I’m interested in increasing the number of classics I read in 2024. The trouble is I’m really bad at picking them out for myself.
I’ve read most of the classics you’re taught in school in America and a lot of others I’d consider beginner-friendly. (All of Jane Austen, most of the Brontes, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, way too much Shakespeare, etc etc)
The problem is, lately when I’ve picked up classics, I’ve been picking up ones that are too challenging to me personally to be enjoyable. Recently this happened with both Umberto Eco and Clarice Lispector.
I’m looking for books that sit in the middle. I’m interested in being challenged and broadening my horizons but I don’t want to read a book that will take me 10 minutes to read a single page.
Curious for recommendations!
by brittanydiesattheend
2 Comments
Which classics have you enjoyed?
Idk what exactly an intermediate classic would be, but based on the works you mention in your post, it sounds like you’re struggling a bit with post-modernism.
Maybe try out some authors like Toni Morrison, Kurt Vonnegut, Margaret Atwood, Italo Calvino, Milan Kundera, and Haruki Murakami. They all experiment quite a bit with style and narrative, but are more accessible than Lispector or Eco imo (although I think in general, Lispector’s short stories are quite a bit easier than her novels).