lou's library

(in my humble opinion)

I’ve read many a classic that gave me nothing at all, other than a headache. And then there are those canonical works of literature that make a very niche part of readers very happy (looking at you, Ulysses) and are entirely incomprehensible for the rest of us. And I think if you largely steer clear of classics and prefer contemporary novels, then there’s nothing wrong with that, either. Having said, that, I do think there is a select group of classics that are just so good, discuss such important topics, that everyone would benefit from reading them. Bold claim, I know. And I surely haven’t gotten round to reading all of them yet, either. So this list is very much incomplete, and even more subjective. Feel free to disagree, but these are the classics I want to thrust into everyone’s and their cat’s faces.

All Quiet On The Western Front by E. M. Remarque

You knew this one was coming, so let’s get it out of the way first thing, shall we? This is my favourite book ever, and I will not shut up about it. It’s set during the First World War and we follow a young German soldier in the trenches. I think it’s best to go into this knowing as little as possible, so I shall leave it at that. I genuinely do believe that if this was required reading for humankind, there would be less war. The writing is gut-punching and raw and beautiful and it’s been six years since I first read this and still haven’t recovered.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

It’s crazy to me that Harper Lee wrote this and then never published anything ever again. Like, how can you write something this good and then leave it at that?? (I don’t know anything about the author, maybe she spent years trying to write something new but had writers block? Maybe she was incredibly good at lots of things and spent her time exceeding in other areas??). It’s about growing up in a racist world and how to come to terms with that as a white person, about compassion and being a child. It’s a story that is still so relevant today, and that is one of those few required readings in school that I think are actually a good choice.

1984 by George Orwell

I’m due a reread of this, as it’s been about a decade since I first read 1984. Tell you what, I did not enjoy reading this book. Like, at all. That’s kind of the point, though. It made me uncomfortable with its dystopian vision of a world gone to shit that sometimes resembled our present a bit too closely for my liking. (Pro tip: don’t read this on holiday, like I did. Orwell doesn’t vibe with beaches, if you ask me). But that’s exactly why I think this is a good read for just about anyone. It makes you think about the world we live in, all the things that are wrong with it and why we don’t do anything about it. A lot of us already have enough anxiety about the state of things, I’m sure, so do feel free to skip this one. But if you want a little shake up (and some damn good writing), there’s little better out there than 1984.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I had to read this twice and hear a lecture on this book to understand the hype, but by then I was pretty hyped about it, too. It’s about the American Dream and all this stuff your English teacher never would shut up about. But it’s also about how silly us humans can be when we’re in love or really, really want something. It’s about pretence and appearances, and tragedy. I found this to be a profoundly sad book more than anything else, and it’s one that gets better with every reread. Also, the writing!! THE WRITING!!

Perfume by Patrick Süsskind

Speaking of writing that is so good it makes you want to tear your eyes out (just me? ok), Perfume did not leave my thoughts until I had read the entire thing. It’s about smells, which I thought might be frustrating to read about (seeing as how you can’t smell them through the book), but the author is so good at describing them I genuinely felt like I could smell them?? The vocabulary I have at my disposal for the description of smells doesn’t stretch much farther than “sweet” and “lemony”, so this was an impressive read for me. It also helps that the story is just so damn good, and the setting of various French cities and villages is a pure vibe. It focuses on deception, pretence and how disturbing and vile our species can be (spoiler alert: I don’t mean the protagonist by that). If you think a book about smells and their impact sounds boring, then I’m just doing a shitty job of selling it to you. Just read it, please. And thank me later.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

I know a lot of people hate this book, and I can’t say I’m a big fan, either. But I used to be, when I first read this at 15. This coming-of-age story is hugely relatable when you yourself are coming of age and are behaving just a little silly (because that’s what you do at 15, am I right?). It’s written from the protagonist’s perspective, and although he is annoying and presumptuous and a spoilt little brat, he’s also very funny and on a deeper level, relatable (have I mentioned this already?). Maybe this is one of the books you need to have read at the right time to appreciate it, and maybe if you’re not 15 anymore, that time has passed. But maybe you can learn something about the cruelties of growing up from this regardless of your age. I think us adults (did I just call myself an adult? lol, I wish) would do well to remember how real and intense everything feels when you’re no longer a child but very much not a grown up yet, either.

Wohooo, thank you for making it to the end, even though this post is about classics, which I know a lot of people don’t care about. I could’ve included more books in this list, so please don’t think these are the only worthwhile classics I’ve ever read. I was trying to choose the ones I think have at least some universal appeal. If you end up reading any of these (or already have read some, these aren’t exactly unheard of), do let me know your thoughts!