Summer is by far one of the greatest times for reading. The cool summer breeze and longer days create ample light and spare time to catch up on classic reads. Whether or not you love famous authors, here are 10 MUST reads for pleasure or for preparing for next year.
1.1984
George Orwell’s dystopian tale draws a scary relationship between totalitarian governments and the unknowing public. Satirizing the constant state of war and Thought Police, the government attempts to control the minds of the people. Fighting against his own thoughts, the protagonist is set on breaking the 24/7 monitoring system and controlling what the government hopes to take away. Freedom of thought and privacy is contested, leaving the readers weary of their own nation’s monitoring, having a profound effect on their trust in the government.
“War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.”
― George Orwell, 1984
2. Siddhartha
This novella is a transcendent story tracing Siddhartha Gautama's journey to enlightenment. Filled with an amazing life experiences, Siddhartha learns to find himself in his darkest moments. He rids his life from pain and pleasure in order to find peace. Even if you read this with no foreknowledge on Buddhism, this tale is endearing to all who read.
“And all the voices, all the goals, all the yearnings, all the sorrows, all the pleasures, all the good and evil, all of them together was the world. All of them together was the stream of events, the music of life.”
― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
3. Fahrenheit 451
With billboards getting bigger, books being burned, mechanical dogs, and the government assisting suicide on a daily basis; this science fiction classic that was originally published in Playboy magazine describes a pyromaniac hero emerging from a postmodern dystopia where everything is supposed to seem normal. Though not always required reading for english courses, the commentary on an evolving world and the emphasis on reading, friendship, and identity are evident and highly recommended.
“Stuff your eyes with wonder, he said, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.”
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
4. Catcher in the Rye
Though the actual merits of this book is debatable (it’s place as a classic bildungsroman is definitely cemented). By reading Holden’s whirlwind of an adventure and breakdown, you have the opportunity to analyze and enjoy without feeling like abandoning the monetary and annoyance of life for a New York winter in a sketchy hotel.
“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.”
― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
5. The Road
The road is a brilliant novel tracing the dry dialogue of a father and son running for survival in an apocalyptic future. Their idealistic hope and morality guide them to the “blue skies” they seek away from the immediate danger along the road. This dreary yet uplifting novel is a hyperrealistic plot that humanity will hope not to face soon. The plot is captivating and enticing for finishing in one sitting.
“Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it.”
― Cormac McCarthy, The Road
6. The Great Gatsby
Jazz Age efficients will appreciate F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous story, the Great Gatsby. The deep rooted love story connects a mysterious self made millionaire, war hero, and idealistic lover, Jay Gatsby chasing a long lost love, Daisy, who is already married. They undergo a scandalous affair that defines the excess and disillusionment of the Roaring 20s. Alcoholism as an escape, and elaborate parties for Daisy’s attention, the story follows the divisions in the city between the Old and Young Money, Whites and Blacks, Haves and Have Nots, all under one supervision of the Eyes of God.
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
7. A Separate Peace
Bound within World War II, students in a New Hampshire Boarding school unravel as the war does. The commentary on their actions depict a darker side to their para-militaristic personalities. The main character Gene is faced with personal tension and violent actions. Phineas on the other hand, is the pinnacle of perfect as Gene both loves and detests him as a friend. Their Super Secret Suicide Society is bound similarly to the alliance systems within the World Wars as they all either commit to fighting or die trying. This bildungsroman delves into the development of all the characters and the generational pressures pushing them.
“Nothing endures. Not a tree. Not love. Not even death by violence.”
― John Knowles, A Separate Peace
8. Chronicles of a Death Foretold
From a famous author of magical realism, Gabriel García Márquez pens this engaging novella regarding a murder case, which includes a lot of cultural commentary and symbolism. This investigative story begins with the murder and the plot is everything following it.
“They looked like two children," she told me. And that thought frightened her, because she'd always felt that only children are capable of everything.”
― Gabriel García Márquez, Chronicle of a Death Foretold
9. Slaughterhouse-Five
Kurt Vonnegut’s modernist masterpiece is a historical and sci-fi blend. Recounting the nightmarish dimensions of World War II, the protagonist struggles to find reality. His PTSD and insomnia qualities are casualties from his wartime pain, however they bring him closer to his own personal philosophy. Materialized through his connection with an alien abduction, Billy Pilgrim feels that he can time travel, thus the story has no exact chronological order. He bounces from tale to tale with stories of his life and facing his mortality along with the 4th dimension.. So it goes.
“All moments, past, present and future, always have existed, always will exist.”
― Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five
10. Pride and Prejudice
The classic romance story between Elizabeth Bennet and William Darcy. Though it may take you awhile to get used to the old-speak language, you can always watch one of the many more modern adaptations of it to catch up or accompany your read (Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies anyone? The Lizzie Bennet Diaries webseries?), or one of the many adaptations or love plots inspired by classic.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice