At last the time for reading has come. The long cold evenings predispose to nothing else but to a comfortable settling down with a cup of tea on the sofa in the company of a good book.
And they, books, have that magical quality of transporting us into worlds that live between their covers, waiting for the brave to reveal their secrets.
And every time we open the pages of our favourite novels, we are reunited with those characters in those places that have made us forget that time and reality are here.
Let us recall five classic titles that go well with rainy weather and a cup of tea.
Happy reading:
"The Empty Thoughts of an Empty Man" by Jerome Jerome
Idleness, love, eating and drinking, moneylessness, bad moods, vanity, success in life, shyness, memory, the art of decision-making, and how to be happy with little... Here are a few of the issues Jerome C. reflects on. Jerome in "Empty Thoughts of an Empty Man," generously peppering his musings with amusing examples, incidents, and anecdotes.
His reflections are witty and wise, good-natured and heartfelt, profound and comforting - he captivates with his sweet wit but also winks jokingly, showing that life and people are bearable if only we don't take them too seriously.
"The Great Gatsby, F.S. Fitzgerald
"The Great Gatsby is much more than the story of a love that fell apart before it came to fruition. It is a novel of daring rise and dizzying fall, of the fragile power of money, of ambition, success, and the hope that through it happiness can be won and new beginnings made; and it is also a fascinating picture of the 1920s, the years of jazz and the "lost generation."
According to all the rankings of readers, critics and publishers, The Great Gatsby is in the top ten of the best English-language novels.
"Lolita", In. Nabokov
Although provocative, the book captivates with its beautiful language and leisurely summer happening of events.
Sp. Venity Fair calls the novel "The only compelling love story of the 20th century.", which is enough to reach for it on a rainy afternoon.
"Zorbas the Greek," H. Kazantzakis
"What a simple and humble thing happiness is: a glass of wine, roasted chestnuts, the sound of the sea..."
If we can bring two cultures as far apart as the Mediterranean and the Scandinavian closer together in anything, it is in the ability of both to enjoy the moment, to seek pleasure in the simple things and to have that philosophical attitude to life that everything that happens to us is good because it happens to us , because we live it.
A book, on whichever page you open, you will find wisdom to ponder, to give you support and direction.
And it all pours out gently and naturally through the mouth of a supposedly unintelligent man, Alexis Zorba, who nonetheless knows all about life, women, and loving.
And let the tea be made of herbs that have gathered the breath of summer. The rain will only be his good company.