Pride And Prejudice
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This 1813 novel, written by Jane Austen is a classic must-read. Pride and Prejudice follows the protagonist of the book Elizabeth Bennet. As the book unfolds, Bennet learns about the difference between real and fake goodness as she has to deal with the repercussions of her own hasty judgments.
The Lord Of The Rings
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This series of books was written by J.R.R Tolkien and published in 1954. Set in the fantasy land of Middle-Earth, the story started as a sequel to Tolkien’s earlier work ‘The Hobbit’ but ended up being a much larger piece of work. This too was later made into an incredibly successful film franchise.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
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Another one made into a film, albeit not as successful as The Lord of the Rings, ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ is a brilliant novel written by Ken Kesey and published in 1962. The novel is set in a psychiatric ward in Oregon and is a commentary on the institutional processes of the time.
To Kill A Mockingbird
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Harper Lee’s classic novel, published in 1960 almost instantly became a success and is widely studied in high schools, and middle schools. The novel is both a coming-of-age story and a dark drama about racism and prejudice and their roots and consequences.
The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe
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Published in 1950 The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe is the first of seven books in the series ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ by famous author and scholar C.S. Lewis. Set in the fantasy land of Narnia the book follows Lucy and her siblings as they discover this new world.
Jane Eyre
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Published under her pen name in 1847, English Author Charlotte Brontë wrote the classic Gothic Fiction Novel, Jane Eyre. The novel follows the life of ‘Jane’, a seemingly plain and simple girl, and is about her struggle to achieve equality and overcome oppression.
Moby-Dick
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Also known as ‘The Whale’, Moby-Dick is a novel written by Herman Melville and is about the crazy quest of ‘Ahab’, the captain of a whaling ship, who is out to get revenge against Moby Dick the giant white sperm whale who foiled the whaling ship ‘Pequod’s last venture.
War and Peace
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Russian author, Leo Tolstoy’s most famed work ‘War and Peace’ follows the Napoleonic invasion of Russia in 1812. The book was published in 1867 and is about Pierre Bezukhov, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, and Natasha Rostov. The novel mixes fiction and historical events.
Wuthering Heights
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Another famous Brontë novel, however, this time Emily instead of Charlotte. This is Emily Brontë’s only published novel, however, is widely known as the heights of 19th-century English Literature. Published in 1847 the novel follows the story of Heathcliff, an orphan, and how falling in love with a girl above his class plays out for the rest of his life.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
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The classic by Lewis Carroll is set in the fantastical world of Wonderland which is stumbled upon after the main character Alice finds herself falling down a rabbit hole. Also known as ‘Alice in Wonderland’, Carol’s book was published in 1865 and is an absolute adventure through this bizarre world.
Nineteen Eighty-Four
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One of George Orwell’s classic novels, this particular book is a dystopian science fiction novel but also a social commentary and cautionary tale. Published in 1949 this was Orwell’s ninth and final book of his lifetime and is a caution about the ever-growing big brother, which bans individuality.
Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone
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More widely known for the films, the Harry Potter series has become a modern classic. Many people think that the books, however, written by J.K. Rowling are far better than the films, due to the detail that has been left out in many of the films. Why not read this one first and then see if you get hooked on the rest of them?
Hamlet
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One of Shakespeare’s most famous classics this tragedy’s full title is ‘The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark’ follows the story of Hamlet, who is told by his dead father’s ghost to avenge his death by killing the current king, who is Hamlet’s uncle. Definitely a classic that should be on your list!
The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn
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This classic by Mark Twain, published in 1884 is written from the point of view of Huck Finn, an illiterate teenager with a drunken and abusive father. To escape his father, Huck decides to fake his own death. Shortly after he encounters Jim, a slave that escaped, and the two embark on a journey!
One Hundred Years Of Solitude
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Published in 1967, One Hundred Years of Solitude is written by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez and is widely regarded as one of the best achievements in world literature. It follows the history of the Buendiá family and the mythical town of Macondo.
The Iliad
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Written by the Greek poet Homer, this epic classic greek poem is a 24-book epic about the wrath of the greek god Achilles. It is one of the oldest pieces of literature that is still read today and is widely paired with another of Homer’s major ancient greek poems – The Odyssey.
Ulysses
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Following Homer, Ulysses follows the structure of Homer’s The Odyssey which is widely regarded as a key text of literary modernism. Written by the Irish writer James Joyce and published in 1920 the book follows Odyssey’s journey home to his wife Penelope from the trojan war.
To The Lighthouse
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The 1927 novel written by Virginia Woolf is set in Scotland and is about the Ramsay family and their trips to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The classic is widely regarded as the greatest artistic achievement of the 20th Century, but many also say it is very difficult to read and follow.
David Copperfield
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One of Charles Dickens’ classics, published in 1850, David Copperfield is the most autobiographical of Dickens’ works, and follows the emotional life and maturity of David, from birth to maturity. The book entails some of Dickens’s most extraordinary families.
Frankenstein
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This classic Gothic Horror novel was originally published in 1818 and written by Mary Shelley. The novel follows the story of a young scientist called Victor Frankenstein who creates a creature in an unorthodox experiment. The full title of the book is ‘Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus’
Persuasion
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Persuasion is the final novel that was completed by Jane Austen. Published in 1817, the book is the love story of Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth, who had parted ways eight years earlier as she had been persuaded not to marry him. This romance novel is known as a classic.
Dracula
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Written by Bram Stoker and published in 1897 this Gothic Horror does not have a protagonist, the book however opens with John Harker, who is a solicitor staying at the castle of a Transylvanian nobleman… you guessed it Count Dracula. It is old but widely regarded as an easy read.
Great Expectations
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Another Charles Dickens classic, and the penultimate book that Dickens wrote, Great Expectations follows the story of an English orphan who is called Pip who then goes on to become wealthy. It is one of only two novels that Dickens wrote that is fully narrated in the first person.
The Catcher In The Rye
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This American novel was published in 1951 and written by J. D. Salinger. Originally written for adults, however often read by teens, this novel is a critique of superficiality in society as the narrative follows two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after being expelled from prep school.
Catch-22
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Joseph Heller’s work, published in 1961, is a satirical war novel about Captain John Yossarian and his desperate efforts to stay alive during his time as an American bombardier stationed on a Mediterranean island in World War II. It apparently took Heller 8 years to write.
Invisible Man
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Ralph Ellison’s first novel, ‘Invisible Man’, published in 1952 is an essential American classic. The novel follows the struggles that a young African American faces as he attempts to find his place in society as he moves north during the Harlem Renaissance.
The Color Purple
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Written by Alice Walker, The Color Purple is an epistolary novel about Celie, an African American teenager raised in rural Georgia. Celie narrates her life through agonizingly honest letters to God as she starts to resist the way she thinks about herself that has been enforced on her by others.
The Scarlet Letter
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Published in 1850, The Scarlet Letter is a romance, and written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This historical fiction centers on the life of Hester Prynne, who conceives a child out of wedlock in Massachusetts in the 17th century. She then struggles to create a new life of dignity, and repentance.
The Great Gatsby
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This novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald was published in 1925 and later made into a film. This classic is a tragedy novel set in the Jazz age, near New York on Long Island. The book is about Jay Gatsby the mysterious millionaire and his obsession with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
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Our final must-read is a book about a slave, Tom, who has been sold many times and has to endure unthinkable brutality from his slave drivers and masters. Originally published in 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel is anti-slavery and is said to have had a profound effect on attitudes towards the slavery of African Americans.