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Step Into Classic Literature: Vintage Pages, Modern Magic
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items Easy to read classics to get you into the genre! At first, classics can seem intimidating (especially the size!), but here are my go-to short classics to enjoy as an English Undergraduate. Whether you're just starting out or need some recs, here's my...
Wilde's ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ follows the story of Dorian Gray, a young man obsessed with maintaining his youth and beauty. He makes a deal to sell his soul, yet all of his sins are portrayed in his portrait. A short but twisted tale of obsess...
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
Fitzgerald's ‘The Great Gatsby’ is a tale about the American dream. It follows Jay Gatsby, who is infatuated with Daisy Buchanan, yet she is betrothed to another. The story features old vs new money, obsession, infidelity and everything about the Jaz...
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Alcott's ‘Little Women’ follows the story of the four March sisters as they each take different paths in life, yet stay intertwined. It's a story of the feminine voice, love, grief and jealousy. A true comfort read!
Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
Shelley's 'Frankenstein' is a dark, gripping tale about Victor Frankenstein, a radical scientist who brings a creature to life, only to abandon it in fear. The story poses great questions about morality, ethics and pushing the boundaries of human lim...
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
Bronte's 'Jane Eyre' is an emotionally rich novel about the feminine voice. Jane's journey follows from a difficult childhood to a governess at the strange Thornfield Hall, where she meets Mr Rochester. Do not be fooled! It is not just a love story -...
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
Despite being a more modern novel, Bradbury's 'Fahrenheit 451' is a fast paced, thought-provoking novel set in the future. Books are banned, firemen burn them and people are forced to become mindless with entertainment rather than thinking critically...
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Rarely seen as a classic, Russell's ‘Blood Brothers’ is a play that follows the lives of two twins separated at birth who lead entirely different lifestyles. Mickey is raised in a struggling, working-class family, while Edward is in a wealthy househo...
Blood Brothers, Willy Russell
THE most relevant book to today's society. Orwell's ‘1984’ follows Winston Smith, an ordinary man living under the iron grip of Big Brother, a regime that controls every aspect if life from thought to history to action. Winston's rebellion becomes a ...
1984, George Orwell
“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” Another Orwell novel, ‘Animal Farm’ follows a farm that is no longer ruled by humans, and the animals explore how power can corrupt as the pigs eventually take control. Each character is h...
Animal Farm, George Orwell
Salinger's ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ is a raw coming of age novel that follows a troubled teenager, Holden Caulfield, as he grapples with the fear of growing up in New York City. He faces frustrations, confusions and longing for genuine connection in ...
The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
Lee's ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is set in the racially divided American South, following a young Scout Finch as she grows up with her father, a lawyer defending an innocent black man accused of a terrible crime. We see the complexities of justice, raci...
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Golding's ‘Lord of the Flies’ is a story about a group of boys deserted on an island, trying to govern themselves but dissolve into chaos and violence. It's a novel about survival, how societies are ruled, and moral decay. Another great novel about p...
Lord of the Flies, William Golding