10 of My Favorite Classic Novels

Sometimes, you gotta go old school. Classic novels can be suuuper boring but if you pick the right ones, you’ll fall in love with them just as many before you have. For me, I’ve always kinda steered away from them. I associate classic novels with required reading and book theme discussions and not making the connections about the book theme my teacher and classmate just agreed on. It’s always been a bit of a struggle for me to enjoy them, but lately I’ve been thinking it’s because my memories of the classics are tainted with my high school days. Ugh.

Last summer I had a desire to understand why so many people had fallen in love with the written words underneath those dusty covers. That’s when I realized how amazing some of these books are. Granted, I haven’t read many of them. I always get, like, a 10% on those ‘check off all the classic novels you’ve read in this list’ Buzzfeed posts. But I have read some, and ten of my favorite classic novels are listed below!

1. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

I always get some widened eyes when I say this is one of my favorite books, but let’s just clarify, shall we? This book is about a man who becomes obsessed with a pre-teen girl and does anything and everything he can to keep her near him. He’s a pedophile. BUT what the author does with this taboo subject is interesting. He certainly doesn’t fetishize the situation but (and I think this is part of the reason so many people were appalled with this book) he also doesn’t demonize the situation either. He somehow manages to toe the line between acceptable and unacceptable, when for many it’s a pretty black and white issue. I love the writing of Nabokov and the fact that he could write about such a taboo topic without demonizing it is pretty incredible to me.

2. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

This book will forever be an example of what can happen to women’s rights. I know many people have some nostalgia about the “good old days” but those days weren’t good for many, many people. The book (and tv show if you watch it) shows how women’s rights are slowly stripped from them. They eventually no longer have any in a totalitarian state. This book is honestly WILD. It’s a slow-paced book, but if you understand all of the political undertones about class and women’s rights, then you might just be scared out of your mind.

3. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This is one of the books I had to read in high school. In fact, I think basically everyone has had to read this book at one point or another. I know plenty of people that hate it, but I personally think it comes down to how it was taught. The teacher who assigned this book to me and my class was so wonderful and this was actually the very first book I decided to re-read because I loved everything about it. The book follows Scout, Jem (her brother), and Atticus (her father). She learns various life lessons throughout the novel, especially about race, after her father, a lawyer, defends a black man in court.

4. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

This book is a BEHEMOTH but it’s still a phenomenal book. I read this last summer and I just couldn’t put it down. Parts of it are bland since it rambles a bit about the politics of the Civil War from a Southerner’s perspective, but everything else was so good. You couldn’t help but have a love/hate relationship with Scarlett since she really is the worst, but she does what she needs to survive. Rhett and Ashley are the love interests of Scarlett, but I’ll forever and always have a place for Rhett in my heart.

5. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

I was given this by one of my English teachers to read during my free time. It’s about a boy and his greasers gang who have a rivalry with another gang in town. The protagonist, Ponyboy, has many expectations placed on him by his older brothers who want better for him. While reading this my heart broke a bit. The group of guys are hardened because of their circumstances and being in the gang is a way of survival. I love this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone. It’s also a super easy read. It was assigned to some of my classmates back in 7th grade, so most ages can read this and understand the themes.

6. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

A group of boys is stranded on an island, and the book follows their survival efforts. The group slowly descends into very animalistic ways of dealing with each other. This book is known for its overall theme of how humanity acts. I think it’s a bit slow moving at first, but I loved this book once I was older and could understand all of the messages hidden beneath the pages.

 

7. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Oh man…this book just makes me feel good. It’s such a cute, quaint book and I love it. It’s about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who is very reserved and loves his home. He’s convinced to leave his home and go on this crazy adventure, eventually discovering how courageous he can be and being more confident in the process. It’s a great story with a great message.

 

8. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Anne Frank’s diary is a glimpse into the life of a Jewish girl hiding in an attic from the Nazi regime. She is found and sent to a concentration camp, where she eventually passes away. Her diary chronicled all of her worries and anxieties and even her teenage interests, and it’s the perfect book to read when one wants to feel inspired. It’s such a deep connection to another human being and it truly shows that everyone is worthy and wants happiness.

 

9. A Separate Peace by John Knowles

This book is about two boys, Gene and Finny, who are best friends and go to a boarding school. Gene is quiet and introverted and Finny is outgoing and athletic. They’re exact opposites but they work well together. Gene has a growing jealousy towards Finny and does something that will change the course of their friendship. People think this book is about two boys who are gay, but I don’t think it is at all. I don’t like the idea that because two men have a close friendship that it’s seen as gay or odd. The reason I loved this book was because I identified with Gene. I am a bit more quiet, and I constantly compare myself to my outgoing friends, sometimes feeling pangs of jealousy. I identified strongly with the main character, and it’s why I loved the book so much.

10. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia #2) by C.S. Lewis

I love this series. These books are just feel good stories, and it’s hard to not enjoy the writing. If you want an easy read, I suggest the Narnia series. Aslan, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are the best characters with many adventures in the land of Narnia, and there’s a genuine sense of love between all of them. I think everyone should read the whole series at least once.

 

Sooooo……..

I know I’m just hitting the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how great classic novels can be. I hope I get to read a bit more but it does require some strength in me to build myself up to pick them up and read. I hope I’m not the only person that struggles to read classics lol

What about you? Do you enjoy reading classic novels, and if so, which ones? Comment below!