I know that reading can be a slog sometimes. Holding a long heavy book can be annoying. The payoff can take weeks.
These books are different.
Each one is under 200 pages, and worth your time. You can finish one in an evening. By tomorrow, you can read prolific writers like Tolstoy or Kafka.
Here are my favorite reads under 200 pages.
This book put my life and all my ambitions into context.
Ecclesiastes (30 pages, Ancient Israel, ~3rd century BCE) — Bible
When I meet someone who pities themself, I think of this story's protagonist. Kafka did unforgettable character development.
The Metamorphosis (55 pages, Austria, 1915) — Franz Kafka
I quit my engineering job because of this.
The Death of Ivan Ilyich (60 pages, Russia, 1886) — Leo Tolstoy
In 75 pages I was convinced that the systematic oppression of a race was real. Yes, I needed to be educated to realize it, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. I read this because one of my favorite comedians, Dave Chappelle, recommended it.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (75 pages, U.S., 1845) — Frederick Douglass
Every time I think of "energy", I remember this ancient chinese text. It describes how humans, rocks, and everything was one with the Tao.
Tao Te Ching (80 pages, China, ~4th century BCE) — Laozi
I could recognize good writing, but I didn't know why it was so. Until this book.
The Elements of Style (105 pages, U.S., 1918) — William Strunk Jr. & E. B. White
The most precise, honest, short memoir I've read. Written by a legend in advertising.
Scientific Advertising (120 pages, U.S., 1923) — Claude Hopkins
My life was worse after realizing that its shitty qualities persist day after month after year. Camus captured that tiring loop of struggle I was in. He told me that the struggle itself was worthy of my time.
The Myth of Sisyphus (160 pages, France, 1942) — Albert Camus
This guy convinced me that walking—yes, the action with feet—would change my life. Now I do it for hours each week. On its own, without music. Just me and the walk.
Walking: One Step at a Time (160 pages, Norway, 2019) — Erling Kagge
There's a quote in here that I memorized and thought about daily. Frankl taught me that self awareness was freedom.
**_Man’s Search for Meaning_ (165 pages, Austria, 1946) — Viktor Frankl**
Honorable Mentions:
Emily Dickenson is a genius and my favorite poet. She lived an untraveled, reclusive life, yet thought with depth. I was blown away by her use of words like a sharp knife.
Poems (150 pages, U.S., 1890) — Emily Dickinson
Indiginous people, with their superstitions and rituals, should learn from the sciences of the white nations. Right?
The Eclipse (1 page, Honduras, 1959) — Augusto Monterroso
I never forgot this story of a fat girl sacrificed to save a group of well-to-do-people's asses. Our nastiness is revealed in how we treat unattractive people.
Boule de Suif (30 pages, France, 1880) — Guy de Maupassant
Communism is scary, we all say, but what really does it mean? I was curious, so I went straight to the source. I was shocked.
The Communist Manifesto (40 pages, Germany, 1848) — Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
When I gossip, the negativity seeps back into me. Why do I do things that hurt myself? This book cajoled me.
The Four Agreements (140 pages, Mexico/U.S., 1997) — Don Miguel Ruiz
Written by Sandra Rhee. Originally published at sandrarhee.com/writing/my-favorite-reads-under-200-pages.