Top Ten Tuesday: Classic Books that pleasantly surprised me...in other words, I liked them better than I thought I would.
One has to admit that most classic novels are considered "classic" because they stand the test of time and, I would add, it is unlikely that a book would stand that test if no one liked them. Here are some classic books which just blew me away and I actually recommend them all.
1.
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins--- this is an early mystery. Collins wrote this book in installments which were published in the newspaper. Because of this, each chapter ends on a cliffhanger of sorts. I was very invested in this story. Originally published in 1859.
2.
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton--- set during the Golden Age in New York when society people were more afraid of scandal than of disease. Published in 1921. It won the Pulitzer Prize that year.
3.
Persuasion by Jane Austen--- everyone knows about her most popular book,
Pride and Prejudice, so I choose to mention this one, the last novel that Austen wrote. I love this peek at family life of the upper class in the early 1800s. It was published in 1817.
4.
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh---set during the time between the first and second world wars. It is the story of the Marchmains family and the world that is disappearing for them. It gives the reader a lot to digest. Published in 1945.
5.
Lolita by Vladimer Nababov---the topic---INCEST--- is so depraved, yet this book is such a beautifully written book, the most beautiful I've ever read. Published in 1955.
6.
100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez---The extraordinary story of the Buendia family. This book is brilliant and is the quintessential book defining magical realism. I am not embarrassed to admit I read the Shmoop page as I listened to the audiobook. Published in 1967.
7. The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnon Rawlings--- a delightful and insightful coming-of-age tale set in Florida after the Civil War. In the opening Jody is a young boy who wants a pet, at the end we see a boy who is starting to view the world through adult eyes. Another Pulitzer Prize winner published in 1938.
8.
A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor---I don't usually think of myself as a short story reader, but I really liked this collection of stories and have found myself thinking about them over and over again. First published in 1953.
9.
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya--- this is another coming-of-age tale told through mythic legacy of Tony's family, guided by Ultima with a touch of magic. Another book that I read alongside Shmoop, but got so much out of it. Published in 1972.
10.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston---Janie Crawford is a black woman in the 1930s. This book is about her quest for idenity through three husbands and several relocations. An enlightening peek at life in the South in the 30s. It is written in vernacular so it is perfect audiobook selection. Published in 1937.
I hope I encouraged you, through this post, to read a classic book in 2018.
