Classic Novels That You Should Read Next

By: Vanessa Buechler

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Many think of classic books as dated and difficult to read, but their timeless, lasting impacts on how we connect with the past makes them continuously vital to our understanding of the present. I’ve recently been getting into reading classics, or books classified as remarkable, and I understand why it’s a challenge for people to pick them up. But if you push past the feeling of how difficult it may be to read them at the start, you’ll find fascinating storytelling that should be celebrated for years to come. Here are the most recent classic novels I’ve read, and why you should read them, too. ​

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald:
The 1925 novel The Great Gatsby takes place during the roaring twenties in the one and only New York City. The storyline follows Nick Carraway during his time in the city after returning from the war. He meets the notorious Jay Gatsby, and discovers his love for Nick’s cousin, Daisy Buchanan. The book showcases a bright and colorful environment, and you can really pretend you're living through the twenties through Fitzgerald’s detailed descriptions. There are so many hidden meanings scattered throughout the storyline, and as you progress through, you will discover so many darker truths surrounding the book. I found it fascinating how Fitzgerald wrote Nick as an unreliable narrator, making it so that Nick is telling the story years later, ​

forgetting details and having emotions impact the way he saw the events. The novel was very well written, and the descriptive words really impacted the visuals I was able to see in my head. I could easily imagine the bright fireworks surrounding Gatsby’s house, the hundreds of people in his green garden, and the solitude of his library. The novel was a detailed read, and it was very insightful as to what the roaring twenties were like from the author’s point of view. ​

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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens:
​The classic Christmas tale, A Christmas Carol, follows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by ghosts that aim to help Scrooge become a better person in a short amount of time. These ghosts take him on a reflective journey through the past, present, and future. The novel, although short, is very detailed and was a nostalgic Christmas read for the holiday season. The novel has inspired many different movie adaptations, both animated and live action to show audiences what it means to have Christmas spirit. Dickens’ writing style allowed me to imagine how dark and dreary Scrooge’s life is while he is denying the joys of Christmas, and how bright his life 

becomes once he embraces the joyful holiday season. As I read on, the pictures in my head became more lively, almost as if the character had lost his color before the novel and was finally gaining it back. If you want to try getting into classic novels, A Christmas Carol may be the way to go. Dickens is one of the most well known authors, and even the short little “ghost story” is a great way to get into books similar to what he has written. ​

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The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux:
Published in 1909, The Phantom of the Opera is a historical fiction that takes place in Paris, France in 1884. The opera performer, Christine Daaé, has been chosen by the esteemed ‘Angel of Music’, or more popularly known as the ‘Phantom of the Opera’. Viscount Raoul de Chagny, an old friend of the singer, visits the opera with his brother, and becomes suspicious after Christine begins to act unnatural. With time, Raoul discovers that the Phantom has bewitched Christine, and he sets out to save her. A classic romantic tale, The Phantom of the Opera has been adapted into both a movie and a musical, which became the longest running musical in Broadway history due to its popularity. I picked this novel up purely because I love the musical, and Leroux’s novel ​

really brought the story to life. Reading from an exterior narrator’s viewpoint allowed me to see the full picture of everything that was happening, and whereas the movie only followed Christine, the novel showed more of what Raoul was doing while Christine was lost to the Phantom. It was a worthwhile perspective to see, and with the context now provided about the Viscount, it made it easier for me to like him. The novel is short, historically based on the Gilded Age, and is fairly easy to read, making it a great start for those getting into classics. ​