Today’s World Book Day, a celebration of the written word. If you’re in the middle of your education, chances are you’ll feel more inclined to go on a book-burning mission than praising literary works, but resist temptation! Ditch your laptop, your iPad and your Blackberry for the day and spend a little quality time with a book instead.
A good place to start is in the works that your English teacher so often recommends. You know, the really old, really boring books are presented to you every year, within which you’re expected to discover hidden meanings, the significance of the colour blue, the way in which stairs are used… The ones that you never want to look at every again.
When you do read these books outside of the classroom, however, they can be pretty magical. Here’s our pick of the best books they make you read in class…
The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
The glitz and glamour of the ‘Roaring Twenties’ is hard to resist. Consistently appearing in ‘the greatest books of all time’ list, The Great Gatsby might be a pain when you’re looking for hidden meanings in Daisy’s behaviour, but an absolute joy when you’re reading it for fun. The Great Gatsby is the story of Nick Carraway, who’s just landed himself a job in New York and is renting a house in Long Island, right next to the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby. Nick somehow befriends Gatsby and finds himself being sucked into his world, a strange web of cheating, lying, jealousy, chasing the American dream – oh, and massive parties. Watch out for the Baz Luhrmann movie version later this year, starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Tobey McGuire.
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
Here’s a fact – Bridget Jones’s Diary is actually loosely based on ye olde classic Pride and Prejudice, so if you thought that the works of Ms Austen are ancient history – think again. This is brilliant love story with a plot that’s just as relevant today as it was in 1813. P&P tells the story of the five Bennett sisters, focussing mostly on Elizabeth. The Bennetts are concerned about their own fortune, and the future of their daughters – back in the day, marrying well was a must. The Bennetts go to a party where they meet a bloke called Mr Bingley, a hot young bachelor who’s just moved into the area, and he pretty much charms the pants off everyone – the fact that he’s minted doesn’t hurt. There’s also Bingley’s pal Mr Darcy, who is less than charming and actually really rude to poor old Lizzie. While Bingley hooks up with eldest sister Jane, Elizabeth maintains that she hates Darcy’s guts. And nothing turns out quite as they expect. If you love a bit of drama and romance, this is the one for you.
Hamlet – William Shakespeare
Not strictly a book, this play is probably better appreciated on-stage, but either way, it’s amazing. This is one of Will’s tragedies, so there’s loads of death, destruction, heartache, depression, misery – not really a lol-a-minute, but the drama is edge-of-your-seat stuff. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is totally devastated when his dad dies, and even more devastated when his uncle turns up to take the crown – and his mother. Cue Hamlet hatching a plan to get the throne back. Animated favourite The Lion King is loosely based on Hamlet, but the ending to the original is definitely not quite as Disney-friendly – it’s actually a bit of a blood bath.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Muriel Spark
A bit of Scottish lit for you, the tale of Edinburgh spinster and school teacher Miss Brodie offers a really witty look at life in an all-girls private school in the 1930s. Jean Brodie is a little bit different from the other teachers in the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, embracing the arts, admiring some of history’s dictators and thrusting her own views and political ideas onto her students. She selects a group of girls, her ‘set’, who she meets with out of school hours to discuss her personal life, talk about the other teachers and encourage the girls to develop their skills and the qualities which make them ‘famous’. We follow them over the years and everyone’s seemingly happy with this strange set up, until one of the girls betrays Miss Brodie, and the teacher that shaped their childhood loses her job. The film version, starring Downton star Dame Maggie Smith is a cracker too.
To Kill a Mocking Bird – Harper Lee
Another slice of American lit, this is an incredible, moving read. It’s the story of a young girl called Scout, who lives in a small Alabama town with her brother Jem and her dad, Atticus Finch. Her dad is a defence lawyer, who risks his career when he agrees to represent a black man who stands in court accused of raping a local white girl. Lee analyses prejudice, courage, innocence and more in this beautifully-written tale that’ll open your eyes to just how horrific the race divide was in the US in the 1930s.
What classroom reads have you given a go beyond essays? Share your favourites below…
