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Classics |
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Pride
and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813)
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in
possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." So begins
the story of Jane Austen's most beloved novel. The news that a wealthy
young man has arrived creates quite a commotion in the village of
Longbourne, and no one is troubled by these tidings more than Mrs.
Bennet, mother of five unmarried daughters. But along with the nice Mr.
Bingley comes his haughty friend Mr. Darcy whom everyone in the village
dislikes, especially Elizabeth Bennet, the
wittiest of the Bennet sisters. Can love save this family from poverty?
Discussion on the book: here
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Sense
and Sensibility by Jane Austen (1811)
Upon the death of their beloved father, three daughters and their mother
are left with very little income thanks to their step-brother's
conniving wife. The family must therefore move to Barton Park to stay
with some distant relatives. While Eleanor, the eldest, quickly resigns
to their fate her impetuous sister Marianne is incensed; however, her
anger will soon give way to more pleasing emotions as she encounters
their new neighbour, the handsome and most romantic Mr. Willoughby.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Peter
Pan by J.M Barrie (1911)
"To die would be an awfully big adventure!" - Based on J.M.
Barrie's famous play, the novel Peter Pan is filled with unforgettable
characters: Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up; Tinkerbell, the
foul-mouthed fairy; Captain Hook, the evil pirate; and the three
children - Wendy, John, and Michael - who fly off with Peter Pan to
Neverland, where they meet Indians and pirates and a crocodile that
ticks. And they will soon find out that there is always an adventure to
be had in Neverland!
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Life
of Galileo by Bertolt Brecht (1939)
A
dramatization of Galileo’s career as a scientist, spanning from the
invention of telescope to the discovery of Jupiter’s moons to his
first condemnation by Inquisition and life under house arrest.
This play was written just before the Second World War, in the years
of breakdown between technical progress and social progress. Here
Galileo is a metaphor of modern scientist and of intellectual
persecuted by unavoidable connection of science and fanatism, but he
is also full of humanity.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht (1928)
Through
this play Brecht takes a critical look at the bourgeois class,
attempting to foster change in society through theatre techniques;
such as signs, songs and projected images, aimed at breaking the
illusion (or fourth wall) of the theatre and prompt thought in the
audience. The action centres on the criminal Macheath's marriage to
Polly Peachum, her family's disapproval and the consequences. This
play features the song "Mac the Knife" later made famous by
Frank Sinatra.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte (1848)
Helen, a devout young woman, falls in
love with a man who is handsome, but whose values are questionable;
willing to believe she can alter his character, she marries him. Her
marriage becomes a misery she has no power to change until she devises a
bold plan to take control.
Discussion
on the book: here.
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Jane
Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847)
Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead and subject to
a cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges
unbroken in spirit and integrity. She takes up the post of governess at
Thornfield Hall, where she will soon develop an intimate relation with
Mr. Rochester, the dark and mysterious father of her ward. But
Thornfield Hall holds a secret that can forever bereft them of
happiness...
Discussion
on the book: here.
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Wuthering
Heights by Emily Bronte (1847)
Very few novels can rival with the powerful emotions embedded in Emily
Brontë's haunting tale of an intense love turned into an equally
intense hatred. Set in the isolated moor country of England, Wuthering
Heights is the story of Heathcliff, a broken-hearted man who will seek
revenge for the love that was taken away from him. Never have passion
and destruction been so intimately linked together as in this 19th
century Romantic masterpiece.
Discussion
on the book: here
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Aurora
Leigh and Other Poems by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1857)
Aurora Leigh is an amazing verse novel
that provides a panoramic view of the early Victorian age in London, and
a foremost example of the mid-nineteenth century poem of contemporary
life. It tells the story of a woman's childhood and youth in Italy and
England, her self-education in her father's hidden library, and her
successful pursuit of a literary career. A suitor's marriage proposal
will suddenly awaken the woman that lies in the heart of the poet. Will
she turn him down or will she accept to surrender her independence in
the name of love?
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol (1865)
"Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on
the bank when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes ran close by
her". And so begin little Alice's wonderful adventures! The Mad
Hatter, the Ugly Duchess, the Mock Turtle, the Queen of Hearts and the
Cheshire Cat - characters each more eccentric than the last, and that
could only have come from Lewis Carroll, the master of sublime nonsense.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Awakening by Kate Chopin (1899)
Edna Pontellier, the heroine of The Awakening, shocked readers in 1899
and the scandal created by the book haunted Kate Chopin for the rest of
her life. The novel begins at a crisis point in 28-year-old Edna's life.
She is a passionate and artistic woman who finds few acceptable outlets
for her desires in her role as wife and mother of two sons. Unlike the
married women around her, whose sensuality seems to flow naturally into
maternity, Edna finds herself wanting her own emotional and sexual
identity. During one summer, while her husband is out of town, a younger
man comes along who might free her of her frustrations, but will she
then be able to break free from the shackles imposed by society?
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Crime
And Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1866)
One of the best-known and most influential Russian novels of all time,
Crime and Punishment tells the story of an impoverished student who
formulates a plan to kill and rob a hated pawnbroker, thereby solving
his money problems and at the same time ridding the world of its evil.
However, immediately after the crime, he becomes ill and is troubled by
the memory of his actions and a growing desire to confess his sins.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky (1868)
After his great portrayal of a guilty man in Crime and Punishment,
Dostoevsky set out to portray a man of pure innocence. The 26-year-old
Prince Myshkin, following a stay of several years in a Swiss sanatorium,
returns to Russia to collect an inheritance and “be among people.”
Even before he reaches home he meets the dark Rogozhin, a rich
merchant’s son whose obsession with the beautiful Nastasya Filippovna
eventually draws all three of them into a tragic denouement.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
During his
illustrious career, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote four novels and 56
short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes, one of the best known and most
universally recognisable literary characters in any genre. A brilliant
London-based detective, Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess,
and is renowned for his skilful use of deductive reasoning and astute
observation to solve difficult cases. Doyle never revealed much about
Holmes's personal life and for this reason, one of the joys of reading
The Complete Sherlock Holmes lies in assembling the trivia of each story
into something like a portrait of the detective and his creator.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844)
A popular bestseller since its publication in 1844, The Count of Monte
Cristo is one of the great page-turning thrillers of all time. Set
against the tumultuous years of the post-Napoleonic era, Dumas's grand
historical romance recounts the swashbuckling adventures of Edmond
Dantes, a dashing young sailor falsely accused of treason. The story of
his long imprisonment, dramatic escape, and carefully wrought revenge
offers a vision of France that has become immortal.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Madame
Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (1857)
This
novel follows the life of Emma Bovary, a woman whose
spite towards the banalities of a provincial lifestyle throws her into
superficial amusements and the arms of other men. In the beginning the
book is set around the life of Charles Bovary, a doctor who falls in
love, later to marry, the enchanting and beautiful Emma. From here
onward the plot revolves around Emma, who despite Charles’ love, is
disgusted by his boring nature and superfluity and this drives her to
seek for solace and shelter through different male characters.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850)
Hester
Prynne has a baby girl while her husband is supposed to be lost in sea
and she’s sentenced to wear a scarlet letter, so everyone will know
she’s an adulteress, she’s repeatedly asked the name of her
“accomplice” but she always refuses. After she’s given her
sentence, a man calling himself Chillingworth arrives from Britain and
is determined to find the baby’s father.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Illiad by Homer (BC)
An
epic Greek poem that, along with The Odyssey is thought to be the
oldest Greek literature in existence. Set in a number of weeks during
the final year of the siege in Troy between the Greek and the Trojans.
Homer incorporates a large amount of Greek mythology into the poem,
such as The Labours of Hercules. Gods frequently join in the battling
and both Greek and Trojan sides have heroes who are part Gods.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Odyssey by Homer (BC)
A sequel
to The Illiad, this poem focuses on Greek mythological hero Odysseus
and his journey to Ithaca after the Trojan war. During his time away
from Ithaca his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus, must deal
with a mob of unruly suitors who assume Odysseus is dead and squat on
his land to compete for Penelope's hand in marriage.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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A
Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen (1879)
A
Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen is a short play set in the late 19th
century that centers around Nora Helmer and her "awakening"
from her domestic home life in which she was constantly ruled by her
husband and not allowed to have an independent life. One might say she
was simply a doll in her own home, controlled by others. She finds her
independence when her husband discovers that she had illegitimately
borrowed money to save his life many years ago.
Start
a discussion on it here. |
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| Hedda
Gabbler by Henrik Ibsen (1890)
The
play Hedda Gabler centers around a character of the same name. The
action begins as Hedda returns from her honeymoon with Tessman, an
academic who combined the trip with research. Ibsen makes it quite
clear she doesn't love him and only married him for economic security,
it is also suggested that she is pregnant. When Tessman's rival
Lovborg and Hedda's old schoolmate Mrs Elvstead (who has left her
husband for Lovborg) appear on the scene a number of calamitous events
ensue. Hedda toys with a gun throughout the play which is highly
symbolic - it shows how she does not fit into her ideological place in
society as it is an unacceptable thing for someone to toy with. It
also highlights her masculine characteristics.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Legend
of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (1820)
The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of the most popular American short
stories of all time. In the small Dutch settlement of Tarrytown, New
York, Sleepy Hollow is a place where legends come to life, and every
villager has a story to tell about the strange events that have taken
place throughout the years near the Old Dutch Burying Ground. But of all
these stories, the Legend of the Headless Horseman is the one that has
terrified the villagers the most and Ichabod Crane, a schoolteacher from
Connecticut, is about to discover why...
Start
a discussion on it here. |
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Daisy
Miller by Henry James (1878)
In
a popular tourist resort in Switzerland, Mr. Winterbourne, a young
American, meets Daisy Miller. He is immediately taken in by this
spontaneous and charming young lady, who does not seem to take care
about society's rules and conventions. He eventually follows her to
Rome, where he quickly discovers that her free manners have made her the
talk of the town. Will he give in to the rumours flying around or will
Daisy's charms and unique personality succeed in winning him over?
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Portrait
of a Lady by Henry James (1881)
Set
mostly in Europe, this is the story of Isabel Archer, a young American
woman. She is invited to follow her aunt to England where she meets her
rich uncle and her cousin. Thanks to the latter, who wants to give her
economical idependence and freedom, she inherits a large amount of
money. But she is then victimised by two American expatriates and their
calculating plans. The author, a keen observer of upper-class world,
focuses on the inner motivation behind characters’ behaviour with
psychological realism and on differences between the New and the Old
world.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Dangerous
Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (1782)
Les
Liaisons Dangereuses is one of the greatest and most popular French
novels of all times. In an exchange of letters, we discover the story of
two French aristocrats, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de
Valmont, who take on a dangerous bet that is likely to destroy the life
of many people around them. As the stakes get higher and higher,
ruthless scheming, manipulation and treason come into play, resulting in
a story that hasn't ceased fascinating readers throughout the centuries.
Discussion
on the book: here
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The
Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe by Edgar Allen Poe
A
collection of often macabre, mournful and downright eerie pieces by
Edgar Allen Poe, a master of the gothic-horror genre. One of the best
known works of this American writer is a poem entitled The Raven.
Discussion
on the book: here |
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Swann's
Way by Marcel Proust (1913)
Divided
into four parts, this is the first volume of the semi-autobiographical
work In Search Of Lost Time. In the first two parts the narrator
recollects his childhood in Combray, the third one, which can be
consider a novel itself, tells about Swann’s love for Odette De Crécy,
the last part is about narrator’s youth love for Gilberte. Proust’s
work searchs into the innermost recesses of the mind allowing emotional
memory to draw out the secret truths of the self in a continuos flow of
images and impressions
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)
This
novella is about the mystery surrounding Mr Hyde and his relationship
to Dr Jekyll. Nobody understands why Dr Jekyll, a respected doctor,
leaves all his money to Mr Hyde, a mean man who everyone is afraid of.
The story is told from the
point of view of Gabriel John Utterson, a lawyer and an old friend of
Dr Jekyll. The lawyer
investigates the relationship between his old friend and Mr Hyde. The split personality at the
crux of this story's mystery is similar to that posessed by a drug
addict, and so it is rumoured that drug addiction is an issue the tale
represents.
Start
a discussion on it here. |
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Treasure
Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)
The
main character of this adventure tale, Jim Hawkins, is a young boy who
comes to possess a map to pirate Captain Flint's treasure. He, Squire
Trelawney and Dr Livesey charter a ship and set off on the expedition.
Difficulties quickly ensue when Long John Silver, who has been hired
as the ship cook and is an old mate of Captain Flint's, begins to stir
up mutinous sentiment.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Jungle by Upton Sinclair (1906)
This
novel depicts the underside of the American dream: corruption, poverty
and unpleasant working conditions. The story revolves around the
Rudkus family who are lured to America from Lithuania, their home
country, by the promise of a better life. Instead they find themselves
working in the back breaking Chicago stockyards, where everyone has
their price and authorities must be paid off. A number of preventable
accidents lead the family to tragedy.
Discussion on it
here.
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Uncle
Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852)
The
story of uncle Tom is the story of all the black slaves in America
during the days before the Civil War. They were sold from one person to
another like working animals and suffered from abuse. Uncle Tom,
submissive and loyal, was torn from his wife and kids and while at first
he found a good and warm place to live in, he ended up living with a
monster. Sadly, he didn't enjoy the freedom the Civil war brought with
it.
In addition to Tom's story, there are many other stories of other slaves
- who unlike submissive Tom tried to fight for their freedom.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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A
Modest Proposal by Jonathon Swift (1729)
In
"A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from
Being a Burthen to their Parents, or the Country, and for Making them
Beneficial to the Publick", Jonathan Swift ironically offers a
shocking solution to the problem of poverty in Ireland: to fatten up the
country's undernourished children and feed them to Ireland's rich
landowners. Statistics, facts and data are brought up to support this
proposal which, according to the author, would immediately solve the
problems of overpopulation and famine, while contributing to the
economic well-being of the country. This results in a
thought-provocative pamphlet, the last he ever wrote about Ireland.
Start
a discussion on it here. |
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Gulliver's
Travels by Jonathan Swift (1726)
"Satire",
Swift observed, "is a mirror in which people see everyone else's
face but their own". In this satirical masterpiece made up of four
parts, Swift places a mirror in front of humankind and exposes the
weaknesses of humanity. Gulliver, the heroine of this fantastic
satirical novel visits far places in 4 different parts of the country.
He visits Lilliput, the land of dwarfs, Brobdingnag, the land of
giants, Laputa - an island consisting of intelligent people, and
finally in the country of the Houyhnhnms, horses who control human
beings. Swift uses all these elements in order to look at the political
culture and leaders of his time from different viewpoints. He attempts
to prove that different establishments don't have an absolute value.
Swift also expresses deep thoughts about life in general, which are
still very relevant to this day.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Hamlet
by William Shakespeare (1599-1601)
"To
be, or not to be..." Shakespeare's Hamlet is considered by many
to be one of his greatest and most powerful tragedies. The character
Prince Hamlet is at the heart of the play and he has a very unique and
mysterious personality. When his father dies he immediately returns home
to find his uncle being crowned the new King and being his mother's new
spouse. Hamlet is absolutely overwhelmed with his father's death and his
mother's new marriage. When the ghost of Hamlet's father tells him the
new King assassinated him Hamlet immediately seeks revenge. After he
obtains this revenge he becomes doubtful and troubled by his
actions.
A masterpiece 400-years-old, this play is still relevant. Hamlet is an
everlasting masterpiece.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Othello
by William Shakespeare (1604)
Shakespeare
presented Othello empathetically despite his being a Moor (a
dark-skinned Muslim), which was very unusual for Shakespeare's time.
Its themes of racism, jealousy and sexuality ensure it is still
resonant to a modern audience. It also examines the relationships
between women and men - the reader gets the first impression that the
men are in control of their women, but on a closer look it becomes
clear the women actually hold great power. In this play Shakespeare
depicts men in a dark light.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Romeo
and Juliet by William Shakespeare (1597)
Before
Romeo and Juliet met they were involved with different people and came
from families who were absolute enemies. One might wonder two complete
opposite destinies could intertwine? When Juliet's father throws a
ball, Romeo's family is absolutely forbidden to come. However, Romeo
decides to sneak in, in order to see his beloved, Rosaline. Juliet on
the other hand, is being forced into marrying Count Paris. Everything
turns upside down when Romeo and Juliet see each other and immediately
fall in love. Romeo and Juliet try desperately to be partners for life
but everything seems to get in their way of being together. Finally
their vivid love comes to a tragic end. Romeo and Juliet's love story
is one of the greatest, most touching love stories ever written.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Ivanhoe
by Sir Walter Scott (1819)
The
novel is set in the Middle Ages, when England was ruled by the Normans
and operated under the feudal system. The story follows a "mediocre
hero", the Saxon Wilfred of Ivanhoe, his love for Lady Rowena, to
which his father objects for political reasons, and his allegiance to
King Richard I of England, who returns from the Crusades incognito. The
legendary Robin Hood is also a character of the novel.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Frankenstein
by Mary Shelly (1818)
Although
the story of Frankenstein is globally recognized, the novel offers much
more than what the average horror movie can portray. The story centers
on Victor Frankenstein, a “mad scientist”, whose abhorrent creation,
a devilish and evil monster, rebels against him, committing crimes, and
showing him the repercussions of dangerous scientific experimentation
and of taking on the role of God.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Dracula
by Bram Stoker (1897)
The
epitome of the gothic-horror genre, this classic is told in a series of
diary letters which are written by several narrators who come into
contact with the vampire Count Dracula. While this is a fictional work
it is based on some historical facts; the vampire's name is based on
Vlad III Dracula of Transylvania who is thought to have killed between
20,000 and 40,000 people. Stoker did not invent the mythical vampire
creature, but Dracula has shaped the way literature and popular culture
represent the demon. Countless adaptations and appropriations of Dracula
have been made, for instance the films Nosferatu, Dracula Dead and
Loving it and Andy Warhol's Blood For Dracula.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Vanity Fair by
William. M Thackery (1678)
Vanity
Fair originally appeared in monthly parts, starting on January 1,
1847. The novel takes place during the Napoleonic Wars and concerns
the lives of two very different girls, Amelia Sedley is the daughter
of a rich City merchant and Rebecca Sharp is an orphan and very poor,
but smart. All the characters in the book are connected through these
two girls. The novel portrays the upper classes in the early
nineteenth century, where wealth is considered a good thing, but that
money doesn’t make you happy.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Walden
by Henry David Thoreau (1854)
On
July 4, 1845, Henry David Thoreau moved into a simple log cabin he had
built in the woods near Walden Pond, near Concord, Massachusetts. For
two years, two months and two days, Thoreau, who was part of the
American Transcendentalist movement along with the likes of Ralph Waldo
Emerson, Margaret Fuller and Bronson Alcott, experimented what life
could be like without the constant influence of society. He did not live
as a recluse, receiving frequent visitors and making short trips to
Concord, but he believed that by living a simple life in harmony with
nature, he would be able to better understand the rules that govern
society. "Walden; or, Life in the Woods" is a captivating
record of his thoughts and impressions during this experiment.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Anna
Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1873)
As
one of the pinnacles of Russian literature, this novel has been long
praised and admired. The plot follows the despair and most inner and
intricate feelings of a Russian aristocrat: Anna Karenina. Tragedy,
bewilderment and love taint this novel, giving it an undeniable
originality. The protagonist’s immediate infatuation with Alexei
Vronsky, a wealthy military officer, allows the reader to conjecture the
development of the novel. The warmth through which Anna’s emotions are
conveyed helps one to sympathize with her in her hours of woe and in her
mistakes.
Discussion on the book
here.
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War
and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1865)
A
kind of philosophical work within a novel and one of the most authentic
narrative epic. Experiences of two families of Russian nobility are
interrelated with each others and with the background of early 19th
century European crisis. Tolstoj follows his characters throughout
balls, fights, weddings, deaths, directly taking part of their fears and
disquietudes, and giving voice to their inner feelings.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (1884)
Huckleberry
Finn's story is seen as the first great American Novels and it is much
more appreciated than The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This story is about
Huckleberry and his relationship with a runaway southern slave, Jim, as
they flee south on the Mississippi River. The two boys have a journey
that brings them together. This book was controversial in it’s time,
because of its use of language and the inclusion of the subject of
slavery.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (1876)
This
is the story of a young boy named Tom Sawyer, a blond orphan who is
taken in by his Aunt Polly. He goes through a couple of adventures with
his friends Joe Harper and Huckleberry Finn (whom we know from that
other story by Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn). Tom Sawyer
is mischievous and often foolish and unpredictable. When he isn’t
going on an adventure he tries to win his sweetheart Becky Thatcher. The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a sequel to this book, but Tom isn’t
a big part of that story.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Ethan
Frome by Edith Wharton (1911)
In
Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton moves away from the bourgeois society
novels she's so famous for and sets the action of this novel in the dead
of the New England winter, in a small town in Masschusetts. Drawing from
her own failed marriage experiences and a brief affair, Wharton relates
the story of Ethan Frome, a taciturn man stuck in an unhappy marriage,
who struggles to come to terms with his feelings for another woman. Can
love really come to life in the middle of this cold, harsh winter?
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (1920)
The
protagonist is Newland Archer, a bright and composed young lawyer, who
is about to announce his engagement with May, when he meets her cousin,
Ellen Olenska. Ellen is a frank, free spirited woman, who has returned
to New York after separating herself from a bad marriage to a Polish
Count. Newland finds himself intrigued and falls in love with her. The
story takes place among New York City’s upper class in the 1870s. This
novel won the Pulitzer Prize.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (1895)
This
comedy of manners is about two friends, Algernon and Jack. Algernon
thinks Jack is named Earnest, but discovers that Jack is his real name
and the one he goes under in the country, while he goes under Earnest
when in the city. This creates a problem for Jack because the woman he
loves seems to only love him because she thinks his name is Earnest,
when in fact this is not the case. Algernon follows Jack to the
country to meet his ward Cecily where he pretends to be the mysterious
Earnest, who Jack has told her is in fact his brother, in order to
meet her. She has imagined herself falling in love with this
fictitious Earnest for quite awhile. From then onwards Algernon and
Jack find themselves in many complicated, sticky situations.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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The
Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1891)
The
story of this gothic novel revolves around a young and beautiful man
named Dorian Gray, who is introduced into the plot as artist Basil
Hallward's latest subject for his paintings. Through Basil Dorian meets
Lord Henry Wotton, who's hedonistic view that the only important thing
in life is beauty shocks and alters Dorian. Afraid of his own beauty
inevitably dissapating with age, Dorian wishes that the portrait Basil
has painted of him would age instead of himself. Disasterous events
follow. The main theme of this novel is that each sin has an effect on
the soul.
Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray was quite controversial
at the time of its publication due to its homosexual themes.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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Journey
to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne (1864)
In
this classic science fiction novel a professor, his nephew and a hired
guide trek down a volcano in Iceland until they reach the center of
the earth. Escapades involving prehistoric animals and natural
disasters occur during this journey. While Verne did not believe the
center of the earth is actually like the one he created in this book
(his viewpoint is expressed through one of the characters),
scientifically speaking the book has become dated due to advances in
knowledge about the earth's core.
Start
a discussion on it here.
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*Note:
our definition of classic is:
From:
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