From marooned mutineers to Anne Frank: What can we learn from books about isolation?

William Cook chooses the tomes that might just help you through these tough times

Isolation is a fundamental part of life and has produced some pretty good books, too (iStock/The Independent)

How’s lockdown working out for you? I must admit it’s starting to get to me a bit. I know, I know – I’ve got it easy, a lot easier than most folk. My wife and kids are here at home and all we need to do is sit around, unlike all those key workers out there, risking their lives to keep us safe and comfy. Yet it feels a lot weirder than I thought it would. Is that how it seems to you?

Turns out isolation is no fun at all, especially if it’s something you haven’t chosen. Cyberspace is no substitute for real life. Skype is no substitute for meeting up face to face. My mum is on her own and it’s a month since I last saw her. I don’t know she’s coping. I know my situation is nothing special. I know that everyone else is going through the same sort of thing.

So what have you been doing to stay sane? I’ve been doing what I used to do to fill my days before the internet came along. I’ve been rummaging through my bookshelves, looking for old favourites to lift my spirits. I started off with a few upbeat titles, but funnily enough I soon found out it was the bleaker books that cheered me up – particularly books about isolation.