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Classic Literature Reading List
Here are some of my favorite pieces of classic literature spanning from the 14th to the mid-20th centuries. Some of these you will read in high school, others you may read only in college. Either way, they are great reads in and out of class. ~ Ms. S
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."
So begins Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues.
A favorite of mine since high school, this has some of the best oh snap moments in literature (yes, I just said oh snap). A modern interpretation was recently produced by Hank Green as a series of web videos called The Lizzie Bennet Diaries proving that this story is timeless. It is a must see after reading the book.
1984 by George Orwell (1948)
I threw this book against a wall once; that's how much I cared about it. Orwell is one of the most brilliant writers of his time, but man oh man that ending.
Written in 1948, this dystopian novel was written as a warning to society about McCarthyism and censorship.
Winston Smith is a low-ranking member of the ruling Party in London, in the nation of Oceania. Everywhere Winston goes, even his own home, the Party watches him through telescreens; everywhere he looks he sees the face of the Party’s seemingly omniscient leader, a figure known only as Big Brother. The Party controls everything in Oceania, even the people’s history and language.
Winston works in the Ministry of Truth, where he alters historical records to fit the needs of the Party. One day, he begins to question his society and experiments with the unknown. But Big Brother is always watching.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)
Scout and her brother Jem live in the sleepy little town of Maycomb, Alabama in the early 1930s. With the arrival of their new friend Dill, the children's fascination in the mysterious Boo Radley grows. Among childhood games and town gossip, Jem and Scout are about to learn the difference between right and easy when their father is appointed to defend an African American man charged with the rape of a white woman.
An instant success and still one of the best books in our history, To Kill a Mockingbird is at the top of the list when choosing high school curriculum.
Harper Lee shocked the world by recently publishing her second novel, a sequel to Mockingbird called Go Set A Watchman.
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (1813)
Yes, there are two Jane Austen novels on this list. P&P might be the fan favorite and it is the most popular to start with when reading Austin, but Sense and Sensibility is my personal favorite among her works. While P&P has been proven to be timeless and universal, to me, S&S just seems more realistic.
Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor's warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love—and its threatened loss—the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love.
The Inferno by Dante Alighieri (1317)
The Inferno is the first part to Dante's epic poem The Divine Comedy. Dante plays the narrator and is led by the Roman poet Virgil safely through the nine circles of Hell. Each cirlcle is the final destination for the world's sinners based on the type of sin they committed. For example, in the eighth circle, Dante and Virgil meet fortune tellers who must walk with their heads on backwards as punishment because they tried to see the future through sorcery.
Once the pair make their way through all nine circles, the poem continues in Purgatorio (Purgatory) and Paradiso (Paradise).
This poem was completely beyond its time and is not only written beautifully, but is also, simply, an interesting philosophical read.