REVIEW: Required literature for every reader
The fact that I am an English major emphasizing in literary studies means I have 200 pages of reading – per day. Needless to say, this leaves little time for pleasure reading, or even when I do get that time, I’m a little tired of reading for the day.
So, in light of my absence of recent reading, I instead came up with my own list of books everyone must read before they die. There are a million top 10 or top 100 spanning the genres, but on my list, each one is completely different, so I promise there will be something on this list for everybody. Now, I would like to warn you this list is by no means comprehensive. I am only including books that I personally have read, and since I still have a list of classics to read, there could be many other novels that make the list in the future. If you disagree with my picks, check out that e-mail at the bottom of my column and tell me what you think.
Oh, and by the way, if you have read any of these books in high school, I don’t care. Read. Them. Again. Reading a novel is very different when it is not required for a class, and I promise you will get more out of a book the second time, as opposed to back in high school when it was cool to hate everything.
1. Hamlet – A wise philosophy professor once told my class if nothing else, every person on this earth should read Hamlet at least once in their life, and while Hamlet is not my number one Shakespeare play, it IS number one on this list for a reason.
Though the main theme of “Hamlet” is simple, the plot has great depth. The play is not just about revenge, and many classrooms have debated the multiple meanings behind Hamlet for days, weeks even.
If the language scares you, at least watch the movie. I admit reading Shakespeare is not like reading Harry Potter, but once you get used to the language it does become easier. Plus, there are a multitude of books out there to help you tackle the Bard.
2. “Utopia” – For the political buffs out there, you should have read this already, and if you haven’t, start right now. This book will teach politics better than any textbook out there, I promise you.
Thomas More writes of an island discovered by one of his characters to have an interesting and unique political system. While it may sound boring, describing the island of Utopia’s political system can actually be quite fascinating.
“Utopia” conducts politics like none other, and by reading this book we can better understand flaws with our own political system. I’m telling you the truth; this book will change your life, just as it changed mine.
3. “Pride and Prejudice” – I already reviewed this one in the past, so if you would like to read about it, see my other columns. However, this novel is important and deserves to be on the list.
While “Hamlet” is great for the psychologists, and Utopia is good for the politicians, Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” is for anyone, man or woman, who happens to be romantically inclined. It has a wonderful story, and presents both strong male and female characters.
Guys – if you have some time this summer and want to impress the girls, read this book.
Ladies – while laying outside on a beach up at Bear Lake getting that nice summer tan, read this book.
4. “To Kill a Mockingbird” – You may have noticed that the rest of my books come from European literature. I have a love for it, and so that is mostly what I like to read. In spite of this, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is the one piece of American literature I think should be read over anything else.
Harper Lee’s novel is brilliant. Not only is it extremely well-written, but it shows of a time period every one of us can learn from. There is a reason it is just about impossible to graduate from high school without reading this book.
Kellyn is a junior in English and The Statesman’s features editor. She loves reading both her Kindle and paperback novels and can be reached at kellyn.neumann@aggiemail.usu.edu