Classics are a great way to do go back in time for an escape and introspection. Take yourself on a great getaway this summer with our ultimate list of must-read classics.
As the summer is dawning upon us, most of us have already made our post-exam plans. To help pass time in the long vacation, we present a list of time-honoured novels:
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847):
Powerful and passionate, this novel explores two generations of characters in the windy moors of 18th and 19th century England. The gothic elements of the novel brings alive the disturbing and haunting melody of the moors through its vibrant characters like Catherine and Heathcliffe.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813):
Probably one of the most famous English novels ever, Austen’s brilliant satire and irony exudes through her characters. A strong-willed Elizabeth Bennet, and the broody, gentlemanly Edward Darcy. As Elizabeth discovers and confronts her faults and her vanity, she unravels what is probably one of the greatest love stories of our time.
- Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (1955):
This disturbingly thought-provoking novel is bound to shake you to the core. The story follows the raw, bloody desire of the middle-aged professor Humbert Humbert, for the 12-year old Dolores Haze (whom he nicknames Lolita). Nabokov’s controversial work remains one of the most vibrant explorations into the dark side of human nature.
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847):
A must-read for all feminists, this novel follows the blossoming of Jane Eyre into spiritual and emotional maturity. Brontë’s magnum opus is often considered revolutionary as it highlights themes of sexuality, religion, classism, and religion through the fiercely independent and perceptive nature of its protagonist.
- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1873-77):
What is considered to be Tolstoy’s most autobiographical work, the novel follows the web of lives of Anna Karenina, Count Vronsky, Oblonksky, and Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin, in a period of turmoil in Russian history. However, it is the brutal realism of Tolstoy’s words that is the most redeeming quality of the novel.
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Sara Sohail