When Jason and I were first dating, I was shocked to discover that he'd made it through high school without reading some of my favorite books. I gave him To Kill a Mockingbird one Christmas and I took the liberty of writing notes in the margins to be sure he wouldn't miss anything. All this to say, I love to read and I devour classics.
At the same time, I totally understand why people shy away from classic literature. Some books just seem to drone on with odd language and references to obscure things of bygone eras. Here's a few that I think are great and would be enjoyed by most...
John Steinbeck's East of Eden is one of my all-time favorites. I equate it to a soap opera for intellectuals. It is filled with family relationships, love and scandal but at the same time, it's so eloquently written and philosophical. The movie version starring the very dreamy James Dean is pretty great too.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas is hard to put down. I read it on vacation in Hawaii a few years back. Poor Jason had to beg me to anything that wasn't laying in the sun inhaling this book. Don't let the size scare you, it's a quick read.
A Farewell to Arms is Hemingway's semi-autobiographical tale of a young American soldier and a British nurse with World War I as the backdrop. It's beautiful in the description of Italian landscapes and in the juxtaposition of romance and war.
Little Women
is a book I've loved since I was a child. I just reread it this past year and I finally feel like I understood what Jo's choices regarding love. If you've read it, you know what I mean!
is a book I've loved since I was a child. I just reread it this past year and I finally feel like I understood what Jo's choices regarding love. If you've read it, you know what I mean!
And there are so many more I want to include! If you enjoyed Laura Ingalls Wilder as a child, you'll probably love Willa Cather
as I do.
Then there's Jane Austen
. Yes, she's a bit archaic, but once you get into her writing you discover that she has a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor.
Many of you might have read Catcher in the Rye in school, I still remember kids in my English class being excited to read it aloud and getting to swear in class! Now I adore all of Sallinger's short stories
.
as I do. Then there's Jane Austen
. Yes, she's a bit archaic, but once you get into her writing you discover that she has a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor. Many of you might have read Catcher in the Rye in school, I still remember kids in my English class being excited to read it aloud and getting to swear in class! Now I adore all of Sallinger's short stories
.
What do you love to read?
(Images via Good Reads and IMDb)
Just read this article about how reading novels effects our brains, very interesting.
ReplyDelete"Fiction, Dr. Oatley notes, 'is a particularly useful simulation because negotiating the social world effectively is extremely tricky, requiring us to weigh up myriad interacting instances of cause and effect. Just as computer simulations can help us get to grips with complex problems such as flying a plane or forecasting the weather, so novels, stories and dramas can help us understand the complexities of social life.'"
Read here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/opinion/sunday/the-neuroscience-of-your-brain-on-fiction.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2
that is a good way to get someone you love to read a book you love! smart. also, sad there is no new tuesday post!
ReplyDeleteEast of Eden is now of my FAVORITES ever.
ReplyDeleteIt's seriously the best! So much going on...
Delete