#gongreads: Books that became a song
Friday 17 February 2023
Ever wondered where popular musicians get inspiration for their songs? Look no further than the following books!
By reading one of these books, you'll be able to tick the Reading Challenge prompt "became a song".
| The grapes of wrath by John Steinbeck - borrow it Shocking and controversial when it was first published, The Grapes of Wrath is Steinbeck's Pultizer Prize-winning epic of the Joad family, forced to travel west from Dust Bowl era Oklahoma in search of the promised land of California. Their story is one of false hopes, thwarted desires and powerlessness, yet out of their struggle Steinbeck created a drama that is both intensely human and majestic in its scale and moral vision. Inspired the song "The Times They Are A-Changin'" by Bob Dylan | |
| The sheltering sky by Paul Bowles - borrow it The Sheltering Sky is a book about people on the edge of an alien space; somewhere, where, curiously, they are never alone' - Michael Hoffman. Port and Kit Moresbury, a sophisticated American couple, are finding it more than a little difficult to live with each other. Endeavouring to escape this predicament, they set off for North Africa intending to travel through Algeria - uncertain of exactly where they are heading, but determined to leave the modern world behind. The results of this casually taken decision are horrible. Inspired the song "Tea in the Sahara" by the Police |
| In watermelon sugar by Richard Brautigan - borrow it iDEATH is a place where the sun shines different every day, and where people travel to the length of their dreams. Rejecting the violence and hate of the old gang at the Forgotten Works, they lead gentle lives in watermelon sugar. In this book, Richard Brautigan discovers and exprecesses the mood of a new generation. Inspired the song "Hotel California" by The Eagles |
| The stranger by Albert Camus - borrow it A young Algerian, Meursault, afflicted with a sort of aimless inertia, becomes embroiled in the petty intrigues of a local pimp and, somewhat inexplicably, ends up killing a man. Once he's imprisoned and eventually brought to trial, his crime, it becomes apparent, is not so much the arguably defensible murder he has committed as it is his deficient character. In the story of an ordinary man who unwittingly gets drawn into a senseless murder on a sun-drenched Algerian beach, Camus was exploring what he termed "the nakedness of man faced with the absurd". Now in a new American translation, the classic has been given new life for generations to come. Inspired the song "The Stranger" by Billy Joel | |
| Pet Sematary by Stephen King - borrow it Louis Creed and his wife Rachel relocate with their two young children from Boston to rural Maine. The couple soon discovers a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his neighbor Jud Crandall, setting off a perilous series of events that unleashes an unspeakable evil with horrific consequences. Inspired the song "Pet Sematary" by the Ramones |
| The bell jar by Sylvia Plath - borrow it 'I was supposed to be having the time of my life.' When Esther Greenwood wins an internship on a New York fashion magazine in 1953, she is elated, believing she will finally realise her dream to become a writer. But in between the cocktail parties and piles of manuscripts, Esther's life begins to slide out of control. She finds herself spiralling into depression and eventually a suicide attempt, as she grapples with difficult relationships and a society which refuses to take women's aspirations seriously. Inspired the song "The Bell Jar" by Hole |
| The handmaid's tale by Margaret Atwood - borrow it In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies? Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. Inspired the song "The Handmaid's Tale" by Bjork |
| The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - borrow it The world and his mistress are at Jay Gatsby's party. But Gatsby stands apart from the crowd, isolated by a secret longing. In between sips of champagne his guests speculate about their mysterious host. Some say he's a bootlegger. Others swear he was a German spy during the war. They lean in and whisper 'he killed a man once'. Just where is Gatsby from and what is the obsession that drives him? This edition of The Great Gatsby is the result of a unique collaboration between Tiffany & Co. and Vintage Classics. It is based on designs in the Tiffany &Co. archives from the twenties when F. Scott Fitzgerald's talent, beauty and notorious lifestyle made him one of best known writers of the Jazz Age. Inspired the song "The Great Gatsby" by Lana Del Ray | |
| Wuthering heights by Emily Bronte - borrow it Wuthering Heights is a wild, passionate story of the intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a foundling adopted by Catherine's father. After Mr Earnshaw's death, Heathcliff is bullied and humiliated by Catherine's brother Hindley and wrongly believing that his love for Catherine is not reciprocated, leaves Wuthering Heights, only to return years later as a wealthy and polished man. He proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries. The action of the story is chaotic and unremittingly violent, but the accomplished handling of a complex structure, the evocative descriptions of the lonely moorland setting and the poetic grandeur of vision combine to make this unique novel a masterpiece of English literature. Inspired the song "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush |
| Lord of the Flies by William Golding - borrow it A group of schoolboys, forced from their burning plane, land on an uninhabited island and must find a way to survive on their own. Inspired the song "Shadows and Tall Trees" by U2 |
Read something different for this challenge? Let us know by tagging us in your photos or reviews on social media! Use the hashtag #gongreads and tag us @wollongongcitylibraries (Facebook) or @wollongonglibraries (Instagram) for the chance to win a book lovers prize.
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