Classic Literature Recommendations

Literature is well-known for being hard to read and understand. Whether you have trouble reading the extra-long sentences or the old-fashioned language trips you up, it’s easy to put aside classics in favor of newer, more modern books. However, classics are classic for a reason, and they aren’t all boring and ancient. If you want to try to broaden your reading horizons, or you’re just looking for a book that will make you sound smart, here are some of my favorite classics to start off with.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird follows Scout and Jem Finch as they grow up in a Southern town amidst an unjust court case against a black man, who is being defended by their father. Lee writes masterfully, and Scout’s voice feels authentic. The book

 discusses racism, the assumptions we make about people, and the idea of empathy in a very honest, compelling way. This is a pretty easy book to read, and it’s a good starter to classic literature.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

While The Giver was originally written for a younger target audience, it’s still an intriguing book. It’s set in a utopian society that seems peaceful and ideal, until it slowly becomes more and more dystopian as you, alongside the main character, Jonas, notice more and more concerning details. This book made me think a lot on the role of government in our lives and what is really necessary for a government to be in charge of. This book is the shortest of the four, and it’s a quick read.

White Fang by Jack London

White Fang is about a wolf-dog named White Fang, and the book follows him as he exchanges owners, good and bad, and slowly becomes accustomed to men. It’s one of the classic animal books, like Black Beauty, but this book has more of a sense of wildness.

It’s obvious that London knows a lot about the wilderness, and his descriptions of nature bring the book to life. It’s definitely a very different book from the others on t

his list, but it’s still worth reading A quick warning: there is a lot of violence and gore present, as the book contains dog fights and death.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women follows the March family as the four March daughters grow up during the Civil War and the things they get up to. I liked this book because it portrayed sibling relationships pretty accurately 

(at least according to what happens in my own family), and it was an interesting peek into history and what has changed since then. I also enjoyed how nostalgic it feels, like

wrapping yourself in a warm blanket. This is the longest book in this list, by far, so I would recommend reading this in multiple sittings.