Books like To the Lighthouse

The 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of the most beloved works of literature among bookworms and romantics alike. When Elizabeth Bennet’s blunders and hasty decisions enchanted readers, they’ve been on the lookout for similar works of fiction for some time. Finding books like Pride and Prejudice, perhaps Austen’s most famous work isn’t too tough.

Many writers have been influenced by Austen’s writing, and there is a slew of works currently in print that deal with similar subjects and chronological periods. Despite Pride and Prejudice’s reputation as the pinnacle of feminist writing, there is a slew of other works by women authors that helped establish the notion that women might be successful novelists.

It doesn’t matter what your taste in literature is, these 10 works are sure to please you in the same manner as Pride and Prejudice did for me.

A mystical retelling of the legend of Eldorado, often known as the Enchanted City of the Amazon, written by one of Brazil’s most well-known and respected authors Eldorado, the fabled city that inhabited the fevered thoughts of European navigators and conquerors, yet defied all attempts to find it on the map, serves as the backdrop for this fantastical tale. Some people think it happened in the city of Manaus, which is located in the Amazon Basin; this is also the location of the white home in which Arminto Cordovil and his father dele Amando live.

The two of them share a connection that is rife with ardor and boundless aspiration. Dinaura is a girl who bewitches Arminto and dreams of Eldorado. Angelina, the deceased mother, Denisio, the infernal boatman, and Dinaura, who is at the center of the story, are the unique cast of characters that stand between Arminto and his father. Denisio is the infernal boatman. The sweltering heat and dense vegetation of the Amazonian environment are vividly brought to life in this enchanting and wondrous fairy tale.

The History of the Siege of Lisbon is a novel by a Nobel Prize winner that is described as Raimundo Silva, a middle-aged celibacy clerk. Fluent in Portuguese, the assignment is to write an authoritative history of Portugal, including that of King William, who lay siege to the capital city in 12th-century Lisbon. Even though Raimundo only changes one word of the text, his bold move entirely undoes everything that came before it. Maria Sara, his new editor, is the only one who does not mind his blatant disdain for the facts.

She encourages Rainmundo to go even further with his offenses. Rainmundo and Maria’s narrative offers a unique perspective on history and a zany retelling of a contentious truth. In a voyage through time that merges past and present, reality becomes myth, and fiction and reality pixelate for Rainmundo and Maria, who begin to feel erotically drawn toward each other. This fascinating narrative is a fantastic humorous adventure through history, language, and imagination. Walter Mitty is nothing like Raimundo Silva.

A historical story about Japanese immigrants and their effort to establish a new life in a Brazilian rainforest that is “immensely entertaining” (Newsday). Arriving in Brazil in 1925, a group of Japanese immigrants set out to build a utopian society out of the country’s rainforest. It is in this “complex and fascinating epoch” that Yamashita creates a “splendid multi-generational novel.. rich in history and character” in which we see how utopian ideals clash with reality, as well as the symbiotic relationship between people and the land they colonize.

Intensely empathetic, fascinating, and thought-provoking.” As reported by the Washington Post Yamashita’s sense of passion and absurdity as well as a reverence for inevitability and individuality make this compelling multigenerational immigrant drama full of energy, devotion, and humor.” —Booklist “Remarkable in its poignancy and significance.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer The entire genre of pioneer literature, as well as Yamashita’s characters, are set up for a fall with a subtle ominousness. The Village Voice With a few laugh-out-loud jokes thrown in for good measure. The Star Tribune “Emotionally tense and enlightening” Review by—Bloomsbury Publishing “Exciting and different.” — International Examiner It was “very informative.” ” —Library Journal “Informative and timely.”

One Hundred Years of Solitude, the novel that won Gabriel Garcia Marquez the Nobel Prize in Literature, is widely regarded as one of the most important literary works of our time. It is also widely regarded as one of the most brilliant and unique literary achievements ever produced.

Through the history of the Buendia family, the author of One Hundred Years of Solitude recounts the rise and fall, birth, and death of the fictitious town of Macondo in the novel One Hundred Years of Solitude.

This work is a masterpiece in the art of fiction because it is inventive, funny, captivating, and sorrowful all at the same time; it is brimming with truth, compassion, and a lyrical charm that hits the soul; and it is alive with unforgettable men and women.

Helen Fielding’s novel, Bridget Jones’s Diary, was published in 1996. However, the film adaptation of the novel, which was released in 2001 and starred Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant, is more well-known. Bridget Jones’s Diary is essentially a contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and it is set against the backdrop of mid-1990s London. There are several sections of the book that have not held up well over time, particularly in reference to the acceptance of sexual harassment in the workplace.

Although Pride and Prejudice sometimes are hailed as a feminist novel, Bridget Jones’s Diary has gotten the opposite criticism in current culture. Bridget Jones’s Diary is an excellent pick, though, if what you’re looking for is a lighthearted and romantic novel featuring a main character who isn’t perfect but is still believable and sympathetic.

This book tells the story of the four March sisters named, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, as they live in the state of Massachusetts before, during, and after the American Civil War. Their adventures in love and loss take place before, during, and after the war. The events of the novel took place both before and during the war, as well as after it. The storyline of the book depicts the time leading up to, during, and immediately following the conflict.

The novel is filled with feminist themes, and it provides a wonderful glimpse into the way of life of the upper and middle-class families in America during the latter part of the nineteenth century. This is because the work was written in that era in which the events it describes took place.

Although all of the Bront sisters’ works are regarded as landmarks of feminist fiction, Wildfell Hall is frequently hailed as the very first explicitly feminist novel. Wildfell Hall was originally published in 1848 underneath the pen name Acton Bell. It tells the story of Helen Graham, who moves into the estate of Wildfell Hall after fleeing her cruel and alcoholic husband. Even the author’s sister, Charlotte Bront, deemed it to be too gruesome at the time of its publication to garner much critical recognition.

In the work, subjects such as drunkenness, domestic violence, the role of women in a male-dominated society, and gender dynamics were deemed to be shown too explicitly. However, Wildfell Hall is an enlightening read if you’re interested in a more realistic look at gender relations in Victorian England, as it provides a great portrayal of class and society in the period.

Emma Woodhouse is worldly. Young, attractive, and brilliant, she rules her village’s social scene. Emma and her father live in Highbury, 16 miles outside London. Mr. Woodhouse loves Emma, but he can not guide her, which may be why she does not know her limits. Emma’s life is sweet but uninteresting, so she takes on a protégé, Harriet Smith. Emma decides to find Harriet a husband even though she will not marry. Emma tries to improve Harriet’s interest in men to make her a lady.

She gets Harriet to abandon farmer Robert Martin for Mr. Elton, the town’s clergyman. Mr. Elton loves Emma – or her money. Emma thinks she is learned her matchmaking lesson after Mr. Elton. Fortunately, she hasn’t. Emma tries hard to fall in love with Frank Churchill when he arrives. She can not fall in love with him, but she causes mischief by flirting with him in front of Jane Fairfax, who recently returned to Highbury to live with her aunts. Emma thinks Frank could be Harriet’s new boyfriend. Mr. Knightley comments on Emma’s activities.

Despite ignoring his advice, Emma values it. When Mr. Knightley accuses her of disparaging her poor neighbors, Emma starts to change. Unfortunately, Harriet loves Mr. Knightley, not Frank. Suddenly, Emma’s preparations fall apart. She adores Mr. Knightley too. Emma rejects Mr. Knightley’s proposal because she thinks he is interested in Harriet, despite living with the Woodhouses. All romantic muddles are addressed when Emma marries Mr. Knightley and Harriet marries Robert Martin. Emma’s story is framed by the romance of Frank and Jane Fairfax, the marriage of Emma’s old governess, Mrs. Weston, and the antics of Mr. and Mrs. Elton.

The fictional town of Middlemarch, located in the English Midlands, is the setting for the novel Middlemarch, which was written in 1871 and published the same year. The story takes place between the years 1829 and 1832. The book, whose full title is Middlemarch, A Study of Provincial Life, is regarded as one of Eliot’s (the pen name that Mary Anne Evans used when she wrote under the male guise of T. S. Eliot) finest works.

Middlemarch is often regarded as a historical novel, even though the story it tells is entirely fictitious. It is widely regarded as providing one of the best insights into, surprise, English provincial life during the 1830s. It provides a wonderful glimpse into the social stratification that existed in England at the period, as well as the part that women played in the culture of the day.

Although it is not set in England but rather in New York City at the start of the 20th century, Wharton’s novel from 1905 deals with many themes that are very similar to those found in Pride and Prejudice. Lily Bart, the protagonist of the book, is a socialite who, despite having been born into money and high social status, has discovered herself and her family to be living in abject poverty.

She had put off getting married for much too long, and at the age of 29, she was regarded to be approximately ten years too old to be on the “marriage market.” However, getting married is one of the few ways she may get out of the financial catastrophe she is in.

Keeping up with society’s expectations, the impacts of class and a woman’s right to make her own life during a time when that was considered to be a highly radical thought are some of the themes that are explored in the novel. Because it deals with some of the same topics as Pride and Prejudice, it is an excellent choice if you are looking for other literature along the same lines.

Emily Bront’s first and only novel was titled “Wuthering Heights,” and it was initially released to the public under the masculine alias “Ellis Bell.” It initially focuses on Mr. Lockwood as he rents Thrushcross Grange on the desolate moors of Yorkshire and his connection with his enigmatic landlord, Heathcliff, who also owns Wuthering Heights Farmhouse.

The story of Heathcliff’s life is then told over the rest of the work, beginning with his childhood and ending with how he arrived at his current position. In addition to that, it focuses on his connection with Catherine, his adopted sister. The book, which is frequently referred to as a Gothic tragedy, addresses topics that are typical for books written during that era, such as social status, the process of giving birth, and romantic love.

This enigmatic book is recounted from the point of view of the anonymous titular heroine, the second Mrs. de Winter, as she ruminates on events that occurred in the past at the magnificent yet emotionally haunted Cornish house of Manderley, which belonged to her late husband.

Throughout the story, the narrator continues to grapple with being the substitute for the departed Rebecca, Mr de Winter’s first wife. As the housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, treats the narrator with scorn and is disregarded by her new husband, she begins to question her sanity and legitimacy compared to the seemingly ideal image of Rebecca.

The story is eerie and unsettling and explores life in upper-class England much like Pride and Prejudice. Famously adapted into an Academy Award-winning feature picture by famous director Alfred Hitchcock in 1940 and constantly being likened to writings by the Brontë sisters, there is no doubt that Rebecca is a fascinating book.

Charlotte Bront’s Jane Eyre, initially published in 1847 under the masculine pseudonym Currer Bell, is widely regarded as one of the first works of feminist literature and a model of the bildungsroman genre. The novel follows the orphaned Jane Eyre as she journeys from an abusive household to a dreary school for orphaned girls before becoming a governess for a wealthy youngster at Thornfield Hall.

Jane develops feelings for the master of Thornfield Hall, Mr. Rochester while serving as a governess. Jane Eyre contains substantial advances that make it a fascinating read that will keep you engaged until the very end. Jane Eyre, which was groundbreaking for her day, deals with subjects such as marriage for love, the class structure, and mental illness in the Victorian era and is a wonderful choice if you’re looking for books like Pride and Prejudice.

The Sun Also Rises (Fiesta), the classic novel of the Lost Generation, is one of Ernest Hemingway’s greatest works and a prime illustration of his restrained yet effective writing style. Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley, two of Hemingway’s most iconic characters, are introduced in this work, which takes a moving glimpse at the disillusion and angst of the post-World War I age. The story follows the flashy Brett and the foolish Jake as they travel with a ragtag gang of foreigners from the raucous nightlife of 1920s Paris to the bloody bullrings of Spain. It is a time of moral decay, spiritual decay, unfulfilled love, and dissipating illusions. The Sun Also Rises, which was first published in 1926, contributed to Hemingway’s reputation as one of the best authors of the twentieth century.

Best Quotes from this Book:

“you can’t get away from yourself by moving from one place to another.”

“I can’t stand it to think my life is going so fast and I’m not really living it.”

“Isn’t it pretty to think so.”

“It is awfully easy to be hard-boiled about everything in the daytime, but at night it is another thing.”

“Don’t you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you’re not taking advantage of it? Do you realize you’ve lived nearly half the time you have to live already?”

East of Eden, which was dubbed “the first book” by Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck in his journal, does certainly have mythic simplicity and primal intensity. This expansive and frequently cruel book is set in the fertile Salinas Valley of California and chronicles the connected fates of two families—the Trasks and the Hamiltons—whose descendants helplessly recreate the fall of Adam and Eve and the toxic rivalry of Cain and Abel.

To cultivate and nurture his family on the new, lush land, Adam Trask migrated from the East to California. However, the birth of his twins, Cal and Aaron, drives his wife to the verge of insanity, leaving Adam to raise his boys by himself until they are men. The love of everyone surrounding one youngster helps him develop, whereas the other boy grows up alone and surrounded by enigmatic darkness.

East of Eden, first published in 1952, is Steinbeck’s most famous book. It explores his most persistent themes, including the enigma of identification, the inexplicability of passion, and the terrible effects of love’s absence. East of Eden, a literary classic from Steinbeck’s latter years, is both a family drama and a contemporary retelling of the Book of Genesis.

Best Quotes from this Book:

“All great and precious things are lonely.”

“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.”

“I believe a strong woman may be stronger than a man, particularly if she happens to have love in her heart. I guess a loving woman is indestructible.”

“My imagination will get me a passport to hell one day.”

“It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world.”

Cormac McCarthy return to the Texas-Mexico border, the scene of his acclaimed Border Trilogy, in his fiery new book. We live in an era where drug dealers have replaced cattle rustlers and little towns are now open-fire zones. Llewellyn Moss one day discovers a pickup truck encircled by a bodyguard of dead men. Two million dollars in cash and a shipment of heroin are still in the rear. When Moss steals the money, he starts a domino effect of catastrophic brutality that neither the law, represented by the seasoned and disheartened Sheriff Bell nor Moss can stop. McCarthy concurrently strips down the American crime thriller and broadens its concerns to cover issues as ancient as the Bible and as bloodily present as this morning’s headlines as Moss seeks to elude his pursuers, including a mystery mastermind who tosses coins for human lives. A victory, No Country for Old Men.

Best Quotes from this Book:

“You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.”

“You think when you wake up in the mornin yesterday don’t count. But yesterday is all that does count. What else is there? Your life is made out of the days it’s made out of. Nothin else.”

“The point is there ain’t no point.”

“How does a man decide in what order to abandon his life?”

“People complain about the bad things that happen to em that they don’t deserve but they seldom mention the good. About what they done to deserve them things”

The third book in the Lonesome Dove tetralogy and Pulitzer Prize winner by Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove, is the biggest book ever written about the last resolute wilderness of America. It is a love tale, an adventure, and an epic of the frontier.

Visit the dusty, small Texas town of Lonesome Dove to encounter a memorable cast of heroes, outlaws, whores, ladies, and natives as well as settlers. A book that makes us laugh, cry, dream, and remember, Lonesome Dove is richly authentic, exquisitely written, and always dramatic.

Best Quotes from this Book:

“If you want one thing too much it’s likely to be a disappointment. The healthy way is to learn to like the everyday things, like soft beds and buttermilk—and feisty gentlemen.”

“Yesterday’s gone on down the river and you can’t get it back.”

“The older the violin, the sweeter the music.”

“It’s a fine world, though rich in hardships at times.”

“It’s like I told you last night son. The earth is mostly just a boneyard. But pretty in the sunlight, he added”

This breathtakingly beautiful and powerful book is a heartfelt drama about individuals, relationships, and the limits of love. With the help of a young woman named Ayla, Jean M. Auel transports us back to the beginning of modern humans and the brutal yet breathtaking Ice Age planet they lived with the people who called themselves The Clan of the Cave Bear.

A woman from the Clan, who are considerably different from her own kind, finds the young girl traveling alone in an unknown and frightening region after a natural calamity. They think Ayla, who is blonde and has blue eyes, is odd and unattractive since she is one of the Others, those who have migrated into their ancestral territory. However, Iza is unable to let the girl die and takes her with them. As Ayla learns the customs of the Clan and Iza’s method of healing, the old Mog-ur Creb and Iza grow to adore her, and the majority accept her. However, the ruthless and arrogant young man who will take over as their next leader sees her peculiarities as a threat to his power. He grows to hate the odd girl of the Others who lives among them and is resolved to exact revenge on her.

Best Quotes from this Book:

“The earth we leave is beautiful and rich; it gave us all we needed for all the generations we have lived. How will you leave it when it is your turn? What can you do?”

“The difference in the brains of men and women was imposed by nature, and only cemented by culture.”

“As Creb looked at the peaceful, trusting face of the strange girl in his lap, he felt a deep love flowering in his soul for her. He couldn’t have loved her more if she were his own.”

“He’s part me and part Clan, and so is Ura. Or rather, she’s part Oda and part that man who killed her baby.”

“The little girl’s gentle touch struck an inner chord in his lonely old heart.”