October is a good month. And here it is, upon us. The leaves are turning. There is a different smell in the air. The world around us is in a state of change, and we really see it in the Fall in Ohio.
But with all of this comes cooler air and darker nights.
And what a perfect time to read. I’m always looking for an excellent new book. Not just a good book, but a spectacular book. So I always notice when someone writes a “review” of some sort.
Not too long ago I came across this article:
30 Classic Novels Everyone Should Read at Least Once
The article reminded us that classic novels have stood the test of time for a reason. It said “They’re groundbreaking, have wide appeal and are worth a second (and third) read.”
It is true. A good story lasts. I mean, storytelling has existed since the beginning of time. It is one way we humans share experiences and insights and so much more, from tales of love, hate, morality, and culture.
Storytelling became even more widespread with the advent of book printing. Our good scientists and historians point to first-millennium China as the origin of the first printed text. It took storytelling to a new level. With “books,” we were able to read those wonderful stories. But we could also revisit the best books again and again.
And that is when the Classic Novel was born.
Back to the article. They describe their criteria for picking their list:
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“So what exactly qualifies a work as classic literature? Broadly speaking, classic novels are groundbreaking for their era, have broad appeal beyond one community or country, and have withstood the test of time—their stories and messages remain relevant today. For our list, we chose classic novels written in the 20th century or earlier, and every book on this list is more than 25 years old. We combed through bestseller lists of old to dig up books that have been well-reviewed and acclaimed. But more important, we’ve rounded up books that broke ground, kept us thinking and even created new book genres.”
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And now. Their LIST:
The Color Purple by Alice Walker — Publication date: 1982
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald — Publication date: 1925
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë — Publication date: 1847
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo — Ishiguro Publication date: 1989
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf — Publication date: 1925
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys — Publication date: 1966
The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu — Publication date: 1021 — Considered to be the world’s first novel
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov — Publication date: 1966
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie — Publication date: 1981
Ulysses by James Joyce — Publication date: 1922
The Secret History by Donna Tartt — Publication date: 1992
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison — Publication date: 1952
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston — Publication date: 1937
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez — Publication date: 1967
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen — Publication date: 1813
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger — Publication date: 1951
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley — Publication date: 1818
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin — Publication date: 1953
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende — Publication date: 1982
1984 by George Orwell — Publication date: 1949
Beloved by Toni Morrison — Publication date: 1987
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe — Publication date: 1958
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros — Publication date: 1983
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath — Publication date: 1963
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee — Publication date: 1960
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy — Publication date: 1997T
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan — Publication date: 1989
No-No Boy by John Okada — Publication date: 1957
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy — Publication date: 1878
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott — Publication date: 1868
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I was a little surprised by this list. For one, I found that I had only read about ten of these. The second thing? I had not even heard of several of the books. The list was compiled by the editors at Reader’s Digest. When I first set out on this article, I had the loose intention of reading the things on their list. And then? I got to Ulysses by James Joyce, and it soured the whole deal. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who could make heads or tails of this gobbledy-gook book.
Ulysses on this list would have been the equivalent of putting black licorice on the “Top Five Candies of All Time” list.
So take it as you will. Read them or do not.
There are a lot of wonderful books out there. But most of all. To each their own.
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“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” — Stephen King
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“The only thing you absolutely have to know is the way to the library.” — Albert Einstein
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“A book is a dream that you hold in your hands.” — Neil Gaiman
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The Top Book List. Or not.
