7 Deadly virus novels that you can read during coronavirus quarantine
Corona virus is spreading faster and faster worldwide. Governments have agreed on common regulations and protective measures – including limiting social contacts to a minimum. We all know that the most important thing right now is to stay home. The time for books has come.
Staying at home and reading a book is an excellent idea during the Coronavirus quarantine. And what could be better at such a moment than a novel with a happy ending? The period of isolation is the perfect time to indulge in reading. As you know, people are different and people with a healthy psyche want to dive into the literary depths of precisely what the world is currently experiencing.
The idea of the mass epidemic does not come from yesterday and many authors have interpreted it in a variety of ways. Here are some of the most famous deadly virus novels that leads humanity into apocalypse.
Our book tips for the Corona quarantine and deadly virus novels ideas
“The Plague” by Albert Camus,
“Blindness” by José Saramago,
“Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel,
“The Andromeda Strain” by Michael Crichton,
“The Stand” by Stephen King,
“Love in the Time of Cholera ”by Gabriel García Márquez
“The Book of M” by Peng Shepherd
Deadly virus novels ideas – “The Plague” by Albert Camus
Although the novel about bubonic plague in Algeria has been around since the mid-20th century, Camus deals with metaphysical and philosophical questions that no one remains indifferent to. The epidemic is just an opportunity for the eloquent writer to examine in more detail the nature of society, human relationships and existence as a whole. It is worth living and fighting for this life – Albert Camus’ rebellious spirit is convinced. The focus is more on the struggle and the strength that people show in misfortune rather than on survival itself.
“Blindness” by José Saramago
With this rather naturalistic dystopia, the Portuguese Nobel Prize winner introduces us to the he sinister debris of frightened humanity. With his breathless narration without punctuation marks, Saramago offers us an apocalypse variant. In the book, blindness is contagious and only one woman manages to keep her common sense and clear mind. The author selects characters without names, probably to emphasize their unified role. But with the blind, wild features come to the fore. You can read for yourself whether this chaos ends with a happy ending.
“Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel
The notion that the only survivors of the outbreak of the flu epidemic are artists and believers is pleasantly naive. It was this idea that the young Canadian writer developed in her novel and won many literary awards for it. The action jumps from the past to the future and back, and we get an idea of the destruction of humanity by a simple flu. The great thing about the book is the uplifting characters who are willing to continue, who accept the doom as an opportunity for a new beginning. This melancholic but very poetic story tells how they deal with post-apocalyptic reality, react in extreme situations and how art can save the world. Because even in the darkest times there is hope.
“The Andromeda Strain” by Michael Crichton
In the event of a global epidemic, one should not overlook the classic science fiction. As you know one of the conspiracy theories about Covid – 19 is that the virus was grown by humans in the laboratory. In the case of Crichton, a team of scientists is trying to prevent the uncontrolled spread of an alien microorganism. Fast actions and well-researched facts are typical of this talented author. A book that you will surely enjoy!
“The Stand” by Stephen King
Social media users have made comparisons between his 1978 novel The Stand and the coronavirus outbreak. In the book, an influenza strain causes an apocalyptic pandemic that kills over 99% of the population. To calm the fans down, the 72-year-old horror author tweeted in mid-March: “No, coronavirus is NOT like THE STAND. It is nowhere near as serious. It is extremely viable. Keep calm and take all reasonable precautions”, he said. Are you already curious?
“Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel García Márquez
The novel “Love in the Time of Cholera” by Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez from 1985 is still considered one of the most beautiful love stories in world literature. The novel spans more than 50 years and is, of course, masterfully told. Despite the title, cholera appears only very briefly, but only forms the broad framework. Can love be a disease like cholera? Gabriel Garcia Marquez asks in this captivating novel.
“The Book of M” by Peng Shepherd
The plague here takes a more surreal tone. Those who are infected first by the fantastical plague known as the Forgetting, discover they cast no shadow. Once that’s occurred, their memories begin to vanish. The Book of M is a thoughtful, emotional look at the experience of losing a loved one to illness and memory loss.