Timeless Classics: Books You Must Read

Ask people whether they have read works of Haruki Murakami or John Osborne or even Neil Gaiman. Some will say yes, and some will say no. While all of these writers are tremendously talented and absolutely amazing in their own rights, none of them have yet been called “classics”.

 

 

So what is it about the Classics that just stand the test of time? What is it about them that make them the best books to give as gifts? What makes them the books you must read? Is it the writing techniques? Is it the timelessness and the universal context of the tragedies? Is it the thrill of the mystery and suspense books?

Below is a list of some of the all-time favorite Classics. Check out the ones you have read so far and the ones that maybe will make it to your year’s reading list, because as a wise person once said, you can never read enough books!

 

To Kill a Mockingbird

 

Cult classic, this book by Harper Lee takes a serious look at racism and discrimination in the Southern States back in the 1930s. The story is told from the perspective of a child, Scout Finch, as she narrates the story and her perspective of events as her father, Atticus Finch, tries, against all odds, to defend a black man who has been accused of raping a white girl.

 

The sequel to it, “Go Set a Watchman” has just been released. Go, check it out!

 

The Catcher in the Rye

 

Listed as one of the best books of the twentieth century, J.D. Salinger’s celebrated novel was originally intended for adults, but it has come to be loved by people of all ages. The teenage angst, the existential questions playing the protagonist, Holden, is universal and that is what makes this book a gift for book lovers.

 

While Holden’s coming of age narrative seems just what it is, at the surface, on a deeper level, it has a subtle attitude of Salinger himself, and the echoes of the Second World War.

 

The Great Gatsby

 

Perhaps the best and most famous of F. Scott Fitzgerald, some people consider it as a mystery and suspense book, in the light of Gatsby’s true identity and the reality behind the enigma and the mystery surrounding him.

 

More often than not, Gatsby is considered as a tragic hero, a hero who was a martyr for the woman he loved. Beautifully narrated, this book is about love, loss, pain and most importantly, about the tragedy of wealth.

 

Gone With the Wind

 

Considered one of the best fictional books to read, this classic book got the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction back in 1937. It tells the beautiful coming of age story of Scarlett O’Hara, a blemished descendant of a agricultural estate owner who is struck with poverty and learns to use every mean at her disposal to keep herself from falling apart.

 

The novel also talks about the deep entrenched caste system and slavery back in the days, the apartheid and discrimination that was embedded like weed in the minds of the people.

 

 Vanity Fair

 

This is the parallel tale of the lives of two heroines- Becky Sharpe and Amelia Sedley, as the two very different characters with two very different personalities try to climb the social ladder and make their way into the esteemed Vanity Fair.

 

This novel explores the darker aspects of human nature, all the while, beautifully portraying just how fallible each one of us is.

 

Moby Dick

 

“Call me Ishmael”, the opening line still manages to send chills of excitement down the spine. This is a fantastical tale of adventure, excitement and revenge, drawn closely on the author’s study of Shakespeare, the Bible, whaling literature and sea adventures.

 

The main theme is that fate, as a cosmic force, is unpredictable as best. Something we feel on a daily basis, isn’t it?

 

War and Peace

 

Arguably, the best of a Russian author, War and Peace delineates the effects and motives of war, and the unreasonable and irrational human instincts that bring to force such destructive events. Undoubtedly, this one of the best fiction books of all time.

 

But underneath all of the destruction and the ensuing catastrophe of war, lies the inherent search for the meaning of life, as often seen in the narratives of the many characters in this book.

 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

 

Huck, the familiar narrator of two other Twain’s novels, is a friend of Tom Sawyer. It is through his mental lens that the audience is given a scathing satire of the mental attitudes and discrimination of the people, particularly towards the blacks.

 

Moral education, as this book says, is so much more important than just superficial education.

 

Is there something missing from this list? Perhaps the best short poems, the most inspirational poems, some quintessential graphic novels, top mystery books? If so, let us know!