What to read by the sea: Nikolai Zharinov's top five novels for the perfect holiday
A summer holiday by the sea is the perfect time to set aside business books and endless news feeds and pick up a novel that matches the mood of your surroundings — light in tone, yet leaving a lasting impression. At the National Centre RUSSIA, philologist, cultural scholar and writer Nikolai Zharinov shared his selection of the perfect beach reads. His top five features novels that invite readers to return to them time and again while gazing out at the waves. The list begins with Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises".
According to Nikolai Zharinov, it is hard to think of a novel more closely associated with August. "In the conventional sense, almost nothing happens: friends travel together, argue, drink wine, fall in love, grow jealous and go to the bullfights. Yet it is precisely this unhurried rhythm that creates the feeling of summer and youth gradually slipping away. It is a book about how happiness is often right beside us while we are too busy searching for something greater."
Second on the list is Gerald Durrell's "My Family and Other Animals". Nikolai Zharinov believes it is the sunniest book of the twentieth century. Corfu Island, cicadas, the sea, endless walks and extraordinary animals — according to him, Durrell has a remarkable gift for restoring a child's sense of wonder at the world. After just a few chapters, it feels as though the holiday has truly begun.
In third place is Françoise Sagan's "Bonjour Tristesse". It is a short novel, perfect for reading in a single day on the beach. Beneath its apparent lightness lies a subtle psychological story about growing up, freedom and the price of one's desires. When the final page is turned, readers are more likely to sit and watch the sea than reach immediately for another book.
Fourth on the list is John Fowles' "The Magus". Nikolai Zharinov comments: "An island, scorching heat, the mysterious owner of a villa, and a constant sense of intrigue and mystery. This is a more intellectually demanding novel, but its summery atmosphere makes it especially compelling. It is one of the finest examples of a holiday gradually turning into a philosophical journey."
Completing the beach reading list is Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine". Although it is not set by the sea, the novel is filled with the same feeling of endless summer. Bradbury reminds us that life's most important discoveries are made not while travelling, but within ourselves. According to Nikolai Zharinov, it is a novel that many readers return to almost every summer.
As the writer notes, these five books for summer reading all have one thing in common: they do more than simply fill the time — they help create the perfect holiday frame of mind.
