Which Classics are the best reads?

I’m rereading The Grapes of Wrath. The entire story just pulls me in and putting it down is a chore.

I like Crime and Punishment and Bleak House.

Well…Gone With the Wind. What. A. Book. Capital ‘B’.

How classic are we talking?
I’d say everyone should read

Homer;
Vergil;
The Song of Roland;
Dante;
Cervantes;
Shakespeare;
Goethe;
Dostoyevsky;
Faulkner;
Borges;

Obviously the list is way longer but I think this is a good primer on western literature that takes you around Europe and the americas through time

To kill a mockingbird.

East of Eden is just perfect. It’s easy to read, it’s gripping, full of symbolism that can be quite easy to grasp (google really helps though!) and just overall a really enjoyable read. It’s long, but it won’t feel like it is. It’s an epic family saga.

For a bit more difficult: Les Miserables. It is the best depiction of humanity I’ve ever come across in a book, it was written around 150 years ago and every single theme it touches is just as relevant today. It’s one of those books I wish I could forget so that I can read it for the first time again.

The Great Gatsby and A Tale of Two Cities.

Some of these are classic fiction (I.e over a hundred years old) and others are modern/contemporary classics – I.e written in the last hundred years. They are all books I love and a quick overview on the genre and what they are about is included and should provide you with something to suit you. I’ve tried to indicate where possible the ‘effort level’ of the text but this is purely subjective and I’m sure others may have a different view.

Sorry if it’s a bit much this is one of my most beloved subjects. I hope this helps.

Pride & Prejudice – Jane Austen – written in Georgian/Regency era P&P is generally acknowledged and recognised as one of the greatest novels of all time and great start to classic novels. While the text is understandably written in the style and language of the time it very accessible and a lovely read. Ostensibly a love story, it is so much more than that, funny, witty and a scathing takedown of social behaviour and marriage all wrapped in a perfect love story. It’s so popular it has been filmed a hundred different ways and even has multiple fanfics and has inspired generations of writers.

Rebecca -Daphne du Maurier – A perfect atmospheric mystery and thriller. A young woman caught up in a whirlwind marriage finds herself in a strange new home that is haunted by the memories and mysterious death of its previous owner. Beautifully written with well drawn characters and tons of moody atmosphere. Another book that is easy to read and enjoy.

To Kill a Mocking Bird – Harper Lee – So hard to succinctly describe this book about a child who watches her lawyer father defend and fight for a man of colour in 1930’s Deep South. It is beloved and a classic for a reason. So many memorable characters. Atticus Finch was my childhood hero and silly as it is I refuse to read the follow up novel to avoid any muddying of that water. Childishly naive and very accessible.

Of Mice and Men – John Stienbeck – The book that spawned a thousand cliches especially comedy and animated characters (the big dumb heavy and the small clever guy in charge) couldn’t be further from comedy itself. George and Lenny are drifters, constantly on the road looking for work in depression era USA. George looks out for Lenny, a gentle giant with cognitive difficulties as best he can but Lenny’s size and childlike innocence makes it difficult to stay in one place for long. This one is gutwrencher so be prepared.

Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens – This one like P&P is probably so much of the general consciousness you already know much of the story. A more difficult read I think, just because Dickens weaves such a dense and visceral world. The story of a young orphan in Victorian England and all he has to face is dramatic, funny, sad and scary all at the same time. A page turner!

Frankenstein- Mary Shelley – Ah Mary! The progenitor of Horror/Sci Fi. This novel is as far from the bolt necked dumb zombie like figure popularised by the filmmakers. Victor Frankenstein is a scientist whose ego and narcissism knows no bounds.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Beautiful, harrowing and heartbreaking. Celie is married off ‘Mister’.