I have to admit, as an English Lit student I’ve started to cringe whenever someone uses the word ‘classic’ when referring to Literature, because they’re usually talking about a 19th century novel they love (or hate), perhaps even any famous work written any time before the 1970’s. As a result of studying the works of Homer and Sophocles last term, the term ‘classic’ now holds a very different meaning for me, denoting epics and heroics and anything remotely Greek. That being said, if I were to walk into a bookshop and wanted to find the works of Jane Austen or the Bronte’s I would probably walk towards the section headed with the word “Classics”. It’s a cultural buzzword, something I just have to accept.
Anyway, enough of the rant. Thinking about ‘classics’ the other day then got me thinking about books I’d recommend to people to read this spring. They’re books I associate with the seasons, or with nature and journerys. More than that I just think they’re really good books and wanted an excuse to recommend them to you- a typical English student response. A legitemate excuse would be that now January exams and deadlines are over you may have some more free time over the next few weeks, so you might as well use that time wisely.
1) A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare:
Yes, I know, its a play not a book, but reading it offers a completely different experience. Four lovers escape the restrictive court of Athens and enter its surrounding forest, become influenced by fairy love magic, and everything gets a bit crazy. Alongside that we have the domestic strife of the King and Queen of the fairies, as well as the trials and tribulations faced by a group of amateur dramatists in staging a play. It will make you long for sunlit walks in the woodlands, for a bit of magic to liven up your day.
2) Tess of the D’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy:
So this one might count as a legitimate recommendation, due to Hardy’s peristant concern with nature and the seasons – Tess’s life seems to exist in cycles; autumn and winter bring woe, spring fresh hope and rebirth. It’s quite lengthy and heavy, dealing with issues such as rape, poverty, infant mortality, death in general – with every high there seems to come a low. However it is a good read to have under your belt.
3) Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte:
Again, another heavy one, but infinitely less heavy than Wuthering Heights, which is just a no-no for Spring. Being from Yorkshire, when I think of the countryside the Bronte’s description of wind swept, moody landscapes such as the Moors immediately spring to mind. And whilst this novel deals with some relatively dark subject matter, this is delicately poised against periods of intense happiness for our heroine Jane. It charts her journey from childhood to adulthood, as she attempts to pave her way in a world notoriously set against her.
4) Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck:
This may seem an obscure choice, but bear with. The first time I read this short book was at aged 14 and studying it for my GCSE’s. I decided I would read it in a single afternoon, and because the weather was nice I walked to my local park with a blanket and sat underneath a tree next to the lake. The sun was shining so it was relatively warm, a rare day for Yorkshire. It was an easy read, a pleasant one. When it stops raining here in Cornwall (it will have to eventually, right?) try and recreate that experience in the campus Orchard or at the beach, to sit back and enjoy this heartwarming (and heartbreaking) tale of a friendship between George and Lennie in poverty-stricken rural America.
5) On The Road, Jack Kerouac:
This is the book that will get you excited for the freedom of Spring and Summer breaks, of hitting the road with your friends, chucking everything in the boot of the car and driving for miles, having beach barbecues as the sun goes down – feeling the full spirit of youth. The story itself is perhaps less optimistic about youth, presented as a somewhat endless journey back and forth hitchhiking, a dampener on the American dream. However it is a reminder to stop studying and go outside as much as you can, don’t let deadlines get you down too much.
Happy reading! x