Novels Ahead of Their Time

Sometimes the brilliance of a novel can’t truly be seen until many years after it was written. There are many books and authors that were ahead of their time, and that covered topics and ideas that society wasn’t quite ready for yet.

These may not have sold well upon first release, but have come to be appreciated for their greatness decades later. Here are some of the most prolific and debated novels ever published, which went on to be applauded as ahead of their time.

Top 12 Novels Ahead of Their Time

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

When it was published in 1962 it was extraordinary shocking - covering divisive subjects of violence and drugs, and generally quite bleak in tone. It wasn’t actually widely accepted until after the movie was released. This was an influential novel telling a story of a dark dystopian future, which at times is a frightening depiction of good and evil and the grey in between.

You might also love: Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O’Brien

Inventive and funny, this 1932 novel is renowned for a wicked sense of humour and for playing on the traditional model of what a novel should be. This is the story of a writer writing about another writer, whose characters rebel against him in some clever and bizarre ways. This is an intelligent story that has become a modern classic.

You might also love: Murphy by Samuel Beckett

Ulysses by James Joyce

Ulysses has been called a major achievement in 20th-century literature. Based loosely on The Odyssey, it tells the story of a number of people across a single day in Dublin in 1904. Filled with fun, exciting and at times vulgar characters, the author plays with some extraordinary styles of writing and storytelling in this book.

You might also love: Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon  

1984 by George Orwell

When 1984 was published in 1949 it was a nightmarish tale of the future, which scarily became more and more prophetic as the years passed. Even if you haven’t read this novel before, you wouldn’t have been able to avoid its effect on modern culture. Through this novel, we were introduced to Big Brother and a society in which nothing the citizens do is private anymore. 

You might also love: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Published in 1847 under a male pseudonym, this classic was highly controversial at the time for its description of mental illness, physical cruelty, and criticism of religion, class, and a woman’s expected place in society. Essentially a love story, Wuthering Heights is a story of deeply flawed characters and their hold on each other’s minds and hearts.

You might also love: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This is a simple yet unforgettable tale set in a small town in Alabama, which became a popular and critical success almost instantly. This is now a very well known story of a crisis of conscience and a lawyer who was doing the best to raise his children right in a difficult world and time. It won the Pulitzer Prize and went on to be made into an Academy Award-winning film.

You might also love: The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Written when Shelley was just 18, this novel was a very early example of horror, science fiction, and the possibilities and dangers of modern technology. This is a witty story from a strong female voice, considered to be quite hard-hitting and politically challenging upon its release in 1818.

You might also love: Dracula by Bram Stoker

The Complete Stories by Franz Kafka

I am cheated a little here because this one isn’t really a novel, but a collection of Kafka’s best and boldest stories. Renowned for getting people thinking and arguing, the point of view in these stories is quite innovative, and would go on to influence a great many writers in the future.

You might also love: Collected Stories by Gabriel García Márquez

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Stowe was one of the first American writers to raise public awareness of the cruelty of slavery, and this book was largely discredited in the South when it was published.

It was controversial and has been often used since as an educational and enlightening novel showing how things were done at the time of writing. But it is also a really great adventure story and well worth a read.

You might also love: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Written in 1899, this was a revolutionary story of infidelity, in a time when considering such acts would make proper members of society turn white. Uninhibited and beautifully written, this novel was one of the first to discuss a female protagonist seeking physical pleasure through love and sex.

You might also love: Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

This was one of the first novels to place a black woman front and centre as a powerful protagonist - seeking identity, independence, and fulfilment not just a role as a wife or mother. It was poorly received upon release but has over time become well-loved and lauded for being an important novel about strength of race and gender.

You might also love: Native Son by Richard Wright

Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

You probably remember discovering this one for yourself when you were a tween, but at the time it was written, this novel was a rare honest depiction of how your body and mind changes with puberty.

This novel, and most of Blume’s others written in the 1970s were fresh and inspiring for young women at the time, and connected with girls in a way that nothing had before.

You might also love: Blubber by Judy Blume

Easy Happy Classics to Brighten Your Day

No one is going to argue with you if you stand up and say, ‘Well, it’s been a pretty serious year so far.’

But, you can always escape into a great classic novel, right?

As it turns out, many great classics are pretty serious too.  You might not find hiding in one so much of an escape as just swapping one depressing reality for a fictional one.

Classics become classic because of their quality, and their ability to easily draw you into the author’s world. They become beloved because over generations many people found themselves entranced and moved by the story held within the covers.

But what if you don’t just want to be entranced and moved, but you want to be uplifted? What if you don’t want to fall into a long, sluggish affair of war, pain, heartbreak, and death, but would rather an easy classic that makes you smile, and brightens your afternoon?

We’ve got you covered.

Top 12 Easy Happy Classics to Brighten Your Day

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim

This is a simply lovely story about four English women who found each other through an ad in the classifieds and then found themselves through a month’s holiday together in a medieval Italian castle. First published in 1922, this gorgeous tale will delight you and make you yearn to go travelling again.

You might also love:  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

We have all been embarrassed by a family member at one point in time, right? The Joy Luck Club is a group of young Chinese immigrant women who meet to play mahjong, new to America, and life in the West. This story covers the relationships between four mothers and their daughters, filled with misunderstanding, mystery, whimsy, and love. 

You might also love: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

This is a very well-known story that you might be more familiar with through depictions by Disney than through the actual original novel. If you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend spending some time between the pages. It is more twisted than anything Walt Disney dreamed up but also so much fun, and an absolutely glorious escape from the everyday.

You might also love: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The Three Musketeers by Alexander Dumas

In what can only be described as a swashbuckling epic (how do you swash a buckle anyway?), The Three Musketeers is one of the most fun-filled adventure tales of all time. Full of heroes and villains, secrets and mysteries, love and loss - if you haven’t read this book before you are missing out on something special.

You might also love: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Alchemist by Paul Coelho

This story is simple, enchanting, and just divine. A lovely tale of an Andalusian shepherd boy who travels from the hills of Spain to majestic Egypt, you will be surprised how much you fall in love with this extraordinary book.

You might also love: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry  

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald is a wizard for creating exciting, vibrant worlds to escape into. This tale tells of how in 1860, Benjamin Button was born a very old man and through his life aged backward, touching many hearts and lives along the way. Now more aligned with the movie starring Brad Pitt, you really should discover the joy and magic of the story as it was originally told. 

You might also love: The Magic Shop by H.G. Wells

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

This story invites you into the mind and heart of 17-year old Cassandra and tells of how she fell in love one summer. Her quirky family lives in the remains of a ruined Suffolk castle. This is a sweet and poignant novel which you will never be too old to read again.

You might also love: Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

A Little Bush Maid by Mary Grant Bruce

This book was a gorgeous part of many young Aussie girl’s childhood, and honestly, I will never get tired of re-reading and discovering its joy all over again. This is the first of a series, set on a large cattle station called Billabong, inhabited by 12-year-old Norah, her older brother Jim and their widowed father. Just beautiful.

You might also love: Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Ahhh, Austen. She just makes you feel all warm and gooey inside, doesn’t she? Pride and Prejudice is possibly her most famous story, but I love this whimsical story of the Dashwood sisters and their search for romance and men that can match with their wits.

You might also love: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

James Herriot’s enchanting memoir of life as a vet in rural England is beloved by many, and for very good reason. If you have a soft spot for four-legged creatures (or any creatures really), then you will simply adore this book, filled with a wide range of tales of his patients that will have you laughing and crying in equal measure.

You might also love: My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

You will be familiar with the fantastically funny movie based on this book, but you are missing out indeed if you don’t allow yourself the time to read and truly savour the story as it should be enjoyed. This was a wickedly different take on the traditional fairy tale, filled with brilliant characters, adventure, love, revenge, and everything else you need to make you happy on a quiet afternoon.

You might also love: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

A modern classic, this story tells of the unlikely events after a ship of zoo animals capsizes in the Pacific Ocean, and a young boy finds himself in a lifeboat with a tiger. If that premise hasn’t piqued your interest then I’m not sure what will. Even if you have read this one before, it still holds secrets and surprises within its covers for you to discover the second time around.

You might also love: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Seven Recommendations of Books by Australian Indigenous Authors

I live on the traditional lands of the Muwinina people*. This week and every week, I pay my respects to the Palawa elders, past and present. This always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

The NovelTea Book Club is about reading the ‘classics’. That’s often been based on the western publishing industry’s definition of a classic, which is a pretty limited set of books and stories! While we’ll continue to feature these classics, there are so many rich storytelling cultures among so many groups outside of this definition. I am still learning, but I want to highlight some books by Indigenous authors that I’ve read or am looking forward to reading.
⁣
* I’m pretty sure this is correct. It was harder than it should’ve been to find out, no thanks to Lutruwita/Tasmania’s fairly horrendous history.

Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina

We here at NovelTea HQ are big fans of Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina, both authors and illustrators who come from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region in WA. Between them they’ve written and illustrated numerous amazing kids books, YA novels, short stories and books of poetry. Ambelin is also a law academic at the University of Western Australia.

It was hard to choose just one book to highlight, hence the stack in the photo 😅 But I particularly loved Catching Teller Crow, a YA novel they co-wrote a couple of years ago.
⁣
Catching Teller Crow tells the story of Beth and her father and an unsolved mystery. It’s a layered story of grief and family, love and history, told from two perspectives and in a mix of prose and free verse. I flew through of the first time I read it, but was still thinking about it weeks later.
⁣
I absolutely highly recommend anything and everything by either sibling, but especially this novel.

Growing Up Aboriginal In Australia edited by Dr Anita Heiss

Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia is an anthology of experiences, edited by Dr Anita Heiss. It showcases diverse voices, styles and stories to try to answer the question “What is it like to grow up Aboriginal in Australia?”
⁣
I recently finished reading this anthology - partly reading and partly listening to the audiobook. I absolutely recommend checking it out.The more I learn about Indigenous cultures and experience, the more I understand and appreciate the diversity of the people who identify within this group. Each contributor to this book has a unique voice, experience and relationship with their Aboriginality, and I think as a non-indigenous person it’s important for me to listen to a variety of voices rather than just accepting any one experience as ‘the Aboriginal story’.
⁣
That said, there are also common threads woven throughout a lot of these stories. Many of the contributors have struggled with their identity as Aboriginal, or external perspectives of their identity. “Not white enough to be white, not black enough to be black” is a common experience throughout the book. Almost every story of growing up includes racism and discrimination of some kind, regardless of the era. I cried at least twice, and was blindsided by the experiences that some contributors wrote about.
⁣
All in all, this is definitely an anthology worth reading or listening to - the audiobook is also excellent.

Carpentaria by Alexis Wright

I haven’t quite finished Carpentaria, and so I’ve asked @gillyreads to write this post, since she recommended it to me in the first place.

Alexis Wright is an award-winning Waanyi writer who is, in my opinion, Australia's greatest writer. I strongly believe everyone should read at least one thing she has written, if not everything (I really need to get to the intimidatingly large Tracker). While all her work is phenomenal, my favourite book is Carpentaria. It's a book I have encouraged a lot of people to read - I've bought multiple copies to be able to lend out.
⁣
Carpentaria is a very large book, with many, many pages filled with beautiful writing in tiny print. It may be intimidating to many readers, but the reading experience was hugely impactful on me and I really believe it is worth putting in the time.
⁣
Carpentaria is an epic story, centring on the portrayal of life in a town on the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Oral storytelling form blends into written words, as the story weaves around and through the lives of the unforgettable residents of Desperance with depth and complexity. Giramondo uses the word 'operatic' which fits Wright's storytelling, but I haven't really seen an adequate description of this book yet. You just have to read it.

Top End Girl by Miranda Tapsell

One from my #tbr
⁣
I love Miranda Tapsell’s movies and podcasts, so I have a sneaky suspicion I’m going to love this memoir too!

“As a young Larrakia Tiwi girl Miranda Tapsell often felt like an outsider. Growing up, she looked for faces like hers on our screens. There weren't many. And too often there was a negative narrative around First Nation lives, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women especially. As she got older, Miranda stopped expecting others would help change things and set about doing something herself. Combining her pride in her Aboriginality and passion for romantic comedies with her love of Darwin, the Tiwi Islands and the Top End, Miranda co-wrote, produced and starred in the box office hit Top End Wedding.
⁣
In this engaging memoir, Miranda shares the path she took to acting and how her role in The Sapphires and then in Love Child inspired her to create a film about coming back to family and culture. And, it would turn out, that as she was writing her romantic lead she was also conjuring up some magic that saw a real-life love ignite. This deadly, ballad-loving rom-com nerd also asks us all to open our minds and our hearts to the importance of country and culture, In doing so, Miranda shows us how we will all be richer for it.”

Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson

Another from my #tbr - a huge thank you to @nina.reads.books for this photo and review.
⁣
Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson was an incredible debut novel. I love a good multigenerational saga and this delivered in spades.
⁣
The book is set in fictional Darnmoor, a small country town in Australia. When you arrive the sign proclaims “Darnmoor, The Gateway to Happiness” but the local Indigenous residents don’t get to live in Darnmoor proper, their homes are located out the back of the rubbish tip and are known as the Campgrounds.
⁣
The story centres around four generations of the Billymil family. We initially meet Margaret, then her daughter Celie, her granddaughter Milli and then finally the last generation Patrick and Yarrie. Just as you become invested in one character, time moves on and it’s time for the next generation’s turn in the spotlight. This was jarring but I think an effective storytelling tool.
⁣
There are layers of racial tension throughout the book between the white people of Darnmoor and the Indigenous people. The divide runs deep. Though there are moments of happiness and joy ultimately it is a tragedy that highlights the mpact of intergenerational trauma. It is a story of an Indigenous family over several generations but also a story of the effect of colonisation on Indigenous people and their land in Australia and the violence and injustices that they have experienced.
⁣
The truly clever and fascinating part of Song of The Crocodile was that interspersed between the stories of the Billymil family were chapters dedicated to the ancient spirits that spoke to the Indigenous people throughout history. These chapters were imaginative and exquisitely written. The use of animal totems, spiritual ancestors and an almost dream like alternate storyline was so different and really worked. I won’t pretend that I understood all of the imagery but it was wonderful to read!

The Drover’s Wife by Leah Pursell

Another recommendation from @gillyreads.
⁣
Leah Purcell is a Goa, Gunggari, Wakka Wakka Murri woman from Queensland with an incredible breadth of talent. She has reimagined Henry Lawson’s classic short story, The Drover’s Wife (1892) in multiple formats. Initially a play in 2016, she has now written a novel, and written, starred in and directed a feature film expanding that reimagined story. This novel was such an incredible read, I really wish I’d seen the play, and will definitely be watching the film when it is released.
⁣
The influence of her play and screenwriting background is evident in her prose, and I personally found this added a lot to the reading experience. She pulls threads of the story of Molly Johnson from many places, there are whole aspects of the novel that you don’t fully see the connection to until the end.
⁣
It is beautifully written, stark in its depiction of the realities of Molly’s life struggling to care for her children, all alone in an isolated shack while her husband is off droving. The difficulties she faces are only intensified the brief times her husband returns home. Purcell confronts the myths white Australia has created about the frontier, forcing the reader to grapple with the violent reality of colonisation.

Australian literature has traditionally liked to depict our history as a battle with a brutal landscape, with hard but admirable men setting out to tame something for themselves. Of course, the truth is that the brutality came from these colonisers, that the landscape was not theirs to claim.

The story particularly looks at the way this violence was gendered and depicts confronting acts of violence that may be too much for some readers. Though so much is horrifying, The Drover’s Wife still manages to be an incredibly beautiful story, and Purcell really does manage to imbue a sense of hope, and of survival.

My Place by Sally Morgan

And finally, My Place by Sally Morgan - definitely an Australian classic!
⁣
My Place is Sally Morgan’s autobiography, interwoven with the stories of her mother and her grandmother.
⁣
Morgan was born and grew up in Perth, in a childhood so strikingly different to what my parents would have experienced (they’re roughly the same age). Her mother and grandmother told her they were Indian, to try to shield her from the particular brand of racism directed at Indigenous Australians. My Place centres around Morgan’s experiences as an Aboriginal person, and her journey in discovering her history and drawing out the stories of her mother and grandmother.
⁣
Morgan is an amazing storyteller. This book captured me - the story itself, but also Morgan’s words and way of weaving her experiences together with those of her family. There is trauma and heartbreak, but also hope and so much familial love, demonstrated in many different ways. It is an eye-opening and uncomfortable read in many ways, for me and probably a lot of other white Australians.
⁣
If you’ve never read it, I highly recommend you pick it up. Although it was first published over 30 years ago, it remains a relevant and incredibly important book in the Australian literary landscape.