Sometimes we can come across a string of words etched on a page that our breath catches, and we want to forget it just to experience their beauty all over again. Classic literature feels like escaping into a time where every single word mattered. The sophistication in ideas, the poetry of emotion and timeless battles that are so relatable.
Classic literature is anything but fleeting and should be cherished. It’s the enemy of a quick read, but instead each page, each story should be cherished. There was a time where stories could only be told orally. Beautiful songs and sonnets lost and unable to be shared with the generations that followed. Now we have the fortune to cling to these stories and appreciate their works.
If you’ve decided to delve into classic literature titles, this post will help guide you through where to start and where to go next if you’ve fallen in love with these works.
Classic Literature Titles for Beginners
Why Classical Literature Books Matter Today
Classical literature is the blueprint. It’s the foundation of tackling complex emotions and embarking on ones own adventure. While many books today tend to have a “happily ever after” classical literature is raw unexpected. There is no promise of a happy ending, just a beautiful and fragile story to be told. The classics also have a way of showing human experiences and that no matter the lifetime, the circumstance, or struggles, we can all relate to the same heart fluttering love, crushing sorrow, and self-discovery.
Reading classical literature will not only increase your knowledge of significant events and awareness of different cultures, but it will also improve your critical thinking and vocabulary.
So not only are you preserving art, but you’re also becoming it in doing so.
Classic Literature List for Beginners
On Love:
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Identity:
- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Reflection:
- Persuasion by Jane Austen
- The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Emma by Jane Austen
Forgiveness:
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Fantasy:
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis
- Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
- A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle
- The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
- The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
Classic Book Titles to Read For Readers Ready to Dive Deeper
Tragic Ambition:
- Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlow
- Macbeth by William Shakespeare
- Moby Dick by Herman Melville
- Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft
Society and Desire:
- Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
- The Awakening by Kate Chopin
- A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Faith and Morality:
- Paradise Lost by John Milton
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- 1984 by George Orwell
Heroism:
- Beowulf by Unknown
- Lord of The Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Creating A Reading Ritual Reading Classic Literature Books
Classical literature already requires us to slow down with their wistful words and deep meanings. Just a page a day makes the perfect addition to your slow mornings or a quick break outside when you need to step away from the flurry of work. Commit to one page a day, or even a chapter a day with a glass of tea, accompanied by either a soft classical ballad or nothing more than the natural song of a bird’s happy tune in a gentle breeze. Then once you’ve finished reading carry it with you and ponder the text. Its meaning, tone and texture. This keeps the story with you until the next time you meet again.
Spending time reading is an act of love. It’s taking time to enrich your mind and your spirit even further. Classic literature is truly timeless, making it an elegant practice that is both attainable and sparks excitement as you finish one and begin another. Along with sparking thought and imagination, this guide makes it easy to check of classic literature titles one by one. Pretty soon every moment in your life will feel like a poetic line because you begin to see the world differently.
