Literature has forever been a passion of mine. Books have always been a part of me. This was especially true when I was younger and could not be seen in public without a copy of a Harry Potter novel. Up until a few years ago, books and I were inseperable; that is, until I became aquainted with technology, the computer, instant messenger and this obsession with reading that I once possessed was lost.
Very recently, a realization has struck me. We were assigned Lord of the Flies to read in my Grade 10 English class. Through reading this absolutely breathtaking novel, I found myself becoming once again attached to the world of literature that I had lost sight of and after finishing the book, I pleaded to myself to hold steady to this and to continue reading avidly as I had done once long ago, before I again lost sight of this treasure I had rediscovered.
So I created a reading list for the next 5ish years comprised of around 60 classic and recognized novels, plays, poems and everything else literature. So far I have not done so well following through the list but I am trekking slowly through the first of the list, a phenomenal modern classic entitled "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, a book which I am reading for my English ISU. I am about 220 out of around 300 pages into the book. After completing the novel, I will post a full review of my thoughts and feelings about the book but I'll just say, that it's a beyond fantastic and ultimately shocking read and I would suggest it to anyone with an appetite for a beautifully written story. After this, I have, in my line up, five other pieces of writing that I have purchased and plan to read immediately. They go as follows:
Macbeth, by William Shakespeare - The play we are required to read for English but one I am so very anxious and excited to begin. Though I did not enjoy Romeo and Juliet from Grade 9 all that much, I find myself more intrigued and fascinated by Macbeth, and excited to explore its central theme of evil, which I found very interesting in Lord of the Flies. Also, the story and it's supernatural elements also pique my interest.
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens - I actually started this one a few months ago and got around halfway into it before I stopped because of my huge homework load and because I had to start reading, The Road. The part I read was quite excellent and the themes of the books especially relating to the desire and aspiration to be something great (hence the title, "Great Expectations," I suppose) were ones I definitely related to; the content is, however, dense and I found it took me a while to really get into it. I also believe it will take just as long to get back into the book after having not read it for around two months but am eager to recommence my journey.
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson - This is a less mature read than both of the previous novels on the list but it still remains a classic piece of literature complete with excellent writing, and an extraordinairy story. This one is also intended to be quite entertaining and adventurous and I can't wait to start!
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen - I've actually never read Jane Austen before but I am eager to start. The book is of course a timeless classic, though one of Jane Austen's lesser known works. The English is very high-level and intellectual and proper in style but I'm rather excited to experience and read this kind of writing. This is basically like my Jane Austen taste test, if I like this one, I'll definitely pick up her other ones including "Pride and Prejudice," "Emma," "Persuasion," "Mansfield Park," etc.
Paradise Lost, by John Milton - Out of all of them,this is the one I am most excited to start. At Chapters today, as I was purchasing Macbeth, this title immediately caught my eye. I had of course heard of the epic poem before, but very little at that. Upon reading the back and doing some further research I found myself absolutely enthralled at the story, at the concept and at the writing style and I'm really anxious to begin this one.
The rest of my list goes as follows but not in any particular order:
Diary of Anne Frank
The Merchant of Venice
Pride & Prejudice
The Catcher in the Rye
The Odyssey
Anna Karenina
Jane Eyre
Gone with the Wind
A Tale of Two Cities
The Sound and the Fury
The Illiad
Wuthering Heights
The Alchemist
War and Peace
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Emma
Hamlet/other Shakespeare
The Bourne Identity
Invisible Man
The Scarlet Letter
Heart of Darkness
All is Quiet of the Western Front
Oliver Twist
Ulysses
Animal Farm
Naked Lunch
The Tempest
Grapes of Wrath
A Confederacy of Dunces
Persuasion
Fahrenheit 451
Nicholas Hornsby
The Great Gatsby
Atonement
Of Mice and Men
Catch 22
Little Women
Epic of Gilgamesh
Canterbury Tales
Something Wicked this way comes
Crime and Punishment
The Blind Assassin
Count of Monte Cristo
Poisonwood Bible
Mansfield Park
Lord of the Rings
Gulliver’s Travels
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Death in Venice
To Kill a Mockingbird
Madame Bovary
Othello
The Handmaiden’s Tale
Slaughterhouse-Five
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Beowulf
Other Austen
Other Dickens
Other Bronte
Other Faulkner
Other Hemmingway
I am about to embark on an amazing adventure. I feel more than ready to delve into this rich world so that I can deepen the waters of my mind, widen my horizons, open my soul, explore new ideas, get a better grasp at the English language and ultimately evolve into and come out of this as a more experienced and worldly individual.
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