I’ve really enjoyed getting into reading again over the last few years, having had a long (20 year) hiatus. My taste, I’ve found, leans towards gothic and folk horror, and dark historical fiction. However I’m also trying to broaden my horizons and go outside my comfort zone. I’ve come to the realisation I’ve read embarrassingly few classics since leaving college. So I’d like to rectify that. What classics do you love and would recommend to someone basically starting out?
Ps I’m using ‘classics’ broadly here. So not just Austen / Brontë sisters and tomes – also more contemporary classics. Just to avoid repeat suggestions and wasting peoples time, here’s what I’ve already read so far that I’d loosely put into this category –
Quite a few Shakespeare,
The catcher in the rye (didn’t enjoy),
The bell jar (loved),
Huckleberry Finn (didn’t enjoy),
Flowers for Algernon (kind of – didn’t enjoy fyi),
Jane Eyre,
Animal farm,
1984,
Frankenstein,
Slaughterhouse-5,
Post Office (kind of).
I’m aware I’m missing a lot of obvious ones – I seem to the only person who’s never read to kill a mockingbird, lord of the flies for example. But really I want to know what people love and what they feel I’m really missing out on. Books that changed people’s lives or at least changed their view of what literature can be.
I have my eye on Cormac Mcarthy’s The Road. Any suggestions much appreciated!
by Elulah