In the past year and a half, I've read 44 books that are listed as 'classics' - I don't really know whether some modern books count, so I've classed this as books written pre-1950, mainly Victorian, but I don't have an exact definition for classics. I know a lot of people hate them, and a lot of people think they're the greatest - I'm somewhere in the middle.
Because I've only really started reading for fun again recently, I had a lot of appreciation for enjoyable classics, because they were the only thing I would let myself read (gotta get into Uni and all that). There were some I've really had to drag myself through, but also some that are a lot of fun. I could also compile a list of my 5 least favourites if that's something you'd like to see - leave a comment, let me know!
I tried to limit my list to 5, which I thought would be easy because I mostly have bad memories of reading classics, but I guess I did enjoy quite a few. So, I've made my list, but I'd also like to start with some honourable mentions that almost made the cut.
HONOURABLE MENTION:
TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES, by Thomas Hardy
So here's the thing: I studied this book for A-Level, and it wasn't my favourite to actually read, or even study, but I love Thomas Hardy's writing. He really pushed the boat out on what it means to be a man, and like, most of the guys I know today aren't as progressive as him. He really wrote a book about a girl who was raped and had a child, and didn't blame her for it? The bar is so low, but somehow men (and women) nowadays can't even reach it.
All jokes aside, this was absolutely revolutionary when it came out, and I can see why. Tess is a village girl who is raped by her employer, and ends up bearing his child who dies. Most of the book is spent with her falling in love with another man, and having to hide her 'shameful' past from him because she knows her reputation could shatter, but it completely goes against her moral nature to lie. The book culminates in such a tragic ending - someone else in my English class started crying at the end and I was so uncomfortable, but if you think you'd be into that, I'd recommend it. My real love for it comes from Hardy's sarcastic, dry writing, which can be really funny at times.
LITTLE WOMEN, by Louisa May Alcott
Hear me out. This film was easily the best I've ever seen. I've never related to a character more than Jo March, ever - I went to see it with my family, and when we came out of the cinema everyone immediately said 'you are so much like Jo'. We all teared up watching it, and I think about it at least weekly, if not more often. Saoirse Ronan is a brilliant actress, and Greta Gerwig's storytelling is fantastic - she takes a sexist story and turns it into a feminist masterpiece.
Reading the book, I was disappointed. Yes, this was probably because I'd already seen the film and loved it to death, but the book was lowkey badly written. The characters spoke in age order, in chronological sentences, and it was so unnatural. One of the things I loved so much about the film was the whirlwind of speech and how realistic it all was. The book was a pale comparison of an amazing screenplay. I still felt I had to include it because technically Louisa May Alcott created this story and these characters, but it was Greta Gerwig who brought them to life.
5TH PLACE:
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, by Tennessee Williams
I don't know if this counts as a classic, because it was written in the late 1940s, but I really connected with this play. It's the opposite of what you expect from a classic - instead of the Regency couples trying not to show affection for each other, you have Stella and Stanley's violent, graphic sex, and Blanche's mental deterioration.
A basic summary of the plot is: Stella is living in post-war New Orleans with her husband Stanley, a Polish immigrant. Her sister Blanche shows up unexpectedly one day with a secret alcohol problem, having lost the family property, and hiding a lot of dirty secrets. The play follows Blanche trying to keep her secrets while in conflict with abusive, animalistic Stanley, and trying and failing to fit into this 'New' America when she represents Old South values.
Without giving away any spoilers, the ending is horrifying, and tragic, and left me feeling absolutely numb. Now is a really good time to watch this, because the National Theatre has a production of it up on YouTube, so it's free to access. The only annoying thing about it is the Southern accents - they do my head in. But if you have a spare couple of hours, it's definitely worth watching or reading, especially if you're not really into the fluffy, Austen-type classics.
4TH PLACE:
THE BELL JAR, by Sylvia Plath
Once again, I'm not sure if this is a classic because it's 20th century, but oh my god did I love this book. It's the only audio book I've listened to that I was genuinely excited to go back and keep listening to.
The book is about a girl in America struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, whilst working in fashion journalism. It's a deep, heart-breaking story which lays out her thoughts on everything, and how these mental health issues affect her interactions with the world around her.
The main character was beautifully written and so relatable, particularly in her mental health issues. It was also really refreshing to read a book about mental illness, in a more unconventional sort of way, especially because I was reading a lot of shite and boring books at the time. I'm upset I don't have a physical copy, because I would've loved to study this for my A-Level.
This is another good one for someone who doesn't really like the old-fashioned way of writing. It felt very modern, and authentic, especially when you find out how sad Sylvia Plath's home life was. I'll be studying her poetry for my coursework, and I'm very excited for it, because this was a book that got me back into reading when I felt like I'd stopped enjoying it.
3RD PLACE:
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, by Jane Austen
This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. In fact, I was going to put this in first place until I re-evaluated my preferences a little bit, but to be honest these top 3 could go in any order.
I feel like everyone vaguely knows the plot, but essentially, Elizabeth Bennet has an enemies to lovers relationship with Mr Darcy, and she has four wonderfully characterised sisters who are going through their own courtship troubles. There is also a scandal around another love interest, Mr Wickham, and Elizabeth finds herself stuck in a situation where she doesn't know who is lying and who is telling the truth.
I really see myself in Elizabeth, and I love her. She's so witty, and strong, and defies all expectations of femininity in such an intelligent way. I love that she doesn't seem to care what people think of her. Most of the criticisms I have of her (looking down on other women being the main one) aren't really applicable because at the time, this was so radical and new. I don't think it's fair to point out these faults with Austen's feminism, because they weren't flaws at the time, this was a very radical portrayal of woman. I also love the story, and I think the characterisation and the settings are beautiful.
Something I love about Austen is her ability to make such a cosy setting, so I really feel like I'm part of the Victorian upper-middle class, and I'm invested in all the drama that goes on there. And I know that no matter how terrible things might seem, I can always feel comforted when I read or watch Pride and Prejudice.
2ND PLACE:
A DOLL'S HOUSE, by Henrik Ibsen:Looking at this now, I'm starting to really appreciate my English Lit teachers for picking such brilliant works to study. I promise I do read other classics!
In this play, Nora is a housewife who plays the role of the 'doll' in the house, trying to make things pretty for her husband, and being submissive to him, being the perfect woman by 19th century standards. However, she has a secret - she forged her father's signature on a document to loan money from the villain, Krogstad, which was illegal for women at the time. But this money was to take her husband, Torvald, to Italy, which the doctors said was the only way to stop him dying from illness. Torvald doesn't know about the loan, but Krogstad has figured out Nora forged the signature, and is now in a position where he can blackmail Nora into anything. While Nora grapples to hide the truth from Torvald, she discovers more about herself, and realises maybe she doesn't want to be the 'doll-wife' any more...
This is another one I'm studying, to compare to Christina Rossetti's poetry. I loved it the first time, and I love it even more after picking it apart. I feel like you don't get the full force of Nora's strength until you've analysed her in detail, and I absolutely fell in love with her speeches at the end. Every single line is so cleverly thought out, there is so much depth and symbolism, and watching Nora come to the end is such a powerful journey. I think this play is still relevant today to women all over the world, and it's so empowering to read, as well as being amazingly-written.
1ST PLACE:
EMMA, by Jane Austen
I actually set out with this in mind for being my number 1 book. It was only once I actually looked at the list of what I'd read that I realised it isn't my absolute favourite. Still, this has everything I love in a Jane Austen book, and it was so easy for me to get through. I've watched countless different film versions, and it never fails to charm me.
The book follows the story of Emma Woodhouse, a young woman who loves matchmaking, and it's this manipulative attitude that causes problems for her throughout the story. There's also the mystery surrounding Frank Churchill, the son of a family friend, who has never visited the town and Emma longs to meet him.
This book has such a wonderful cast of characters, and a lovely feeling of community and friendship (even if some of it is a façade). I can unapologetically say I like Emma as a person, which is definitely an unpopular opinion, but I think she's funny and clever, and everyone makes mistakes - she's a woman in the 1800s with nothing to do and nowhere to exercise her intelligence, so we can't really blame her for wanting to cause a bit of drama.
So those are my top five classics! I know they're not people's 'typical' favourites, because I have some quite unpopular opinions - I hate Oscar Wilde, and I'm not a fan of The Great Gatsby - as well as the fact that my A-Level focus is Women in Literature which is why all of my favourites are women-centric. Let me know in the comments what your favourite classics are!
Because I've only really started reading for fun again recently, I had a lot of appreciation for enjoyable classics, because they were the only thing I would let myself read (gotta get into Uni and all that). There were some I've really had to drag myself through, but also some that are a lot of fun. I could also compile a list of my 5 least favourites if that's something you'd like to see - leave a comment, let me know!
I tried to limit my list to 5, which I thought would be easy because I mostly have bad memories of reading classics, but I guess I did enjoy quite a few. So, I've made my list, but I'd also like to start with some honourable mentions that almost made the cut.
HONOURABLE MENTION:
TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES, by Thomas Hardy
So here's the thing: I studied this book for A-Level, and it wasn't my favourite to actually read, or even study, but I love Thomas Hardy's writing. He really pushed the boat out on what it means to be a man, and like, most of the guys I know today aren't as progressive as him. He really wrote a book about a girl who was raped and had a child, and didn't blame her for it? The bar is so low, but somehow men (and women) nowadays can't even reach it.All jokes aside, this was absolutely revolutionary when it came out, and I can see why. Tess is a village girl who is raped by her employer, and ends up bearing his child who dies. Most of the book is spent with her falling in love with another man, and having to hide her 'shameful' past from him because she knows her reputation could shatter, but it completely goes against her moral nature to lie. The book culminates in such a tragic ending - someone else in my English class started crying at the end and I was so uncomfortable, but if you think you'd be into that, I'd recommend it. My real love for it comes from Hardy's sarcastic, dry writing, which can be really funny at times.
LITTLE WOMEN, by Louisa May Alcott
Hear me out. This film was easily the best I've ever seen. I've never related to a character more than Jo March, ever - I went to see it with my family, and when we came out of the cinema everyone immediately said 'you are so much like Jo'. We all teared up watching it, and I think about it at least weekly, if not more often. Saoirse Ronan is a brilliant actress, and Greta Gerwig's storytelling is fantastic - she takes a sexist story and turns it into a feminist masterpiece.Reading the book, I was disappointed. Yes, this was probably because I'd already seen the film and loved it to death, but the book was lowkey badly written. The characters spoke in age order, in chronological sentences, and it was so unnatural. One of the things I loved so much about the film was the whirlwind of speech and how realistic it all was. The book was a pale comparison of an amazing screenplay. I still felt I had to include it because technically Louisa May Alcott created this story and these characters, but it was Greta Gerwig who brought them to life.
5TH PLACE:
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, by Tennessee Williams
I don't know if this counts as a classic, because it was written in the late 1940s, but I really connected with this play. It's the opposite of what you expect from a classic - instead of the Regency couples trying not to show affection for each other, you have Stella and Stanley's violent, graphic sex, and Blanche's mental deterioration. A basic summary of the plot is: Stella is living in post-war New Orleans with her husband Stanley, a Polish immigrant. Her sister Blanche shows up unexpectedly one day with a secret alcohol problem, having lost the family property, and hiding a lot of dirty secrets. The play follows Blanche trying to keep her secrets while in conflict with abusive, animalistic Stanley, and trying and failing to fit into this 'New' America when she represents Old South values.
Without giving away any spoilers, the ending is horrifying, and tragic, and left me feeling absolutely numb. Now is a really good time to watch this, because the National Theatre has a production of it up on YouTube, so it's free to access. The only annoying thing about it is the Southern accents - they do my head in. But if you have a spare couple of hours, it's definitely worth watching or reading, especially if you're not really into the fluffy, Austen-type classics.
4TH PLACE:
THE BELL JAR, by Sylvia Plath
Once again, I'm not sure if this is a classic because it's 20th century, but oh my god did I love this book. It's the only audio book I've listened to that I was genuinely excited to go back and keep listening to.
The book is about a girl in America struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, whilst working in fashion journalism. It's a deep, heart-breaking story which lays out her thoughts on everything, and how these mental health issues affect her interactions with the world around her.The main character was beautifully written and so relatable, particularly in her mental health issues. It was also really refreshing to read a book about mental illness, in a more unconventional sort of way, especially because I was reading a lot of shite and boring books at the time. I'm upset I don't have a physical copy, because I would've loved to study this for my A-Level.
This is another good one for someone who doesn't really like the old-fashioned way of writing. It felt very modern, and authentic, especially when you find out how sad Sylvia Plath's home life was. I'll be studying her poetry for my coursework, and I'm very excited for it, because this was a book that got me back into reading when I felt like I'd stopped enjoying it.
3RD PLACE:
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, by Jane Austen
This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. In fact, I was going to put this in first place until I re-evaluated my preferences a little bit, but to be honest these top 3 could go in any order.
I feel like everyone vaguely knows the plot, but essentially, Elizabeth Bennet has an enemies to lovers relationship with Mr Darcy, and she has four wonderfully characterised sisters who are going through their own courtship troubles. There is also a scandal around another love interest, Mr Wickham, and Elizabeth finds herself stuck in a situation where she doesn't know who is lying and who is telling the truth.I really see myself in Elizabeth, and I love her. She's so witty, and strong, and defies all expectations of femininity in such an intelligent way. I love that she doesn't seem to care what people think of her. Most of the criticisms I have of her (looking down on other women being the main one) aren't really applicable because at the time, this was so radical and new. I don't think it's fair to point out these faults with Austen's feminism, because they weren't flaws at the time, this was a very radical portrayal of woman. I also love the story, and I think the characterisation and the settings are beautiful.
Something I love about Austen is her ability to make such a cosy setting, so I really feel like I'm part of the Victorian upper-middle class, and I'm invested in all the drama that goes on there. And I know that no matter how terrible things might seem, I can always feel comforted when I read or watch Pride and Prejudice.
2ND PLACE:
A DOLL'S HOUSE, by Henrik Ibsen:Looking at this now, I'm starting to really appreciate my English Lit teachers for picking such brilliant works to study. I promise I do read other classics!
In this play, Nora is a housewife who plays the role of the 'doll' in the house, trying to make things pretty for her husband, and being submissive to him, being the perfect woman by 19th century standards. However, she has a secret - she forged her father's signature on a document to loan money from the villain, Krogstad, which was illegal for women at the time. But this money was to take her husband, Torvald, to Italy, which the doctors said was the only way to stop him dying from illness. Torvald doesn't know about the loan, but Krogstad has figured out Nora forged the signature, and is now in a position where he can blackmail Nora into anything. While Nora grapples to hide the truth from Torvald, she discovers more about herself, and realises maybe she doesn't want to be the 'doll-wife' any more...This is another one I'm studying, to compare to Christina Rossetti's poetry. I loved it the first time, and I love it even more after picking it apart. I feel like you don't get the full force of Nora's strength until you've analysed her in detail, and I absolutely fell in love with her speeches at the end. Every single line is so cleverly thought out, there is so much depth and symbolism, and watching Nora come to the end is such a powerful journey. I think this play is still relevant today to women all over the world, and it's so empowering to read, as well as being amazingly-written.
1ST PLACE:
EMMA, by Jane Austen
I actually set out with this in mind for being my number 1 book. It was only once I actually looked at the list of what I'd read that I realised it isn't my absolute favourite. Still, this has everything I love in a Jane Austen book, and it was so easy for me to get through. I've watched countless different film versions, and it never fails to charm me.The book follows the story of Emma Woodhouse, a young woman who loves matchmaking, and it's this manipulative attitude that causes problems for her throughout the story. There's also the mystery surrounding Frank Churchill, the son of a family friend, who has never visited the town and Emma longs to meet him.
This book has such a wonderful cast of characters, and a lovely feeling of community and friendship (even if some of it is a façade). I can unapologetically say I like Emma as a person, which is definitely an unpopular opinion, but I think she's funny and clever, and everyone makes mistakes - she's a woman in the 1800s with nothing to do and nowhere to exercise her intelligence, so we can't really blame her for wanting to cause a bit of drama.
So those are my top five classics! I know they're not people's 'typical' favourites, because I have some quite unpopular opinions - I hate Oscar Wilde, and I'm not a fan of The Great Gatsby - as well as the fact that my A-Level focus is Women in Literature which is why all of my favourites are women-centric. Let me know in the comments what your favourite classics are!
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