Sometimes watching the news can be like watching a disaster movie; the world seems to be dominated by tragedy, crime, stress, sadness and pain. So it’s wonderful to be able to switch off from reality every so often and turn to a book that’s life-affirming, funny, light-hearted and, ultimately, happy. A feel good novel can provide a perfect escape but at the same time remind us what is great about the world we live in. Here are 10 of the best, guaranteed to banish that doom and gloom and put a smile on your face…
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The Princess Bride William Goldman |
One of the most thoroughly enjoyable books ever written, The Princess Bride is a swashbuckling adventure that overflows with romance, action, danger, melodrama, fantasy and comedy. Complete with dashing hero, beautiful princess, gentle giant and arch-villain, this is a fairy story for adults that blends romance and cynicism to perfection. Absurd, captivating and absolutely hilarious.
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A Christmas Carol and Two Other Christmas Books (Collector’s Library) Charles Dickens |
Charles Dicken’s classic tale about the miserable and friendless miser Ebenezer Scrooge and the three ghosts who visit him on Christmas Eve is the ultimate redemption story. A mean bitter old man is given a new lease of life when he learns the importance of friendship, kindness and love, and discovers that life can be both joyful and meaningful. It’s a magical and uplifting read – the perfect indulgence any time of the year.
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Bridget Jones’s Diary: A Novel Helen Fielding |
A year in diary form tells the hilarious and cringe-worthy misadventures of the delightfully flawed thirtysomething singleton as she works her way from one calamity to the next in her quest to find the perfect man. A novel that manages to be both satirical and heart-warming, and both light-hearted and intelligent, Bridget Jones’s Diary is a joy from start to finish.
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A Room with a View (Penguin Classics) E.M. Forster |
E.M.Forster’s A Room with a View is a timeless comedy of manners about the conflict between between duty and love, and between truth and hypocrisy. When young Lucy Honeychurch and her maiden cousin Charlotte complain about their viewless bedroom windows in a Florentine pensione over dinner, they are met with an unexpected response that has the potential to change Lucy’s life forever.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Book 1) J. K. Rowling |
Back in the early days when Harry first discovers that he’s a wizard, (before things become too dark and scary and our favourite characters get killed off), the adventures of Harry Potter and his friends are pure wish-fulfilment. From a tragic past and a miserable, insignificant existence, Harry is transported into a magical world beyond his wildest dreams in which he finds he not only belongs, but can flourish and triumph.
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The Code of the Woosters Sir P G Wodehouse |
There’s no doubt that P.G.Wodehouse’s sublime brand of farcical slapstick will not appeal to everybody, but if a dose of perfect silliness in the company of the scatterbrained Bertie Wooster and his brilliant valet Jeeves sounds like your cup of tea, then you can’t go wrong with The Code of the Woosters. Packed to the brim with fun, frivolity and perfectly-crafted sentences that will make you laugh out loud, this is a gem of a novel.
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
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The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Alexander McCall Smith |
This, the first in the detective series quite unlike any other, introduces the reader to its rather unusual heroine. Precious Ramotswe is a size 22 African woman, who sells the cattle herd she has inherited from her father and uses the money to start a completely new life as Botswana’s first female private detective. It’s a gentle, humorous and affectionate novel written with a simple charm. With its delightful characters and intriguing plot, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
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Pride and Prejudice (Vintage Classics) Jane Austen |
Everybody’s favourite romantic comedy positively sparkles with wit and sophistication. Every sentence is impeccably crafted and every character perfectly sculpted in Jane Austen’s comic masterpiece of mistaken impressions. The fortunes of the captivating Elizabeth Bennett and the haughty Mr Darcy have enchanted readers since the day Pride and Prejudice was published, and will undoubtedly continue to do so for generations to come.
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About a Boy Nick Hornby |
A warm, funny and perceptive novel about the unlikely relationship that develops between a cool, rich, shallow thirtysomething and a decidedly uncool, quirky, bullied 12-year-old boy. When serial cad Will Lightman strikes upon the idea of visiting a single parent group in order to pick up women, he finds rather more than he bargained for. At times hilarious, this engaging and mature exploration of human experiences is a classic feel good story – and one of very few that will appeal to both men and women alike.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams |
It might seem a little strange to include a book in a list of 10 great feel good novels that begins with the unexpected demolition of planet Earth to make way for a new hyperspace bypass. But don’t panic – there’s an entire universe out there to feel good in. So locate your towel, stick out your thumb and join Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect as they hitch-hike their way through a galaxy of laugh-out-loud humour, astonishing imagination and outrageous improbability. As long as you’ve got The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, everything will be fine.