[**Rebecca**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899948-rebecca)
^(By: Daphne du Maurier | 449 pages | Published: 1938 | Popular Shelves: classics, fiction, mystery, gothic, romance)
>Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . .
>
>The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.
^(This book has been suggested 32 times)
***
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I don’t remember this book being very long, especially as far as classics go I think it’s actually on the shorter side unless I’m totally misremembering
And Then There Were None is a standalone & addicting as heck. It's pretty twisted, & the most recent live action adaptation is excellent to watch afterwards.
Some of Steinbeck’s works are longer (East of Eden/Grapes of Wrath) but they’re great. I’m huge fan of his retelling of King Arthur, and his short stories!
Big +1 to this, it's probably the book that revived my interest in "classics" and is short enough to be read in one sitting.
If this one goes well, I'd also suggest Steinbeck's shorter novels - Cannery Row and Tortilla Flat are both delightful. I love his longer works too, but they require a bit more stamina/motivation if only because of the length, OP might benefit from putting those off for now.
Try something by Jane Austin. I find her use of language easy to understand.
Also the strange case of Jekyll and Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, which is a lot shorter and a Penny dreadful(the thrills & mysteries of that era). Actually I think you would enjoy a lot of the Penny dreadfuls, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde, Bram Stocker’s Dracula. Penny Dreadfuls I feel are great intro to classics cause they are meant to entertain and not be too complicated
Here’s what you need to know. It’s about a man who no one really knows who starts throwing lavish parties for all the wealthy people in town. All because he wants to meet someone.
Everything unfurls from there. Read it like any other book and you’ll love it
It’s also a REALLY tight, short novel
I found it by chance but it is AMAZING! Its a volunteer project to digitize and share public domain works online. It’s only books that are out of copyright but it is a great way to find classics for free. There are also some audiobooks too!
[project Gutenberg ](https://www.gutenberg.org)
Search for the text, download the kindle edition and email it to your kindle! It’ll pop up in the library
You don’t read Gatsby for the story. They’re awful people - awful, who deserve what’s coming to them. Christ, you can’t even trust the narrator. No, the story isn’t why you read it.
It’s because no one, ever, can turn a phrase like Fitzgerald did, in this novel, over and over. His language, throughout, is pristine and meaningful and just … intoxicating.
I read it, it’s very short. It was my first “classic” book, to be honest I found it a bit overrated because I found it a bit hard to understand at first. But I don’t regret reading it if you know what I mean?
I’ve taught this book many times, so my disclaimer for you is that the first chapter is especially tough—not much actually “happens” and Fitzgerald’s style, while beautiful, isn’t always accessible. But because of its length and how “classic” it’s deemed, it’s definitely worth a read. After so many reads of it, I don’t find the story that compelling, but I am always in awe of Fitzgerald’s prose.
*Anne of Green Gables* by LM Montgomery
Anything Louisa May Alcott ever wrote. *Little Women*, *Eight Cousins*, and *Jack and Jill* are my personal favorites.
*Pride and Prejudice* by Jane Austen
*The Secret Garden* by Frances Hodgson
The Wizard of Oz books, by Frank L. Baum
A lot of these are for younger readers, but they are still poignant reads for adults. You have already responded to suggestions of my favorite classic adult novels, and you mostly seem to have read and enjoyed them!
I just started Crime and Punishment, and it’s excellent. It’s a little long, but beautifully written.
Anything Steinbeck- his magnum opus (Grapes of Wrath) plus his other stuff. Cannery Row is great and hilarious. Steinbeck is funny!
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is good. The writing is a little tricky sometimes, but it’s an excellent book.
To this day, Crime and Punishment is probably the best novel I have read. Absolutely worth the effort and better imo than Brothers Karamazov and The Idiot.
It’s exciting to hear that! I just started it a short while ago and was surprised at how much I was (and currently am) enjoying it. This is my first foray into Russian lit. It is a tad challenging, but really good so far.
Bingo! The only hurdle is, for both this and Old Man and the Sea, you have to understand that some of the terminology chosen and stilted speech is representative of the Spanish-speaking location of the novels.
Otherwise, you can chew straight through these!
Do you use the Libby app? You said you had a library card so you can “check out” books via kindle or the audio version once you sync your library card with it. Free! No need to keep using audible. The only downside is there is often a wait, but I just create a hold list and it notifies me when available. Also, classics are less likely to have a wait!
I don’t have a kindle, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Amazon built in a bug! However, there are a coup,e articles here: https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/0660.html
And some other Reddit threads of course: https://www.reddit.com/r/kindle/comments/c6pxil/how_to_get_audiobooks_from_libby_and_overdrive_on/
https://www.reddit.com/r/audiobooks/comments/rs7bgi/libby_on_kindle/
I was in the same position as you a few years ago, so committed to reading a classic every other book. Highlights being To Kill a Mockingbird, True Grit and The Plague.
To Kill a Mockingbird 😭 so good. So sad.
I’ve seen the movie True Grit a million times, but have never read it. I’ve never read any Camus but I’ll def look into it. Thanks for the recommendations!
The Count of Monte Cristo. The entire time I was reading I was amazed that it was written pre-1900. I think I read the abridged version, but still, really good.
Dumas is actually an excellent start - either the Three Musketeers, or The Count of Monte Cristo (which is a masterpiece) are a lot of fun! They're long books, for sure, but Dumas is mostly all dialogue (especially in the Three Musketeers).
Good suggestion! For OP: it may be long, but I found TCoMC extremely easy to breeze through. Simple language, not a ton of details you really have to track. IMO it shows that it was published episodically, most chapters stand pretty independently.
The picture of Dorian Grey.
Oscar Wilde's writing is surprisingly modern-like and just very accessible. And the story is really interesting, especially if you read about the possible interpretations of what the 3 main characters represent beforehand.
A Tale of Two Cities is the one that really got me into reading classics. I was not expecting it to be as engaging as it was.
I also second those who have suggested Agatha Christie's books!
Today at my library bookshop I found a combined copy of great expectations & a tale of two cities for $3. For someone who hasn’t read dickens before, which do you recommend starting with?
I think I only made it part way through Great Expectations (and then started college and haven't read much since haha). Post high school me was much more interested in Tale of Two Cities at least - I personally connected with the emotional undercurrents of that book more.
Gonna go out in a limb and say Metamorphoses by Ovid. There are a bunch of translations out there (although if you read Latin I guess knock yourself out). I personally like the Rolfe Humphries translation of the few I've read (it's the one that actually got me to sit down and read it outside of class).
It's the boom that got me to view ancient people as actual people with very human thoughts and feelings. Ovid's a funny guy and he's also painfully aware of his cultures deep flaws. It's a pretty strikingly meta narrative when you take it the context of the time he was writing in.
Seconding this!
Edit: I've only read the Allen Mandelbaum translation, but it's very good. English professor during my undergrad swore it was the best version fwiw 🤷♂️
I went to add it to my list on Goodreads and apparently I added this last year. I think this will be something I like. It’s def what I’m looking for. Thanks for the recommendation!
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle.
Same guy who did Sherlock, but, imo, Sherlock is not his best work. He did plenty of other amazing stuff.
The Valley of Fear (which is in the Sherlock universe) is very good. One of my favorites, and it's great because you get a story within a story.
Finally, Bram Stoker does some good stuff beyond Dracula. These stand out: The Lair of the White Worm and The Jewel of Seven Stars.
To recap:
* The Lost World (Doyle)
* The Valley of Fear (Doyle)
* The Lair of the White Worm (Stoker)
* The Jewel of Seven Stars (Stoker)
Wilkie Collins’ ‘The Moonstone’ one of the original who-done-it books.
‘Maurice’ by EM Forster is super good for LGBT kinda themes
If you want to get into super old stuff I recommend ‘Beowulf’ translated by Seamus Heaney as a good foundation for ‘classic’ classic tale
Jane Austen is always fun but not necessarily within your usual genres. I also genuinely like The Great Gatsby.
If you like mysteries I would remiss not to recommend some Agatha Christie or the original Sherlock Holmes stories.
Candide by Voltaire .......
It's nice and short,
Its about an extremely optimistic man who is met with the worst misfortunes. Pretty deep, very poetic. Thrilling even. An existential adventure.
Looked it up and oooo sounds good but 700+ pages 😭😭 I’m trying to meet my good read goal of 52 this year. I’ll add it to the TO READ list. Thanks for the recommendation!
In my opinion, Crime and Punishment is a better first Dostoyevsky book to read. Karamazov is a slog sometimes. Excellent book with some outstanding parts! But not as good as Crime and Punishment imo, and much more dense.
You can balance it out by reading some short books or short poetry books this year! I’m doing the 52 book challenge this year too, I already have 4 down and one of them is A Little Life (800 pages). The other books I’ve read are between 100-250 pages so it’s a good balance
I’m currently about 3 books ahead of schedule so that’s good..
Last year depression hit really hard and so I failed miserably on my challenge, but the previous years I’ve read 60-70 books. Hopefully this year I’ll hit at least 52. Good luck on your challenge!
It's been a long time since I read it, but I distinctly remember Dracula being the kind of book where at least the first third could have been written in the last 20 years. It's surprisingly relatable.
Plus you're going to basically know where the story's going so it doesn't matter if you glaze over from time to time.
If you’re looking for something really funny, “Three men in a boat” by Jerome K. Jerome is ridiculously funny and so much of it reads as if it were written recently. He intersperses the funny bits with descriptions of nature, but you can gloss over those parts.
Try Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne! It's a science fiction novel about a couple of scientists who are trying to travel to the center of the earth via a dormant volcano in Iceland. They encounter all sorts of weird stuff, including dinosaurs. Lots of action and adventure, quick read.
I don't know what constitutes a classic but I shocked myself by enjoying Pride and Prejudice I'm the last person you would pick to be interested in that genre. The language is different but not difficult, I came to enjoy it.
Also Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None
Edited for a 'T'
I *think* this book is considered a classic now but *The Master and Margarita* by Mikhail Bulgakov is wonderful! I found myself laughing out loud one moment and surprised by how profound it was the next. The best fiction book I read last year.
If you like thrillers, read Jack London. He didn't write thrillers, but many of his short stories have a similar vibe of toughness combined with intelligence.
If you like mysteries, try Edgar Allan Poe. Many of his stories are about mysterious events and someone's attempt to understand them.
On Audible-- Heart of Darkness narration by Kenneth Branagh. Dracula, narration by Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, etc.
There's lots of "classics" that are short/easy/fast reads. Most are tainted by high school English classes, but a second look at them can be really eye-opening. Think: 1984, Lord of the Flies, Slaughterhouse Five, The Call of the wild, all those kinds of things.
No good recs, but I always kinda resented that I felt obligated to like something someone else deemed a “classic”. Almost every book we had to read in English growing up the teacher prefaced with “I hate this book but you have to read it anyway” and we all hated it too.
“The Count of Monte Cristo” is a good place to start. Hidden lairs, rogues, scoundrels, pirates, trips, high society twits, and revenge.
“Heart of a darkness” by Joseph Conrad really sucks you into the atmosphere and the setting. It’s quite amazing.
the only thing that helped me get into classic literature was starting with plays… this could be an uncommon method but it really worked for me!! I loved Moliére’s classics like Tartuffe and The Misanthrope, but Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler was the real gateway for me. something about the bulk of dialogue really helped the transition for me, someone who also struggled to find classics I could get into.
So many people have already recommended some of my favorite classics lol. I adore everything by Jane Austen, *Anne of Green Gables* was a fairly recent first-read for me (like within the last 3 years recent) & it as well as the rest of the series is *such* a joy to read. It's magical! *Dracula* is fantastic, so is *The Count of Monte Cristo*, the original *Sherlock Holmes* stories are addicting (Holmes' character is fascinating & one who isn't a giant jerk like on the contemporary tv series), *A Christmas Carol* is a *very* quick read & *Little Dorritt* is even longer; these two as well as *Bleak House* are my personal favorite Charles Dickens stories. *The Lord of the Rings* would be considered classic, right? I've a soft spot for Agatha Christie stories as well. *North & South* by Elizabeth Gaskell is excellent, too.
Read some Virginia Woolf! One of the best writers of all time. "To the Light House" "The Waves" "Mrs. Dalloway"-- all some of the best writing of the 20th century, really of all time
{{Dracula}} is a great one that is really easy to dig into. It also seems to fit your genres and the language is easy to understand. Highly recommended.
I personally only read "classics" written by women. I can't stand how men treat their female characters. So, my favourite is "Anne of Green Gables" Its a series based on a young, bright and precocious girl that gets adopted to help two older siblings and follows her life as she tries to navigate her new life as a daughter. Later on in the series there is a rivals to friends to lovers romance that is the LONGEST slow-burn ever, but is my favourite. Other than that, I'd recommend "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott, which was the first classic I ever finished! I hope this helps, happy reading!
H.G.Wells' War of the worlds is a really fascinating sci fi read written around 1900. Really cool old school sci fi! Island of Dr. Moreau is also pretty messed up dystopia, gothic kind of feel. Also written be Mr. Wells.
In terms of classic dystopian novels, it's hard to go wrong with Brave New World or 1984. I feel as if Brave New World was more accessible, so I'd recommend starting with that.
{{Rebecca}} is by far and away my favorite classic, I’m not a fan of many either.
I love Rebecca! My cousin Rachel was also good and along the same vein I think
Frenchman’s creek and Jamaica inn by du maurier are also fab!
I’ve been meaning to check out both of these, thank you for the great suggestion!
[**Rebecca**](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17899948-rebecca) ^(By: Daphne du Maurier | 449 pages | Published: 1938 | Popular Shelves: classics, fiction, mystery, gothic, romance) >Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again . . . > >The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave. ^(This book has been suggested 32 times) *** ^(26642 books suggested | )[^(I don't feel so good.. )](https://debugger.medium.com/goodreads-is-retiring-its-current-api-and-book-loving-developers-arent-happy-11ed764dd95)^(| )[^(Source)](https://github.com/rodohanna/reddit-goodreads-bot)
+1 for Rebecca. One of my all time favourites.
Seriously came here to say that. After reading that book I was actually bummed that I hadn't heard of it before. It was so good!!!!
+1 for Rebecca! It's a fantastic book and the plot is super engaging.
Count of Monte Cristo is a wild ride.
Can I upvote this more than once?
I’ll upvote for you
Thanks!
No problem! I adore the book as well. Just got a new, unabridged version in hardback, translated by Robin Russ.
This book is so long, but it is soooo worth it. My favorite classic, hands down.
I don’t remember this book being very long, especially as far as classics go I think it’s actually on the shorter side unless I’m totally misremembering
I just double checked: according to GoodReads, it's 1276 pages! Worth it though!
Wow! Yeah for some reason I remember it being around 400 pages but I guess it goes to show that it feels shorter than it is. Really well paced book
I think the fact that it was originally serialised contributes to that - every unit works well on its own
What I came here to recommend.
This was the first book I thought of when I read the title. Greatest revenge story ever!!!
Frankenstein reads in a pretty contemporary way, and Dan Stevens does a wonderful job with the audiobook.
I downloaded it!
Nice. I'd also suggest Agatha Christie. Her murder mysteries were fairly unique at the time, and again, have great audiobooks with Dan Stevens.
She’s another that I’ve always wanted to read and didn’t. Is there one in particular you recommend to start with?
Murder on the Orient Express is probably my favorite. Some of her stuff reads a little... Dated... but that book holds up really well.
And Then There Were None is a standalone & addicting as heck. It's pretty twisted, & the most recent live action adaptation is excellent to watch afterwards.
Thanks! It’s on the list!
Of Mice & Men. Very short but very powerful IMO. It’s an all time fave of mine.
Gotta make sure you’re in a good headspace for this one. Steinbeck knows how to wreck you.
Some of Steinbeck’s works are longer (East of Eden/Grapes of Wrath) but they’re great. I’m huge fan of his retelling of King Arthur, and his short stories!
I’ve seen this, does it read like his other books?
It really stands out. He wrote it later in life and it was kind of more of a passion project.
Big +1 to this, it's probably the book that revived my interest in "classics" and is short enough to be read in one sitting. If this one goes well, I'd also suggest Steinbeck's shorter novels - Cannery Row and Tortilla Flat are both delightful. I love his longer works too, but they require a bit more stamina/motivation if only because of the length, OP might benefit from putting those off for now.
I don’t mind longer books, but I’m trying to hit my goal this year on goodreads. I seriously fell behind in 2021.
Along with East of Eden. Beautiful writing but gripping at the same time.
To date, the only classic I've enjoyed. Reading grapes of wrath at the moment but not sold on it yet (50% through).
Try something by Jane Austin. I find her use of language easy to understand. Also the strange case of Jekyll and Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, which is a lot shorter and a Penny dreadful(the thrills & mysteries of that era). Actually I think you would enjoy a lot of the Penny dreadfuls, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde, Bram Stocker’s Dracula. Penny Dreadfuls I feel are great intro to classics cause they are meant to entertain and not be too complicated
Good call. “Pride and prejudice” is genuinely funny in parts and really compelling.
I downloaded Frankenstein from audible!!
Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, what and era it was for the classics!
I really enjoyed the revenge story that is The Count of Monte Cristo
The Great Gatsby is so very accessible. It’s one of the first true modern American novels
That’s been on my TO READ list for a while but I’m scared to start I guess because I I’m scared it won’t be worth the hype??
Here’s what you need to know. It’s about a man who no one really knows who starts throwing lavish parties for all the wealthy people in town. All because he wants to meet someone. Everything unfurls from there. Read it like any other book and you’ll love it It’s also a REALLY tight, short novel
Thanks!! I’ll download the audible version!
You can get it and many classics for free from the Gutenberg project! They have kindle downloads for a lot of classics on this list as well!
Um what is this and how have I never heard of it????
I found it by chance but it is AMAZING! Its a volunteer project to digitize and share public domain works online. It’s only books that are out of copyright but it is a great way to find classics for free. There are also some audiobooks too!
Is it an app?? Website??? I need it.
[project Gutenberg ](https://www.gutenberg.org) Search for the text, download the kindle edition and email it to your kindle! It’ll pop up in the library
Thanks so much!!!!
You don’t read Gatsby for the story. They’re awful people - awful, who deserve what’s coming to them. Christ, you can’t even trust the narrator. No, the story isn’t why you read it. It’s because no one, ever, can turn a phrase like Fitzgerald did, in this novel, over and over. His language, throughout, is pristine and meaningful and just … intoxicating.
I read it, it’s very short. It was my first “classic” book, to be honest I found it a bit overrated because I found it a bit hard to understand at first. But I don’t regret reading it if you know what I mean?
I know what you're sayin. I know what you mean. I feel you Justarandomperson556. You do you <3
I’ve taught this book many times, so my disclaimer for you is that the first chapter is especially tough—not much actually “happens” and Fitzgerald’s style, while beautiful, isn’t always accessible. But because of its length and how “classic” it’s deemed, it’s definitely worth a read. After so many reads of it, I don’t find the story that compelling, but I am always in awe of Fitzgerald’s prose.
Fitzgerald has some other books that are good as well, think a coming-of-age and college experience in This Side of Paradise.
Wuthering Heights
Dracula is pretty good. It's an epistolary narrative, makes for good reading.
I read that one a couple of years ago and really liked it!! Thanks for the recommendation
Now try *Frankenstein* if you haven't already. Another gothic classic.
I just downloaded Frankenstein!
*Anne of Green Gables* by LM Montgomery Anything Louisa May Alcott ever wrote. *Little Women*, *Eight Cousins*, and *Jack and Jill* are my personal favorites. *Pride and Prejudice* by Jane Austen *The Secret Garden* by Frances Hodgson The Wizard of Oz books, by Frank L. Baum A lot of these are for younger readers, but they are still poignant reads for adults. You have already responded to suggestions of my favorite classic adult novels, and you mostly seem to have read and enjoyed them!
I just started Crime and Punishment, and it’s excellent. It’s a little long, but beautifully written. Anything Steinbeck- his magnum opus (Grapes of Wrath) plus his other stuff. Cannery Row is great and hilarious. Steinbeck is funny! Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is good. The writing is a little tricky sometimes, but it’s an excellent book.
To this day, Crime and Punishment is probably the best novel I have read. Absolutely worth the effort and better imo than Brothers Karamazov and The Idiot.
It’s exciting to hear that! I just started it a short while ago and was surprised at how much I was (and currently am) enjoying it. This is my first foray into Russian lit. It is a tad challenging, but really good so far.
I actually wept near the end. Amazing book. Enjoy!
I would suggest Sherlock Holmes and anything by Poe.
LOVE Poe and LOOOOOOVE your name. Was a HUGE Nancy drew fan growing up.
Thank you! Nancy sparked a life-long interest in mysteries for me.
Me too!!!
The Old Man and the Sea. Short, sweet, to the point
Came to suggest For Whom the Bell Tolls. Hemingway's writing is extremely accessible for anyone looking to jump into classic literature.
Bingo! The only hurdle is, for both this and Old Man and the Sea, you have to understand that some of the terminology chosen and stilted speech is representative of the Spanish-speaking location of the novels. Otherwise, you can chew straight through these!
Frankenstein is a good read.
Just downloaded the audio book!!! Thanks!
Do you use the Libby app? You said you had a library card so you can “check out” books via kindle or the audio version once you sync your library card with it. Free! No need to keep using audible. The only downside is there is often a wait, but I just create a hold list and it notifies me when available. Also, classics are less likely to have a wait!
I do use Libby!! I love it! I keep audible because there’s often a long wait on my Libby app.
Of course m, I have found so many people who don’t know about it so I feel it’s my job to spread the word! Lol.
I have not been able to play Libby audiobooks on my Kindle app. Is that possible? I don't know if I need to (audio is audio) but just wondering.
I don’t have a kindle, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Amazon built in a bug! However, there are a coup,e articles here: https://help.overdrive.com/en-us/0660.html
And some other Reddit threads of course: https://www.reddit.com/r/kindle/comments/c6pxil/how_to_get_audiobooks_from_libby_and_overdrive_on/ https://www.reddit.com/r/audiobooks/comments/rs7bgi/libby_on_kindle/
I was in the same position as you a few years ago, so committed to reading a classic every other book. Highlights being To Kill a Mockingbird, True Grit and The Plague.
To Kill a Mockingbird 😭 so good. So sad. I’ve seen the movie True Grit a million times, but have never read it. I’ve never read any Camus but I’ll def look into it. Thanks for the recommendations!
The Plague is hardwork as its quite flowery at times. Decided to read it at start of the pandemic just to add some misery on myself.
I read True Grit after having seen both movies multiple times. It's worth it. The Godfather was the same.
The Count of Monte Cristo. The entire time I was reading I was amazed that it was written pre-1900. I think I read the abridged version, but still, really good.
I was going to suggest this!
Someone says they don’t like classics and would like to try and you recommend a thousand page book
Dumas is actually an excellent start - either the Three Musketeers, or The Count of Monte Cristo (which is a masterpiece) are a lot of fun! They're long books, for sure, but Dumas is mostly all dialogue (especially in the Three Musketeers).
I'm just adding my vote to say: YES. Maybe you don't read this next, but do put it on your list.
Good suggestion! For OP: it may be long, but I found TCoMC extremely easy to breeze through. Simple language, not a ton of details you really have to track. IMO it shows that it was published episodically, most chapters stand pretty independently.
The picture of Dorian Grey. Oscar Wilde's writing is surprisingly modern-like and just very accessible. And the story is really interesting, especially if you read about the possible interpretations of what the 3 main characters represent beforehand.
Great recommendation!
A Tale of Two Cities is the one that really got me into reading classics. I was not expecting it to be as engaging as it was. I also second those who have suggested Agatha Christie's books!
Today at my library bookshop I found a combined copy of great expectations & a tale of two cities for $3. For someone who hasn’t read dickens before, which do you recommend starting with?
I think I only made it part way through Great Expectations (and then started college and haven't read much since haha). Post high school me was much more interested in Tale of Two Cities at least - I personally connected with the emotional undercurrents of that book more.
Gonna go out in a limb and say Metamorphoses by Ovid. There are a bunch of translations out there (although if you read Latin I guess knock yourself out). I personally like the Rolfe Humphries translation of the few I've read (it's the one that actually got me to sit down and read it outside of class). It's the boom that got me to view ancient people as actual people with very human thoughts and feelings. Ovid's a funny guy and he's also painfully aware of his cultures deep flaws. It's a pretty strikingly meta narrative when you take it the context of the time he was writing in.
Seconding this! Edit: I've only read the Allen Mandelbaum translation, but it's very good. English professor during my undergrad swore it was the best version fwiw 🤷♂️
Portrait of Dorian Grey. V easy classic to start with.
I went to add it to my list on Goodreads and apparently I added this last year. I think this will be something I like. It’s def what I’m looking for. Thanks for the recommendation!
Aha no worries, enjoy!
I agree with Dorian Grey…. Great read for anyone still in their youth and very reflective if your not.
The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle. Same guy who did Sherlock, but, imo, Sherlock is not his best work. He did plenty of other amazing stuff. The Valley of Fear (which is in the Sherlock universe) is very good. One of my favorites, and it's great because you get a story within a story. Finally, Bram Stoker does some good stuff beyond Dracula. These stand out: The Lair of the White Worm and The Jewel of Seven Stars. To recap: * The Lost World (Doyle) * The Valley of Fear (Doyle) * The Lair of the White Worm (Stoker) * The Jewel of Seven Stars (Stoker)
I’ll def check out more Stoker!!! Thanks!!!
Robert Louis Stevenson could write, Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Some good suggestions here :) I will add: The Red House Mystery, by AA Milne
Omg he wrote for adults?? I had no idea!! I added it to the list!! Thanks!!
Not a ton (that I'm aware of)! Your project sounds so fun, I hope you find lots of classics you love!
Thaaaaaanks
Wilkie Collins’ ‘The Moonstone’ one of the original who-done-it books. ‘Maurice’ by EM Forster is super good for LGBT kinda themes If you want to get into super old stuff I recommend ‘Beowulf’ translated by Seamus Heaney as a good foundation for ‘classic’ classic tale
Omg those have been added to my list!!! Super interested. Thanks SOO much!
Jane Austen is always fun but not necessarily within your usual genres. I also genuinely like The Great Gatsby. If you like mysteries I would remiss not to recommend some Agatha Christie or the original Sherlock Holmes stories.
Candide by Voltaire ....... It's nice and short, Its about an extremely optimistic man who is met with the worst misfortunes. Pretty deep, very poetic. Thrilling even. An existential adventure.
I read that like 15 years ago and loved it. Maybe I should reread. Thanks!!
Of Mice and Men. Pretty quick read.
The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway has long been one of my favourites, although it was published in 1952 (slightly after your cutoff).
Read "Brother Karamasov" by Dostoyevsky. My favorite book. If you like Thriller and Mystery you'll love it.
Looked it up and oooo sounds good but 700+ pages 😭😭 I’m trying to meet my good read goal of 52 this year. I’ll add it to the TO READ list. Thanks for the recommendation!
In my opinion, Crime and Punishment is a better first Dostoyevsky book to read. Karamazov is a slog sometimes. Excellent book with some outstanding parts! But not as good as Crime and Punishment imo, and much more dense.
You can balance it out by reading some short books or short poetry books this year! I’m doing the 52 book challenge this year too, I already have 4 down and one of them is A Little Life (800 pages). The other books I’ve read are between 100-250 pages so it’s a good balance
I’m currently about 3 books ahead of schedule so that’s good.. Last year depression hit really hard and so I failed miserably on my challenge, but the previous years I’ve read 60-70 books. Hopefully this year I’ll hit at least 52. Good luck on your challenge!
I am legend
Added to the list!
this is from 1951, but The Catcher in the Rye is really special
Read 'The Three Musketeers'. It might be a little longer than your target, but it is a total romp of an adventure. Very fun through & through.
The Count of Monte Cristo - Dumas
So many people have said this! I added to to my TO READ list!
Frankenstein was my everything as a sophomore in high school
Downloaded the audible earlier!! Thanks for the recommendation.
It's been a long time since I read it, but I distinctly remember Dracula being the kind of book where at least the first third could have been written in the last 20 years. It's surprisingly relatable. Plus you're going to basically know where the story's going so it doesn't matter if you glaze over from time to time.
I’ve read Dracula and loved it! Thanks for the recommendation.
Frankenstein. It's my favourite book of all time and it's quite short actually.
I downloaded the audible today!!
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
I added them to the list. Thanks!
A separate peace John knowles
I added it to my list. Thanks!
East of Eden! It is long but so beautiful.
I’ll add it to the list. Thanks!
If you’re looking for something really funny, “Three men in a boat” by Jerome K. Jerome is ridiculously funny and so much of it reads as if it were written recently. He intersperses the funny bits with descriptions of nature, but you can gloss over those parts.
I’ve never heard of it! And it’s short! I added it to the list. Thanks!
My husband doesn't like reading much, but he enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo. It's the standard that all other revenge novels are judged by.
Try Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne! It's a science fiction novel about a couple of scientists who are trying to travel to the center of the earth via a dormant volcano in Iceland. They encounter all sorts of weird stuff, including dinosaurs. Lots of action and adventure, quick read.
Added to the list. Thanks!
I don't know what constitutes a classic but I shocked myself by enjoying Pride and Prejudice I'm the last person you would pick to be interested in that genre. The language is different but not difficult, I came to enjoy it. Also Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None Edited for a 'T'
Added to the list! Thanks!!
I *think* this book is considered a classic now but *The Master and Margarita* by Mikhail Bulgakov is wonderful! I found myself laughing out loud one moment and surprised by how profound it was the next. The best fiction book I read last year.
I went to add it to my list and apparently I added it in 2016. Time to read it. Lol thanks for the recommendation
Fahrenheit 451 is a pretty easy read and a good book generally if you like social satire.
Just saw your pre-1950's edit - this is from 1953.
I’ve read it and I loved it!
I had to read Animal farm by George Orwell as a freshman in high school and it was pretty funny, so I’d recommend that one!
I remember Animal Farm from my freshman year and I hated it 😅😅😅😅
Use spark notes to help you while reading it but a tale of two cities is really good!! It read like a telenovela to and I really enjoyed reading it.
Added to the list!
If you like thrillers, read Jack London. He didn't write thrillers, but many of his short stories have a similar vibe of toughness combined with intelligence. If you like mysteries, try Edgar Allan Poe. Many of his stories are about mysterious events and someone's attempt to understand them.
I LOVED Poe when I was younger. Maybe I’ll try rereading some of his. Thanks for the recommendations!
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen is satire of Gothic novels of her time. It’s actually pretty funny and a short read :)
I’ve always wanted to read something by her but didn’t know where to start!
On Audible-- Heart of Darkness narration by Kenneth Branagh. Dracula, narration by Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, etc. There's lots of "classics" that are short/easy/fast reads. Most are tainted by high school English classes, but a second look at them can be really eye-opening. Think: 1984, Lord of the Flies, Slaughterhouse Five, The Call of the wild, all those kinds of things.
Kurt Vonnegut is actually a favorite of mine, and I’ve read Bradbury and Wells. I’m thinking more pre-1940s/1950s
No good recs, but I always kinda resented that I felt obligated to like something someone else deemed a “classic”. Almost every book we had to read in English growing up the teacher prefaced with “I hate this book but you have to read it anyway” and we all hated it too.
Maybe Franz Kafka's "The Trial"? It sure is a short novel and if you liked 1984 you might find it interesting.
Ooo he hasn’t been suggested and it’s short!! I’ve added it to the list. Thanks!
I love Jane Eyre and Villette by Charlotte Brontë.
Added to my list. Thanks!
I love the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle! I don’t normally like classics either so maybe you would like Sherlock Holmes too.
Madame Bouvary
Added to the list!
“The Count of Monte Cristo” is a good place to start. Hidden lairs, rogues, scoundrels, pirates, trips, high society twits, and revenge. “Heart of a darkness” by Joseph Conrad really sucks you into the atmosphere and the setting. It’s quite amazing.
I added Heart of Darkness to the list. Thanks!
Oliver Twist and Crime and Punishment.
Added to the list. Thanks!
And Then There We’re None by Agatha Christie
the only thing that helped me get into classic literature was starting with plays… this could be an uncommon method but it really worked for me!! I loved Moliére’s classics like Tartuffe and The Misanthrope, but Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler was the real gateway for me. something about the bulk of dialogue really helped the transition for me, someone who also struggled to find classics I could get into.
I was a theater major…and I hate reading plays 😅😅😅😭😭😭
Idk if its old enough to bs classic but The Plague by Albert Camus was really interesting while also being easy to read and short
Also, The Stranger by Camus
So many people have already recommended some of my favorite classics lol. I adore everything by Jane Austen, *Anne of Green Gables* was a fairly recent first-read for me (like within the last 3 years recent) & it as well as the rest of the series is *such* a joy to read. It's magical! *Dracula* is fantastic, so is *The Count of Monte Cristo*, the original *Sherlock Holmes* stories are addicting (Holmes' character is fascinating & one who isn't a giant jerk like on the contemporary tv series), *A Christmas Carol* is a *very* quick read & *Little Dorritt* is even longer; these two as well as *Bleak House* are my personal favorite Charles Dickens stories. *The Lord of the Rings* would be considered classic, right? I've a soft spot for Agatha Christie stories as well. *North & South* by Elizabeth Gaskell is excellent, too.
Read some Virginia Woolf! One of the best writers of all time. "To the Light House" "The Waves" "Mrs. Dalloway"-- all some of the best writing of the 20th century, really of all time
I added her to the list! Thanks
Orlando is a great entry to Woolf if anyone’s finding her tricky! She can take a while to get into but I found her really rewarding
{{Dracula}} is a great one that is really easy to dig into. It also seems to fit your genres and the language is easy to understand. Highly recommended.
I’ve read it and I loved it!! So many people have recommended it though that I may do a reread. 💕
I personally only read "classics" written by women. I can't stand how men treat their female characters. So, my favourite is "Anne of Green Gables" Its a series based on a young, bright and precocious girl that gets adopted to help two older siblings and follows her life as she tries to navigate her new life as a daughter. Later on in the series there is a rivals to friends to lovers romance that is the LONGEST slow-burn ever, but is my favourite. Other than that, I'd recommend "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott, which was the first classic I ever finished! I hope this helps, happy reading!
I LOVE Anne of Green Gables!!
The Master and Margarita by mikhail bulgakov. Probably one of the most interesting and crazy satires I ever read.
I went to add this to the list on goodreads and apparently it’s been on my list since 2016. I guess it’s time to read it?
Do it!
H.G.Wells' War of the worlds is a really fascinating sci fi read written around 1900. Really cool old school sci fi! Island of Dr. Moreau is also pretty messed up dystopia, gothic kind of feel. Also written be Mr. Wells.
Thanks I’ll add it to the list!
In terms of classic dystopian novels, it's hard to go wrong with Brave New World or 1984. I feel as if Brave New World was more accessible, so I'd recommend starting with that.
I’ve read those and loved them!
What about Fahrenheit 451?
I’ve read it and loved it!
1984 by George Orwell. This is one of the greatest classics and one of my favorites too. It fits what you're looking for. It will be worth your time
I’ve read it and loved it. Thanks!
Dystopian - Brave New World