Where to Start with Classics | Book Recommendations

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These are my recommendations on where to start with the English speaking world's classic literary canon. In this video, I'm roughly calling classics books that were published pre-World War I, with a few exceptions like Agatha Christie
If you're looking for Penguin Clothbound Classics, here's my affiliated Penguin Clothbound Classics shop: bookshop.org/lists/penguin-cl...
Or if you want to go through Amazon, my affiliated link is here: amzn.to/32hC969
Lipstick: "Wonderland" by Urban Decay
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Books Mentioned (all links are affiliated) :
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014104...
(Collected Jane Austen collection in this edition - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014139...)
JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014104...
WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014104...
ROMEO AND JULIET by William Shakespeare - bookshop.org/a/8761/978074347...
GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Charles Dickens - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014104...
THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - bookshop.org/a/8761/978024134...
THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD by Agatha Christie - bookshop.org/a/8761/978006298...
FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014139...
DRACULA by Bram Stoker - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014119...
THE LORD OF THE RINGS by JRR Tolkein - bookshop.org/a/8761/978061864...
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Oscar Wilde - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014144...
THE WOMAN IN WHITE by Wilkie Collins - amzn.to/3bWoeGc
TIS PITY SHE'S A WHORE by John Ford - bookshop.org/a/8761/978071904...
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE by William Shakespeare - bookshop.org/a/8761/978074347...
EMMA by Jane Austen - amzn.to/3hs8FHh
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS by Jonathan Swift - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014119...
CRANFORD by Elizabeth Gaskell - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014144...
HOWARDS END by EM Forester - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014118...
MIDDLEMARCH by George Eliot - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014119...
WAR AND PEACE by Leo Tolstoy - bookshop.org/a/8761/978024126...
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014139...
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This is a great guide for how to best vote in each US state: slate.com/news-and-politics/2...
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15 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 746

@estrid8616 4 года назад

where do you find all those beautiful copies?

@bookslikewhoa 4 года назад

Mostly Book Depository, Bookshop.org, & Amazon ☺️If folks are interested in finding the Penguin Clothbound Classics, I have some affiliated links with most of them: Here's my affiliated Penguin Clothbound Classics shop at Bookshop.org: bookshop.org/lists/penguin-clothbound-classics-7ecf8706-5180-477b-9005-660667869a8e Or if you want to go through Amazon, my affiliated link is here: amzn.to/32hC969

@von20808 4 года назад

Barnes and Noble have a lot of beautiful classics also. That's where I got mine.

@estrid8616 4 года назад

bookslikewhoa thank yoy❤️🌸

@estrid8616 4 года назад

Von White thank you so much💕🦋

@endermasa9451 4 года назад

waterstones in the uk produced the copies like that :)

@HettieGrace 4 года назад

The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of my favourite books. I challenged myself to read more classics this year and its rekindled my love for books!

@colleencupido5125 3 года назад

Author Oscar Wilde's last words on his deathbed in a cheap rented room: "Either this wallpaper goes, or I do."

@supershmueli 3 года назад

I love Dorian Gray, and when I get into the classroom to teach high school ELAR, I want to teach it

@Justme-rw3ws 3 года назад

Oh I have a book report on the picture of Dorian Gray

@archelbar7800 3 года назад

Had a long hiatus on reading and tried reading a classic. It was Dorian Gray. I was amazed at Oscar Wilde's style of prose. It's not to complicated and not too simple. It just sits in between making it a good page turner. I loved the premise and the story in general. Too sad that his work was not generally accepted by the society during his time (victorian era) because it's too gay and too unvictorian for them. :(

@donikaj7805 3 года назад

its sexist but interesting for sure.

@booluther 4 года назад

I think Frankenstein is a good beginners classic. It’s relatively short and the language isn’t too difficult. Also for doorstoppers, I always recommend Les Mis to people who love the musical. It adds so much depth to the story and the characters.

@jolienvandamme2909 4 года назад

booluther yes but les mis is a very big book so that’s putting me off but you are right about Frankenstein that was the first classic I read.

@kelviannaepperson3677 4 года назад

Yeah I read it in high school

@henryanderson6752 4 года назад

Couldn't agree more!

@jade728 4 года назад

Woah frankenstein has been my first classic! I loved it, moved on to pride and prejudice and now onto little women. I was always intimidated by the thought of the wordiness but so far so good😊

@gemmmmeerr 4 года назад

I tried reading Frankenstein recently and I really couldn't get into it. Might give it another go!

@nightmarishcompositions4536 4 года назад

Dracula, Frankenstein, Carmilla, Dorian Grey, the short horror stories of H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe, or the heroic fantasy tales of Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith are usually my recommendations when it comes to the classics!

@stephaniedunham4104 3 года назад

I just finished Carmilla today and that is one I wish people talked about more. It’s really excellent.

@nursemain3174 3 года назад

If u like Carmilla, have u read the vampyre. It’s weird that even though they’re the first vampire novels Dracula is more famous

@rickytrockclimbing2935 3 года назад

SAME!

@caseygomes8623 2 года назад

I agree. I got copies of most of those sitting in my shelf

@elizabethclark-feinstein3216 2 года назад

Dorian gray is one of my favorite books rn

@annajo6576 4 года назад

The way I got through Shakespeare: they sell editions that have little footnotes or side notes about confusing parts. Made it so much easier and helped me get used to reading his works. By the end, I didn’t even read the notes. I felt MUCH smarter haha.

@valpaz5802 4 года назад

Anna Jo I need that because I struggle with fully understanding Shakespeare 😅 if you don’t mind me asking, what books did you purchase to help? 😊

@jenw7283 4 года назад

@@valpaz5802 Personally, I like the Folger editions of Shakespeare, they tend to have a lot of notes and Folger is really well known for their scholarship. Also good are the Norton editions and sometimes the Signet Classic editions.

@bookslikewhoa 4 года назад

I agree! I like the Norton editions

@theresac9099 4 года назад

I read your comment last night and was going to ask you where you purchased yours. Then when I went to the thrift store today, I found a copy of Merchant of Venice exactly as you described! Meant to be!

@kalacs32 4 года назад

Critical editions are always more expensive, but I just ADORE the Arden Shakespeare Editions.

@hannahfaires3989 4 года назад

I watched Pride and Prejudice before I read the story. The language was easy to follow along with because I already knew the story.

@annajo6576 4 года назад

Hannah Faires yes, I agree. I’ve done this with a few classics.

@kelviannaepperson3677 4 года назад

I did too and it made it easier while reading because I could visualize it and know where I was. The same with Emma

@Anna-ou7or 4 года назад

I watched Jane Eyre before reading it and I regret it because it ruined the mystery. Still really enjoyed it though. Masterpiece.

@TaylorGee 4 года назад

Yes, if you don't mind spoilers, I *highly* recommend watching the movie versions before reading them, but I am a dyslexic scholar and have a tendency to get swept up in the story when I mean to study XD Following the story is definitely much easier if you've seen the movie before reading it (not to mention how much easier it is to know the characters)

@JLar-bb5hl 4 года назад

Recommended! While there's loads of humour in the book, and top class writing, there's also a lot of ... words.: )

@prfctlolitas952 3 года назад

A tip for reading classics: if there is a movie about the book watch it first and then read it that way you know what’s going on if you get confused with the language and it has helped me so much

@tinytoadstoolcottage8794 4 года назад

If someone is TOTALLY intimidated by classics, I always recommend some childrens' classics first. Such as Lewis Carroll - everyone knows the story of Alice and it just eases them into the language gently. Also E. Nesbit is good. I also think Henry James is a great introduction. The themes in What Maisie Knew could have been written today. The Turn of the Screw is a great horror read. And I agree with you on Wilkie Collins - love him!

@bookslikewhoa 4 года назад

Great advice!

@stephaniedunham4104 3 года назад

Oh I just read The Turn of the Screw and I couldn’t agree more. It was excellent!

@meggy8868 2 года назад

Henry James is extremely demanding. Points of view, crawl behind the narrator’s eyes and don’t trust the narrator. I recommend Turn of the Screw!! Talk about in our DNA.

@user-fk2md9lk5d 3 года назад

I'm reading "murder on the orient express" in search of improving my English skill.🙂 I'm enjoying myself watching your video with English subtitle! thank you from Japan.

@bookslikewhoa 3 года назад

That's awesome- welcome!!

@anahitamirzarazi4424 3 года назад

Hey i did that too with murder on the orient express! -supporting you from germany

@harikrishnan2713 3 года назад

Hi,🤗 I really love Japan because I grew up watching animes like Pokemon and all. How are things going on in Japan, like How is the pandemic situation there?

@user-fk2md9lk5d 3 года назад

@@harikrishnan2713 Viruses have running rampant in Japan I want to go abroad as soon as possible:(

@harikrishnan2713 3 года назад

@@user-fk2md9lk5d Oh🙁. Here in India, the situation is dreadful as hell. Anyways good luck with your ambitions pal.👍

@MrRajeshkalia 4 года назад

My favourite classic is The Great Gatsby. I could read that book for the rest of my life♥︎

@parmida4723 3 года назад

Yes!!! It's a really great book

@DramaLlama2310 4 года назад

Looking forward to a 'Where to start with modern classics' video!

@poiseblemiramoon6992 4 года назад

I dont know if you classify this as a classic, but John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men will forever hold a special place in my heart. If you haven’t read it, please do!

@settembrini3301 3 года назад

Oh yes, its incredible sad, but still one of the best books, I've ever read.

@paul5324 3 года назад

It’s a modern classic

@chloeedmund4350 3 года назад

I definitely enjoyed reading it in school.

@siberiangirl1941 3 года назад

Steinbeck is my absolute favorite. I love all his books

@afreyno1 2 года назад

I used to hate reading, but this book changed my mind! I love it so much.

@yawigriffini 10 месяцев назад

“Middlemarch” my favorite book! Yes! Yes! Sooo worth your time! It will also open the door to so many other works.

@debralavoie9095 4 года назад

Frankenstein and Dracula were my favorite classics in school. I love a lot of Paranormal themes. Excellent video!

@elizabethadejumo712 4 года назад

There's me think she meant classics as in The Odyssey, The Illiad, Dante's Inferno (which I think I see at the top right of your bookshelf) or any classical plays like Medea or Oedipus. STILL A GOOD VIDEO ❤️❤️

@tillyp2666 4 года назад

Elizabeth Adejumo yep same lol, waiting to see what she would say about my bbys

@jwsjourney 2 года назад

I just retired and am reading classics with my daughter. First:was The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Second: The Scarlett Pimpernel and now we are reading David Copperfield

@AshleyZieman 2 года назад

This sounds like such a cozy and fun thing to do with your family. I wish my mother would do this with me. 🥰

@matthewc9624 4 года назад

For those wanting to get into Russian literature, I recommend starting with something light that sets the tone for Russian culture. A collection of short stories by Pushkin is good

@hunkydory3521 3 года назад

I would reccomend Fathers and Sons, it's very short and easy to read, even if Turgenev is a Westernizer as compared to the much more famous slavophiles Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. Also, if someone were into satire I would reccomend Dead Souls by Gogol.

@Ariana-vc3df 3 года назад

I personally started with Anna Karenina, best decision I've ever made 😍

@NKanchevful 2 года назад

hmm notes from the underground might be good to start with

@luiza7453 2 года назад

@@Ariana-vc3df it’s too long but is it really worth it ?

@michaelargenta3856 2 года назад

Russia sucks !!!

@rickastley885 3 года назад

Jekyll and Hyde is such an approachable book! It's a novella and the language isn't too hard, it's what I always recommend!

@mookiebluff 3 года назад

You absolutely won my heart when you mentioned The Count of Monte Cristo ♥️

@meggy8868 2 года назад

After reading Huckleberry Finn, hard to take it seriously because of Twain’s biting satire. I still love the plot but terribly overwritten.

@johnbattles1002 2 года назад

Since even before I learned to read, I've loved books! After learning to read, there was no stopping me! I owned several of the little "Golden Books" from the time I was about five. But I began a serious collecting quest about age eight, and now have about 5,000 books (age 67) in my personal library. I won't say they've all been read cover to cover; perhaps 70-75% of them -- many of them are reference & textual type books. When our first child finished first grade, we decided to home educate her and our other children. She delighted in our reading to her, even into her mid-teens, but did not have the same "passion" I had for reading on her own, though she didn't mind doing so. One day, she pulled a classic from my bookshelves in the den and began reading it on a whim. And it changed her life and perspective on books / reading forever! From then to now, she has been an insatiable reader of not only fiction but science and history as well. The book she chose that day was Baroness Emma Orczy's classic novel of the French Revolution, "The Scarlet Pimpernel." Wherever you are, thank you, Baroness Orczy!

@Heather-hv7me 3 года назад

I asked my favorite English teacher a while back. What are some great ways to improve my grammar/sentence structure. He told me reading. At first I was thrown back because I already read books. But I realize I probably wasn’t reading the right books and thought.... Reading classics seems to be a good place to start. 🤞🤞🤞

@ifihadfriends437 4 года назад

Oh I started with The Picture of Dorian Gray literally last week and I loved it (and tbh the first couple of chapters especially I was just sitting there going this is so gay this is totally appropriate for pride month)

@angelawossname 3 года назад

E. M. Forsters stuff is also really gay. One of his books wasn't published until after his death in the 1970's, but he has a lot of gay characters that are disguised with thinly veiled subtext, just like in Dorian Gray. Maurice, of course, gets rid of all the subtext.

@godslittlestidiot2984 4 года назад

my favorite classic of all time and one of my favorite books is the count of monte Cristo. it's easy to read and understand it's just long edit- oh hey you mentioned it! I'd love to re re re read it.

@victoireranger9998 3 года назад

In 2020, I learned that Alexandre Dumas was a French black man. It blew my mind. I was a French literature major and I never once hear anyone talk about it in the late 2000s.

@AyaAndTheOddities 3 года назад

he was part black, AND there are many theories that suggest Pushkin is Alexander Dumas. They were both part black. Both spoke fluent Russian and French, AND this is creepily exciting, the person who killed Pushkin in a duel is Georges D'Anthes. Now, the Count of Monte Cristo is called DANTES, and its all about assuming a different character... lol just a super cool theory.

@victoireranger9998 3 года назад

@@AyaAndTheOddities mindblown! Haha! Thanks for sharing this!!

@h.plovecraftscat2354 3 года назад

I would recommend 1984 by George Orwell it’s a great classic if you’re into dystopian settings

@rickytrockclimbing2935 3 года назад

Handmaidens tale isn’t classic buts it’s good dystopian

@rickytrockclimbing2935 2 года назад

@@marksuckinbgber yes well let's just chalk it up that we both have different definitions of "classic" lol

@luiza7453 2 года назад

What is it about

@juli3836 2 года назад

@@luiza7453 It is about a dystopian futurist (even though 1984 was long algo) society in which people are constantly controled. It mainly follows the life of Winston Smith, a man who works for the goverment until he starts realizing that something bad is going on, and that obviously produces loads of problems on his life. I highly recommend it, it's a great book.

@bricelynmaes9515 3 года назад

I honestly think that little women is great to it’s an easy read, and it just has a great plot. And altogether I loved the book, and when I say I loved the book I mean I lovvved the book

@clarenja16 3 года назад

There are a lot of videos here about book recommendations and they're all good, but there's something about you that convinces me to read all of yours immediately. I am really grateful for all these. Keep it up!

@PODMTHC 4 года назад

Phantom of the opera, little women, Oliver twist, good earth are must read for beginners

@sweetdreamer5921 4 года назад

I admire that you have so many beautifully covered editions. They're so aesthetically pleasing yet practical to carry with you. Many of my classics are well traveled paperbacks with a couple giant ostentatious b&n classics that barely leave the shelf.

@derekdavis5310 4 года назад

My intro to classics was A Christmas Carol in third grade and I recall loving it. Skip to Freshman year when we read A Tale of Two Cities and started to really explore more classics. My school taught them fairly well to the point where I ended up asking what "new" classic we were going to read in English hahaha

@colleencupido5125 3 года назад

A Tale of Two Cities has apparently sold 200 million copies, which makes it the best selling novel, ever. All I know is I'm in tears while reading the last 4 pages!

@derekdavis5310 3 года назад

@Cheesy Helmet if I could, I would totally do a trip there!

@justCan94 3 года назад

As a book translator and as a language and literature student this was the third time I come around your channel. Your videos are great. Thanks. :)

@ShawdiR 4 года назад

I’m 3 minutes in and already love you haha. I love hearing the way that you frame reassign and these books and also you are stunningly beautiful.

@bookslikewhoa 4 года назад

Haha, thank you

@karynkerndl2716 3 года назад

The Count of Monte Cristo is a favorite along with The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask. Loved Anna Karenina, Moby Dick, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Happiest when I see a young person put down their phone and read.😄

@Kiki-reads 3 года назад

Karyn Kerndl young person here, I mostly read by using my phone 😂

@emmagray6271 3 года назад

I love Arthur Conan Doyle’s writing. I’m a slow reader so the short stories are great, and also there aren’t huge sections of the books that just drag on which I find in some other classics (the one exception is a study in scarlet where there is a large section about Mormons? Still a good story though). Also the character of Sherlock Holmes (and Watson too actually) is so much more interesting and enjoyable in the original stories than in many adaptations so don’t be put off by whatever your current understanding of him is

@gabriellegarcia4095 3 года назад

I remembered after reading Frankenstein (it was good tho) I used to get little annoyed that some people think Frankenstein is a monster but actually that's a Doctor

@july3817 3 года назад

Although I would definitely say doctor Frankenstein was a monster considering how he treated his "child"

@gabriellegarcia4095 3 года назад

@@july3817 You know what? I agree.

@zhr171 2 года назад

I thought the monsters name was Frankenstein I was surprised while reading that it was the doctors name 😭

@juli3836 2 года назад

Same! And sadly, I related A LOT to the monster the moment I read it. Now I don't.

@dreaminginpastels 4 года назад

This is my first time watching one of your videos and I had to stop 3 minutes in to write this comment because I immediately subscribed! You have such an engaging and beautiful way of speaking, and your passion for reading and classics really comes through. Thank you for being amazing 😊

@bookslikewhoa 4 года назад

Welcome aboard!

@benparrish6157 4 года назад

My favorite door stopper is gone with the wind. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING BOOK.

@theresac9099 4 года назад

Ben Parrish I agree wholeheartedly! One of my absolute favorites!

@roguebookwomansara9792 3 года назад

I recently started wanting to get back to reading some classics-I own so many that I haven’t read yet! This was so helpful and really kind at helping people get into reading classics. Thank you! 💖

@mvsfunhouse 3 года назад

Great content and Channel! I will definitely share this will my daughters who are currently 8 and 10 years old. We started a book reading channel to improve their English reading and comprehension skills. Plus, I wasn't much of a book reader growing up and now having the opportunity to read with them and share it with the world. Thank You and looking forward to your future videos!

@gaildoughty6799 4 года назад

This is a fantastic video! Some spot-on recommendations here. Way back when I was a child/young teen I had the great good fortune to accidentally stumble upon some of the more accessible classics: Oliver Twist, all of Holmes, Dracula, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights among others. First Shakespeare was Macbeth, right up my alley with the fantasy witchy elements and spooky dream scenes. And yes, Emma! She doesn’t get enough love. These Where to Start videos are both useful and entertaining. Please keep up the good work.

@colleencupido5125 3 года назад

Very, very good books to start with! :) When my nephew was a teenager, these are the books I sent him: To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, The Outsiders, That Was Then, This is now.

@lottiepea5597 3 года назад

Thank you so much for this brilliant video. I am just about to start my journey into the Classics and after a few minutes of watching, I paused, went on-line and reserved a copy of Pride and Prejudice from my local library. Looking forward to getting it and making a start. Have subscribed to your channel.

@kevinbourdeau1543 3 года назад

What a great video. I’ve been looking to expand my reading repertoire, this has definitely given me sine great ideas. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos.

@jenniferbrooks 4 года назад

I loved this, Mara! I agree with you on Wilkie Collins. He’s completely underrated. The Woman in White might be my favorite classic. I also appreciate your love for Merchant of Venice! It truly has aged well.

@storytimewithsam.9048 4 года назад

I have been wanting to get into classics for a while so this video is just perfect. Thank you for making this and these recommendations. ❤

@bookslikewhoa 4 года назад

You're so welcome! Glad it was helpful :)

@carolbenson6524 4 года назад

Thanks for sorting these all out...helps a lot! Will try some of these this year.

@dinah8345 3 года назад

Pride and Prejudice was one of the first classics I read (I’m a big classic reader) and its my favorite book of all time.

@ABookFiendNamedMel 4 года назад

Thank you for this video, I really enjoyed your recommendations. Also, I am super jealous of your classics bookshelf!

@SimplyBeautiful516 3 года назад

I’m so happy that you mentioned Middlemarch because I’m actually on Chapter 4 as I’m watching this. So far, very readable and has kept my attention well!

@nataliadelmoral 4 года назад

Tried out on the first attempt to read the classics “War and Peace”, couldn’t finished. Trying Dickens and Dostoyevsky now, later go back and try Tolstoy with Ana Karenina. It was like I tried running a marathon on my first outing.

@nabilaelvanya9451 4 года назад

Wow i literally just wanted to start reading classics by War and Peace first, now this makes me afraid haha, let alone when english isn't my first language and i cant find the book version in my language :(

@Bookingnirvana 3 года назад

Hi if you didn't have appreciate war dnd peace i would strongly discourage Dostoevsky's nooks...they are more eccentric...would suggest Anna Karenina as its a tragic love story....check out my videos on Russian classics if u want more details elee let me know...oug of Dostoevsky's books if you want to pick take crime and punishment

@leezirkle7840 3 года назад

I am currently reading Anna Karenina. Was blown away on the story line.

@tarnim2595 3 года назад

Just with Tolstoy. The books are actually translated anyway. So if you are starting to read them and English isn't your first language, it's actually quite likely that a translated might be available in your native language.

@nataliadelmoral 3 года назад

Tarni M thanks! English is not my first language but I do have the books in Spanish and English 😁

@mpsensha 4 года назад

This December needs to be a re-reading of the classics, watching this made me nostalgic for most of these titles.

@gauravsinha6060 4 года назад

I started with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Dickens's Great Expectations. 😊😊 Thank you for the great video. 😊😊

@nurjahanblaskar6105 3 года назад

People will pay you just to visit your home library just to see those covers they are absolutely stunning

@marthacanady9441 Месяц назад

Unfortunately those penguin cloth covers designs(which are gorgeous) rub off as you read them. So sad to see the designs disappear as you read.

@loudotmac 4 года назад

I have recently discovered your channel and I’m loving your content. What an incredibly helpful video. I was making notes throughout the whole thing, and can’t wait to make a new bookshelf on Goodreads with your recommendations. Off to binge watch a few more of your videos before bed.

@bookslikewhoa 4 года назад

Oh yay, well, welcome!! Thanks for joining the journey

@stellabella3337 3 года назад

I am SO happy to see the copy of Don Quixote. It is so often neglected amongst the classics despite being the father of the modern novel. I love this video!!!!

@mw5218 3 года назад

This video is so helpful, thank you so much. I'm trying to get into classics but didn't know where to start so this video is perfect.

@ahmeat5494 3 года назад

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY is literally my far favorite book I've ever read...

@mandymagnolia1966 4 года назад

While I liked some of the other classics I had read in school, I fell in love with The Count of Monte Cristo 😊 I still adore it to this day

@lesliebrophy2810 3 года назад

Thank you for recommending Cranford as I had not heard of it before. Such a delightful little book!

@jenw7283 4 года назад

Your list was great, particularly for European/Western culture classics. I would usually start with Frankenstein as the classic I would recommend because it is not too long, the language isn't too difficult, it has some themes that have aged very well, particularly with the sciences and questions on the ethics of certain branches of science, nature vs nurture, etc. Also, so many of the movies are only VERY loosely based on the novel, so it is fun to read the original and see the differences. I did like Dracula, but I think it is harder to get into for most people because a lot of it is written as an epistolary, or journal entries, which can be hard to get into and stay absorbed in the story. For short horror classics, I like Edgar Allen Poe, particularly The Cask of Amontillado or The Black Cat, among the other more well-known stories. If you are looking for more obscure Western classics that are decent to start with, I really liked Moll Flanders by Danel Defoe and Tom Jones by Henry Fielding, both are some of the very first English novels, and I found them very entertaining. If you are looking to get into some more general World Literature, some of the easiest to start with are probably Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe or The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Somewhat harder to get into, I would also recommend Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, which was written in 11th century Japan and may be the first recorded novel in the world. For short horror stories from Japan, I would recommend the works of Rynosuke Akutagawa, particularly Hell Screen or Rashomon. Gah, there are too many great classics to recommend! It is hard to know where to start without knowing someone's tastes! And this doesn't even really touch on the more modern classics (though House of the Spirits is fairly modern)...

@bookslikewhoa 4 года назад

Great recs here!

@colleencupido5125 3 года назад

Two years after marriage, I was reading John Dracula (he's got Dyslexia). I said, "It's1:00 am. Can we stop and get to bed? He said, "You can't stop now!! It's the most exciting part!"

@genresandjournals 4 года назад

This is a great list! You named all of my favorites!

@eire02 3 года назад

For those who want cheap versions of classics, I totally recommend the Wordsworth Classic editions. Here in England you can find them on Amazon UK for £2.25 -£2.50 for almost all of the novels they sell in that version. I recommend them for people who aren’t too sure if they’ll enjoy a classic as you can always go and buy a pretty copy (such as the clothbounds) when you know you’re in love with it!

@niles9542 3 года назад

Oh man, you did such a great job on this! I've just finished The Canterbury Tales (Thanks a lot Steve Donaghue for plunging me into the Western Canon!) and in prep for that I found Dolores Cullen's, Chaucer's Pilgrims. Wow, now I've got to read Chaucer again! I love the classics! Did Shakespeare last year, but am looking forward to the 19th century.

@justonemorechapter74 3 года назад

A great video! If people like Jane austen or the bronte sisters, I would also suggest elizabeth gaskell. Cranford, and north and south are accessible reads with great characters.

@magnusbane2177 4 года назад

I only just discovered your channel and I am amazed by your charisma and passion for classics! So happy to have found you! 😆

@bookslikewhoa 4 года назад

Welcome aboard!

@macareuxmoine 3 года назад

You matching your eyeshadow to the Pride&Prejudice cover is just awwwwweeeesome 😀

@violamanges2966 3 года назад

Awesome list of classics - I have read 4 books on this list and have a few others on my to be read list. This list is a great guide.

@cat.733 4 года назад

I don’t read very often anymore but I recently read the Count of Monte Cristo and loved it! I really like how the Count is this very intelligent, mysterious figure who’s one step ahead; but he is also flawed, has emotions and makes mistakes. There are characters that are hateful but also ones to root for. The ending was also very satisfying and showed growth.

@defundhollywood3259 3 года назад

I'm so glad you recommended Middlemarch. I'm more a fan of The Mill on the Floss but close enough. 😉👍

@mariebullington4196 3 года назад

Wuthering Heights is my fave and I love to read it around Christmas time. I also love Thomas Hardy.

@ricardad8682 4 года назад

The Great Gatsby is my ultimate favourite of all the times 🎶🎶🎶

@sunshinebear999 3 года назад

Was surprised by no mention of a huge reading project which I loved, Les Misérables. Talk about a door stop!! Fantastic

@annerobinson2288 4 года назад

Nice selection. Very exciting to get back to the classics.

@dangaines405 2 года назад

Great suggestions! Very articulate notes, thanks! I subscribed!

@isidorag.k.8022 3 года назад

this is the first video I've watched from your channel, and like.... I love you already

@alishbaali7223 4 года назад

You have such a beautiful collection of books, makes me sooo jealous. Also, girlll, your make up is so so good

@bookslikewhoa 4 года назад

Thank you so much!!

@atis9061 4 года назад

Thank you! These were expected but I fully appreciate the presentation :)

@amyvivas9001 3 года назад

omg your books are so aesthetically pleasing to look at

@tododia1ciclonovo.215 3 года назад

🇧🇷 I love books, I love literature, and I'm learning to speak English on my own. So I've already subscribed to your channel, success!

@bookslikewhoa 3 года назад

Welcome aboard!

@carlyy.22 2 года назад

I'm literally thirteen years old, but I absolutely love classics. I love Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters. I always think that the teens my age don't usually read these types of books, and people don't know how to tell me where to start, so you really helped me in these. Thank you so much❣

@Jimbodisfan 4 года назад

Hi Maura! I think many of the books on your bookshelves have gorgeous bindings. I am currently reading a movie-tie-in paperback edition of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens that I bought from the Barnes and Noble bargain bin for $2.00 USD; and yes: his plots are male ice cream sundae without the ice cream bonkers. I've read Wuthering Heights; while I loved the atmosphere and sense of place, I believe that the characters all deserved to undergo live autopsies.

@colleencupido5125 3 года назад

The poet Gabriel Rossetti said the action of Wuthering Heights takes place in Hell, where all the characters mysteriously have English names... As for Charles Dickens, I agree with John Updike in that the reason academia looks down on him is that Dickens tries to move readers primarily through their emotions rather than intellect.

@christinebihasa6863 3 года назад

those books are gorgeous and so are you. love the recs

@Sketchartbymarc1 4 года назад

Great video and motivation to read even more than I already do! Always Interesting to hear different perspectives on classic literature “and” modern classics as well. Recently reread the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Bram Stoker Dracula. Currently reading Lord of the Rings. Great Expectations, Pride and Prejudice and The Metamorphosis on deck. 😉☕️

@stephanierobb4486 4 года назад

You mentioned so many that are on my tbr and keep meaning to pick up

@POlivares23 4 года назад

You read Count of Monte Cristo as a kid? I'm impressed! I picked up an abridged version as a middle schooler and put it down because it was a bit tedious. I picked up the unabridge version earlier this year, as an adult, and finally read through it-I quite enjoyed it. P & P is something I tried reading multiple times but I just can't follow through and read it. I might try Persuasion soon, though as I'm trying to get more into classics. Great video!

@suzy8109 Год назад

Mara is one of the most articulate booktubers I have watched. New subbie 💕

@Lorie336 4 года назад

I love classics too! Those are definite good starts especially my favorite genre in classics; horror. One of my favorite books which you could probably place under horror is The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (I hopefully spelled the last name correctly) If you have ever seen the musical or modern movie based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, the book is almost like that so in a sense it is familiar. If you want to stay in horror then might I suggest the entire works of Edgar Allen Poe, a big book, but worth it or watch the classic movies starring Vincent Price, he did a lot of Poe inspired movies like The Pit & the Pendulum, Fall of the House of Usher, Masque of the Red Death, etc. I started my love of classics with the horror genre and branched out. If there's ever a book you want to read aloud because of language like Shakespeare then Dante's Inferno is a good one, The Odyssey by Homer, although you may want to start with the Iliad first because it's before the Odyssey. Good books if you're obsessed with Greek mythology like I am. I don't know if these are considered modern classics, but they might be, would be To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee which I absolutely love the book and movie, there's also a sequel for this book. Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier (again hopefully spelled the last name right) which is just an amazing mystery thriller book to me, it was such an unexpected read and I had to read this for school many, many years ago. She is also responsible for the short story (if I recall) The Birds which Alfred Hitchcock turned into a movie. I will have to disagree with you on one thing and this could have been due to my age back then, but I didn't like The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, in fact I DNFed it and I had to read that book for my senior year. I really didn't like it, but I may try at a later time and we'll see if I still hate it.

@priscilla.t.a 3 года назад

No one is too cool for P & P! Hahah, I'm definitely not, but I have read it along with many of the other recs, so I'm very excited for the alternative classics recs, which included many I've never read or gravitated towards. I've always wanted to read Oscar Wilde And George Eliot, so I'm excited for your recs for them. I just found your channel through Beautifully Bookish Bethany, and I'm really excited to watch more of your videos. Thanks!

@bookslikewhoa 3 года назад

Welcome aboard!

@tayashokkerwrites 4 года назад

This video was extremely helpful. Thank you so much!!! 😊

@Ms13Alla 4 года назад

Thank you! Especially for Leo Tolstoy.

@mw5218 3 года назад

Your make up matching with the pride and prejudice book was so cool

@seanbrown3512 3 года назад

I'm a guy so predictably I hesitated to click on this video thinking it would be all romance novels and flowery stories however, I must say that I'm happy I did. I thought this was a well laid-out primer to the classics. Personally I would have liked to have seen Melville added to the list but then again Moby Dick is not for everyone. Thank you for this.

@jcbbe 2 года назад

Very well done,,, enjoyed, I am just now starting to dip my feet into some good reading....looking for a starting point

@marajade7217 3 года назад

All the introduction book she mentioned I have read 😂 This for sure makes me want to continue to expand my classical collection!

@ACatholicMama 3 года назад

Great recommendations! Excited to check out the ones I haven't read yet.

@bookslikewhoa 3 года назад

Hope you enjoy!

@ShatteredRippleBooks 4 года назад

Great video..I enjoyed Dracula and definitely want to read more classics at some point.

@RandMontauk 3 года назад

We studied great expectations in school but I only read the first part. Finally, 15 years later, I read it fully over the summer and now I can't get it out of my head now.

@GillDawe 4 года назад

Definitely walking away with a few recommendations here! Thank you! I've read most of the most obvious ones at this point. I'm going to have to give Dorian Gray another shot. I've never been much of a reader until the last few years, when I started giving myself a book challenge and I've been mostly focusing on classics and modern classics that I've just never read before and felt like I was missing out on. The Picture of Dorian Gray was one of the first "classics" I tried and I hated it, and never finished it I could not stand the way they spoke about women. I think now I'd have no problem with it now since its so short. Currently making my way through Emma... it's my final Jane Austen novel to read and I have to say.... it has been challenging. Once I got about 1/3 of the way through I started reading along with the audio book which helped a lot. So far.. definitely my least favourite Austen novel. I'd recommend Persuasion instead alongside Pride and Prejudice since its also so short!

@cpagoals 3 года назад

So pleased that Pride and Prejudice was your top choice as it was the first classic I read at 11 years old and to this day, after 5 re-reads, it has not been replaced as my favorite, although Jane Eyre really did come in as a close second

@irisadk4545 3 года назад

Hello! I'm a spanish teacher trying to learn english, so I'm watching your videos! I really like all the things that you say, I already read a lot of that, but I will try to read others. I take note! I thing also that yours options are good, I will recomend spanish books, but there are clasiccs for me. I will love to see you talk about something in spanish, like 100 years of solitud... I don't know how you translate, but that or... like... "Maria", that book it's really good. Have a nice day!