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Great Book Quotes From The Classics

It is rare that a quote captures the essence of an entire novel, but here are a few standout quotes from dozens of beloved and world-renowned classics.

Most of life is so dull that there is nothing to be said about it, and the books and talk that would describe it as interesting are obliged to exaggerate, in the hope of justifying their own existence.

E. M. Forster, A Passage to India

That is the one unforgivable sin in any society. Be different and be damned!

Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind

Six months ago I had never been to England, and, certainly, I had never sounded the depths of an English heart. I had known the shallows.

Ford Madox Ford, The Good Soldier

The whole mad swirl of everything that was to come began then.

Jack Kerouac, On the Road

In his Petersburg world, all people were divided into two completely opposite sorts. One was the inferior sort: the banal, stupid and, above all, ridiculous people who believed that one husband should live with one wife, whom he has married in a church, that a girl should be innocent, a woman modest, a man manly, temperate and firm, that one should raise children, earn one’s bread, pay one’s debts, and other such stupidities. This was an old-fashioned and ridiculous sort of people. But there was another sort of people, the real ones, to which they all belonged, and for whom one had, above all, to be elegant, handsome, magnanimous, bold, gay, to give oneself to every passion without blushing and laugh at everything else.

Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

I prefer unlucky things. Luck is vulgar. Who wants what luck would bring? I don’t.

D. H. Lawrence, Women in Love

Human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars.

Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

They looked at each other, baffled, in love and hate.

William Golding, Lord of the Flies

I never liked to hunt, you know. There was always the danger of having a horse fall on you.

Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

For more fo the classics chetk out www.lassmedia.com.

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To Kill a Mockingbird Book Quotes From Harper Lee

The book is about a family – a widowed father and his two children – who are living in Alabama in the 1930s and navigating the moral questions raised by racial inequality. Here are some of the most memorable quotes from the book.

1. “People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

2. “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

3. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” – Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

4. “It’s not time to worry yet.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

5. “Equal rights for all, special privileges for none.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

6. “People don’t like to have somebody knowing more than they do. It aggravates them.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

7. “I try to give’em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

8. “You don’t have to learn much out of books, it’s like if you want to learn about cows, you go milk one.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

9. “If one went for a walk with no definite purpose in mind, it was correct to believe one’s mind incapable of definite purpose.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

10. “We generally get the juries we deserve.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

11. “You see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

12. “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

13. “People in their right minds never take pride in their talents.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

14. “Sometimes it’s better to bend the law a little in special cases.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

15. “I do my best to love everyday.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

16. “It’s not necessary to tell all you know. It’s not ladylike- in the second place, folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

17. “If you can learn a simple trick, you’ll get along a lot better with all kind of folks.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

18. “There are just some kind of men who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

19. “Cry about the simple hell people give other people—without even thinking.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

20. “The only way in which all men in America are equal, is in the courtroom.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

21. “If we followed our feelings all the time, we’d be like cats chasin’ their tails.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

22. “There’s a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep ’em all away from you. That’s never possible.”― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

23. “When stalking one’s prey, it is best to take one’s time. Say nothing, and as sure as eggs he will become curious and emerge.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

24. “Most people are nice when you finally see them.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

25. “Things are always better in the morning.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

For more great classic reads, check out www.lassmedia.com.

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The Best Quotes From The Best Classic Novels

Here is a round up of a few standout quotes from some of the most beloved and world-renowned classic books.

Jack Kerouac, On the Road

In his Petersburg world, all people were divided into two completely opposite sorts. One was the inferior sort: the banal, stupid and, above all, ridiculous people who believed that one husband should live with one wife, whom he has married in a church, that a girl should be innocent, a woman modest, a man manly, temperate and firm, that one should raise children, earn one’s bread, pay one’s debts, and other such stupidities. This was an old-fashioned and ridiculous sort of people. But there was another sort of people, the real ones, to which they all belonged, and for whom one had, above all, to be elegant, handsome, magnanimous, bold, gay, to give oneself to every passion without blushing and laugh at everything else.

Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

I prefer unlucky things. Luck is vulgar. Who wants what luck would bring? I don’t.

D. H. Lawrence, Women in Love

Human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars.

Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

They looked at each other, baffled, in love and hate.

William Golding, Lord of the Flies

I never liked to hunt, you know. There was always the danger of having a horse fall on you.

Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

“Begin at the beginning,” the King said gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

I do suspect that he is not really necessary to my happiness.

Jane Austen, Emma

You can’t breathe dead hippo waking, sleeping, and eating, and at the same time keep your precarious grip on existence.

Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Time, which sees all things, has found you out.

Sophocles, Oedipus the King

They were women who idolized their children, worshiped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels.

Kate Chopin, The Awakening

I don’t exactly know what I mean by that, but I mean it.

If you love the classics then you will love www.lassmedia.com for our wide selection of classic picks for book lovers.

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Memorable Quotes From Famous Classic Novels

We always come back to the classics, and these ones contain some of the most quotable lines of wisdom ever.

Of Mice And Men

Author: John Steinbeck

Year: 1937

"Maybe ever’body in the whole damn world is scared of each other."

Invisible Man

Author: Ralph Ellison

Year: 1952

“Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.”

Wuthering Heights

Author: Emily Brontë

Year: 1847

"Terror made me cruel"

L.A. Confidential

Author: James Ellroy

Year: 1990

“Some men get the world, some men get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona. You’re in with the former, but my God I don’t envy the blood on your conscience.”

On The Road

Author: Jack Kerouac

Year: 1957

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”

1984

Author: George Orwell

Year: 1949

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."

The Handmaid's Tale

Author: Margaret Atwood

Year: 1985

"We were the people who were not in the papers. We lived in the blank white spaces at the edges of print. It gave us more freedom. We lived in the gaps between the stories."

The Time Machine

Author: H.G. Wells

Year: 1895

“It sounds plausible enough tonight, but wait until tomorrow. Wait for the common sense of the morning.”

Anna Karenina

Author: Leo Tolstoy

Year: 1877

"It's much better to do good in a way that no one knows anything about it."

Jane Eyre

Author: Charlotte Brontë

Year: 1847

"Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity or registering wrongs."

The Road

Author: Cormac McCarthy

Year: 2006

“You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.”

American Psycho

Author: Bret Easton Ellis

Year: 1991

"There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory, and though I can hide my cold gaze and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable: I simply am not there."

Don Quixote

Author: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Year: 1605

“Finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind.”

If you love the classics then check out www.lassmedia.com for plenty more content to satisfy every book lover.

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Classic TV Shows That Could Only Have Been Made in Canada

These classic Canadian TV shows prove that there’s always been an abundance of anything but bland on our small screens.

The Littlest Hobo

This show was about a stray German shepherd dog who helped people in need - from exonerating a man wrongly accused of murder, rescuing a kidnapped kid, and helping a boy prove to his mother that he could be brave even if he didn’t play hockey. If that isn’t enough, there were five more seasons after this one!

Today’s Special

This kid’s show was about after-hours antics in a department store, inspired by the iconic Simpsons in downtown Toronto. In Today’s Special, the cast consisted of a mouse puppet, a human puppet, a human playing a mannequin, and one stock person named Jodie, the only human.

Yvon of the Yukon

Yvon is a 17th century French explorer who sails across the ocean and is frozen in a block of ice for 300 years. Defrosted in modern-day Yukon, Yvon must adapt his old-world ways to fit in with contemporary Canadian society.

Train 48

Set on a GO Train travelling between Toronto and Burlington, this show followed the trials and tribulations of commuter life in the early 2000s. Every episode was shot the same day it aired, and much of it was improvised.

For more of all things classic, check out www.lassmedia.com.

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Short Inspirational Quotes from Books

A quote shorter than a tweet? It’s possible. Here are some of the best inspiratonal quotes ever, and boy are they short!

“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

—The Minpins by Roald Dahl

“Be yourself and people will like you.”

—Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.”

—Autumn Leaves by André Gide

“Sometimes weak and wan, sometimes strong and full of light. The moon understands what it means to be human.”

—Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.”

—Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”

—Phrynette Married by Marthe Troly-Curtin

“When you can’t find someone to follow, you have to find a way to lead by example.”

—Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

“She decided long ago that life was a long journey. She would be strong, and she would be weak, and both would be okay.”

—Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

“One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.”

—The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

“The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”

—The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath

“Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.”

—I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

“It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them.”

—An Autobiography by Agatha Christie

“And, now that you don’t have to be perfect you can be good.”

—East of Eden by John Steinbeck

“A friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face.”

—Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou

“We all require devotion to something more than ourselves for our lives to be endurable.”

—Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

“There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.”

—The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”

—Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

“Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.”

—Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

“It was all very well to be ambitious, but ambition should not kill the nice qualities in you.”

—Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

“Just because your version of normal isn’t the same as someone else’s version doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with you.

—The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne

“You are your best thing.”

—Beloved by Toni Morrison

“There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.”

—The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

“There is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name.”

—The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

“I don’t understand it any more than you do, but one thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to understand things for them to be.”

—A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”

—Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

—The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

“‘What day is it?’, asked Winnie the Pooh.

‘It’s today,’ squeaked Piglet.

‘My favorite day,’ said Pooh.”

—The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”

—Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

“So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.”

—The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.”

—The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin

For more of the classics, check out www.lassmedia.com today.

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The Best Book Quotes Of All Time

Here are some great classic quotes that may just stay with you after you have finished the book!

1. “It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

2. “I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”

― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

3. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

4. “Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room in which I have slept. As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination.”

― Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies

5. “And so we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

— F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

6. "Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies—God damn it, you've got to be kind."

— Kurt Vonnegut, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater

7. “He stepped down, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.”

― Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

8. “As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”

— John Green, The Fault In Our Stars

9. "I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart: I am, I am, I am."

— Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

10. “You call yourself a free spirit, a 'wild thing,' and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself.”

― Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's

For more classic reads, check out www.lassmedia.com.

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Three Classics You Might Not Know Were Written By Women

Despite historically negative social attitudes towards female writers, and the practical limitations of literary education being targeted only at men, some of the greatest writers ever to have lived are women - but you might not know it.

Check out these famous books that you’ve almost certainly heard of, but that you might not know were penned by women.

Middlemarch by George Eliot

This 1871-72 classic has long been part of the established literary canon, telling the story of an imagined 19th century society, with various male and female characters whose lives overlap and interlink in interesting ways. George Eliot was lauded for ‘his’ ability to understand the emotional workings of the female mind; unbeknownst to the public and his critics, ‘he’ was actually a she. George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Anne Evans, who concealed her identity for years.

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

These iconic stories about the world’s best nanny was written by Pamela Lyndon Travers, who used her initials only - presumably in order to make her work appealing to readers who might prefer a male author. First published in London in 1934, the book series inspired the incredibly successful musical Disney film from 1964, although it’s reported the author herself wasn’t a huge fan!

Indiana by George Sand

This 1831 classic is a socially aware novel about the difficulties of marital obligation. The story is about a woman who is unhappily married and decides to leave her husband, and the book acts a defense against all women who choose to challenge the social norm in pursuit of their own happiness and fulfillment. George Sand was actually the pen name of Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dudevant, who thought that her political views would likely be taken more seriously if she were thought to be a man.

Explore more classics by your favorite authors at www.lassmedia.com.

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Banned! Classic Books That Were Removed From Circulation

There are some books which clearly present more challenging themes and unsurprisingly get excluded from schools and libraries or even removed from circulation entirely. However, there are some books which seem fairly innocuous but still manage to rile up certain groups. Take a look at these three classics which were considered so awful they were completely banned.

Ulysses by James Joyce

The 1922 work of fiction by James Joyce is considered one of the true classics so it’s unthinkable to consider that it wouldn’t be widely available. Yet when it was published it was deemed to be obscene due to both the sexual content within and the language used. The book was kept away from the US and any copies which tried to creep in were unceremoniously burned. The ban was overturned in 1933 when the publisher challenged the ruling in court and won.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

A piece of political commentary dressed up a novella, there’s no question that Animal Farm could have been controversial. However, the anti-Stalin sentiment was felt to be so unacceptable that the book was banned in 1946 within Yugoslavia, banned in 1991 in Kenya and banned yet again in UAE in 2002. Even in the more lenient UK, the subject was considered borderline with the release heavily delayed.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Written in 1865, Alice’s adventures have captivated generation after generation but not all readers around the world have had the privilege of having access to the text. In the Hunan district, the book was summarily banned in 1931 because the idea of having talking animals was deemed to be disrespectful to humans by putting them on the “same level”.

To check out these classics and read other controversial books, head over to www.lassmedia.com today.

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Why classic literature is as important today as it has ever been

Classic literature is something which should be treasured, but too often can summon uncomfortable memories of school days when we were forced to burrow through Cliffs Notes to find out what it all meant really.

However, there are many reasons to revisit classic literature – or even delve books you have previously been too daunted to get into. Without the dread of having writing an assignment on a classic novel, reading it for enjoyment can open up a whole new way of reading.

Here are some reasons why classic literature is so important now more than ever.

It improves concentration and helps you focus on details

In the same way that the complex patterns of classical music are a great way to give your brain a workout, so too is reading classical literature. In today’s world of endless instant, but ultimately meaningless, information and short attention spans, it can take great discipline to read Charles Dickens take two or three pages to describe the contents of a room, or Joseph Conrad detail a man walking down the street over half a chapter.

That kind of detail is very different to modern literature and not what many of us are used to, but that richness of language forces us to slow down and concentrate, which is no bad thing in today’s hectic world.

They inspire great ideas

We can get bogged down on a daily basis with petty and ill-informed debates on social media. Classic literature, however, deals with grand ideas and incisive social commentary. We can learn a lot more from the themes in classic literature than we get from opinionated malcontents online.

Discover some classic literature with the books from www.lassmedia.com.

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The impact of Dante’s Inferno

It has been over 700 years since Dante’s Inferno was first written, and a despite the age of the manuscript, it is still one book that has a huge influence on pop culture. Here’s how Dante’s Inferno is still impacting our lives.

The questions it asks

One of the main reasons that Dante’s Inferno has remained so popular is because of the questions that it asks. These questions are the ones for the ages, the questions that seem far beyond human understanding, but we take each of the questions and try to improve our knowledge and philosophies in an attempt to answer them – What is evil? What is redemption?

Understand the forms of human evil

As the first of the divine comedies, Dante’s Inferno looks at all the different types of human evil from the minor to the most depraved and brings them all before the eyes of the reader. Yes, you are in a torture chamber of evil, but it goes beyond that to a level that forces you to question the nature of evil.

The appearances in all elements of culture

All three parts of the Divine Comedies feature within popular culture, but particularly Dante’s Inferno. From the art of Giovanni di Paolo where he represents Paradisio, to the Auguste Rodin’s sculpture group, the gates of hell, the imagery of Inferno has provided plenty of fodder for artists. But the impact does not stop there. Chaucer, Milton, Marx, T.S. Eliot, E. M. Forster, Philip Pullman and even Dan Brown all draw on elements of Dante’s Inferno in their work. And of course the phrase “Abandon hope all Ye who enter here” is inscribed above the gates of hell in Dante’s Inferno, and is an often quoted line in TV and cinema.

For more on how the classics impact the modern world, visit www.lassmedia.com where you will find more interesting effects and legacies that classic literature has left behind.

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Classic Novels set in Dublin

Ireland has long been a cradle of great literary talents, from Joyce to Wilde to Beckett, and no more is that true than its capital city Dublin. These classic novels are all set in the famous city itself. With a varied and thriving social culture, a poetic and literary tradition stretching back decades, and a plethora of architectural marvels, it’s easy to see why Dublin has so often captivated writers. And these literary classics truly make the most of the spectacular setting.

Ulysses by James Joyce

The definitive modernist masterpiece, Joyce’s highly experimental classic often proves divisive. But none can doubt the talent and genius on display, with its stream of consciousness prose, linguistic inventiveness, and a combination of high art and low humor, it also remains one of the most enduring and striking cultural depictions of Dublin.

At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien

Flann O’Brien is a great example of a writer who was overlooked in their time and then gained long overdue posthumous recognition. A fine purveyor of the kind of experimental fiction and wry humor that made Joyce so famous, this fantastic novel is full of Dublin landmarks, as well as laugh out loud moments and a modernist narrative that cleverly weaves realism, fantasy, and mythology.

The Cock And Anchor by Sheridan Le Fanu

One of the pioneer’s of gothic horror, and someone whose influence can be found as much in modernism as horror, Le Fanu is more famous for his gothic vampire novel which inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula. But this fantastically atmospheric work makes the most of Dublin’s castles and cathedrals, with rich prose and an unsettling narrative.

If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for all your favorite classic novels, head over to www.lassmedia.com, where you’ll find a wide range of classic eBooks and audiobooks.

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Animal Farm – socialist Russia in animal form

On its surface a simple drama about talking animals, George Orwell’s revolutionary novel, Animal Farm, has a much deeper and darker critique of the Soviet Union within. In this piece we look at the representation of socialist Russia in George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

Orwell’s targets in Animal Farm are the history of the 1917 Russian Revolution the rise of communist dictator Joseph Stalin beginning in 1927, with Stalinism subjected to particularly biting focus. Where in reality the ruling Russian Tsars were overthrown by the people and replaced with government, in the book the farm animals overthrow the farmer Mr Jones, depicted as drunk and inept. The pigs then go on to form their own democracy and ruling class, especially the pigs, but events eventually turn darker as Orwell moves into his Stalinism critique.

One of the novel’s main action points is the battle for dominance between the pigs Snowball and Napoleon, Orwell’s bestial versions of Stalin opponent Leon Trotsky and Stalin himself. Like the idealistic, almost heroic, Trotsky, Snowball is less powerful than Napoleon and as such is exiled from the farm, echoing Trotsky’s own expulsion from the Soviet Union.

From executions to false confessions of misdeeds, the pigs in Animal Farm degenerate further and further to eventually come close to resembling men, their once hated overlords-turned business partners. Much like Stalin’s transformation into a tyrannical dictator, Napoleon becomes a version of Mr Jones, even walking on two legs in a complete rejection of his animal roots. Animal Farm is most effective not in simply showing the abuse of power, but the horrific and heart-breaking hypocrisy at the heart of dictatorships.

For more stories like simply visit www.lassmedia.com and uncover classics.

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The name game: Classic novelist and the names that made them famous

One of the jobs of a writer is to construct character, with carefully chosen names and personalities and a good author will show the journey that character goes on throughout the course of the story.

Inventing identities is a key part of any writer’s remit, but what if one of the identities they have constructed is their own? Many well-known writers use pen names to disguise their work, or if they are writing different genre and they want to keep it separate for what they are most famous for. For example Harry Potter creator JK Rowling uses the name Robert Galbraith for her series of detective novels.

However, there are a number of authors whose pseudonym is the name that has made them famous. Here are a few unfamiliar names of famous authors you may not know.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens

The former journalist and steamboat worker adopted the name Mark Twain and would go on to make his name penning the novels Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Eric Arthur Blair

This man’s work has seen a resurgence in recent years to the volatile political climate. Best known or social and political cautionary tales 1984 and Animal Farm, Blair is better known as George Orwell.

Mary Anne Evans

Evans wrote mainly light-hearted and romantic novels in Victorian England, but when she decided she wanted to tackle more weighty issues, she decided to change names – and gender – and become George Eliot. Under that name, she would go on to right Middlemarch and Silas Marner.

Find more classic writing from big name authors with the books from www.lassmedia.com.

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Why classic novels should be on your must-read list

The world is full of books and we’re pretty sure you can’t read every single one in the world in your lifetime, however, there are many all-time classics that should be on the list of ones to read. Why do you say? Here are a few reasons.

They all offer different lessons - Books aren’t just written for the sake of a story, they are written most of the time with a deeper meaning and for you to learn something at the end. It could be something along the lines of how women are treated in society, raising awareness of different social issues or bringing to light a negative period of time. There is something you will find out from every book and you can share that wisdom with others.

It’s traditional - Books today don’t have the same traditional and rustic value that an old-school or classic book does. Classic books don’t mention social media or the woes of technology, they’re usually written before all that happens and it allows you to immerse yourself into a new yet old world of what things were like.

If you don’t start, you never finish - There are plenty of brilliant classic novels that are timeless. And unlike the books, we all run out of time, and if you don’t pick them up sooner or later, you’ll miss out on reading them altogether. Make it a goal to pick up a classic novel every few months, and then once the ball is rolling you’ll want to read more and more.

Discover a wide selection of classic novels over at www.lassmedia.com.

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Classic Christmas tales with a message

For many families, Christmas is about tradition and that can mean revisiting some classic Christmas tales. Here are a few such classics which home with a message too.

The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen

This classic tale teaches the importance of charity and community and helping those in need. Set in a cold winter, it tells the story of a poor dying girl who sells matchsticks on the street and the wonderful visions she sees. It is a sad, yet heartwarming tale with a clear message.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A book which has spawned many movies and TV shows and which has been reimagined in a number of different ways over the years. At the heart of Dickens's festive tale is the belief that it is good in all people. Ebenezer Scrooge is a ruthless and heartless businessman who hates Christmas and the joviality that goes with it. However, visits from three ghosts on Christmas Eve change his perspective.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer by Robert L May

It may now be more popular as a well-known festive song, but Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer started off as a children’s book. New York-based writer Robert L May had his story, which was written as an extended poem, first published in 1939. It tells the tale of the reindeer who was shunned due to his shiny nose which turns out to be his biggest asset. A story which teaches inclusion, it is now firmly part of the Christmas season.

For more classic tales over the festive period check out the books at www.lassmedia.com.

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Book-themed Christmas surprises

Christmas is now literally right around the corner and the festivities are fully underway. Whether you’re someone who plans Christmas months before or leaves everything to the last minute, we’ve got some surprise ideas for you. Presents are a large part of Christmas, however, these surprise ideas are more about things you can do for someone - someone who loves all things books.

Pop a new read on their bed Christmas Eve night - The best way to spend Christmas Eve is cozied up in pajamas and hanging out with your family, doing homely activities. If your partner or kids love to read, pop a new book on their bed so when they go to bed, they’ll be able to start a new book just before Christmas begins.

Play a new audiobook to the kids - When you’re sitting down by the fire together drinking hot chocolates, instead of a movie, put on an audiobook - preferably a Christmas one. It’ll be a nice change and surprise as you all delve into a new story together.

Christmas treats - Everyone loves food so a lovely book-themed Christmas idea, is to bake cookies or cupcakes in relation to your family’s favorite book characters. Of course the result all depends on talent, however, we can assure you, everyone will still enjoy them despite the outcome.

Christmas crackers - It’s tradition to all have Christmas crackers during Christmas dinner and to make it more special, make your own. To make them book themed, you could put in book quotes, or questions about a book instead of jokes.

Discover a wide selection of books, audiobooks and more at www.lassmedia.com.