Hi! I have a request for help to hopefully introduce someone to great literature! My mom loves NYT bestsellers and books that follow some sort of basic formula that keep a person engaged until the end. She also likes mysteries/detective novels, books about other cultures (Pachinko), family generational stuff and stories about people overcoming hardships. She doesn’t love romances and beach “summer reads.” Nothing wrong with these preferences at all, but she is always interested to hear me talk about the books I read which are very different from hers.
I get passionate speaking about classics (older and modern) and like to analyze them, but she says when she has tried them in the past she feels like she doesn’t understand them or they don’t keep her engaged. She is saddened by this because she wants to be able to talk to me about some of what I read.
She is asking me for starter recommendations for classics that encourage some level of analysis and deep thought, while still keeping her interested. I have no idea what to recommend. I just read anything lol. She tried Wuthering Heights for me but was bored at the first chapter. I’ve tried to also encourage her to keep going and not give up after a few tough pages.
What do you think some good beginner books for someone open to try classics are?
by Farseer-of-Earthsea