I know, college typically means surviving and not quite thriving. So, who actually has the time to read for fun? No one. But, the works listed below are often those that one may encounter in a high school or survey-level college English class. The next time you are assigned one of these works ... 10/10 highly recommend devoting your time reading them (no, SparkNotes doesn't count as reading).
1. Paradise Lost
2. Beowulf
This everlasting epic plays host to a variety of themes that we can take lessons from and apply to contemporary society (fate v. free will, Christian truth, etc.).
3. Uncle Tom's Cabin
Okay, so the dialogue in this classic isn't exactly the best. However, the novel touches on several crucial issues in American History (racism, slavery, colorism, gender roles, etc.). The varied interpretations of the novel make for an intriguing read.
4. Gulliver's Travels
5. Moby-Dick
I know what you must be thinking. And, no, this classic isn't exactly my favorite piece of literature either. However, it's a classic. Give is a read!
6. The Crucible
7. Wuthering Heights
I made the mistake of reading this novel in high school. Unfortunately, the heightened darkness of the work went right over my head. But, it is a must-read for appropriately aged literary enthusiasts.
8. Pride and Prejudice
9. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
10. Ooronoko
This classic establishes a definitive binary between the original sin of man (aka Adam & Eve eating from the Tree of Knowledge) and the original sin of England as Empire (slavery). It is worth the read!
11. The Canterbury Tales
The vast literary compass of The Canterbury Tales is almost too much for any average reader to absorb. But, some of the individual tales are worth your time ("The Pardoner's Tale," "The Wife of Bath's Tale," etc.).
