Famous Books We'd Love to Read but Haven't Yet, Part 1

​And now, for something a bit different! We’ve been thinking about the classics lately (and not just speculative-fiction ones) and how important they still are, especially with literacy’s current state of decline. Classics are classics for a reason and can teach us a lot, if we slow ourselves down enough to learn from them!
 
So in this blog post and the next one, we’ll be sharing some excellent classics we’ve been meaning to read—not all of them are actually terribly old, although some are. Now, we just need to find more time between the grind and our side hustles. . . .

Deborah’s list:
 
1. The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss: A shipwrecked family uses ingenuity, cooperation, and faith to survive and build a thriving life on a deserted tropical island.
 
2. The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser: an allegorical epic in which various knights undertake quests that symbolize different virtues, ultimately serving the glory of Queen Gloriana and reflecting moral and political ideals. (I'm working on the new prose version and then listening to the excellent LibriVox recording of the original, read by Thomas Copeland, to compare to the original text.) 
 
3. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe: A shipwrecked man survives for years on a deserted island, relying on ingenuity, faith, and perseverance before eventually being rescued.
 
4. Bulfinch’s Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch: a comprehensive retelling of Greek, Roman, and other classical myths, presenting ancient stories and legends in an accessible form for modern readers.
 
5. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: Gregor Samsa awakens transformed into a giant insect and, as he becomes increasingly isolated and unable to communicate, watches his family’s fear and resentment grow until he is ultimately rejected.
 
6. Faust by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe: The scholar Faust makes a pact with the devil Mephistopheles for knowledge and worldly pleasures, leading to profound moral struggle, tragedy, and eventual redemption.
 
7. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery: Anne Shirley, an imaginative orphan, is adopted by siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert and grows up in Avonlea, where her creativity and strong spirit lead her through friendships, education, love, and personal growth.
 
8. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy: This classic interweaves the lives of several aristocratic Russian families during the Napoleonic Wars, exploring love, fate, and the sweeping forces of history on individual lives.
 
9. Hard Times by Charles Dickens: This classic follows the Gradgrind family and others in the industrial town of Coketown as rigid utilitarian values clash with imagination, compassion, and human individuality.
 
10. The Lord of the Flies by William Golding: (I finally just read it.) A group of British schoolboys is stranded on an uninhabited island, and their attempt to govern themselves collapses into chaos and violence, revealing the darker side of human nature.
 
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What’s your favorite classic book, or which one have you really been meaning to read? Tell us in the comments!
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P.S. – ​If you loved these book recommendations, why not sign up for our newsletter? Twice a month, we’ll send you a themed list of fantasy and/or sci-fi book recommendations, and sometimes music, movies, or manga too. (Not to mention jokes, games, puzzles, memes, and the occasional recipe!)

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