These are some of the classic books that I have read; some on my own, some for classes. I hope you can find the reviews helpful to decide whether it's worth the read or not!
by Ernest Hemingway
Written in 1952, this book put Ernest Hemingway on the map in the literary world and had a large part to do with his winning of the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature.
The story of a poor cuban fishermen down on his luck going out to the ocean to fish. During his time out on the water, he enters into a battle with a giant marlin. This proves to be the battle of his life.
Written very simply but with great power, it is a great read. Hemingway takes the classic story of courage in the face of adversity and portrays it in a new light.
by F. Scott Fitgerald
One of the twentieth-century classics and written during the Jazz Age where the New York Times declares the time with this quote: "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession."
The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his relationship with two people: the flirtatious and mysterious Daisy Buchanan and the bondsmen and neighbor to Gatsby, Nick Carraway.
Through Nick's narration and his honest, tolerant, inclined to reserve judegment deameanor, Nick often serves as a confidant for those with troubling secrets.
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Published in 1960, this book became both an instant bestseller and critical success to the literary world. Going on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and later made into an Academy Award winning film, also a classic.
The unforgettable novel of a child's perspective on a crisis happening in a sleepy southern town is compassionate, dramatic and moving. To Kill a Mockingbird takes us to the roots of human behavior. Everything from experience and innocence, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred to humor and deep sadness.
This book is truly a masterpiece of American Literature. Harper Lee always thought of it as a love story, but is now seen as a fight for what's right.
Brave New World
Aldous Huxley
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley is a sad prediction of what a utopian future would look like. A future where humans are genetically bred and pharmaceutically anesthized to passively serve a ruling order.
Encouraged to have sex with multiple partners, and considered odd when you don't; told to be afraid of people from area's who have not been genetically enhanced and told it's normal to be left naked with members of the opposite sex in a group setting as children. This seemingly successful society is blindly following their new god, Ford. The dehumanization of the society is astounding.
This book is entertaining as well as thought-provoking. This book can serve as a warning to be heeded as we rush to move forward in technology and science as a world.
The House on Mango Street
by Sandra Cisneros
Published in 1984, this book is quickly on it's way to becoming a classic and in some people's opinion (mine) it is.
The story of Esperanza Cordero is told through 44 short stories throughout the book. She lives in a rough neighborhood of Chicago on a street calle Mango Street. It is her goal to, one day, have her own house in a safe place where she feels safe.
Esperanza doesn't want to belong, she want to prove wrong the expectations the world has for her. This book is a story of a young girl coming into her power and inventing herself for the woman she will become.
A very good collection of stories, taught in many schools but sometime not appreciated by the students. This book should show how we can be different for the better from the place we come from.
by Homer, Translated by Stanley Lombardo
The story of Odysseus is the main part of this story, it is ten years after the battle of Troy and Odysseus has not returned to his kingdom of Ithaca because he is trapped on Calypso's Island, Ogygia. But his palace is being overrun by the suitors trying to marry his wife, Penelope.
His son Telemachus wants desperately to throw them out but does have the confidence or experience to fight them. One of the suitors, Antinous, plan to assassinate the young prince, eliminating the only opposition to their dominion over the palace.
Luckily for Odysseus, Athena is his strongest supporter and has convinced the gods he is worth rescuing. She saves him and aids him in saving his kingdom, then they are rewarded by the gods.
by William Shakespeare
This is one of Shakespeare's most well-known plays that also happens to be pretty confusing. A good comedic play written in 1598 but not published until 1600. Shakespeare combines mature cynicism with awareness of social settings that sometimes distract from the joy of marriage.
A man named Leonato has some old friends over to his castle in Mesina, Italy in the 1600s. One of the men in the party's company ends up falling in love with his daughter, Hero. They have a wedding, but at the alter Claudius rejects her because he has been tricked by Don Juan.
Later, they reconcile and Beatrice and Benedick fall in love and they all get married.
by Mark Twain
This is one of the classics of Mark Twain that follows that classic Tom Sawyer. Written between 1876 and 1843, first published 1844. It is a picaresque novel with satire of popular adventure.
Huck Finn has been adopted by Widow Douglas and gone to live with her after finding a robbers stash of gold. The woman is kind, but stifling. He has really had to adjust to his new life of school, clean clothes and church. When his bum father comes back to town to demand his son and Huck's money, drama follows.
Huck gets kidnapped by his dad, runs away after being repeatedly beaten. He ends up on an island in the middle of the Mississippi with a slave named Jim. They end up running away together on a raft, getting into all sorts of problems, including getting separated. Eventually they get together towards the end, but decide to part at the end of the book.
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