Want to get started on some traditional 'classics'? Read on for a comprehensive list of my personal favourites...
It's funny - I started this post as my 'top 10' classics, but somehow that list crept up to 13. I think I did remarkably well, considering how many there are to choose from! To round it off, make it nice and even, I've culled the list to 12.
'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' by J. R. R. Tolkien and the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis are my all time favourite books, and so therefore (in my opinion) in another class all their own, hence why they are not included here.
So, in no particular order, here are my top 10 (oops, I mean 12) picks from among the literature classics, considered by me 'must-reads':
1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
I was quite young when I read this, and it was definitely a beast of a novel for a young girl to tackle. It is a coming of age story about a young man drawn into a neighbouring family and besotted with the daughter of an aging woman. Amazing characterization and descriptions all add to the beauty and elegance of this novel.
2. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Another Dickens, but no less one of my favourites! In movies, people always seem to reference David Copperfield, and it took me a while to figure out that they are referencing the magician, NOT the Dickens novel. A biographical novel about a young man growing up in a small town and how he struggles to make something of himself. Yet another 'coming of age' story and, like the first, beautiful characterization.
3. Don Quixote by Cervantes
Ok, I have a wee confession - I haven't actually finished reading this. It is huge! But I love the character of Don Quixote, an aging knight who embarks on an epic quest. He has a 'can do' attitude, a great sense of humour and humerous things can and do happen to him.
4. Emma by Jane Austen
Who can't help liking the meddling, kind-hearted, stubborn young woman, who only has the best interests of everyone at heart? Emma spends her time match-making, trying to pair up all her single friends with most eligable batchelors, often with hilarious results. She is a character you just like, despite all her shortcomings and you hope for a happy ending for her.
5. Dracula by Bram Stoker
The original Dracula! What can get better than that? Written from a first person point of view, it follows the story of a young man who ends up as a guest in the castle of Count Dracula himself. With growing suspicion and dread, he chronicles in his diary his terrifying ordeal and how, day by day, he learns of what his host truly is. I love the language used and the creepy, wonderful imagry portrayed.
6. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This is one of those books I've read several times. I seem to find something new in it each time. Jane Eyre is kind of like a personal hero. She rises up above her circumstances, makes the best of every situation she's in and works hard at what she does. She is also strong enough to...well, I don't want to spoil the book for you. Beautiful and haunting story.
7. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
The Count of Monte Cristo is another one of my heros. There's also a great movie based on this novel, but definitely read the book first. From the very bottom of the heap, the count rises up, motivated by a desire for revenge, and fair enough too! His character is just the right blend of noble and scarred, making him realistic and likeable, a hero we can all root for.
8. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
As you have perhaps seen from my previous comments, I love the characterization of novels. It is a great written character that puts a novel in my favourites list. Little Women has no less than four great written characters, and is yet another coming of age story. See the theme? Experience the joys, sorrows, triumphs and failures of these four excellently crafted characters.
9. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I debated whether to include this story in here, but there were no other Mark Twains on the list and I do really like it. It portrays the problem of slavery in the USA and how the kindness of one friend can do wonders to overcome hate, racism and predjudice.
10. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
In the same category as Dracula - I had trouble deciding between this one and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. However, I just love the concept of this book and the wonderful imagry of a tortured man, as well as the metaphorical implications. Dr. Jekyll is a man we might aspire to: kind, hard-working, well-respected. However, Mr. Hyde, his evil alter-ego is a murderer, a thief and the embodiment of many secret desires that we never let see the light of day.
11. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
No classics list, not even mine, would be complete without A Christmas Carol. Shorter than I first expected, it is a wonderful Christmas story with a simple moral and (again) wonderful characters that are 'fleshed' out as the story goes on. As this is the third Dickens book on the list, you can tell I just love his style of writing and his characterizations.
12. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I think I saw the movie before I read the book (a big no-no by the way), but it was a good introduction to this classic. A book well ahead of its time, it portrays a dystopian world where books are outlawed, and any that are found are immediately burned by 'firemen'. As always, there is a hero and a villain, although who the villain is may surprise you.
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Any decent library worth its salt will carry at least one, if not multiple copies of these books. If you're in a reflective mood, it's also good to read these books while contemplating, "Why is this book so popular? How has it stood the test of time?" If you're not feeling particularly reflective, they are also just fun to read.
There are a couple that are probably noticeably absent from the list; specifically works by Shakespeare and other works by the great literary giants, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. I believe Shakespeare to be in another class of its own, and so have not listed any works here. This list is just my own personal favourites from among the classics.
What are your favourites? I would love to hear what they are via my 'contact' page.
Happy reading!
K :)
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