a Recommendation: Classic Reads
It’s no doubt that classic literature novels are difficult to read, and therefore, often avoided and left on the corner to collect dust. This is something I am personally ashamed of; my Charles Dickens novels has been turned into a doorstop over the years and sometimes I often forget that there are actual words and stories within those pages.
However, that shouldn’t stop anyone from actually picking up the books and reading them. Of course, it takes extra time and dedication to actually sit down to understand the gist of what the authors are saying, but in the end, it’s all worth it. Afterall, they’re the ones that’s inspired many of the novels that’s sitting on the New York Times Bestseller’s list these days!
Here are five classic literature reads that I have gathered; easy classic novels that you definitely won’t regret your time reading.
The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
Dorian Gray is a story about a charming young man who lives a supposed perfect life; however, on the inside, he rots with sin and cruel actions.
The Picture of Dorian Gray doesn’t exactly follow a smooth plot line, but is filled with thought-provoking life questions. The book raises up a lot of taboo subjects such as sexuality and sex, leading to a lot of raised eyebrows within critiques and the eventual ban of the copies soon after its publication. I personally really enjoyed The Picture Of Dorian Gray, as it really spoke up on topics that never ran through my mind.
Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
Anna Karenina is a Russian novel by Leo Tolstoy that revolves around the lives of upper class socialites in Russia. The novel itself is about Anna and her friends and families around her, and the consequences of the messy but yet fun lies, scandals, dramas, and forbidden love they tangle themselves into.
This is definitely not your typical “let me chill by the pool with a light read” novel because unfortunately, the 900-something pages novel is full of drama and scandals. This is equivalent to a 1800s Russian Keeping Up With The Kardashians type of novel, and you’ll probably have to make a chart half way through to keep on track in who’s in love with who. Nevertheless, this book is worth the read with a lot of meaningful lessons to be taken from.
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
Wuthering Heights isn’t as deep as the two previously mentioned novels, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time. Wuthering Heights focuses on abusive relationships and racism, mainly focusing on Heathcliff, a gypsy who has faced racial discrimination his entire life, and Catherine, who have looked down on her lover despite his education and love for her.
Wuthering Heights definitely has some difficult old English, but it did inspire many of the popular novels of today. It’s also mentioned in a lot of bestselling novels, and so I think it wouldn’t hurt to pick up a novel that inspired many authors of today.
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgereld
The Great Gatsby is set in the Roaring 20s in New York city. It captures a love story between Gatsby and Daisy, all told from the perspective of Nick. The Great Gatsby brilliantly shows life as a wealthy living socialites in New York with vibrant parties, pop culture, and the life after World War I.
The Catcher In The Rye, J.D. Salinger
The Catcher In The Rye is another novel that inspired many Young Adult novels of today. The novel is very short but a lot of things happened in such a limited amount of time. With Holden Caulfield, the humorous protagonist, we adventure through life in New York, catching up with old and new friends, all to while dreading home with the news that he was freshly kicked out of his boarding school. The Catcher In The Rye is similar to The Perks of Being A Wallflower, where readers watch the protagonist matures and grows up with lots of a youthful and nostalgic moments.
