Pandemic, protests, economic crisis. Rougher times ahead, it all seems to indicate. What books to read?

Some choose to read classic books somewhat related to pandemics. Such as Camus’ “The Plague“, or even better, Bocaccio’s “Decameron“. Good choices, but, perhaps what you want is something more relaxing that actually makes you forget the virus, the protests and the crazy times we’re living in?

Well, I guess it’s all a question of choice. Here are some indications that we feel might be of interest.

Down and Out in Paris and London. George Orwell. If the economic situation turns for the worse, this might be a good book to prepare oneself.

Democracy: The God That Failed. Hans-Hermann Hoppe. An interesting discussion about democracy, in a moment when it appears to be in crisis.

Rhynoceros, Eugene Ionesco. An absurdist play about a very particular kind of epidemic. Funny and scary at the same time.

Brave New World. Aldous Huxley. Everybody talks about “1984” as the defining dystopia of the 20th century, and while it is perhaps the better book in many ways, this novel may have gotten closer to what current society is really like (or will be soon).

Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury. Everyone thought that the Internet would herald a new age of free speech, but the current censoring going on at Youtube, Facebook and Google in the name of the “politically correct” has disproved that idea. Actually, in some ways, thanks to technology, it has never been easier to institute censorship and thought control.

The Great Depression. Dorothea Lange. Classic photographs of a period of crisis after the 1929 crash. Iconic images of a time that no one hopes will come back.