Timeless classics and modern masterpieces that challenge, inspire, and leave a lasting impact. Ideal for thought-provoking discussions.
My Antonia
Willa Cather, 1918
280 pp.
December 2007
Read this beautiful book. I should just stop here. So I will.
Well...no. On second thought, maybe not. At least I should explain. Truth is there's not much more to say about this American classic than what H.L. Mencken said in 1918:
Sons and Lovers
D.H. Lawrence
481pp.
November 2007
If you've never read Lawrence, this is a good place to start—Sons and Lovers is an early novel, more conventional than his later works. It is also somewhat autobiographical.
The book recounts the struggle of young Paul Morel, the son of a miner, to establish himself in the middle-class and to break free—or not—of his mother's domineering love.
Middlemarch
George Eliot, 1871-72
~800 pp. (varies by publisher)
October 2007
This is one of the great works in English literature. And like reading many such works, it's an ambitious undertaking. You'll need time and perseverance (my copy comes in at over 800 pages).
Have I scared you off? Well, you need to know what you're in for. But if you choose to read this work—and stick with it—it will enthrall you. There is good reason why Middlemarch sits at the pinnacle of the Realistic novel.
Howards End
E. M. Forster, 1910
355 pp.
September 2007
It took the lushly produced Merchant-Ivory* films to springboard E.M. Forster into a literary household name. Before that, he occupied a well-regarded but quiet niche in the pantheon of English authors.
We appreciate Forster because he tells such darn good stories while tackling serious social issues, primarily England's rigid class system, colonialism, homosexuality—and, always-always, hypocrisy.
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen, 1813
~250-300 pp. (varies by publisher)
August 2007
Not long ago, I received an email from someone struggling through Pride and Prejudice. Why, she wondered, is it considered a great classic? It's wordy and dense, making it difficult to cut through the pile of verbiage to get to the meaning.
It's an excellent question!—and all the more interesting because of the vital role Jane Austen played in the development of the young novel.