Where to Start with the Classics

Hello one and all! I have finally returned from the land of vacation, sickness, and puppy chewed laptop chargers…

The last month has been a doozy and this month promised to be much the same.

But enough about me, let’s talk about books!

I love the classics. By which I mean stories that have battled against time and trends and won the day. Such as ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, Agatha Christie’s Poirot, and the Bronte sisters novels. These stories have been around so long they have become ingrained within our culture. They are told and retold over and over again.

I come across people regularly who want to get started reading the classics because they ‘know they should’, or something like that. Yet they don’t know where to start, other than rereading the books they were forced to read in high school. Which they often didn’t like very much. To be fair, if I was forced to read something I wouldn’t like it very much either…

If you are one of those people, you have come to the right place! Today I am discussing where you can start with the classics.

First, as a lil’ disclaimer, you can be a smart person without reading the classics. You don’t have to read ‘War and Peace’ to look smart or sound smart. We get this idea that only super smart people read the classics and if we want to be smart, we should go read ‘War and Peace’. Relax, plenty of smart people have never read it and probably never will. Read the books you want to read and try new things occasionally. You don’t have to prove to anyone how smart you are.

Aaaand, I am stepping off my soap box… On to the books!

If you are interested in the classics, but don’t know where to start, these are what I would recommend.

‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Bronte. This book is a great introduction to the Bronte sisters, as well as a good introduction to the gothic genre. The gothic genre is slightly on the scarier, morbid side with dark characters and often sad endings. The characters in this book are all distinct and interesting. We remember Heathcliff and Catherine because of how real they seem. They, and some of the supporting cast, are some of the most unique characters in fiction. I would recommend this because of the characters and because of the fast pace. It never drags along, there is always something happening to someone!

As a quick side note, if you liked this book, I would recommend the other books by the Bronte sisters. While each one has a distinct style, they all have interesting, unique characters. Anne Bronte tends to focus more on the theme of her books with conversations between characters about moral issues, though her plots are still well balanced and it rarely lags. Charlotte Bronte wrote ‘Jane Eyre’, which is also a fantastic place to start with the sisters as well. There is a reason why it was so popular! However, ‘Villette’ is much slower of a novel, and I was not able to get into the other two of hers. Definitely good books, but if you like a quicker pace, I wouldn’t recommend her books other than ‘Jane Eyre’.

‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald. If you are looking to start with any books of this era (1910’s to 1950), I would recommend this book. First, it is short, which is always a plus. Second, the prose, how the words are strung together, is beautiful. This book has a mood and atmosphere that reflects the Jazz Age, which is what the author was going for. If you enjoy the Roaring 20’s, whether that be the books, mood, or whatever, I think you will like this book. Also, the characters are so vibrant and interesting they stick with you for a long time afterwards.

‘Northanger Abbey’ and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. I mention both books because I think either one is a fantastic place to start with Jane Austen. The first one is on the short side, and it is the most light hearted of all of her books. I would especially recommend this one if you are a teen or young adult. The main character is relatable to any bookworms with an overactive imagination. The latter book I mentioned is another good place to start, especially if you love the movies. The dialogue and quirky characters are what makes this one so interesting. I love how Austen handles quirky characters, we laugh at them, but we are still sympathetic with them and their weaknesses.

‘A Room with a View’ by E. M. Forster. If you want to get into books that discuss social class structure such as Edith Wharton’s books and a whole host of others, I would recommend this one. It is one of my absolute favorite books. The characters are interesting, comical, and occasionally wise. It is also short (getting a theme here?), and the plot skips along through the entire book. This one is much more light handed in its probing of the social classes in Edwardian England and why some classes looked down on other classes and if it is really justified. Mostly, it is a love story between a person swayed by others opinions, and a person who doesn’t care what other people think.

There you go! I hope you enjoyed this list. It is by no means exhaustive, there are so many good places to start with the classics! However I hope this gives you a great jumping off point into this genre.

Happy reading, and have a fantastic day!

Shaina Merrick