Everyone's probably given you a suggestion at some time or another about the best classic novels that you should read. There are some obvious titles that get floated out there, but here's my list...my #Top5LiteratureClassics.
My first experience with classical literature was in grade school, you know, the required reading list. I hated being told what to read, but I was actually intrigued by some of those books. Then, I found other books that I really loved, as well.
“ I ate civilization. It poisoned me; I was defiled. And then," he added in a lower tone, "I ate my own wickedness. .” - Aldous Huxley; Brave New World.
1. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Huxley wrote this book in 1931. It was way ahead of his time with concepts like a society numbed into submission by drugs, sex and status quo. Aldous Huxley is my favorite author and Brave New World was a big inspiration for my own novel "Serandes: Corporation City". My book is about corporations taking over the world, but Huxley wrote about a future in which genetic modification took over the world. I wasn't the only one inspired.. It can be seen as the basis for movies - The Island and Gattica.
2. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
This is one of those more obvious literary classics. Alexandre Dumas wrote this book in 1844, and he also wrote The Three Musketeers. Both works are such a part of the classic canon that it's hard to imagine that one guy imagined these stories. TCM is one of my favorite novels because the story of Edmond Dantes's suffering was so visceral that you (the reader) become intensely invested in his well-being and ultimate revenge. What a writer's guide to crafting quality fiction and great characters. This is the only fiction novel that I have read well over a dozen times.
3. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
S.E. Hinton's brilliant coming-of-age novel was first published in 1967. This book makes my list because it's a coming-of-age novel written by a teenager who was actually coming-of-age. It smacks of original voice because Hinton started writing this book when she was 16 years old. The class struggle between the Greasers and the Socs was one of the greatest inspirations for my novel "Blood for Karen". Nowadays, it's hard to imagine the Outsiders without the characters from the Francis Ford Copolla movie, which is also one of my #Top5FavoriteMovies.
4. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace
Another story about revenge makes my list of #Top5LiteraryClassics. Yet, Ben-Hur is a tale of the Christ. Lew Wallace sneaks the religious theme into this beefy novel because you get so enthralled by Judah Ben-Hur's personal journey that by the time a spiritual element enters the story you're completely powerless to put the book down. Lew Wallace first published this book in 1880 and it was an instant best-seller. The takeaway as a writer from this book is that character is king. You can write about nearly anything as long as you ensure that the reader is personally invested in the main character's personal journey. You might not have read this book, but you've probably seen the iconic chariot race scene from the Cecil B. Demil movie starring Charlton Heston.
5. Dracula by Bram Stoker
This book makes the list because it defied convention while simultaneously creating new conventions. It was written in 1897 and is told entirely in the form of letters and correspondence. How can that be intersting and scary? Yet, it is so enthralling. Francic Ford Coppola and I must share the same taste in literature because his adaption of this book is another one of my #Top5FavoriteMovies. Back to this book though - it's a classic because it defined the modern Count Dracula. It's one of my favorites because its actually a love story. I love books that bend genre and this book was also an inspiration for my genre-bending novel "Blood for Karen".
Did any of your favorite classic novels make my list? Is there any that I missed? Feel free to drop me a line in the comment section.
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