Books

The Lover by Marguerite Duras is set in 1920s colonial Indochina. A French teenage girl meets a handsome Chinese playboy, who is from a respectable family. Going against the conventions of their respective societies, the lustful pair begin a torrid affair in a seedy Saigon neighborhood. 

If you’re a writer seeking to understand why you do what you do, or a novice who aspires to write a novel, or even a consummate reader who adores good books, you should read The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist: Understanding What Happens When We Write and Read Novels. Originally published in 2011, this slim volume written by the Turkish author Orhan Pamuk should be cherished and kept for all time.