People will tell you that you have to read classics because they were the building blocks to modern literature and that they’re deeper and better constructed than modern books. Well yes- that’s all true, but I think we’re emphasising the wrong things. You should want to read the classics for the same reasons you want to read any other book: because of the story and for the style and for the author.
Classic books tend to have this terrible stereotype attached to them, especially in the teen world, that they consist of long paragraphs, boring descriptions and archaic words; that they’re for people wearing tweed suits and smoke pipes; that they’re for the nerd who sits by him/herself at lunchtime and has no friends… I know they can sometimes seem a bit daunting, especially when you haven't read them before or if you've had an unfortunate experience but don’t be put off! Many classics have excellent stories and easy writing, it’s just about knowing where to start.
If you're not used to reading classical literature, it's probably not a good idea to plunge straight into some Dickens or Tolstoy (like I did) but ease yourself in and get used to the different styles, genres and levels of 'difficulty'. Of course it all depends on your taste, but I honestly urge you to give it a try. So here is my Top 10 (in no particular order) Books-that-Serve-as-a-Good-Introduction-to-the-Realm-of-the-Classics (or more succintly: Classic Literature Hors d'Ouevres). (The blurbs have been borrowed from Shelfari.com and puffin.co.uk)
10. Rebecca, Daphne DuMaurier, 1938
A haunting mystery/suspense/ (maybe even thriller?) novel, Rebecca made it onto the list mainly because the plotline has been constructed so cleverly. The story is paced to perfection and will definitely not leave you bleary-eyed and sleepy. If you find yourself bored easily when you’re reading, I would highly recommend picking up Rebecca.
From the very beginning, the reader is ushered into an isolated grey stone manse on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired as she began her new life as the young bride of a husband she barely knew. In every corner of every room in the immense, foreboding estate were phantoms of a time dead but not forgotten: a past devotedly preserved by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers. And with an eerie presentiment of evil tightening her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter walked in the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, determined to uncover the darkest secrets and shattering truths about Maxim's first wife — the late and hauntingly beautiful Rebecca.
Vocab is not too difficult, style is clear and concise and the book isn't particularly long either; maybe a little shorter than Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
9. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, 1865
No doubt you’ve seen the Disney cartoon when you were younger, or the relatively recent film starring Johnny Depp, so the next thing on your list should be discovering the original story as set down by Lewis Carroll. It’s about Alice who follows a rabbit down the rabbit hole into a whole different world, of talking animals, magical foods and cruel queens.
Delightfully imaginative and surprising with fascinating and diverse characters, reading Alice in Wonderland really does feel like stepping into a dream. Some have described it very aptly as having ‘insane half-logic and…mad, chaotic, punning brilliance’. However, if you don’t like books that toss the reader around from one mad situation to another even madder situation, make little sense and yet are easily understood, and leave you by end thinking ‘Well that was a ride,” then you definitely won’t be impressed. What’s more, Alice in Wonderland is neck deep (so to speak) with symbolism, allegories, metaphors and double-meanings but in a way that you don’t even notice unless you study it in depth. A very ingeniously crafted novel indeed.
8. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, 1960
This story is told by a 5-year old girl named Scout who lives in Maycomb County, Georgia. She and her brother Jem play all day long and love to tease the man who keeps himself locked up in his house named Boo Radley. Scout's understanding of the world around her and the people in it changes as their father named Atticus is chosen to defend an African-American man in a court case where the man has been accused of rape.
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behaviour-to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humour and pathos. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American literature.
Despite being written from a child’s perspective, To Kill a Mockingbird has many resonating lines and makes excellent food-for-thought. It is a very unique story, written in a very unique way, though it can sometimes be confusing. However, the themes are strong and powerful, expressed subtly yet consistently. Charming, honest, and down-to-earth, it’s not a difficult read, but definitely substantial.
7. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë, 1847
A highly-acclaimed and timeless work,
Jane Eyre is laced thickly with themes, symbolism and social criticisms of the Victorian society hidden beneath the thrilling story of mystery, betrayal and love. Orphaned Jane Eyre endures an unhappy childhood, hated by her aunt and cousins and then sent to comfortless Lowood School. But life there improves, and Jane stays on as a teacher, though she still longs for love and friendship. When she goes to work at Mr Rochester's house as a governess, she hopes that she might have found the perfect situation - until she learns the terrible secret of the attic, which may just change the course of her life.
Some of the characters in Jane Eyre are among the most remembered and loved characters of all time. Given, it is probably for more patient readers who are willing (or appreciative) enough to stick out fairly long internal monologues, and blocks of plain narration but a good story is worth the patience. And Jane Eyre is a good story to say the very least- loved by generations and generations by readers of all types. Serves as excellent brain-food as well as an entertaining and intriguing read.
6. Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Jules Verne, 1864
This is a must read for any sci-fi lover. It's not long, somewhere between the 200-300 page mark but don't draw any conclusions from that! Jules Verne has never prioritised characterisation or use of narrative devices, but manages to churn out a truly captivating adventure story, original and creative enough to compensate for its ordinary style. And this is no small praise coming from someone who generally harbours an aversion for science-fiction (and fantasy) novels of all sorts.
It’s a deliciously simple story line: An ancient book is opened by the eccentric Professor Lidenbrock and his life – and the life of his nephew Axel – is changed for ever. An old piece of paper tumbled from the book, a priceless parchment that will lead them on a terrifying journey to find what lies at the centre of the Earth.
I found it refreshingly scientific and descriptive in an easy-to-read, manageable way, but perhaps others may not. Nevertheless I only have good memories of this book and it is absolutely worth a go.
5. The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger, 1951 (12)
The Catcher in they Rye is so famous for, more than anything, the main character Holden Caulfield. His discontent and frank expression of it makes him ‘resonate powerfully with readers who come from backgrounds completely different from his’.
The Catcher in the Rye is a timeless tale of a teenager struggling with society and himself. Holden Caulfield is a teenager who hates his own life. He believes that every single person in the world is phony. One day, he decides to leave school. His life changes when he decides to go to New York for three days.
Don’t be misguided by its simple (though flavoursome) storyline. Beneath the whining and the cynicism, Holden is actually a very complex character (and disturbed for that matter) who makes you pity and like him at the same time and want to understand him better. The things he goes through in New York are all indicative of his inner character and personal journey. To be honest, if you want the full experience of the book, after your first reading, it would be a good idea to read up about the character and the themes then read the book again. If you’re just in it for the fun, so to speak, it’s still an entertaining read. The language is extremely easy to understand and even occasionally profane and it is about as long as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. If there was ever a book to show that not all classics are up in the air and out of reach of the young reader, it’s this one.
4. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, 1813
Admittedly, this is not one of my favourite books. I nearly struggled to get through it, simply because the story didn't particularly engage me- I don't tend to like romance. Personally I've always thought of
Pride and Prejudice as the '
Twilight' of the 1800s. Hah! Having said that however, it is so widely enjoyed by all sorts, from high schoolers to the elderly, that I am definitely in the minority.
In case you don't know already, the story is about Elizabeth Bennet who is greatly unimpressed by the haughty Mr Darcy when he snubs her at a dance; she considers him proud and arrogant. However, as events unfold, the spirited Elizabeth discovers that a man can change his manners, and a lady her mind in this enchanting story of love, marriage and mutual understanding.
Written with wit and sophistication, Pride and Prejudice, like Jane Eyre, isn't going to be the easiest thing to get through if you've never read the classics before. And again, what's the use of reading if you're just going to read easy? But I can't judge for you. Personally, I found Austen's light-hearted style very gentle and gave the whole story a somewhat- for lack of a better word- ethereal tone. It's a good introduction to the classics because it's quite short (somewhere between the second and third Harry Potter books) and simple, but written in a very 'classical' style. You might as well see for yourself what everyone is raving about, if nothing else.
3. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain, 1876
On the banks of the Mississippi, Tom Sawyer and his friends seek out adventure at every turn. Then one fateful night they witness a murder. The boys swear never to reveal the secret and run away to be pirates and search for hidden treasure. But when Tom gets trapped in a cave with the murderer, can he escape unharmed?
Yes, this probably is more of a 'boy's book', but that's not to say girls won't enjoy it too. Mark Twain has an incredibly charming and bright way of writing that really is a breath of fresh air. The plotline is ingenious and playful- altogether a light read, sitting nicely at about the length of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
2. The Chronicles of Narnia (Series), C. S. Lewis, 1950
Ok- so this isn’t
a book as such, but there’s no way I could have picked just one to go on the list and there’s no way I could have excluded it. My mother read the entire series to me and my sister when we were only about 8ish years of age and I still enjoy reading them just as much when I read them now. They’re written in a very light and natural style with a layered and marvellously paced plot over the eight books.
Set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a place where animals talk, magic is common, and good battles evil, the series narrates the adventures of various children magically transported from the real world, who play central roles in the unfolding history of that world. The books cover the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in The Magician's Nephew, to its eventual destruction in The Last Battle.
Even though they weren’t published in the plot’s chronological order, I would recommend reading them starting with The Magician’s Nephew. It probably won’t take too long to read but will add an extra dimension to the next book (The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe). It’s true that the Christian symbolism is very strong (that’s precisely why Lewis received criticism from Tolkien) but it isn’t overpowering and, more importantly, certainly doesn’t encumber the story. It’s just a beautiful series with optimistic messages, and magnificent adventures.
1. The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas, 1844
This was the first classic I ever fell in love with. I was 10 years old and I carried it around with me everywhere (literally- to the beach, to the shops, to bed- everywhere). Having said that, it's not a children's book as such, but an action-packed historical fiction. Based loosely on real people, the story follows the fortunes of d'Artagnan, a country boy who travels to Paris to join the Musketeers. He and the Three Musketeers he befriends become entangled in international conspiracies that endanger numerous important figures.
The Three Musketeers has been written with the backdrop of actual historical events tied in so naturally with the plot and flow of the story that you hardly notice. It isn't like some historical novels that turn into little history lessons (not to name names of course (cough Les Miserables cough)). The characterisation is nothing short of exceptional and the action has been balanced by numerous, delicately woven storylines and sub-plots. A fairly comfortable read, some interesting words but nothing unbearable, straightforward style and a sophisticated plot, The Three Musketeers is still and will always be one of my very favourite novels. It's about as long as Eclipse (by Stephanie Meyer) but it doesn't feel like it. Don't trust the films by the way! None of them are true to the original story in the slightest.
Bonus: The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943
I wouldn’t call
The Little Prince a good introduction to the classical world because it stands in a class of its own. And I mean that. It’s a real little gem in the world of literature. It’s only about 100 pages and is extremely easy to read, but its message will be different every time you open the book, and will keep you thinking long after you’ve turned the last page. And that’s all I’m saying. Discover it for yourself.
I’m no expert but I hope that there’s something on this list that you enjoy and that might inspire you to continue reading classics.
At your service,
Kallisti
:)
