Recommendations of Classic Books

Timea · Post by **Timea** » 16 Jun 2014, 03:47

imodelmichelle wrote:Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland - lewis carol

my all time favorite book. the author captivates the reader with his word play and interesting characters. a must read.
5/5

the jungle books- rudyard kipling

100 times better than the disney movie. a fun read with great lessons and wonderfully written characters. if you havent rad it DO IT!!

5/5

My dad used to read The Jungle Book to me when I was little, he must have read it to me at least 3 times, I really liked it

mebowers · Post by **mebowers** » 19 Jun 2014, 19:55

I will always love Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. While in High School, I was required to read it for an AP class. I was one of three people who enjoyed it. The main reason I love it is because of the language and writing styles that Austen uses. Her phrasing and dialogue between characters pulls emotions out of me that other authors do not. I especially love her use of satire and strong female characters.

oberhali · Post by **oberhali** » 21 Jun 2014, 17:28

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien is definitely a classic within the realm of the Fantasy Genre.

4eyedfemale · Post by **4eyedfemale** » 24 Jun 2014, 05:59

"Les Miserables" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" rank high among my List of Recommended Classics. At first, I was admittedly daunted by the length of "Les Miserables," so I bought a copy of the abridged version, and a few pages into the introduction, I was hooked by the story of Victor Hugo's life and how and why he wrote such a timeless novel. A few years later, a good friend lent me her unabridged copy, and never mind that I already knew that Jean Valjean was a former thief looking for redemption; it felt like I was rediscovering him again AND learning more about the dynamics of his personality. My eyes welled up with tears for Fantine and I was moved many, many times more as I turned the pages.

If you've seen the Disney version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," expect to be disappointed if you expect the book to be written in a "cheery," feel-good tone of voice. Quasimodo, the hunchbacked bell ringer of the cathedral of Notre Dame, may be deformed in face and figure, but a repulsive appearance is nothing compared to a deformed mind and heart with a depraved soul, as exhibited by Claude Frollo, the priest who took care of Quasimodo since infancy.

"The Catcher In the Rye" was an easy read for me. I found Holden Caulfield extremely candid and uninhibited -- seemingly all too willing and brave enough to leave the prep school he so detested -- and yet, he's still obviously naive. He hasn't turned into a complete cynic, as shown in the conversation he had with his sister, Phoebe.

"Frankenstein" was originally presented by Mary Shelley to be a ghost story, but there's more to the monster than its hideous and horrific appearance. It led me to think, "Did Frankenstein create a monster, or did society, with their emphasis on status and 'looking right,' made him a monster?"

florajavier · Post by **florajavier** » 24 Jun 2014, 10:07

Would The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery fit the classics category? Admittedly, it is not as rich and complex as books usually considered as classics. But I think my need to revisit it every couple of years is a testament to how well it is crafted and its timelessness. It never gets old, and always stays true.

alex_ · Post by **alex_** » 24 Jun 2014, 17:15

My favorite from the classics that I recommend is Jane Eyre. I like the romance part very munch, but the reason it should be read is for a deeper reason. I admire Jane's independence, even though most of it was due to being ignored and not having family, she grows up into a woman that know what she wants and doesn't settle just because she's a woman, especially during those times. She left the love of her life, even though he was willing to give her everything, but what she wanted was respect. Something Rochester didn't give her when he lied to her.

David Dawson · Post by **David Dawson** » 24 Jun 2014, 18:53

Heartily agree with the endorsement for Jane Eyre, which I've just re-read for the first time in at least ten years and which was probably better than I remembered it (and I remembered it quite fondly). Having said that, and aware this is not really the thread for this discussion, I would possibly argue her leaving of Rochester had more to do with very 19th century moral concerns (i.e. not wanting to be his mistress) than more enlightened ideas of independence/ not being willing to accept his lies.

bixibizz · Post by **bixibizz** » 30 Jun 2014, 19:26

The book I would like to recommend is "Bel Ami" from "Guy de Maupassant", a french classic. Like most if the books at that time it treats the obsession of young people of the lower social classes with gaining money and fame. The main point is Jorge Dubois a young soldier decides to embrace the life in Paris when he meets a friend who finds him a job in a newspaper. An excellent image of Paris and its society in that time. Men full of desire and light minded women, breaking the rules set by society, adultery and lust. This book uncovers the true relationships between people at that time, the difference between being married and being in love. It explores the human mind and what it makes us do to get what we want. An amazing book

winsomefish · Post by **winsomefish** » 01 Jul 2014, 13:44

If you're just getting into classics, I would start with The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A lot of people will probably disagree with me for this recommendation, but I think it's a really easy read as far as classics go and it's a great way to ease yourself into more difficult to read ones. Further, it is set in a Puritan town in early America and is a pretty good source for context about that time. I would also recommend The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Both of these books contain many universal themes and are otherwise still relevant in our society today (The Scarlet Letter is about a woman who is stigmatized by her Puritan community for having sex outside of her marriage, and The Count of Monte Cristo is about a man who is wrongfully imprisoned for treason, who escapes and takes revenge on those who framed him).
For those who are already established fans of classics, I would recommend Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky as well as Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. For those looking for more modern reads, I would recommend Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, 1984 by George Orwell, and Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolpho Anaya.

didion27 · Post by **didion27** » 11 Jul 2014, 02:22

100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of the few classics I've ever read and it blew my mind. It is incredibly detailed, and while the first half can take some time to get into, the ending is just incredible and worth it.

DickDatchery · Post by **DickDatchery** » 14 Jul 2014, 08:49

I'm a big fan of Dickens. I don't think I've read Oliver Twist, but I don't recall running across anti-Semitism in the works I have read. Dickens has an amazing talent for creating memorable characters, and he showed a real affection for the common person, pretty rare for writers of his day. I recommend Bleak House, Nicholas Nickleby, and Great Expectations. I have yet to read a bad or even mediocre novel by Dickens, despite the speed with which he churned them out.

Several people have mentioned Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, and I wholeheartedly agree. You get a tight crime and detective story, psychological profundity, and a healthy dose of that good old Russian existential angst!

sahmoun2778 · Post by **sahmoun2778** » 17 Jul 2014, 08:24

I have always loved the Oz series, the L. Frank Baum books, and the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Both of these authors created magical worlds and characters that have stood the test of time. Pick up Oz books with illustrations and enjoy them with your kids.

benedictusk · Post by **benedictusk** » 17 Jul 2014, 12:45

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are lovely reads! I read them independently in high school - they were a wonderful, sunny, grassy escape from the drudgery prescribed by the high school curriculum.
1984 is one of my all-time favorite books. Also read it while plotting to overthrow the rampant tyranny in my high school.
Plus 1 to Crime and Punishment. Only read the first 2 chapters, but it's very thoughtful and the atmosphere is intense. Very well written.
This is why I love classics - they're classics because their authors are candles glowing with timeless ideas and flickering with brilliant writing. Such a pity schools so often inadvertently dissuade children from loving classics by cramming them in every facial orifice they can, like they were bad medicine. Classics aren't bad medicine. Good thing children have the good sense to eventually forget everything wrong school teaches them. I'm so glad I did.

sflaherty42 · Post by **sflaherty42** » 17 Jul 2014, 20:10

Gone With the Wind is my favorite book. It takes place in a plantation during the civil war. It has a lot if romance but cuts out all if the frills. It has honest depictions of life for certain classes during that time period. It may not be for you if you're not a fan of long books but it is a real page turner.

sicsempertyrannis93 · Post by **sicsempertyrannis93** » 19 Jul 2014, 15:11

All you satire fans out there would enjoy Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis, or anything by Lewis really. Babbitt is the story of a hypocritical realtor raising a family in a medium to large city called Zenith who tries his earnest to conform to society's standards. The book is a scathing commentary on the "American Dream" as perceived by Lewis. Although it is set in pre-WWII American society, it is uncanny how relevant the themes are today.