Inspiring &
Influential Women Authors !
To help honour the phenomenal women in our
lives, I have compiled a list of women authors whose books and lives have
inspired, influenced and had a resounding impact on my life.
Whether
you’re looking for inspiration, influence, a moving narrative, strong
characters that strike a chord, women authors have produced many interesting,
invigorating high quality literature, articles, books and are capable of doing
all this and much more.
I
distinctly remember by first book borrowed from my school library. Black
Beauty authored by Anna Sewell. It's referred to as an animal
autobiography because, unlike animal stories that describe a child's
interaction with an animal, the novel is narrated from the animal's point of view.
Even
before J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter series, as a child, I was
introduced to Enid Blyton. Even now as I write the name of Enid Blyton,
it gives me bouts of nostalgia. The name evokes a beautiful warm and cosy
feeling. It’s a pity if you haven’t gormandize reading her books as a child. Every
Summer vacations, heading to the nearest public library to learn about her new adventures,
wanting to read just few more pages before sleeping and a lifetime love for
reading—this is what Enid Blyton books left me with. The Famous Five, The
Secret Seven coupled with the childhood adventures and bond formed
with George, Anne, Dick, Julian and Timmy continues to remain immortal.
By
the time I went in secondary school- thrillers, detective, mystery, criminal
novels beckoned me. It was time to graduate from adventures of Nancy Drew and
Hardy Boys to life threatening mysteries of Agatha Christie.
Agatha will continue to appeal and remain immortal and so will her two distinct
fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Amongst many
books, her famous books include Murder on Orient Express, Death on The
Nile, And Then There Were None.
This
was a time when books on science started staring at us. In those days, one of
my friend recommended me to read the book Frankenstein. Interestingly one of literature's most
terrifying and memorable monsters Frankenstein comes from the
mind of a woman- Mary Shelley. Frankenstein, the twisted and
thrilling tale of a doctor's decision to play with life and death, set the bar
for the science fiction and horror that followed after it.
While
some senior girls in our school were glued to boring Mills and Boon and
other such romantic novels, I was transferred into the Victorian world of Jane
Austen. Jane Austen mesmerized through her novels Pride and
Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield
Park. Her books were big and largely dealt with themes of love,
sacrifice, class, society, social commentary and offered a wonderful
perspective on life.
It
was during the same time when my dad gifted my younger sister a masterpiece
stating that every woman must read it. It was the book called Rebecca,
arguably Daphne du Maurier’s best-known novel. This gothic tale has
inspired a legion of works by other writers. Soon my sister and I were also
introduced to The Bronte Sisters. Jane Eyre written by Charlotte
Bronte. This timeless novel tackles complex issues of morality, sexuality,
religion, class, and gender relationships, among other things. Speaking of the
Bronte sisters, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, has been
haunting readers ever since it got first published.
I
entered junior college and was introduced to another wonderful women author – Ayn
Rand. While I have rummaged through all her books, her philosophy called
‘Objectivisim’, you shouldn’t miss her two best-selling novels, The
Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I still find Dagny
Taggart a strong willed character than Scarlett- O- Hara from Gone with the Wind!
Anyways,
during engineering college days, I came across other interesting women authors
whose books have offered greater perspective to life. Harper Lee's To
Kill a Mockingbird, poignantly educates you about morality, honesty,
justice, humility, ethical decision making and having the courage to stand by
your own conviction. The author didn’t use her first name Nelle.
I
joined American center library and bumped into Toni Morrison, a profound
writer whose novels are all worthy of any reading list. Beloved is
perhaps her finest work. Beloved is gripping and tells the story of a freed
slave who can never be free from the memory of her old life and the ghost of
her dead baby.
I
was also a member of British Council Library and here got introduced to three
prolific authors whose work I worship – Virginia Woolf, Dorris
Lessing and Nadine Gordimer.
It
took me a while to comprehend Virginia Woolf. Perhaps Woolf is a bit too
“literary” for some tastes, but her best sellers - The Waves, Mrs Dalloway,
To the Lighthouse and A
Room of One’s Own must surely speak to many.
Nobel
laureate, Doris Lessing’s genius is undeniable. Her writing merges
staggering quantity with incredible
quality. Her books The Grass is
Singing, The Golden Notebook & Shikasta are truly remarkable.
Nobel
laureate and Booker prize winner- Nadine Gordimer’s writing deals with
moral and racial issues, particularly apartheid in South Africa. Among the many
books, her two books are not to be missed - Burger's Daughter
& July's People
While
I can add more to the above list, however haven’t included other authors like
George Eliot (yes a women) and any modern day women writers including Indian
writers. Perhaps that could make up for another blog sometime.
Until
then keep reading the above authors. They will certainly inspire and influence
you.
