Classics are evergreen, especially when it comes to literature and music. It is absolutely brilliant to read the classic books of the greatest novelists of all time ranging from Charles Dickens to Dan Brown. Their words take you on thrilling journeys and adventures, leaving you with a strange sense of satisfaction coupled with awe at the end of the book. Many readers even shift from their identities to explore the subjectiveness of the character’s life to gain a perfect reading experience. Such is the impact of their work.
Novels, however, are rather recent. Nineteenth-century brought an end to the aristocracy, which gave birth to class division. Moreover, industrialization increased production capabilities. Publishing of books, journals and thick volumes became easier than ever. It fulfilled the need for literature that represents the middle class, talking in detail about each and every experience. Hence, it birthed the novel genre, that could carry the weight of this requirement.
Through the detailing of a few, this article is your key to explore classic books that form the literary canon. Anyone who loves reading and is in search of better literature, especially classic books, has come to the perfect destination. Ready to edit new additions to your reading list?
Here are some of the classic books you must-read:
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
Gothic, horror and mysterious- Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is the story of a renowned doctor, who attempts at resurrecting and creating a creature, he believes would change the face of medical history. He is successful in his attempt only to be horrified at his own work and abandons the location, leaving the monster alone. What follows is a series of mishap that teaches many lessons and explores it through a scientific journey. One of the finest works by the writer, it is a must-read.
If you like Frankenstein, you might want to read: Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Based on the stream of consciousness, the modernist writer Virginia Woolf is one of the most renowned novelists. In this novel, she touches upon the themes of age, war, and death. Through the characters of Clarissa Dalloway and Septimus Warren Smith, Woolf presents her love for London and talks about mental health, which is rooted in her own struggles. Complex female characters and search for the meaning of life is also a prevalent theme in this brilliant novel.
If you like Mrs. Dalloway, you might want to read: The Portrait of an Artist of a Young Man by James Joyce
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
From the writing family of Bronte sisters, Emily Bronte’s first, completed novel, Wuthering Heights brought the themes of Goth through a moorland setting. There is a stark depiction of mental and physical cruelty. Challenging strict Victorian ideals regarding religious hypocrisy, morality, social classes, and gender inequality, it explores the effects of envy, nostalgia, pessimism, and resentment.
It later inspired many adaptations, including film, radio and television dramatizations; a musical; a ballet; operas. It truly is a classic text!
If you like Wuthering Heights, you might want to read: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby is the greatest book by the classic writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald. He explores themes of decadence, idealism, resistance to change, social upheaval and excess, creating a portrait of the Roaring Twenties that has been described as a cautionary tale regarding the American Dream. It is a must-read for everyone, to be able to understand the depth of brilliant literature.
If you like The Great Gatsby, you might want to read: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Here is a list, containing several other classics you might want to check:
- The Picture of Dorian Gary by Oscar Wilde
- To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
- Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
- Agnes Gray by Anne Bronte
- Little Women by Louisa May
Happy Reading!
