I know that reading can be a slog sometimes. Holding a heavy book is an annoying experience too, and it takes forever, and you don't get that sense of satisfaction until weeks or months later.
These books are insanely impactful, and yet under 200 pages.
Short reads are satisfying. It can help move your book list along, and you can say that you've read some prolific writers like Tolstoy or Kafka by tomorrow.
Here are my favorite reads under 200 pages.
This read put my life and all my ambitions into context.
Ecclesiastes (30 pages, Ancient Israel, ~3rd century BCE) — Bible
I have often thought the main character when I meet someone who is constantly pitying themselves. 10/10 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 on it 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 described how humans, rocks, everything is one with the Tao.
Tao Te Ching (80 pages, China, ~4th century BCE) — Laozi
I could tell when I read 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 for the everyday man.
Scientific Advertising (120 pages, U.S., 1923) — Claude Hopkins
The Myth of Sisyphus (160 pages, France, 1942) — Albert Camus
Walking: One Step at a Time (160 pages, Norway, 2019) — Erling Kagge
Man’s Search for Meaning (165 pages, Austria, 1946) — Viktor Frankl
Honorable Mentions:
The Night Face Up (15 pages, Argentina, 1956) — Julio Cortázar
Boule de Suif (30 pages, France, 1880) — Guy de Maupassant
The Communist Manifesto (40 pages, Germany, 1848) — Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
The Four Agreements (140 pages, Mexico/U.S., 1997) — Don Miguel Ruiz
Poems (150 pages, U.S., 1890) — Emily Dickinson