Lists & Recommendations

Recommendations | Classic Literature

ClassicBhaer

Recs

So if you have seen my most recent Week in Review, A Week in Review | July 9th – July 15th, you will know that I have been reading, and enjoying, Anna Karenina. I have been wanting to read this large classic for what seems like years and I finally had enjoy guts to take on this 1000+ page Russian Classic. Now with reading this it had me thinking a lot about classics and why I like them. For me I find them more “domestic”, they talk more about home life or about individuals. There is less of a major plot element and it is character driven. Also, I love history and I love reading a book from another period because it really give you a look into the lives of those who live there. These are the books that were popular, this is what people read in their free time if they had any.

So I thought, hey why don’t I share some of my favorite classics? So here I am today to share my 5 favorite classics.

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A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

A Study in Scarlet

I really do love any of the Sherlock novels and short stories I have read. I love how not only does this give a peak into the time period, but it also takes a bit of a look at human nature and really makes you think, “Wow, are we really this predictable?” Also, who is not down to read a murder mystery?

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

A Clockwork Orange

So, this book is a weird one. It is more of a modern classic and is so vile that it was actually outlawed in multiple countries. Trigger warnings: rape, violence, language, and more that I cannot remember. The reason why I like it is because it make you think about the fact that we see individuals who do these horrible things as monsters, but we cannot forget they are human. I feel that sometimes when we say someone is a monster that we also forget they are an evil human, we need to remember that someone of the same species is capable of doing this horrible things. In some way I feel saying someone is a monster allows us to compartmentalize this behavior as something that cannot happen in the human world, but it does. I hope that makes sense.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women

Now back onto a more happy novel/series is Little Women, this is my all time favorite book and series. I loved this family since I was a young, young girl. It taught me that it was okay to love books and learning, it was also to do things that were “not lady like”. It also showed  me that war broke up families, but hope kept them together. It taught me about death in a respectful and unthreatening way. It is so odd to have a book that taught you so much, but at the time you don’t really notice it. At the time it was just me following a family through their lives.

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

The Woman in White

I loved that this book seemed to be a ghost story, but also told a story of love and honesty. While this book is over 600 pages I few through this, but a fun way to read this is to read it like when it was originally published as a serialized book in a news paper. Due to this interesting way of publication there are many cliff hangers and a lot of action when though you are following someones live. I was gripped from the start of the book until the end.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray

This is a very short classic that not only teaches you about morals and perception, it is also a bit of a scary story. Since originally reading this I have read it a few times and each time I find more symbolism than the last. The writing is blunt, but beautiful.

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What is your favorite classic?

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20 thoughts on “Recommendations | Classic Literature”

  4. Little Women was one of the first classics I read as a teenager, along with Pride and Prejudice (my ultimate favourite!) and I loved it. It is still one of my favourites now because I get something new and different out of it every time I read it. The only other classic from your list that I’ve read is A Study in Scarlet and when I re-read it a couple of months ago, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected to. Whether I was just in a weird reading funk or something but for such a short book, it dragged and left me wanting more. I’m still going to re-read the rest of Sherlock Holmes though because I do love the characters and their many variations.

    Other classics I love are: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by RL Stevenson, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë.

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      1. It’s not, but I don’t mind. These things happen and it doesn’t stop me reading more Sherlock Holmes books.

        Also, you’re welcome. Classics are a huge part of my journey as a reader so there are many I love to recommend and have recommended to me.

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  5. The two I’ve read from this list are The Picture of Dorian Gray and Little Women. Unfortunately I barely remember either of them. I even studied The Picture of Dorian Gray in school. I do remember them being good, though! Maybe I should reread them. Great recs 🙂

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  7. I love French classics: Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Alexandre Dumas. I’m on a mission to read all of the Rougon-Macquart novels this year and so far most of them have been very good or downright amazing.

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  9. Pingback: Classics I Love – The hobbleit

  10. I’ve wanted to read A Clockwork Orange for a while, I might have to give it a go soon 🙂 I used to love Little Women when I was younger, it was one of my mum’s favourites, and so I also got into it! Great post!

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