5 books that buck the norms to craft tales with a twist, from avoiding letter ‘e’ to being written on Slack
- Five books that go off the beaten track and redefine fiction while giving you a unique reading experience
- Kasulke’s ‘Several People Are Typing’ talks about office politics while ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ by Chbosky is a hit with the youth
This carefully curated list of books will leave you wanting for more. Photo: Shutterstock In school, we learn about different creative writing techniques, yet the same patterns tend to appear across every genre. Books will be in the first or third person and past or present tense. We can anticipate dialogue, broken up by blocks of descriptive text, with a few protagonists and side characters.
Some authors, however, have managed to push the envelope and redefine creative literature. We have curated a list of books that diverge from conventional storytelling for a truly unique reading experience.
10 books that will get you out of a reading slump
1. Roundabout by Phong Nguyen
This author tackled the seemingly insurmountable task of writing an entire novel without using a word containing the letter “e”.
The plot follows accountant Ovid Dullann on a spontaneous road trip. Dullann becomes aware that someone is writing about him, and he does everything he can to avoid being a protagonist in someone’s story. This book is jarring, surprising, and confusing, but it is safe to say that Nguyen accomplished an incredible feat.
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
This novel has gained popularity among young adults for a reason. It chronicles the life of Charlie, a relatable teen embarking on a new school journey. As he grapples with the complexities of love, social dynamics, popularity, and anxiety, Charlie’s story mirrors the challenges many young readers face in their own lives.
The book is told through letters. Charlie writes to an anonymous recipient, and each new idea starts with “Dear Friend”. This format removes the barrier between the reader and the protagonist, allowing us to understand his thoughts. It should be noted that some of the content in this book may not be suitable for younger readers.
3. Endlessly Ever After by Laurel Snyder
This children’s book reimagines fairy tales with a “choose your own adventure” twist. The plot is determined by the reader, who can put themselves in the story. It starts with a narrative akin to Little Red Riding Hood, but through the reader’s choices, you can meet characters like Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, and more. There are over a dozen different outcomes, and not all lead to “happily ever after” – so choose wisely.
4. Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke
This hilarious book pokes fun at contemporary work culture, particularly the recent proliferation of virtual work. Fans of the television show The Office will love this satire, which uses Slack to convey Gerald’s story, as his consciousness is accidentally uploaded into the corporate messaging platform.
Desperate to find his human body, Gerald and his colleague Pradeep try to get him out of Slack – while still maintaining peak performance at work. In a novel incorporating what the synopsis describes as “fully relatable factors attacking our collective sanity”, Several People Are Typing explores office politics with a unique formatting twist and a comedic backdrop.
5. Cain’s Jawbone by Edward Powys Mathers
This book, written in the early 20th century by “Torquemada” – the pen name for Edward Powys Mathers – was republished in 2019. It is a murder mystery with a unique twist.
The book has 100 pages, which are bound in the incorrect order. The reader must cut out all the pages, sort through the clues, and put the pages in the correct order to reveal six victims and the murderers.
While the premise is intriguing, the first page warns readers that the task is “not for the faint-hearted”. Only four people have been publicly identified as having solved the republished version.