It’s almost that time of the year, everyone is looking forward to, but sometimes can find themselves hopelessly lost and utterly bored. It’s paradoxical – yet no one can deny it: summer can be monotonous sometimes. What better time to enjoy some well-written literary works, then?
Contemporary teenage fiction can be compelling, though it is the worst to find yourself trapped with meaningless drama (during the summer – really?), glowing vampires, and simply intolerable romance. Yet, adult fiction is quite bland sometimes. The solution? Classics. I find that it’s so easy to avoid notable titles because they just seem… well, intimidating. Even Mark Twain describes a classic as “a book which people praise and don’t read”. But once you start reading, classic literature is actually really marvellous.
Now, where to start?
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
Who doesn’t love a great detective story driven by the genius of the Victorian era? Sherlock Holmes employs the phenomena of deductive logical reasoning and his advanced knowledge of forensic sciences whilst embarking upon riveting adventures with Dr. John Watson. If you’re a fan of the recent BBC drama Sherlock, this is a great read for understanding the source of Sherlock’s charming persona.
“There is nothing like first-hand evidence.” – Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Take a strive down America’s glimmering Jazz Age and find yourself immersed in a world rich with culture, impregnated with hope and idealism in the characters of Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, and Daisy Buchanan. Coupled with a captivating writing style, it is a irresistible read of luxury, passion, and humanity.
“‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one…just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.'” – Nicholas Carraway, quoting his father
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Spiral down into the enigmatic, deranged world beyond the rabbit hole and follow Alice through her journey of self-discovery in the sea of creatures within a world of nonsense. Although re-created many times as an enjoyable children’s story, the original is one of gloom and unpredictability, said to question the essence of logic.
“I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.” – Alice
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Though not a novel of characters with exceeding charisma, it is worth embarking upon a fast-paced journey with Phileas Fogg and his servant Jean Passepartout to experience the means of travel in the nineteenth century. Contrary to popular adaptations, the original story does not actually engage a hot air balloon as a method of travel; however, the effortless style of writing is one that should not be passed up.
“What had he really gained by all this trouble? What had he brought back from this long and weary journey?” – Jules Verne
William Shakespeare’s respectable plays
Although resented by many and notoriously known for baffling high school English students, Shakespeare’s plays are full of subtle allusions, implications, and enjoyable dramatic irony. Frankly, even a play heavily associated with grave subjects of battle, jealousy, and death – as seen in Othello – can be wonderfully humorous. His plays are entertaining on so many levels of intelligence that it isn’t much of a wonder why they are deemed one of the best literary works of all time.
“To be, or not to be: that is the question” – Hamlet, Hamlet
Happy summer reading!