Book List

Today a friend of mine requested that I send him a list of about a dozen literary classics to read over the next year, and his admirable request prompted me to think through what I think are essential "reads." So, based on the last few years of my reading experience done for pleasure, higher education, and my own personal benefit, I've compiled a list of twelve works--one book per month--that would make for a suitable goal for the upcoming year. Feel free to suggest any classics to me that you think would be useful as well.

I'm choosing the following titles for a couple of reasons. First, they exhibit excellent literary quality and a person can improve simply by allowing their mind to engage in the ideas presented. Second, these works are part of the fabric of our society, demonstrating tremendous cultural relevance, influence, and references. Finally, they function as both mirror and flashlight, for the reader can see themselves in the pages and can utilize these texts to examine themselves, those around them, and society. This list is drawn from Greek, British, African, American, Chinese, French, and Roman sources, and, obviously, is merely my opinion of worthwhile reading.

Some are fairly short, none should be over 400 pages.

These are not in any special order. Let me know if you need any clarification.

1. Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth (any or all would be greatly beneficial--these are Shakespeare's top works)
2. The Good Earth, Pearl Buck
3. Candide, Voltaire
4. Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
5. The Odyssey (I like the Fitzgerald translation, but many others prefer Fagles)
6. 1984, George Orwell
7. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
8. Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe
9. Meditations, Marcus Aurelius
10. Frankenstein (1818 text), Mary Shelley
11. Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
12. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald