Classic Books to Cuddle Up With
Do we have a sort of resentment towards classics ever since they were the chosen literature to be shoved down our throats before we could ever really understand them in our early education? I think I would sigh and say yeah okay, let's read this… I guess. But ladies and gentlemen and everyone, I think it is time that we reopen our hearts to these books which have been so labeled in my mind, and maybe yours also, as “academic.” I am about to sound like your English teacher from high school except maybe slightly cooler? That is also debatable, however, they are classics for a reason! These books have undergone years of reading, studying and have withstood the weathering effects of time on people’s names and work. You will recognize the name of the book even if you have no idea of who wrote it. I think what I mean to say here is, there must be something about them worth reading if they have become household names and especially household names long after their author has died. I will admit that I haven’t read tons of literature that falls under this category, but from what I have read I would like to talk about a little bit with you.
The first I will mention is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, mainly because I just finished reading it. I will warn you that it deals heavily with depression and suicide. I love Sylvia Plath. I think she was a genius. The Bell Jar is written from the perspective of a young college student named Esther Greenwood who is an aspiring writer that struggles with mental illness. This book not only deals with mental health, the feeling that a woman must choose between being beautiful, fulfilling her “womanly” duties as a mother and wife, and being smart and successful in their field of study. Apart from all of that, Plath’s writing is beautiful and the story is captivating.
“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. “ Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is relevant because of its portrayal of the 1920’s ‘idealistic "American life. We see through the “normal” Nick Carraway’s interactions with Gatsby, a lifestyle of lavish parties and extreme riches. Despite all the money in the world, Gatsby can’t have the one thing he actually wants; to be with the woman he loves. There is conflict, money, death, love and all the great parts of a story in this book.
“No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Simply for the sake that this is a blog and not an essay this is the last book I will write about. Donna Tartt’s The Secret History is from the perspective of Richard, a new college student who becomes part of a super exclusive program for studying ancient Greek at his small liberal arts college… except there is something weird about this group of students and the one professor they have nearly all of their courses with. The Greek students separate themselves from the rest of the student body and as they do, morals begin to lose their footing. This story is super shocking. While I have read that many people found the writing to be pretentious, I didn’t necessarily feel that way, and think that Tartt’s diction fits the story and character well.
“Beauty is rarely soft or consolatory. Quite the contrary. Genuine beauty is always quite alarming.” Donna Tartt, The Secret History
While this is about all I have time for, here are some other classics that I would recommend.
Happy reading!
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
The Shining by Stephen King
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Strike Out,
Rebecca Morgan
Rebecca Morgan is the Editorial Director of Strike Magazine Chattanooga. You can find her at rebeccaliz1134@gmail.com or on Instagram @tolkein_ginger
