With the weather getting chillier, nothing is better than curling up under a blanket with a warm drink and a book. And with so many people wanting to read classics but not knowing where to start, here is a list of where to start. This is a list of five of my favorite classics, which (in my non-biased opinion) are some of the best to start with.
- The Great Gatsby
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This is my all-time favorite classic. I first read this book in my junior year of high school, and it has had my heart since. If you haven’t heard of it, The Great Gatsby is a first-person perspective of Nick Carraway, set in 1925 New York, about his time living next to his neighbor, Gatsby, a millionaire who throws huge parties and has a forbidden love for Nick’s married cousin, Daisy. The story is filled with scandal and love, and is a great start to reading classics.
- The Sun Also Rises
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This was the first classic I read, so it holds a special place in my heart. The Sun Also Rises was written by Ernest Hemingway and published in 1926, so the writing is quite different than books from modern times. This is definitely something that takes some getting used to. The Sun Also Rises is about expatriates (people who live outside their native country) who travel all around the world to watch bullfights and the running of the bulls. Now I know that doesn’t seem too interesting at face value, but the story is filled with love and stories of the wild nightlife in Paris and all the other cities that they explore. This is a great novel if you can get past the older writing style.
- The Scarlet Letter
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Now, going back a few years further to 1850, The Scarlet Letter is personally my favorite of the two novels I have read that are set in Puritan times. Hester Prynne, after being accused of adultery, is forced to wear a red letter “S,” along with dealing with all the social consequences of being accused of something that was more or less equated to murder at the time. While this is a good novel, it is a more difficult read, so it may take some time to get through. I do not recommend this as your first classic, but if you want to get into classics, I would 100% have it on your list of books to read.
- pride and prejudice
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UGH, this book has to be why my standards are as high as they are; Mr. Darcy sets the bar (especially for men in his time). This is a classic romance novel like no other, and definitely worth the read. It will have you swooning, blushing, and kicking your feet at their interactions. Darcy is a man who YEARNS and, in my opinion, it’s the original enemies-to-lovers. Sign me up!! This is a must-read if you are a lover of romance like me. Please please give this one a try. If this is the only book you read on this list, you will not be sorry!!
- Little WOmen
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Although it’s the last on the list, this beautiful novel, written by Louisa May Alcott, is a great way to start your classic journey. This novel follows five sisters and their lives, transitioning from childhood to adulthood, during the Civil War era. This is a classic young adult novel, so it is a perfect introduction to classic literature.
Hopefully these recommendations help you start your journey into classic literature. It can be hard to get into classics due to the different writing style, but these books are well worth it!!