Hello, all! Today I decided to write a different type of blog post—one about reading! If you didn’t know, I’ve been on a “Classic kick” recently where I’ve focused on reading classic literature. Since I’m an English major, it helps that many of my classics were found within my classes. If you’re new to reading classics or are interested in reading more, I hope this list helps! *Just a note: the classics mentioned are not necessarily labelled “classics,” I just find them to be similar to classic literature. They are not ordered by which I think are most important to read or which I think are not as important to read.*
Before I dive into the books themselves, I wanted to offer a few tips on reading them. It’s often difficult to stay focused on a book with a huge vocabulary and pages upon pages of descriptions, so here’s a few tips on how to read them thoroughly!
Tip No. 1 – Always Carry a Highlighter. This may seem like a silly idea, but constantly carrying a highlighter or a pen with your classic helps me stay focused while I’m reading and helps me read the book itself more thoroughly. When I find a sentence I resonate with, I immediately highlight or underline it. Sometimes, I’ll even write notes in the book itself. I only do this in my own books, of course, but I have noticed a vast difference in my desire to read when I can or cannot highlight.
Tip No. 2 – Read Slowly and Know When to Take Breaks. As a lightning-fast reader, this tip has helped me immensely. Reading at a slower pace is a normal outcome from reading a classic, but it truly helps me to read mindfully and take in the book. Plus, a lot of books (like Jane Austen’s!) have an amazing, dry British humour in them, but without reading slowly, you won’t catch it. Also, know when you need to take a break from reading classics! It can be exhausting, physically and mentally, to constantly process words in a way you’re not used to. If you’re dying to read a YA book, take a break for a week or so and focus on something else.
Tip No. 3 – Watch a TV or Movie Adaption. If you’re really struggling to finish a classic, the thing I’ve found that best helps me is watching a TV or movie adaption. I recently put down North and South because I couldn’t focus on it; I couldn’t underline it because it wasn’t my copy, and the themes were displayed in such a way that I had a difficult time processing them. I plan to watch the TV adaption soon so that I can finish the book! It’s also a great reward system—once you finish the book, you can watch the movie. When I read my first classic—Pride and Prejudice—in ninth grade, I watched the movie first because I wanted to be able to clearly visualize the characters. It helped me immensely when I read the book!
10 Must-Read Classics
No. 1: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This amazing book has been one of my favorites for years. I’ve read it at least twice, but I am always up for reading it again. It’s a book focused on romantic relationships, but also the bettering of oneself and discovering one’s own faults and how those faults can hinder one’s relationships. The dry humor throughout is one of the best parts of the book! I recommend watching the 2005 movie adaption, but I’ve also heard the 1995 is great, too.
No. 2: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. When I read this book for the first time about a year ago, I was blown away. It is amazing! Sense and Sensibility focuses on relationships again, but not just romantic; it also focuses on the family, sister, and friend relationships. Although many of Jane Austen’s books have a similar plotline, I found this one to be very different from Pride and Prejudice. It also has a lot of dry humor in it as well, and it’s a quick read! I recommend watching the 1995 movie adaption.
No. 3: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre was one of the first classics I read without knowing anything about it. I brought it with me to the beach, and I absolutely loved it. Jane Eyre is heavily focused on searching for oneself and staying true to oneself in romantic relationships. It’s more of a Gothic novel, and I loved the slightly creepy feel to it throughout the book. I highly recommend the 1983 miniseries on Amazon Prime! It’s very true to the book and quotes it almost word-for-word.
No. 4: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Wuthering Heights is a great Fall read. Throughout the book, it focuses on romantic relationships, but how those can alter and change a person. The characters in the book can be very annoying, but I found the rest of the book to be amazing! It’s also a very quick read. I recommend the 2008 movie adaption, although it isn’t perfectly true to the book.
No. 5: The Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien. LOTR is the perfect read for any lover of fantasy and classics. It focuses mainly on a battle between good and evil and the people amidst that battle. (I know that’s a very weak description, but there is SO MUCH I could say I want to be as concise as possible!). The characters, worldbuilding, and even the sometimes overly-long descriptions are all amazing. If you haven’t read the books, I highly recommend them! The movie adaptions are great, as well.
No. 6: The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. The Book Thief is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read. Zusak’s imagery and language throughout the book are fantastic. The story focuses on a family during World War II. It also has a unique narrative—it’s narrated by Death itself, which is an amazing twist on the story. The growth and unique writing style throughout is something I will remember forever. I recommend the movie as well, although it’s not perfectly true to the book.
No. 7: Paradise Lost by John Milton. Paradise Lost isn’t a book, actually; it’s an epic poem. However, it’s still one of my favorite “books.” It follows the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and how they come to be cast away from the garden. Even if you are not a Christian, the way Milton writes and lays everything out is fantastic. It also has a unique narrative through the eyes of Satan. To my knowledge there’s no movie adaption, but because it’s poetry, it’s a bit easier to read.
No. 8: Wieland by Charles Brockden Brown. Wieland is a book I read for my American Literature class, and I loved it. It’s one of the first American Gothic books, based off of a true story. It focuses a lot on the mind and the value placed on the knowledge and wisdom…until the mind is broken. It’s an extremely intriguing book, and I highly recommed it, especially if you enjoyed Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. Again, to my knowledge, there’s no movie adaption.
No. 9: Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard. Hinds’ Feet on High Places is an amazing allegory of a woman named Much-Afraid who takes a journey to change her name. Although it’s from a Christian perspective, I believe it is a fantastic representative of one’s journey to find oneself and discover one’s true purpose. It’s a quick read, but a tear-jerker for sure. I highly recommend it! There’s also not a movie adaption for this book.
No. 10: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I cannot say enough about Little Women. It is a fantastic read focused on the lives of four sisters. Although some might call the day-to-day life of four sisters boring, the book is hilarious and there are little pockets of wisdom throughout. It’s a family-friendly read that I would recommend especially for a book to read aloud, but also a book if you’re in need of relaxation. I absolutely loved the 2019 movie adaption, but I’ve also heard great things about the ‘90’s one.
So, there are my top 10 classic recommendations! I hope that you find it helpful in choosing your next read. Have you read any of these or think more should be included in the list? Feel free to leave a comment telling me so!
Much love,
Katie