They say reading is a window to the universe; it teaches you not only about yourself and others, but about the world and the human condition on a global scale. Unlike most people, I was that nerd who actually read the books required in tenth grade English class. I was and still am astounded by the ability of writers to put experiences into words that relates to people from all walks of life. From Beowulf to Gatsby, the stories came to life in my mind and have stayed with me to this day. Whether you're a regular bookworm or one who avoids books at all costs, here are the classics that can work for anybody.
1. The Catcher in the Rye
I first encountered Holden Caulfield in eleventh-grade English, taught by one of the most amazing humans I was lucky enough to know. I felt that I related to Holden on a deep level, as most teenagers probably do-he is realistic, pessimistic, and has quite a bleak view of the world. The story is about Holden and his adventures through boarding school (which he soon gets kicked out of), his family life, and his isolation. Salinger illustrates loneliness as a reality that we all face and shows us that it is just that: a reality. Through his honest tone and characterization of others such as Phoebe and Mr. Antolini, Salinger creates a character representative of all of us, hence its popularity.
2. The Great Gatsby
Fitzgerald's most famous work, The Great Gatsby highlights human fault and the unattainability of the American Dream. He takes us through the lavish era of the 1920's filled with parties, mansions, and fancy material possessions. We see the story through the eyes of Nick Carraway, an aspiring bond man who moves in next to Gatsby. Jay Gatsby is a young man of new money who made his fortune, so he says, from the drug store business. He is tragically in love with a young heiress, Daisy Buchanan, whom is married to a brute man named Tom. Nick becomes the gateway to Daisy for Gatsby and is sucked into a mess of love and destruction. Fitzgerald's swift imagery and lovely diction guide us easily through the novel, which I may or may not have read five times through.
3. 1984
George Orwell's prediction of the future guided by one party and headed by Big Brother, who watches all citizens at all times, provides the setting for Winston and Julia's story. Winston works for the Ministry of Truth and alters the history of the world to fit the needs of the party; anyone who thinks or speaks of rebelling or disagreeing with the party is severely punished. The government controls absolutely everything, which Winston learns to hate. With the help of his lover Julia, they try to infiltrate the Brotherhood, the rebel force of the major political faction. Orwell warns us of the dangers of government control and reveals the strengths and weaknesses of us humans. His vivid descriptions paint a picture that is close to home and riveting in every way.
4. Fahrenheit 451
Bradbury's picture of the future differs a bit from Orwell's: in a post-modern America lives Guy Montag, a firefighter who starts fires rather than putting them out. In this utopia people care little about nature or other people and instead distract themselves with television, sea-shell radios and extremely fast cars. Montag meets a young girl who opens his eyes to the horrors of their society and when tragedies start to pour into his life, he decides to rebel against the norm and commits a major crime by hoarding books in his own home. This climactic story suggests the unconsciousness among the masses and the dangers of too much technology. Bradbury takes us to a different world that is not so far off from our own with his rich use of language and relatable tone.
5. The Picture of Dorian Gray
Let me start off by saying this is easily my favorite book; Wilde's use of the English language is romantic, beautiful, and honest. He speaks truths that none of us dare to confront (through Lord Henry's arrogant disposition) and displays the error in human morality and the dangers that come with it. Dorian Gray is a smart, attractive young man who catches the eye of artist Basil Hallward; the two become good friends and Dorian sits for many pictures. Upon one sitting Gray is introduced to Lord Henry, a hedonistic, critical man who has a great influence upon Dorian. Once a pure, moral young man, Gray becomes a monster and the masterpiece that Hallward painted for him reflects all of the damage he's done. Though the novel is set in the past, it still relates to us on a deep level and that amazes me. Wilde created something that has lasted through so many years, revealing the nature of humans does not change with time.
6. Everything Is Illuminated
Okay, okay, I'll admit this one isn't a classic, but it's definitely a must-read. Written by Jonathan Safran Foer, this novel takes us through the journey of a young Jewish-American man who set off to Ukraine searching for his family's history. With only a picture of a woman who supposedly saved his grandfather's life in World War II, Jonathan works alongside his Ukrainian guide, Alex, and his grandfather to discover the secrets of his family's past. The book is written from three main perspectives: Jonathan's account of the story, Alex's account, and letters from Alex to Jonathan. Funny yet heartwarming, subtle yet profound, Foer uses his talent with the language to appeal to our emotions and tell a wonderful story; no wonder it was made into a movie!
7. Brave New World
In this version of the future in London, none of the values we hold true in society today are existent; there is no family, love, religion, science, or art. Humans are engineered and sorted into a caste level in which they are conditioned to comply with throughout childhood. The citizens' emotions are controlled by a drug called soma, which they are all given rations of weekly. People do not feel anything deeply and are only driven by their desire to find pleasure. Bernard Marx, an employee for the engineering factory, is sent off to a Reservation in order to study the people outside of the World State. Accompanied by the attractive Lenina, they meet a Savage named John who tells them his story of being isolated from the rest of the group and growing up as the son of a woman named Linda, who was rescued from the Reservation twenty years earlier. John visits the World State and is disgusted with what he sees; it opens Bernard's eyes to the horrors of their society and leads to a climax in the story. Aldous Huxley reveals the dangers of living without meaning. He creates a very intricate plot line in which the reader can easily understand and connect to.
8. Slaughterhouse-Five
Kurt Vonnegut takes us through a time warp in the eyes of Billy Pilgrim, an average young man who is inevitably drafted to fight in World War II. He sweeps (in no particular order) through his life in school, in the beautiful city of Dresden before and after its destruction, his marriage to the obese Valencia Merble, and in Tralfamadore. Billy is tainted by his experience of being abducted by aliens and his traumatizing experiences in the war, and it affects all other points in time. Dynamic, out of the ordinary, and hilarious, Vonnegut sheds light on the reality of the war and its force on those affected in a way that relates to everybody. Though possibly confusing at first, this novel is brilliant and definitely worth the read.
9. All the Light We Cannot See
Anthony Doerr tells the story of two children across the world in World War II. Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French girl, lives with her father who keeps the keys of the museum. When he is entrusted with the possibly-cursed stone called the Sea of Flames, they flee to his father Etienne's house on the coast. Marie-Laure's father is captured by the government and she becomes a valuable asset in the French resistance effort, helping her grandparents to transmit information via radio. On the other side, in Germany, rests Werner Pfennig, a young boy recruited to train at a Nazi school. A brilliant orphan child, Pfennig aspires to be a scientist and the Nazis use his talent; he is offered a position above fighting and instead works on locating and destroying anti-German radio broadcasts. The two worlds intertwine in a way that you never would guess. Sad but lovely and incredibly brilliant, this story is one you can't miss out on.
