As an English major, I am forced to read many things from short stories to immense tomes. Amidst the drudgery, sometimes my major leads me to amazing novels that I may have not read if I decided upon a different area of study. I have my major to thank for these ten books that I can now confidently call some of my favorites.
1) As the Great World Spins by Colum McCann
Every chapter of this McCann novel focuses on a different group of people living in New York City. Set against an amazing city, the reader gains a perspective on the enormity of the city and diversity of the people living within its confines. It works to expand the reader’s mind and entertain the whole way through.
2) Just Kids by Patti Smith
Whether you are familiar with the punk rock singer or not, Patti Smith’s memoir is a testament to the uncertainty and experimentation of youth. She traces love, music, and art through her post high school travels in New York City where she found herself couch surfing and sleeping on park benches. With famous names sprinkled on every page, Smith humanizes these untouchable figures in a relatable and raw way.
3) Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
Rarely do English majors come across books with pictures, yet Satrapi uses the genre of the graphic novel to deliver a story of trauma and tragedy from her childhood and adolescence to adulthood. The pictures and captions make the content digestible without sacrificing literary significance.
4) Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
Reading plays other than Shakespeare’s are a treat for English majors. Beckett delivers an absurd concept in “Waiting for Godot” that allows the analytical literature student to step back for a moment and appreciate the unknown. The strangeness of the plot and the characters makes for an enjoyable read with plenty of room for speculation and inference.
5) The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
The story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman is a familiar one, yet having to read the actual story reveals themes and ideas unbeknownst to be beforehand. Irving delivers amazing setting depiction and character interplay that makes the story worth reading, even if you already know how it ends.
6) The Periodic Table by Primo Levi
The way authors chose to format their books always fascinates me. In this case, Levi chooses to recount instances of his life as they relate to elements of the Periodic Table, remaining true to his other passion of Chemistry. Levi offers a new kind of autobiography that is anything but boring.
7) The Tell- Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
Despite Poe’s fame and popularity, nothing compares to actually reading his words. Another popular story, “The Tell-Tale Heart”’s length does not determine its merit. The short story explores one of the most human emotions of guilt in an extremely interesting and chilling way.
8) Kindred by Octavia Butler
This novel combines the genres of science fiction and historical fiction to portray a slave narrative through the lens of time travel. The interesting combination makes for insightful discussion and meaningful interpretation on every page. Butler loads the book with symbols and I still wonder about the successes and failures of combining these two genres in this way. It is something I have not seen done anywhere else before.
9) The Grey Woman by Elizabeth Gaskell
This short story combines themes of the paranormal and horror with female strength and gender. Written in 1865, it is refreshing to see a woman writer tackle important issues of gender identity and nonconformity in a story that entices and enchants readers. From the first sentence, the story draws you in and you get so wrapped up in the drama that you fail to recognize the amazing themes Gaskell sneakily includes. They are definitely worth paying attention despite the absolute madness of the plot.
10) Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov
Definitely not his most famous work, Nabokov employs his beautiful writing tactics seen in his words like Lolita to recount the story of his life. Through symbols of butterflies and spirals, he speaks dreamily of his childhood and his hardships, giving the reader deeper insight into the somewhat controversial writer he has become. Steering away from the dryness of memory recounting, Nabokov’s autobiography remains news and exciting on every page.