Readers often shy away from classic literature. Whether it be the fear of dense, “old-timey” language or unfamiliar time periods that make it hard to connect to the writing, it can be challenging to delve into this genre.
These five books — which I’ve read and can attest are all fantastic — are a great starting point for anyone who wants to start their journey into the classics and enjoy timeless literature.
1. The Little Prince by Antoine de saint-exupéry
The Little Prince follows the adventures of a young prince who visits various planets and learns concepts such as loneliness, love, friendship and death through his journey.
This precious, heart-warming book is a short one, making it the perfect starting point for the classics.
2. The Stranger by Albert Camus
Another short yet impactful book, The Stranger, has a plot that seems relatively simple on the surface level. However, after taking a deeper look, it left me thinking about it for days after I had finished reading it.
Enter Meursault, the anti-hero of the book, who is severely detached from his society and refuses to adhere to societal norms. Full of allusions to Camus’ “absurdism” philosophy, The Stranger teaches us that we as individuals must find ways to shape meanings in our lives.
3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
An excellent book to read during the autumn season, Jane Eyre is a Victorian-era classic with elements of a gothic aesthetic that make readers feel the same haunted emotions as the novel’s characters.
The narrative follows the protagonist, Jane Eyre, and her struggles throughout life, starting from childhood. Without giving too much away, the height of the novel revolves around a secret Jane’s husband has kept from her, revealing the horrors a marriage can bring.
4. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
The romance novel Love in the Time of Cholera is a book packed with literary devices which is sure to leave readers thinking about the rich writing Márquez is known for.
Characters Florentino and Fermina meet as young adults who swear their love to each other — only to be torn apart by Fermina’s overprotective father, who forces her to marry a successful doctor. This novel will surely have you swooning over a fleeting, whirlwind love affair.
5. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Although Jack Nicholson’s outstanding performance in the 1975 film adaptation gained wide critical acclamation, the novel by Ken Kesey goes deeper into issues surrounding psychiatric practices and the limits of the human mind.
The novel is centred around a psychiatric ward in Oregon that is operated by a domineering head nurse. All hell breaks loose when one patient, who has no plan to follow the institution’s rules, shows readers the importance of challenging authority figures and individual freedom.