What are some classic British novels that Americans should read? I'm currently reading The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie and Blandings Castle by P. G. Wodehouse. Blandings Castle is one that I think my fellow Americans should read because of its particularly hilarious, sarcastic, British humor. If there are any Brits out there who can come up with a list like this, do it!
Agatha Christie is definitely worth reading, especially
In terms of classics you have Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare and all that jazz :)
In terms of fantasy, Tolkien is always a must-read.
If you are looking for a different kind of British literature, have a look at post-colonial/immigration novels like The Buddha of Suburbia, The Lonely Londoners or Reef. – Rachel Elfassy Bitoun10 years ago
That is a big topic! It would be useful to limit it, maybe if you want quintisential British lit you could say 'the best' from England, from Wales, from Scotland and from Northern Ireland. Off the top of my head, I would go:
T.H.White
Dylan Thomas
Walter Scott
Seamus Heaney Scotland in particular has a lot of very influential authors, J.M.Barrie for example – Francesca Turauskis10 years ago
I agree with Francesca Turaukis about splitting it by country. Not only does it make it more managable but it's an interesting way to present it. I'd say Brideshead Revisited and A Handful of Dust, both by Evelyn Waugh. Great if you want to read about class, the notion of 'Englishness', and in the former, the legendary Anthony Blanche. – AidaA9 years ago
Dorothy L Sayers' Peter Wimsey stories are brilliant and a terrific read for those interested in classic British detective literature. I agree it could be narrowed down, perhaps by topic or genre, because British Literature is so broad, both in terms of time and subject. – PrincessYeti9 years ago
In books, it is not too uncommon to find stories about the struggles of male characters with extreme deformities or other unpleasant features such as scarring that cause them conflict towards the outside world. Hugo's Quasimodo and Leroux's Phantom frequently come to mind as examples on the literary subject of beauty being found within.
However, it is uncommon to find such stories for a female character even from books that have female authors such as Bronte's Jane Eyre where the title character is ultimately plain, not hideous. Is this convention of women having at least some physical attractiveness so unavoidable that a female equivalent in extreme ugliness cannot be reached in writing?
This is a pretty interesting, I couldn't come up with any ugly female characters off the top of my head while reading this. Hermione in the written series was supposed to have big teeth and frizzy hair, which I guess they tried to stick to in the first movies until Emma Watson got stunning. It's hard to find ugly females in writing... The closest thing I can come up with as using a less attractive female protagonist is Ugly Betty the tv show. Orange is the New Black had an interesting episode about the older Asian woman's backstory that really made me empathize with her struggles as well. I hope any of these examples help :) – Slaidey9 years ago
I have only seen this in antagonists. Generally, if a woman is "ugly" in a film she is seen as evil and it is "the evil/bad" that makes her ugly. The protagonist is beautiful because she is good. This sounds like a good premise but, hat films tend to miss is that they only capture physical beauty. Men can always be good or evil separate from their appearance but for women it is seen as a part of their identity. – brandibusick9 years ago
This is an interesting topic and is definitely connected to the general "types" of people that are typically included in different media. The only example that comes to mind of a female protagonist being described as "ugly" is in Gail Carson Levine's novel "Fairest" (a novel aimed at a child/young teen audience). However, based on memory, it's hard to assess if the character is fully "ugly" or more conscious of her appearance. The story alludes to "Snow White" and definitely addresses concepts relating to beauty, ugliness, and perceptions; it might be a connected story to look into for this topic. – DragonWrite9 years ago
I would like to see a guide to the common style and structure of Russian literature. It would also be good to see some suggestions for a Russian literature novice to try reading.
That's a pretty complex topic since Russian Literature is an umbrella term: there are Russian literature classic writers such as Chekhov, Tolstoy, Pushkin. There is also Soviet Literature that includes masterminds such as Bulgakov, Nabokov, Pasternak... And lastly there is modern Russian lit that is not much different from other modern lit from around the world (Akunin, Pelevin). It all depends on what particular period interest the reader. – crispychips9 years ago
I JUST took a course on 19th Century Russian Literature. Man, oh man, is it interesting! However, each generation of writers has changed since then, so you would need to be more specific as to what you're looking for. Also, it would be most beneficial for someone who knows Russian to write this (as I can already think of at least 3 significant factors lost in translation that I learned about from a Russian scholar). – Nicole9 years ago
I'd like to see kids required to read "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich. Not that it's great literature, although the writing is solid and quite easy to read, but because it shows underachievers what life may have in store for them if they continue to coast. The payday that seems perfectly adequate to a 17-year-old still living at home, s/he will learn, is just barely enough to allow a life of despair and doing-without. I read it several years ago, but I vividly recall her descriptions of the places she could afford to rent, what it was like being on her feet all day in cheap shoes, how she could not afford to see a doctor or repair her beater of a car, and what groceries were in her small budget.
Other Fiction: Great Expectations, Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, The House of Mirth, any or all of the Sherlockian Canon, Northanger Abbey, New Grub Street.First Love.
And Non Fiction: Over the Edge of the World, In Cold Blood
Clearly this is a subjective topic, so you would have to explain why these books deserve to be part of school reading. – Ryan Errington10 years ago
I have always thought kids in compulsory schools should have a course in Ethics with required readings in Aristotle, Sartre, Hobbs, Nietzsche etc.. Ethics makes for good critical thinking.
Fiction: The Chronicles of Narnia. Unabridged Grim Fairy Tales.
Non-Fiction: The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quite School and Get a Real Life and Education by Grace Llewellyn – RJWolfe10 years ago
You could also show how many modern books have related themes to the classics. For example, if you read Lord of the Flies in school, why not read The Mazerunner? – Liz Watkins10 years ago
Because modern literature has lost the complexity of plot and nuanced ethics of Lord of the Flies, The Secret Garden, and many other classics. The issue here is to teach critical thinking and proper English via literature, and I know that Hunger Games does not suffice. Twilight is worse.
I suggest Roots. No one has suggested Dracula. I agree with In Cold Blood as well as Chronicles of Narnia. Keeping with the theme, Out of the Silent Planet, Starship Troopers. If you are going to have kids reading Catcher in the Rye there is no reason not to add The Alchemist. A Wrinkle in Time or Speaker for the Dead (not necessarily Ender's Game, so that might be an issue) are good choices.
Maybe Hobbes, but not Nietzsche. a) He talks of religion, which causes a problem. b) He is horribly racist at times. c) He is really, really racist. Seriously, it is as bad as having them read The Yellow Peril by London. – orenhammerquist10 years ago
A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, American Gods, The King of Elfland's Daughter, Roman de Silence, The Left Hand of Darkness, Embassytown, Harry Potter books, Germanic Myths, Egyptian Myths, Mesopotamian Myths, Celtic Myths. These are all the things that I wish we read at High school. This is the literature of culture. – Travis Kane10 years ago
Many kids refuse to read the books imposed by teachers. This continued disregard for literature influences them to develop an negative view on reading in general. While all the books you mentioned are definitely important reads for young students, it might be important to mention how sometimes letting a kid pick their own book allows them to develop a sense of pride in learning and reading. – sapphiremac9 years ago
I would be interested to see this to be focused specifically on books that are very good and worthy of being taught in schools, but have been overlooked for arbitrary reasons. For example, schools have a tendency to pick the dry, old, dusty books known as "classic literature", and while there is of course significant value in these titles, if we prioritize them simply because they are "classic" then we might be overlooking modern literature that is at the same or higher levels. I think this would help stop the article from turning into "Books I Liked and Wish Were Taught in Schools". – OddballGentleman9 years ago
Forcing people to do things hasn't always been a good plan. – T. Palomino2 years ago
With the summer holidays on the way, a run-down of recommended holiday reads would be interesting. It could be a list of particular titles that are set in holiday destinations, or information about travel writers that will give you itchy feet.
Good titles might be 'A Moveable Feast' by Hemingway, 'Tracks' by Robyn Davidson or 'Travels with Herodotus' Ryszard Kapuscinski
For Gamers I strongly recommend "Masters of Doom," "Ready Player One," and "Jacked."
For heavy reading "Cryptonomicon" is always a great read.
For Science Fiction fans i strongly recommend "Air" by Geoff Ryman, and the "Xenogenesis" series (also called Lillith's Brood) by Octavia Butler. Good topic. – G Anderson Lake9 years ago
The society Huxley creates in this book is deemed to be perfect, and "everyone is happy now." Does non-monogamy contribute positively or negatively to this society? Is it a more or less sexual culture when everyone shares everyone else?
This is a fascinating topic. This aspect of Huxley's novel always irked me; the rest of his vision was prophetic and insightful, but the portrayal of polygamous sex seemed conservative and condemnatory. – Samuel Burleigh9 years ago
An interesting approach to this would be to analyze the difference between the point Huxley is trying to make with the lack of monogamy and the actual merits of the society in Brave New World. Huxley's intent is definitely to create a negative impression, but how well does he actually convey this? Another interesting perspective could be to investigate how he appeals to his audience, because the effect of the language and the situations he sets up is undoubtedly different now than when he wrote the book back in 1931. Considering how his audience has changed, is the novel still an effective critique of society? Just some perspective this could take. – OddballGentleman9 years ago
Non-monogamy definitely adds positively to Brave New World or at least provides a critique on our society's need to possess and control one another monogamously in relationships. Who is the most miserable character in the story? John. Because he has raised and conditioned in a village which still adheres to today's concepts and refused to evolve with Mustapha's ideals (which is pretty ironic because in actual cave man times [the real "savages"] communities often slept around intentionally, not knowing who the father of a child was made all men in the clan more inclined to protect the young). Bernard is unhappy yes, but it's mostly because he's unattractive and anxious not because he couldn't have someone if he tried, because anyone will be with anyone. That would be hard to achieve in our world though, because they don't need to pair bond to survive and pass on their genes, they are all test tube babies. Will we one day evolve to that point of not needing to get pregnant and have our own young, do you think that would destroy our need to be monogamous? – Slaidey9 years ago
We are all aware that video game and movie adaptations take liberties with source material (the literature that they are drawn from) but how does a scary piece remain scary? When a reader engages with the text, terror and horror come from anticipation and foreshadowing. Video game users are directly engaged in making decisions and movie watchers are observers of somebody else's vision of the "creature". In what ways does terror/horror translate across media? what makes something scary when it is taken outside our realm of imagination? Does horror/terror run the risk of being campy or cliché because it is no longer on the page?
Perhaps you can add the psychological component of fear to help address terror in these genres. – Venus Echos9 years ago
You've made a good point that video games are frightening because the player is consciously making a decision. In regards to film, the score (background music) usually helps build suspense. Lack of background music also makes things scary, because it usually leads to things popping up. – YsabelGo9 years ago
In gothic literature there is a reliance on the "sublime" the feeling of terror that is ultimately pleasant. This is achieved through the use of the setting in literature so spooky castles, dark weather and subtle changes to the environment are all a must. Now when this translates to lets say video games, these factors are exemplified! Music is added, the once purely imagined setting is now present, and there is the game mechanics to consider. Stress levels rise and your senses go into overdrive causing those factors which allow the sublime to thrive to grow even more palpable. – jonavitua9 years ago
I know a lot of teen fiction gets a bad reputation for being sappy and cliched. It's easy to forget the struggle of growing up and the pettiness of high school. There is something magical about reading about a first kiss or a teen getting their first taste of the real world. The Uglies trilogy by Scott Westerfeld had a profound effect on me even to this day, from when I first read the books at age 15. The main character, tally, was constantly doing the wrong thing for the right reasons and she struggled with maturity and beauty in a dystopian landscape that is not too different from our own. I would like to see an article about different Young Adult novels that are still well-respected literature.
Good topic! I think that your topic can be broken down even further to discuss the motif of growing up/maturing but also how this is done. Post apocalyptic, dystopian, agrarian...all of them have shown themselves in YA literature. I think this would be a really interesting article to read – DClarke9 years ago
This will be a great topic! You could provide a selection of YA novels that are considered "well-respected literature." You can even provide a few examples and critically analyze them, proving that YA novels are not always, in your words, sappy and cliche. After all, some YA novels are taught in classrooms and you can discuss what YA novels are taught in classrooms and why. For example, Monster by Walter Dean Myers and The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian are taught in classrooms and introduce students to themes such as identity and encourage them to read diversely. – Amanda Dominguez-Chio9 years ago
If you need more examples of novels that are being studied in high school, I remember reading 'Catcher in the Rye', 'Haroun and the Sea of Stories', 'The Kite Runner' and 'Looking for Alaska'. – YsabelGo9 years ago
I've enjoyed Perks of Being a Wallflower and Fault in Our Stars. The "story world" of the latter is unforgettable --the cancer ward. – VBarclay9 years ago
