I want to expand my mind literarily. I have NEVER read ANY type of book that would be considered “classic” unless you consider Harry Potter a classic. I read, but mostly newer, young adult books.
I am talking about wanting to read things like Tolstoy, Jane Austin, Hemingway, Dostoevsky, Shakespeare, Brontë, ect. I know these writers are all soo different in their styles, but you get the jist of what I mean.
Can anyone recommend where to start so I can start to open my mind up? I don’t want to just pick a book that I’ll never be able to get through or understand.
Lately I just feel like I don’t work my mind out and that I am mentally capable of much more. And I feel like reading is a good place to start.
I want to be literarily cultured!!
TYIA!
by CreativeBother_12
9 Comments
Pride and Prejudice is a good start for classics in my opinion. It’s an easier read than dickens or Dostoevsky or Tolstoy.
Since you mentioned HP (which is a classic to me) I would also suggest Dracula or Frankenstein.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith is a more recent classic that is very very worth reading! As for older classics, I found Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice pretty accessable, so that could also be a good place to start
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
To try out the Russians I’d highly recommend Tolsty’s long-short story The Death of Ivan Illych. It’ll give you a good idea his era of Russian literature and is a fantastic work in itself.
Otherwise, how about Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh? A more recent classic that’s had a few miniseries made of it, it’s in more modern language than the older stuff and has wonderful characters and relatable themes. One of my personal favorites.
Whenever someone wants to start reading classics I recommend To Kill A Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby or The Count of Monte Cristo. All are accessible, interesting stories and a good gateway into more complex works. The Counte of Monte Cristo is considerably longer than the other two, FYI.
I’d argue you’d get the most out of reading “classics” by reading the books that are those which are the foundation or a reaction to that foundation of literature.
Think of them as the books from which other literature draws “easter eggs.” They’re the books which are frequently referenced either directly or indirectly by other authors (and movies). They create the “traditions” in literature that many authors operate within or react against.
You’ll “enjoy” the classics more because you’ll understand why they ARE classics and what makes them great works. Also, by seeing how these authors work within or against literary conventions, you’ll come to appreciate their skills and talent, as well as a well-written story with good prose and well-crafted characters.
These are just examples. You don’t have to read all of these.
* I’d start with the Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice, Emma) and Victorians – they’re the “easiest” to read: Great Expectations, Jane Eyre, Vanity Fair, Wuthering Heights, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Middlemarch
* After you’re comfortable with them go with American Renaissance: Nathaniel Hawthorne (The Scarlet Letter) and Melville (Billy Budd)
* The late 19th and early 20th centuries: The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises, Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, The Turn of the Screw, The Heart of Darkness, Sister Carrie, My Antonia, Babbitt, The Metamophosis
* Read Greek Tragedies BEFORE you try Shakespeare: Oedipus Rex, Antigone
* Then Shakespeare: Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello (Tragedies, then Romances, then Comedies – the complexity of the works increase)
* If you’re really brave, then go with Paradise Lost by Milton (JRR Tolkien’s The Silmarillion draws heavily on Paradise Lost).
Finally, you can enrich your entire reading experience by learning about:
* Tragic Hero
* Adamic and Edenic myth
* Hero’s Journey (Joseph Campbell’s book is worth reading)
Norton Anthologies (they have English Literature and World Literature anthologies) are great introduction to classics.
Also, google classic literature list or 100 classic literature books and look for lists. You’ll soon notice that some books will appear on multiple lists. Start with those as they are the ones that make up the core of what is considered classic. Here are a few to get you started:
[https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/17/the-100-best-novels-written-in-english-the-full-list](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/aug/17/the-100-best-novels-written-in-english-the-full-list)
[https://www.rd.com/list/classic-books/](https://www.rd.com/list/classic-books/)
[https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2022/05/100-must-read-classic-books](https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2022/05/100-must-read-classic-books)
Start small, with Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Sherlock Holmes, Tom Sawyer, The 3 Musketeers