For many people, literature isn’t seasonal, I am perfectly aware of that. However, I love to read books or watch movies that reflect the weather outside. Each season has its own atmosphere and I love embracing and emphasizing it by choosing the right novels, films and even songs.

Spring is the season of hope. After many months of the dark and cold, the nature starts blooming again, which never fails to light up everyone’s mood. The seasonal depression fades away along with the first warm days in March. People become more optimistic, start noticing the beauty around, and life gets a pleasant vibrance in general.

That’s what these book I chose for this post represent. They’re all lighthearted, positive and make you fall in love with life even more. Most of them are quite popular, but I still think it’s worth writing about them.

1. E. M. Forster – A Room with a View

I have to be honest with you and confess, that I tried reading this novel several times, and I’ve never got further than a chapter. I can’t really explain why, because I seemed to like the story, but somehow couldn’t make myself read it. And when I finally read it, I truly liked it. It’s a story about the Edwardian period, when women started having more rights and freedom. The main character tries to understand what she wants the most from this life – a husband or her independence. Along with the interesting topic to ponder about, this book gives some beautiful sceneries both in Italy and in England that definitely give the reader an aesthetic pleasure.

2. Ann Radcliffe – The Romance of the Forest

This isn’t Radcliffe’s most famous work, but I enjoyed it no less than, for instance, “The Mysteries of Udolpho”. The main part of the story takes place in a forest (surprising, right?). It tells the story of De la Motte family who hide in an abandoned abbey surrounded by the woods. The novel has a very interesting and mysterious plot-line but, more importantly, at least for this post, an incredible atmosphere of spring, as the main character loves wandering through the unknown paths and feeling the peaceful harmony with the nature. Usually I don’t like reading long descriptions, but the author does it so perfectly well, that not once skipped those many sentences praising the beauty of nature.

3. Frances Hodgson Burnett – The Secret Garden

I believe I’ve already talked about this book, as it happens to be one of my favorites. It’s about a girl who loses her parents and has to move in with her uncle in a dark and mysterious castle. She starts discovering the surroundings of her new residence and finds the ruined secret garden, which she is determined to bring back to life. What I love the most about this novel is that you can actually feel how you’re changing and blooming along with the garden and the main character. As if you’re literally becoming a better person than you were just 5 minutes ago, before reading the novel. And if someone asked me which is the most atmospheric spring book I know, I’ll say “The Secret Garden” without any hesitation.

4. Alexandre Dumas – The Black Tulip

A very interesting historical novel about a tulip grower who gets unfairly imprisoned. The dream of growing the first ever black tulip makes him not give up and be as optimistic as possible about his dark future. I love Dumas’ works, as they are always very entertaining, and this novel was no exception. It told a fictional story using political events that happened in real life. But what does it have to do with spring, you may ask. Well, the whole storyline about growing the tulip reminded me of the planting and gardening season.

5. Jane Austen – Northanger Abbey

I guess I can include any book of Austen in this post, because they all have this spring essence in them. But among all of her novels, I reckon Northanger Abbey is the one that suits this category the best. It was initially written as a humoristic parody of “Mysteries of Udolpho”, which I also happen to love, and I can totally see the resemblance. However, unlike Radcliffe’s work, it is less dark, though it also has its share of mystery. And, of course, lots of beautiful sceneries of nature and a feeling of a fresh start that is the best for this season.

6. The Cherry Orchard – Anton Chekhov

This one is probably the darkest and saddest story in this list, but not because it has an unhappy ending, but because it simply shows the reality as it is. If you love history and would love to learn more about the fall of aristocracy and the beginning of a new era and the clash of old and new, I’ll definitely recommend this short play. As the story goes on, the author constantly reminds the readers of the wonderful cherry orchard around the country house where everything takes place. The fully blossomed trees remind the old and careless days that the main characters have to say goodbye to.

7. Lewis Carroll – Alice in Wonderland

I don’t think I need to write anything about the genius of this work, as everyone already knows it. I never thought of it as a spring novel until I watched Tim Burton’s movie adaptation, which has long become one of my favorite films to rewatch during this season. After that, I couldn’t help but think of Alice as a spring story. And there’s a portion of logic in there as well, considering all the various beautiful flowers that Alice meets on her way.