When you’re a young woman attending university, it can be hard to find a minute for yourself to relax and forget whatever due dates are looming on the horizon, even if only for a moment. Some people funnel all of their energy into projects, others into socializing. My favorite means for escape is nestled within the pages of a book. Books and literature immediately transport you to foreign lands where your roommate drama or despair at having ramen for dinner again dissipates into any fairytale of your choosing. The myriad routes of escape can be overwhelming, so here are three novels I think every college girl should read:
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. This novel is semi-autobiographical and recounts Plath’s adventures as young woman plucked out of the suburbs and into the hub of a New York City magazine internship. Though streaked with cynicism and darkness, The Bell Jar allows for full exploration of different facets of a young woman’s wants. It’s a quick read that may help you feel less alien if you’re ever feeling lonely.
Lolita by Vladmir Nabokov. If you’re bored of the incessant routine of classes and parties and want to break that streak of dissonance, pick up this book–it’s a love story like no other. Not only is it a literary classic thanks to Nabokov’s superb writing but it’s also an emotional voyage, constantly defining and redefining what it means to be a moral person. You’ll be delighted and horrified all at the same time. However, if you’re sensitive to disturbing content, I wouldn’t recommend it.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Yes, I’m sure a lot of us trudged through this novel in high school but consider revisiting it. To Kill a Mockingbird provides a riveting story with characters you really feel invested in, as well as invocation of morals that may inspire us all to do better. It follows the story of a small town in Maycomb County, Alabama during the Great Depression. The story of a father and his will to be a good role model for his two children is sure to pluck at your heartstrings.
So, next time you’re feeling bored or tired and looking for a means to shake things up, consider reaching for one of these novels (or any novel, really) and find yourself in worlds unknown, all while sitting in your dorm room.