publish: 5th May 1927.

Publisher: Hogath Press.

The novel is a complete package of emotions and emotional attachment and detachment one experiences are all about. Woolf has been so natural and easy in portraying every character by fulfilling its charm and brightness. 

There are few fights between husband and wife and a father and a son due to difference in opinion and wishes. Whereas the women's suppression that a woman is handicapped and is not capable of doing the technical and difficult work on her own as Lily was taunted by one of the guests that she can not make a good painting. It is the story in which different emotions have been enlightened with the light of deep feelings and thoughts that get changed among the people you are having a relationship with. It is time which makes you alter the opinion and love with the loved ones you are living with. Finally it has been hope one should never leave at any instant of life. The novel is tempting and interesting peace that can be most understood by the students of literature.
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Howards End

By E. M. Forster 

The Modern Library had given the position of 38 to the Howards End under the list of 100 best English Language Novels of the 20th Century in the year 1998. One of its adaptation was aired on television in 1970. In the year 1992 a film was made on the basis of this masterpiece. 

Genre: Social, Romance.
Characters in Novel: Margaret Schlegel, Henry Wilcox, Helen Schlegel, Leonard Bast, Ruth Wilcox, Charles, Theobald ("Tibby") Schlegel, Aunt Juley, Dolly Wilcox, Paul , Jacky Bast , Evie Wilcox, Miss Avery, Percy Cahill, Frieda Mosebach .

No of pages: 256 

Date of publish: 1910 

Publisher: Edward Arnold (London) 

The novel has a pure depiction of class difference and status conscious, strong emotions and deceptions of relationships. Most of the people still follow class difference and are obsessed with their money and pride. In the gloomy way of money, property and status they are unable to value the human as the most important asset of life. E. M Forster has build the novel through very strong characters where Margaret is a strong woman with a big heart always striving to protect and combine her family through the consequences they have faced. Having a stubborn husband with an extramarital affair. The husband who was inflexible and had regrets for the harsh behavior with the class issues and personal relationships, always concerned with the business and his money. The story has a turn when Margaret found her sister expecting a baby without a legitimate relationship. But she kept her footings so strong and never wanted any family member to leave alone. This is a moral story that every woman must read as a source of inspiration that how a woman protects her family in spite of being deceived, gone through harsh behavior, lie and false relationships. Even then she has not left the trust on herself and her family.
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A Passage to India

By E. M. Forster
The novel has won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for its fictional depiction in 1924. It also gained the position of 25th in the Modern Library’s list of 100 best English language novels of the twentieth century. It has been a strong source of inspiration for many dramas, theaters, plays and film writers throughout the century in different years like 1960, 1962, 1965, 1984, 2002, 2004.
Genre: Historic Fiction.
Characters in Novel: Dr. Aziz, Cyril Fielding, Adela Quested, Mrs. Moore, Ronny Heaslop, Professor Narayan Godbole, Mr. Turton, Mrs. Turton, Maj. Callendar, Mr. McBryde, Miss Derek, Nawab Bahadur, Hamidullah, Amritrao, Mahmoud Ali , Dr. Panna Lal, Ralph Moore, Stella Moore .
No of pages: 336
Date of publish: 1924
Publisher: Edward Arnold, (London)
The story probably the finest piece of writing about the British Raj and Indian history in the journey of independent states with no controversy associated with it. There are four major characters of the novel. Mrs. Moor who wanted her son to be married to Miss Adela Quested. Dr. Aziz and Cyril Fielding. The story is about a trip to the cave in Bihar. Which was dark and there was a lot of echo. Which was very scary.
There was so darkness that in the middle of the way Mrs. Moor rejected to continue the exploration where Adela continued with Dr Aziz and guide. While Dr Aziz was with Mrs Moor the guide did not go along with Adela. She got scared and found faint in one of the caves. Dr Aziz helped her out but Adela accused Dr Aziz that he tried to be physical with her. In spite of it when Dr Aziz slapped the guide because he did not go with Adela in the cave, the echo made her frowned and faint. Dr Aziz was innocent and got free but the accusation brought severe intensity at that time among all the raised in India. The plot is very interesting and takes you in the deep feeling as if you were there seeing everything.  
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The Catcher in the Rye

By J. D. Salinger 

The novel was a big hit, for that matter different writers, directors and producers were always approaching Salinger to take the permission for the making of the adaptations. In the year 1949 the first adaptation of the novel was made by the name of “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut”. Slinger did not want his novel to get adapted again, but with his due permission the novel has been adapted in 1961, 2003 and 2010. 

Genre: Historic, autobiographic
Characters in Novel: Holden Caulfield, Mr. Spencer, Ackley, Stradlater, Allie, Jane Gallagher, Sunny, Maurice, Sally Hayes, Phoebe.
No of pages: 224
Date of publish: 16, July, 1951
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
The story is fabulous and a lesson for the boys and girls of today. The same way, there was a boy named Holden who was dismissed from the football team as he lost a few kits. A girl he liked emotionally but did not want to commit physically. Holden was a boy who had many chances to commit the adultery but he wanted to protect his manhood for the appropriate person he wants. He was an emotional person who was so in love with his family, his sister and a brother who died. He was not a womanizer and want others to think alike. He wanted to love a person not only the sexual orientation a person is having. The novel is beautifully scripted through the life of Holden that he got plenty of chances to make a wild decision, whereas he wanted someone to be with him, to relieve his loneliness. The person with no one night stand but to spend the whole life with happiness and joy.This is a kind of story must be read by the youth of today.So they must understand the world of emotions, sentiments and relationships and their importance in life. They should not be made and broken easily or abruptly. They should be made under a strong basis and need for understanding, sharing and caring.
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Oliver Twist

By Charles Dickens
Oliver twist is the second novel written by Charles Dickens. It has been a source of adaptation for many films and movies. It has won many Academy Awards in 1968 for the movie made by motion pictures.
Genre: Historic Fiction Social Criticism.
Characters in Novel: Oliver Twist, Fagin, Artful Dodger, Bill Sikes, Nancy, Mr. Brownlow, Rose Maylie, Charley Bates, Monks, Mr. Bumble, Noah Claypole, Mr. Sowerberry, Toby Crackit, Mrs. Sowerberry, Grimwig,Mrs. Corney, Mrs. Mann, Bull's-eye, Chitfing
No of pages: 362
Date of publish: 1837
Publisher: Richard Bentley Publisher
Charles Dickens is an influential writer with an art of perfect expressions that grabs the attention of the reader, and don’t let the eye to blink. Same goes for the Oliver Twist. The story of an orphan who has gone through the hardship of life in a very young age, which should be the age of laughters, love and protection. The novel has been a weekly edition full of suspense that what will happen next to the Oliver. When he was 9 years of age treated badly with less amount of food and very less facilities. He was kind of an upset individual,sold out when he asked for more food. Because the food which used to be given to him did not fill up his stomach. He escaped from there and went into the web of roberors. Who tried a lot to rupture his true nature. But they failed to corrupt his immaculate soul. He was forced to be a part of the gang for the robbery, he denied and was shot in the left arm and the robbery went to a failure. He never wanted to be a bad man, but wanted a good life away from poverty. But the torment and torture of life does not affect his soul. And the righteousness have won over the evil spirits he has gone through the life. This is a story every kid should read, in order to understand what is present behind the hardships that comes in life.
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