You should do a tier ranking if easiest to hardest classics to read!! That would be so helpful for so many people- I always get scared before reading a classic as to whether it’s going to be to advance and then put me into a reading slump, so it would definitely be very helpful
@@windstillrises if you mean how could it be published for legal/copyright reasons, Jane Eyre is now in the public domain as the author died over 100 years ago
I live Jack and his amazing jokes and this is by far my favourite ever: "Daniel Defoe, who is the author, is widley considered to be 'the father of the english novel' and you know what? I think he should've pulled out" - Jack Edwards (2022)
As a LotR lover this really shocked me... Like I've spent years studying the world J.R.R. Tolkien has built and it's beautiful! The languages he created are incredible and fantastic and I wish I could be this genius... Also Dune is a very nice book! But I respect your opinion, have a great day
I love LOTR!!! the first hooks went slow for but when I hit the part about Lothlorian, the descriptions of it captivated me, read the second one much quicker and the third in just a very few days. I would think with Jack's interest in moral subjects, he would've liked it, but to each theri own. I think the second and third go by faster. It's meant to be a beautiful journey, and I loved going on that journey with the Fellowship 💜💙
@@alvafairchild13 the fun being someone steps over a pebble: *30 pages about pebbles and the ages the pebble has seen along with every shape of pebble in existence*
The fact that you maturely respect his opinion, rather than being immature about someone not agreeing with your own personal opinion, shows that you are a rare breed
There are good parts about Tolkien but he's not a complete story teller. He painted himself into too many corners. I am very interested in the same subjects as he was and I liked how he was able to stitch Plato together with Snorre Sturlasson and much of all of old European epics, mythology, philosophy and folklore. But the flow of the story is far from the originals and modern good writing. And then there's Tom Bombadil... What da...?
I think these have a good chance of turning into classics: Gone Girl, The Hate U Give, Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Fault in Our Stars, Call Me By Your Name, The Girl on The Train, Perfume, The Little Prince. Plus The Hunger Games trilogy and all of the Harry Potter books for sure! I think there are also overwhelmingly young people reading right now so now few number among them might be YA.
@@tuqaalmanter874 not 100% sure but I think it's "literal canon" as in like an actual canon but also as in to do with literature? Could just be flat out wrong
I enjoy the videos but I wouldn't trust his book recommendations because we clearly have very different tastes. I mean, he fawns over "The Song of Achilles" (in other videos), likes "The Alchemist", but disses both "Dune" and "LotR"? Lol. No.
@@damnmamaa i like his recommendations for slice of life and non fiction but I am not taking Science Fiction and Fantasy recommendations from him (those are my most read genres anyway)
Honestly, I trust him so much that when he ranked my fav classic at the lowest tier I voluntarily got gaslit. Like “maybe I missed smth, maybe Dune is a shit book.”
The first time I read The Lord of the Rings I thought the same as you, that it was just a bunch of walking. But because my husband loves this book so much I decided to read the series again the following year. It is now one of my favorite books/series and Samwise Gamgee is one of my favorite literary characters of all time. I challenge you to try again, and read all 3 books😊
Sam is indeed a cool character. Another thing that "just reading the first book" doesn't do is give you the character development of the deep friendship between Gimli and Legolas. In fact, that was one of only two (or so) things I hold against Peter Jackson. Their growing friendship, when ALL other dwarves/elves have an inborn enmity is one of the BEST developments of friends from sworn enemies I've read in literature. And it takes TIME (and pages/scenes) to develop. It's not a quick friendship, but it IS a lasting friendship. Legolas offering to be blindfolded when visiting the Lady, and the scorn and complete incomprehension of the other elves at this act is a pivotal moment in character development and relationships between characters!!! (extra exclamation points warranted and on purpose)
I remember my friend saying she enjoyed Moby Dick, but told me it's best to read the first parts rapidly because all it does is talk about whales. For me, I love science, so I'll try the first part as well.
Bro. I was so into classic literature when I was 16-19 years old, but going into uni ruined it for me because none of my professors wanted their students to have a different opinion than what they had. There was no room to formulate your own perspective on a novel, it was just "listen to what I say and then spit it out". I switched my major from English to Psychology (no regrets, I'm a psychologist assistant now and I love it). But this video makes me want to sit down and read every single one of these books again. It's like I'm back in my youth. Great video
That's awful. I was an English major too, and only my Victorian literature professor was like this. But she was ancient, I think she actually lived through the Victorian Age herself.
I had to read Things Fall Apart twice. The first time was in high school and I didn't agree Okonkwo was a tragic hero; my teacher made me rewrite the essay against everything I had wrote. I highlighted this point in college when it was part of our required reading and explained this caused me to have a bias against it; the teacher gave me an A in the class overall so I guess I explained my point. I know why in high school teachers must teach the way they do but the way my teacher brought it up was certainly about her opinion. Our education system is built for factory workers, cogs in a machine. I am sorry going to university wasn't the enlightenment and free-thought forum it should be. Oh, and I never thought of doing English as a degree; this was news to my parents who seemed to think so until my junior/senior year. I told them I didn't know what I would do with an English degree. I wanted to be a physical therapist.
It's funny, I got my bachelor's degree in psychology but now I'm considering getting an MFA in creative writing so we almost did the opposite. Though I'm more into writing than reading...still.
I feel like the ranking is lacking a "meh" category. Because going from "nice classic" to "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy" seems a bit extreme to me xD
"Daniel Defoe is widely considered the father of the English novel, and you know what I think he should've pulled out" RUTHLESS, I literally chocked hearing this
Idk why people treat every tier list as though it should be objective and factual. Opinions differ, Jack explained his super well and concisely, great video.
Yes, but that's the fun of discussing it. You can disagree and maybe sway somebody to your side, or at the very least have an enjoyable conversation about the books you care about.
I think the thing is that people, for certain classics expect objectivity. Like yes, it's not your favourite, but still doesn't deserve to go in the bottom because how well it is written and the story. In Italy we have an author that I hate with a passion, like literally, I wanted to throw away his book as soon as I finished reading it for school. But if someone asked me to rate Italians romances? His book is going to the top. It is well written and serves the purpose that the author wanted, plus it is important for the modern language. Even if I personally don't like it, I can't bring myself to say it's a bad book.
Pride and prejudice, while maybe trend breaking for the time, red like a soap opera to me and I didn’t like it. I never read another Jane Austen book after it. Maybe I should give Emma a shot
Don't know if it's true or one of those "facts" that gets repeated because everyone wants it to be true but I heard he literally got paid by the word which informed his incredibly dry, unpleasant and verbose writing style.
Thank you, Jack, from Ukraine for this tier list🙂 Was surprised by the amount of brilliant books in the list and with some rankings too😮 I've compiled the text version of the tier list with timestamps. No book is missed unlike other timestamp comments. *6 out of 5 stars:* "Emma"(2:57), "Picture of Dorian Gray"(6:20), "The Bell Jar"(6:45), "To the Lighthouse"(6:55), "In Cold Blood"(7:35), "Wide Sargasso Sea"(9:34), "The Great Gatsby"(11:03), "A Single Man"(11:22), "Animal Farm"/"1984"(11:58), "The Handmaid's Tale"(12:22) *i think you dropped something... my jaw:* "Of Mice and Men"(1:50), "Little Women"(7:12), "The Book Thief"(7:23), "To Kill a Mockingbird"(8:20), "Jane Eyre"(8:45), "Frankenstein"(10:04), "Dracula"(11:45), "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"(12:55), "The Odyssey"(13:43), "The Iliad"(13:51), "Beloved"(14:08), "Around the World in 80 Days"(14:56), "Rebecca"(15:22), "Lord of the Flies"(15:42), "Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman"(15:46), "Lolita"(16:01), "Crime and Punishment"(16:37), "Things Fall Apart"(16:54) *clothbound classic:* "The Catcher in the Rye"(2:39), "Pride and Prejudice"(3:14), "Wuthering Heights"(8:36), "Heart of Darkness"(9:54), "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"(10:30), "Fahrenheit 451"(12:37), "Brave New World"(12:41), "The Scarlet Letter"(14:19), "The Alchemist"(15:25), "Charlotte's Web"(16:19), "Middlemarch"(16:43) *i wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy:* "Moby Dick"(2:15), "Great Expectations"(5:31)(objectively wrong😃), "A Tale of Two Cities"/"Bleak House"(6:13), "Villette"(9:14), "Life of Pi"(13:03), "Ulysses"(13:20), "The Crying of Lot 49"(14:40), "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea"(15:06), "A Farewell to Arms"(15:30) *shoot it from a literal cannon:* "Moll Flanders"(4:36), "Dune"(10:41), "A Journal of the Plague Year"(11:31), "Treasure Island"(12:44), "The Fellowship of the Ring"(17:07)(how dare you😧)
Wow I came into the comments hoping someone might have done this, and you are truly a lifesaver. I couldn't be bothered to go back and search for each one myself. Thanks friend
During my lit degree we were talking about Lolita in a class and one guy said "I don't get why the narrator likes Lolita so much, she is such a bitch" and the entire class started to agree with him. I thought I had inhaled something and made eye contact with the one guy who wasn't talking and the two of us just stared at each other for a solid 2 minutes in total disbelief as our professor ENCOURAGED them to talk about that point.
I wanna be this guy's friend. I know nothing about classic literature, yet this whole video had me engaged and i couldnt stop smiling at his way of talking
@@simplesimply3753 Can you please tell me what is the title of that book? If Dorothy going to the dark side was awesome I bet that one is really good. I would totally read and Alice + Dracula book!
Jack: Do you want to read a book all about whale anatomy? Me with the whale being my favourite living creature ever: Oooh hell yeah Jack: Me neither... Me: oh
You ever been cornered at a party by some guy rambling on about everything? That's Moby Dick. If you're patient enough, drops of wisdom fall through though. Loved it myself.
I adore whales too ^_^ But I've always been intimidated by Moby Dick. I'm worried it'll be too much jargon. And scared of its length too. Is it worth reading?
@@itll_be_owlright I'll probably re-read it at some point. Didn't seem difficult in terms of language. Only in terms of "I wonder when we'll get back to the storyline." In all fairness, it does depict life at sea quite well. If you're an adventurous, yet patient soul, you'll probably love it. Plus the chapters are really short and easy to digest. Having said all that, it did take me 3 shots to get past the first few chapters.
I know this is for english writers, but I highly recommend, reading Herman Hesse. Every book is a spiritual journey, and the best part is that his novels are really (really) short, you don't even feel they are short because of all the topics he cover in so few pages.
Jack, you took the words right out of my mouth. 1984 is literally THE book that made me fall in love with reading, literature, and understand the impact words have on our human psyche collective. Animal farm soon followed. I went from not caring about reading, almost disliking it because I found it to be boring , to absolutely loving it. 1984 really changed my life.
it’s always interesting to hear which books pull people into the lit world. I totally get why it could be 1984 that did it, it definitely sucked me in.
This tier-list definitely shows your preferences for a very particular type of literature. Not that it's a bad thing. But putting Dune/LotR and books like them at the bottom is definitely a taste thing I feel, rather than a quality of writing thing. Meanwhile I found 'Emma' remarkably... okay?
I knew Dune and LOTR's ranking would trigger the "I love hard magic systems 🥵" crowd. Like, if they were placed higher would you consider this was an objective, non-"taste thing"?
@@franciscofarias6385 yes? I'm not a fan of romance novels, doesn't mean I don't acknowledge Pride and Prejudice as one of the all-time best books. I get that it's easy to pick on genre fiction because it's not for everyone, but both LotR and Dune are objectively good books, and to say you don't like them is going to boil down to your attitudes toward sci fi and fantasy as a whole.
@@franciscofarias6385 Saying you're a sci-fi fan and don't like Dune is like saying you're a horror movie fan and not liking the Exorcist, or saying you're a jazz fan and not liking Thelonious Monk. It's not impossible, it's just a little weird.
Great Expectations was ROBBED. My first Dickens book; I was so surprised how well his humor and style holds up today. When I expected a sludge to read through, I was shocked to find a book that seemed like it could've been released 20 years ago instead of over 100 (although some of the language definitely is of its time). Loved the story, the nuanced characters, and what the book says about young love, appreciating what you have, class divide, and finding happiness.
@@bendover7841 Wait, is animal farm about capitalism? I haven't read it but I always thought it was about revolution leading to totalitarianism or something.
@@SuperShado101 It was anti-socialism/anti-communism. It has underlying themes about how communism is just a guise for establishing corrupt dictatorships under the false promise of equality. It was essentially a mockery of the Soviet Union. Hence the "All animals are equal but some are more equal than others."
@@bendover7841 So it's basically what I thought it was. I'm not sure if it could be considered anti-socialist specifically though. My impression of Orwell is that he's (rightfully) very critical of the soviet union and other states despite the fact that he disagrees with capitalism. He seems pretty interesting, so his books are definitely on my list.
i am so tired of people putting Jane Austen in the lower tier. So what if it's simple comedy of manners? the simplicity is what makes them so iconic and witty.
@@sunrisesilence yeah, but also I feel like some people ignore the fun parts bcs they already have an idea, I know people who said they hated a book of hers bcs it was boring but hadn’t even read it
@@Dustyspeccs well obviously you should never say something like this if you haven't read the book you're talking about. Its just about P&P that I didn't understand the hype at all and no, I couldn't find it funny
@@sunrisesilence yeah that’s fine! I guess I’m defensive because I thought it was really boring before I read it and in the first half but I ended up loving it 😂
1:48 - of mice and men 2:13 - moby dick 2:38 - the catcher in the rye 2:55 - emma 3:12 - pride and prejudice 4:35 - moll flanders 5:30 - great expectations 6:12 - a tale of two cities, bleak house 6:22 - the picture of dorian gray 6:45 - the bell jar 6:55 - to the lighthouse 7:13 - little women 7:23 - the book thief 7:36 - in cold blood 8:24 - to kill a mockingbird 8:36 - wuthering heights 8:51 - jane eyre 9:16 - villette 9:34 - wide sargasso sea 9:54 - heart of darkness 10:04 - frankenstein 10:30 - the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy 10:42 - dune 11:04 - the great gatsby 11:22 - a single man 11:30 - a journal of the plague year 11:44 - dracula 11:58 - animal farm, 1984 12:23 - the handmaid’s tale 12:37 - fahrenheit 451, brave new world 12:44 - treasure island 12:54 - alice’s adventures in wonderland 13:03 - life of pi 13:20 - ulysses 13:44 - the odyssey 13:53 - the iliad 14:08 - beloved 14:19 - the scarlet letter 14:41 - the crying of lot 49 14:47 - around the world in eighty days 15:05 - twenty thousand leagues under the sea 15:21 - rebecca 15:25 - the alchemist 15:42 - lord of the flies, tess of the d’urbervilles 15:50 - a farewell to arms 16:01 - lolita 16:19 - charlotte’s web 16:37 - crime and punishment 16:42 - middlemarch 16:54 - things fall apart 17:09 - lord of the rings (sorry jack)
“This is a book for people who are unstable.” I love how I instantly knew that it was The Bell Jar. It’s definitely not something to read if you’re feeling bummed already, lmao.
weirdly enough, I find myself going back to Plath and Anne Sexton when I’m at my worst moments. I only read the Bell Jar when I’m at rock bottom. That and I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. For me it helps to know I’m not alone but I can for sure see how it would also have the effect of making one feel worse.
I have to agree with him, I felt like Tolkien was trying to strangle me with his writing. His extremely long descriptions of trees made me so bored I had to stop. Maybe I'll give it another go one day but that day is far far away.
I just remember when reading Pride and Prejudice there wasnt a single character that was introduced that wasnt important. No throwaway characters or plot lines, and I really enjoyed that. I dont know of i would keep it where it is or put it a tier higher, just because not a single line wasted my time
I agree! 🙂 It’s one of the reasons it’s my favorite of Jane Austen, it is very satisfying. Especially when learning more about the norms and social rules of that time, the actions of the characters and their interactions make even more sense!
The only book I've ever read that had me sobbing by the end. Like, full on ugly crying to the point where I had a hard time reading the words on the page.
@@Ashtonyss Only book to make me cry man tears while reading..one of my favs.. went in completely blind.. being a WWII buff made it icing on the cake. I really want to read it again lol
I won’t tell you to give lotr another shot, but I wouldn’t say it’s overhyped! Tolkien completely defined the fantasy world as we know it today. His rendition of elves, dwarves, wizards and haflings are today accepted as canon. And though I agree that his storytelling was lackluster, his worldbuilding skills are jaw dropping.
I also dissagree that the storytelling is a weak point. Sure it’s straight forward and you can kinda tell how it’s going to play out at the very end, but that’s pretty standard for myths and legends. Like the Odyssey is obviously going to end with Odysseus coming home. The Aeneid is going to end with Aeneas laying the groundwork for what is to become Rome, So you know the minute he meets Dido that it isn’t going to work out. The fact that Tolkien has a framework like that as well strengthens the mythlike quality of the story. It’s a feature not a bug. Now it’s ok if that’s not your thing obviously you don’t have to like it, but just be aware that it is intentional. Of course it wouldn’t have worked without the prose and poems and other history and culture invented to go along with it which is why it works.
Calling Lord of the Rings "a lot of walking" is like calling To Kill a Mockingbird "a lot of talking". Like... Calling it an ignorant take is... well beyond an understatement to be honest. May as well have admitted you never read more than 2 chapters.
Not to mention it's technically a singular written work... It was only the publishers that split it into three parts so the fact he only read the first one and then ranked it is like only reading the first third of a book and then judging it based on that.
Yeah, if he's serious bloke outed himself as a fair moron. The Lord of the Rings is a densely interwoven novel of history, mythology, language, friendship, love, mercy, social class/standing, war, ptsd, faith, morality, the corruption of power, the nature of evil, etc. But his ranking and comments on Ulysses are enough to tell you he's likely just baiting for engagement (as I've fallen for by commenting). Or at least I hope
Seeing people talk about the awful LOTR take, meanwhile he completely misses the themes of Lolita and no one talk about it. Like calling the themes of Lolita terrible is like saying the author is bad because they wrote bad characters. Which is insane to me considering he recognizes the unreliable narrator, yet misses the fact that he's being condemned.
Dune being down there just like invalidated his opinon for me, and I’ve read the other, like book thief, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, being my favorites, but those do not stack up to Dune, how can it be so low like at least in the cloth bound classic section like at least
see classics by definition are works that have stood the test of time, so modern classics don't really exist, they're just famous books, who knows what will happen to them in 2222
sometimes i find myself taking jack's opinions on books as gospel, then i remember that he hates dune and i'm like "oh right youtubers are regular flawed people 😔" still have love for u tho jack!!
I read the classics because... they're the classics. But I'm finally ready to admit that the writing can be so Ye Olde that it just goes over my head. And that makes me appreciate my teacher in school who got us all discussing the meaning of each paragraph, chapter, sentence, so we could see the power and beauty in the writing.
@@jarx7500 true. i’m glad they save the words you look up as flash cards, too. and some of my downloads have little links that’ll explain some of the references of time as well, it makes it much easier to enjoy.
Ive always read the classics ever since i was little and i love them lol i mainly read them like your reason lol cuz their the classics but thered also somethibg beautiful and vintage abt the writting and how timeless they are...i also feel like in todays society that classics r hidden gems as contemporary literature grows..
@@leahdietrich6442 I don't really know how to explain it lol but I'll try using examples. The letter's contents near made her heart stop, it read: *Look outside- or don't*. (A colon is kind of used to present a list of some sort, in a way) The letter's contents near made her heart stop; her hands flicked open the page, reading *look outside- or don't*. (Two points slapped together but you don't want to add an "and" or such) (made her heart stop and her hands flicked open the page~)
🔖 Books in this video- 1:48 - of mice and men 2:13 - moby dick 2:38 - the catcher in the rye 2:55 - emma 3:12 - pride and prejudice 4:35 - moll flanders 5:30 - great expectations 6:12 - a tale of two cities 6: 16- bleak house 6:22 - the picture of dorian gray 6:45 - the bell jar 6:55 - to the lighthouse 7:13 - little women 7:23 - the book thief 7:36 - in cold blood 8:24 - to kill a mockingbird 8:36 - wuthering heights 8:51 - jane eyre 9:16 - villette 9:34 - wide sargasso sea 9:54 - heart of darkness 10:04 - frankenstein 10:30 - the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy 10:42 - dune 11:04 - the great gatsby 11:22 - a single man 11:30 - a journal of the plague year 11:44 - dracula 15:25 - the alchemist 15:42 - lord of the flies, tess of the d’urbervilles 15:50 - a farewell to arms 16:01 - lolita 16:19 - charlotte’s web 16:37 - crime and punishment 16:42 - middlemarch 16:54 - things fall apart 17:09 - lord of the rings Hope this helps.❤️ Quick note- 1. Moby dick 2. Emma 3. Pride and Prejudice 4. Great Expectations 5. Bleak house 6. The Picture of Dorian Gray 7. Little women 8. Wuthering heights 9. Jane Eyre 10. Heart of darkness 11. Frankenstein 12. The great Gatsby 13. Dracula 14. Crime and punishment The Audiobook version of these books are available on my channel. If you are interested, you can check it out. Thanks.❤️
The fact Dune and LOTR are bottom on this list just makes me know Jack isn't a fan of those types of genre. No hate. I clicked this video since im looking for book ideas.
No. I exclusively read Sci-fi and fantasy and I also hated LOTR and I felt alright about Dune but definitely think it’s overhyped. Books are subjective. People just feel afraid to have “wrong” opinions about classics because they’ve been established as the pinnacle of English writing by yt men
@@Sired2Klaus Took a break from an 18 straight Stephen King novel binge, so used to great character development and really getting inside the head of a character, to read LOTR, having never seen the movies. The lack of character development and internal dialogue (Save Samwise) really bored me about LOTR, but I respect it as the very origins of high epic fantasy
More fun facts about In Cold Blood: when they took the actors who played the killers to the prison and the guards were genuinely shocked at the resemblance. ALSO: my great grandpa was sorta involved with their execution. He used to preach up at the prison they were in and was asked to be there for their execution. I forgot why but I think it’d something to do with him being a preacher or one of them being religious. Unfortunately, one of their necks didn’t break on the way down so for 45 minutes he had to watch one of them swing, choking on their own breath, and he couldn’t leave because he needed to witness and confirm the deaths.
To be fair, Hitchhiker’s guide is almost 100% comedy. I read it so fast and it was such a quick read I forgot it even was sci-fi. I don’t think they should be in the same category at all.
@@frenchrulesall The heart of Lord of the Rings is perfectly encapsulated in the line from the book: "All that is gold does not glitter". After watching this video, I can tell that Jack Edwards enjoys a good Sunday afternoon read with a brilliant book with enchanting characters that won't let you put it down. There is nothing wrong with that, but LOTR books are an entirely different type of novel. First, it's built as an unbiased factual retelling of events similar to a history book . Unlike a history book, we as readers are often up close and personal with the characters, seeing their feelings and intentions, yet the unbiased factual style remains. The reading may feel slow and undramatic scene by scene, but it is only when we connect the parts to the larger quest that the depth of the novel begins to shine. A nearly hopeless quest that will determine the fate of the world in either success or failure. A quest that demands courage, companionship, hope and sacrifice from its "everyday folk", who are the heroes of the story. These virtuous themes are the hidden gold that is in every page of the book. Yet it is only when we connect these themes to the quests in our own lives that we truly arrive to the heart of LOTR. For while the brilliance of the world-building in LOTR, which it can be argued is perhaps the greatest in all of modern literature in terms of scale and detail is truly exceptional, it is in the end only a vessel for Tolkein to share his insight in the human condition and the quests that each of us are on through our lives. In that sense, the reader has compassion on the characters with the depths of compassion for oneself and the lessons taught go far beyond a Sunday reading and can be carried with the reader for the rest of their lives.
@@kushalrijal9453 true but he also ranked Around the World in 80 Days pretty highly and jules Verne is the father of science fiction. I personally didn't care for Dune either, but I love lotr
“The Fellowship of the Ring” is mostly just set up and WorldBuilding for the next two books. “The Lord of the Rings” was intended to be read as one novel. “The Two Towers” is incredible so I would definitely give it a read when you find the time.
The chapter with the Ents is my favorite chapter from the three books. I didn't know that I could have favorite chapters in books but this one just did something to me. It's a masterpiece.
@@tina9866 I'm reading everything Tolkien just before the Amazon Rings of Power disaster premiers...just to remind myself that we will always have those wonderful books.
@@carlosbranca8080 have you read the unfinished tales? I just did because of rings of power...I wanted to see more of what Tolkien said about the second age. So much interesting stuff happened, but instead amazon is going to show us how warrior galdrahil fights her Orc Chieftain brother.....why spend billions on buying writes to a property if you arent going to tell the story you are buying?
@@mike-mz6yz Yes, but years ago, that's why I am reading everything Tolkien pretty soon. And yes, a sad state of affairs right now. Creative bankruptcy and some people bound to destroy or corrupt everything we hold dear. They cannot create anything of value, and what is worst apparently they don't read either. There are dozens of fantasy, sci fi and horror books and series that are pretty diverse in every sense they want, but no, they have to ruin an established and beloved work of art and pissed off the fans, they do that on purpose.
I’m happy this was overall such a positive video, it’s always a bummer when people devalue classic books, esp those you loved. But I am surprised Tolstoy wasn’t on this list!
The Book Thief continues to be my favorite book ever. It is so beautifully written and each time I read it I appreciate Death’s perspective more and more
Here in Greece obviously we are been taught these books, the Iliad and the Odyssey but unfortunately these amazing books we have to read them in ancient greek to translate them also as homework and then analyze every sentence or paragraph. The stories then lose the charm which is a shame because these are the most famous pieces of greek literature but in school it's just "read them to get good grades" :/
Uhh, what? We're not taught Ulysses, and neither the Odyssey nor the Iliad are taught in ancient greek. There are places where pieces the original text are presented next to the translation, but we're mostly asked to write long boring essays on why Odysseus farts in line 34 of rhaspody δ. But I do agree that it kills the interest in those two. For anyone who was forced to read a book in 7th grade and now hate it on principle, it's exactly that. The odyssey, the iliad and antigone are all dead to me for the foreseeable future.
@@kateb1761 by taught i meant what you said with the og translations and then analyze it xd but the main problem is that yes these books are detailed and not for everyone but netherless it's a part of our history and the books only wanted us to learn some parts to get good grades
I'm from the Netherlands and I had Ancient Greek (and Latin) classes for 6 years. In my final year, we read the Odyssey. My personal impression is that I enjoyed the texts we translated a lot more specifically because successfully translating a passage and thereby unlocking its contents added a lot of satisfaction that one doesn't get when reading something in translation.
Here in Italy we have to study them as well (since I did only Latin and not ancient Greek I didn't have to translate them) and we have to analyse and study every single thing, and we couldn't even discuss it much, we just had to memorize it. It makes you interested in the Greek mythology and history, but not in reading the actual books. Now that I'm In university I decided to read them again, and damn I totally fell in love. It's a shame sometimes school really knows how to kill the passion
And now that I see you’ve given Great Expectations, Moby Dick and Tale of two cities “I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy” I can stop watching the video. Good luck, sir.
I thought The Lord of the Rings was a really immersive read. I do admit that it is a slow burn with the first book being a large amount of setup, but the writing in it is like a warm blanket to me. I think this series does worldbuilding a whole lot better than Dune does, so I don't agree with the placement. I'd still say that the rest of the series is worth your time.
IMO LotR has 9/10 worldbuilding (definitely 10/10 by the standards of its time, but the zeitgeist and artistic progress in time always make mediocrity out of early masterpieces; of course I say that but Mary Shelley's works seem to be timeless) but like 3/10 prose.
I love the lord of the rings and everything about it. It is one of my favorite books and I don't think that it's overrated, it's just not for everyone. I love the lore, I love the conversations, I love the wisdom and I do love the language. It's very interesting because the first time I read it, I had a pocket book edition. It read very slowly and it often felt stagnant. Now I'm revisiting the books two years later and this time I have a really nice illustrated hard cover edition and it goes by very fast. So the font and all that other stuff does matter a lot regarding how fast you can read and can even make text that isn't stagnant at all feel stagnant. What's so remarkable about Tolkiens books is how deep you can get with them because with everything he writes there comes so much lore. He has created an incredible detailed world full of history. It's one of the greats.
@@writingwofl5836 Yeah, it's not reinventing the wheel and it's almost as if it was published in the 50s. I read plenty; to say someone needs to read more because they dare enjoy something that's mediocre in your eyes is a level of pretentious I have not witnessed in a long time.
Hey Jack, just wanted to say thank you for making these videos. I've rediscovered my love of reading in the last couple of months and your reviews have made me tbr list so long and exciting. At the beginning of the year I deleted or cut down my social media consumption and now I've read 32 books since January and I think I'm a lot happier. Recommending storygraph was amazing as well, it's made me think critically about what I'm reading and I've been a lot more intentional about choosing books that expand my worldview. Anyway, I just really appreciate your videos and thank you for all the book recs!
@@wonderwoman5528 Yes I have tips! So 1. Make sure that you are picking books you actually want to read! Reading shouldn't be a task to get through, but something to relieve some stress and substitute Netflix for. Tiktok has started people giving great book recs, and, in general, if something is popular that means a lot of people like it and you might too. I follow Jack on here and have a long list of potential books on my phone. 2. Always give a book a shot, but know when to pick a new one. My rule for myself is that when I first start a book, I read the first 40 pages in one sitting. I dont get up until I finish those first 40 pages. It's enough that I'm either invested in the story or I know I'm not interested.
3. Storygraph is a great app that jack recommended a while back. You can set goals and see what types of books you're reading. It is very helpful for me because it gives me a little dopamine rush when I finish a book and add it to my stats. It also helps me analyze what I'm reading and what I want to read more of, which is great! 4. Pick a variety of books. For black history month I read books by black authors, for womens history month I prioritized feminist lit. It kept things interesting for me and made me feel like I wasn't reading the same things over and over again. I switch up genres a lot too.
Okay i know I’m late to the party but THANK YOU for your comments on Lolita. I’ve been having such a hard time defending my love for the writing while also condemning the subject matter. But it is so well executed and I agree with what you said here.
My older sister read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings to me when I was 9. I’ve read it many times since then. I think it still has the one of the best ending of any story I’ve read. I loved watching the hobbits grow and change even though it’s also very sad. Truly bittersweet to me. All that said, I very rarely recommend it. I completely get that it has a very slow pace, lots of characters, and the writing is not everyone’s cup of tea. I will say that how long you spend with the naive hobbits wandering around in the beginning of the story does pay off for the ending. That you feel like you really know the Shire and it’s people is important for how the ending lands. It’s just that the ending is a brick of books away from the slow start, so I totally get why that’s not appealing for a lot of people. Truthfully I don’t know if I could read it for the first time now. But that doesn’t change my history with these books. Or my love for them.
I was able to make it through book 1 just fine, I vividly recall book 2 dragging *real* hard for me though. So yeah, if you're bored during the first book, definitely get out.
You made some fine points sir. I just wrote a comment about how garbage LOTR was :D . I guess we all have different taste and I am glad to hear that you don't recommend it to people even tho you like it
@@adamrybansky8079 I dont recommend any books to anyone. I read LOTRs almost once a year. I love the world and the writing style. Still I have no idea what you will like, books are so personal. I can give you a list of books I enjoyed and why...maybe that will make you want to pick one of them up, but just because we both like book A doesnt mean we will both like book B. By the way if your looking for a good book, you should really read Jurassic Park its way better then the great movie!
@@tatianasalazar4066 can agree. for me it's some sort of magic charm that he puts on me, but. i can understand that it can get repetitive and tiring for others
@@tatianasalazar4066 he probably is one of the most loquacious writers ever , guy was a Oxford teacher and linguistic expert it’s pretty much to beat him in the “write better than him “
Problem with Lord of the Rings is that the Fellowship's first 2-3 books are at their lowest when it comes to density. The plot really picks up later. But the themes and locations are so enchanting I can't fathom why so many people find it boring. I'd read it even if there was 0 plot, just the hobbits traversing Middle-Earth
When the movies first came out, I read The Hobbit, but couldn't make it through Fellowship. Recently I read through the trilogy, couldn't get enough and followed it up with The Silmarillion. It was like night and day. The narritive and pathos at the climax of Return of the King versus the long, complex summary of thousands of years of events of The Silmarillion. Yet, I'm in awe at the world building. Tolkien's true legacy is undeniable, fantasy worlds have never been the same.
Dune and TLOTR were two favorites for me... First time here, I've loved your beautiful layout for classifying the books and your rationale for it. Great tips!
I always love seeing people rate Lolita because it is definitely one of the most beautiful books I've ever read... that is also extremely fucked up 😂 the only book I love that if anyone's ever like "I hate that book" I'm like alright girl, I get it, I ain't defending its honor or nothin
meeee i was reading it and loving how it was written and all of a sudden reminded that i was reading the thoughts of a literal pedophile. absolutely disgusting five stars
Its pretty good, i've been holding it off for a long time but I am only about 60% done with the book and Let me tell you, I breeeeezed through the first 150 pages in days. I thought that it was going to be one of those books that slog until a climax (To be fair, I wasn't really used to Wilde's style and much of classic literature overall). However, the prose, descriptions of a landscape, objects, and most specifically: emotions are so beautifully written that it is hard to put it down. I'm not so attached to the characters but the character dynamics are really interested to me. I love the typical "Id, ego, superego" trio going on in the story and I am here for it. Looking back at it now, I enjoy it even more ! Time to catch up on it again, along with the 3 other books im reading haha.
@@Empobaer Different strokes for different folks. It is a well loved book but it isn't for everyone and it' salright if you don't find it exciting. However I can attest to the fact that you are very much cultured. LOTR is a good read but even I have not finished it yet due to the same reason you had with Dorian Gray.
@@griizzlerhops633 hi,i have a question if you don't mind: english is not my first language and I really want to read the picture of dorian gray but I'm afraid that it's going to be difficult for me
This. I mean, just the fact that the story takes place almost 10 freaking millenia after the invention of AI (thinking machines, our actual current sci-fi), is an intelectual prowess in itself. Our hypothetic future is their antiquity. Now that is the sort of story I want to read.
@@alenkraunmempan4786 Yes, it’s pretty cool, why? What makes Dune especially impressive compared to any other story of the sort is that it was published in 1965. There were many great Dystopia/Sci-Fi (1984, Brave New World, War of Worlds, Jules Vernes, etc) or Epic Fantasy stories (LoTR, Narnia) prior. But Dune was very innovative and ahead of its time in the genre, and probably inspired most Sci-Fi sagas to some extent (Star Wars included) that came afterwards. That’s what makes it special in my own subjective opinion.
~Top tier Rankings~ 2:55 Emma - Jane Austen 6:20 Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde 6:46 The bell Jar - Sylvia Plath 6:57 To the light house - Virginia Wolf 7:35 In cold blood - Truman Capote 9:35 Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys 11:06 The great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald 11:10 Animal Farm and 1984 - George Orwell 11:10 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Jack: "Treasure Island: A masterclass in making an adventure really dull." Me: *clutching to my heart the book I've loved since I was ten, that blew my mind away, that I reread almost every year*: excUSE me!?!
@@peenweinerstein9968 My class read it in elementary school (I think 5th grade?). Almost everyone was disappointed. We thought it would be exciting going in, but most of us had pretty much the same opinion as Jack that a lot of it was actually a slog. I definitely didn't love it as a kid.
My English lit teacher actually explained to my class that Curly's wife was misunderstood and that the male characters in the book just had a negative perception of her because she was lonely and wanted companionship.
I think the way a person understands curlys wife says a lot about that person. specifically how they think about perspection, historical gender dynamics, gender stereotypes, marriage, and female sexuality.
you put "emma" in the 6 out of 5 stars category, so i'm gonna just agree with everything else you say because YES BITCH give "emma" the love it fucking deserves
I was surprised that Slaughterhouse 5, The Master and Margarita and Metamorphosis weren't included in this! Those are definitely some of my favorite classics.
@@sophias9686 Honestly I read some Kafka for fun (and, obvs, to sound smart), and some of his stuff just makes you sit back, look to the sky, and question if God has given up.
Just got done with the first and absolutely love it. Also finished LOTR and thought that was an amazing read. Just goes to show how subjective people's opinions can be I guess...
"Crime and Punishment" is pure bliss. Easily the best book I've ever read, although "The Great Gatsby" comes very close. P.S. I also think "Sapiens" is definitely an honorable mention. Maybe not a classic, not yet at least, but man, it was incredible.
The Lord of the Rings ranking almost made me cry😭 It's my favorite book of all time, but I do understand it's not for everyone. I agree with all the other rankings (Pride and Prejudice deserved better tho).
It upsets me when people say liking The Catcher in the Rye is a red flag. It's one of my favorite books because of how it describes earlier-20th century NYC and because I feel like J.D. Salinger would have truly understood my pain (especially while I was in college).
You may already know this, but the book unfairly got it's red flag status after a number of murderers (such as John Lennon's) cited this book as their inspiration. I like the book myself, so it's unfortunate
@@sadem1045 Personally, I think that book got me nowhere. But I haven't done any analysis on it. Just felt like a waste of my time. He was going from one place doing nothing to another doing nothing
I was not aware of other red flags. I just took it as being of special interest to self-absorbed jilted-lover types who like to cast themselves as loners. So when someone enjoys a work like that, you wonder a little. Then again, for the life of me I can't understand how any person with any taste whatsoever could possibly find "Dumb and Dumber" comedic genius. I don't ask for much regarding taste. I just think that flick was always objectively cringe-worthy. But the "Catcher" opinion was kind of the cherry on top for some of us when it came to revealing the sort of person we had putting this vid together, along with preferring to stay at home instead of checking out space, and counting off for period-appropriate language he just didn't like muddling through. I'm not sure there was much of anything in this vid that helped anyone decide whether to read any of these books, but it seemed to be VERY telling regarding the person doing the reviewing.
I am so glad that Dracula and Frankenstein received yet another good review. I am reading Dracula right now for the first time and I am so excited about it! I recently read A Christmas Carol and really enjoyed it. I recently bought Great Expectations...so we will see if I agree with your ranking of it! LOL I do know he is famous for his run-on scentences. LOL
I think I'm secure enough in my love of Tolkien not to mind that much. Also, I have to admit the series is nearly impossible to read straight through lol
I feel the same way about Dune being launched from the cannon 😢 I'm not mad, I put the book down halfway through and didn't pick it up again for months. But I love the series up until it gets insane. Incidentally I felt the same way about LotR as he did, though 😆 It's good to be secure in what you love and not have to get angry and defensive just because someone disagrees.
I’ll never forget in 5th grade my dad got my the newly released 3in1 version of Lotr since I “liked fantasy” (Percy Jackson) and he’d seen the movies. love my dad but that book genuinely took me a year to read and a dictionary to understand. Still one of my happiest memories with him though.
PART 2 HERE: th-cam.com/video/CzMT2PpaGlU/w-d-xo.html
I know this is your opinion but I think hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy and Fahrenheit 451 should have been much higher
Your taste is literally exquisite☺️☺️
@@fmme4794 if you are talking to me, thank you
man are u sure ur straight
This mf put Dune, Dickens, and Treasure Island in the shit-tier. No need for a part 2.
You should do a tier ranking if easiest to hardest classics to read!! That would be so helpful for so many people- I always get scared before reading a classic as to whether it’s going to be to advance and then put me into a reading slump, so it would definitely be very helpful
Agree!
That's a genius idea!
yessss
Yes! I feel the exact same, so many books I would love to read, but are just too scared to
i second this!!!!
"Normalise writing prequels to books that you didn't write" it's called fanfiction actually
😂😂
50 Shades of Grey gives me mixed feelings about whether we should normalize publishing it 😬
@@collicou i didnt really understand how it could've been published but like it did things for people and like who are we to judge you know?
@@windstillrises good point, no judgment. It's bad, but entertaining things happen 🤷♀️
@@windstillrises if you mean how could it be published for legal/copyright reasons, Jane Eyre is now in the public domain as the author died over 100 years ago
I live Jack and his amazing jokes and this is by far my favourite ever:
"Daniel Defoe, who is the author, is widley considered to be 'the father of the english novel' and you know what? I think he should've pulled out"
- Jack Edwards (2022)
😂😂 a true Jack classic
This took me out🤣🤣🤣
as an english major who had to read Robinson Crusoe, I agree
I especially enjoyed his cute laugh after he made this genius joke xd
@@maristiller4033 as a fellow English student, I also agree
As a LotR lover this really shocked me...
Like I've spent years studying the world J.R.R. Tolkien has built and it's beautiful! The languages he created are incredible and fantastic and I wish I could be this genius...
Also Dune is a very nice book!
But I respect your opinion, have a great day
I love LOTR!!! the first hooks went slow for but when I hit the part about Lothlorian, the descriptions of it captivated me, read the second one much quicker and the third in just a very few days. I would think with Jack's interest in moral subjects, he would've liked it, but to each theri own. I think the second and third go by faster. It's meant to be a beautiful journey, and I loved going on that journey with the Fellowship 💜💙
Some people can't handle fun
@@alvafairchild13 the fun being someone steps over a pebble: *30 pages about pebbles and the ages the pebble has seen along with every shape of pebble in existence*
The fact that you maturely respect his opinion, rather than being immature about someone not agreeing with your own personal opinion, shows that you are a rare breed
There are good parts about Tolkien but he's not a complete story teller. He painted himself into too many corners.
I am very interested in the same subjects as he was and I liked how he was able to stitch Plato together with Snorre Sturlasson and much of all of old European epics, mythology, philosophy and folklore. But the flow of the story is far from the originals and modern good writing.
And then there's Tom Bombadil... What da...?
I’d love to hear Jack’s take on what current books he thinks will turn into classics down the road
50 shades of grey
@@billytheripper4 on God no... I don't want future generations to justifiably laugh at our literature tastes
I think these have a good chance of turning into classics: Gone Girl, The Hate U Give, Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Fault in Our Stars, Call Me By Your Name, The Girl on The Train, Perfume, The Little Prince.
Plus The Hunger Games trilogy and all of the Harry Potter books for sure!
I think there are also overwhelmingly young people reading right now so now few number among them might be YA.
Perks of being a wallflower
@@bellacontess5388 Wasn't The Little Prince written in the 1940's though, that's already a classic.
Gotta love the double entendre of “shoot it from a literal canon.”
i… *slow clap*
I know I laughed when he said it
😂😂
What I dont get it
@@tuqaalmanter874 not 100% sure but I think it's "literal canon" as in like an actual canon but also as in to do with literature? Could just be flat out wrong
Jack Edwards is honestly the only person that can genuinley diss my fave classics and still be sure that I will trust all of his book recomendations.
Same. I disagree with at least forty percent of his rankings here, but I still can't wait for the next video.
I enjoy the videos but I wouldn't trust his book recommendations because we clearly have very different tastes. I mean, he fawns over "The Song of Achilles" (in other videos), likes "The Alchemist", but disses both "Dune" and "LotR"? Lol. No.
@@damnmamaa i like his recommendations for slice of life and non fiction but I am not taking Science Fiction and Fantasy recommendations from him (those are my most read genres anyway)
@@Niyati99 yeah, I love hearing his thoughts on non fiction and classics even though I don't usually enjoy books from those genres
Honestly, I trust him so much that when he ranked my fav classic at the lowest tier I voluntarily got gaslit. Like “maybe I missed smth, maybe Dune is a shit book.”
The first time I read The Lord of the Rings I thought the same as you, that it was just a bunch of walking. But because my husband loves this book so much I decided to read the series again the following year. It is now one of my favorite books/series and Samwise Gamgee is one of my favorite literary characters of all time. I challenge you to try again, and read all 3 books😊
Im halfway through the second book and I think it's amazing
@@Flower-Po hi, nice to see someone who commented recently, I'm also reading LOTR, just finished The Two Towers
@@blue-xxxxx-xxx that's awesome. Are you enjoying it too?
Sam is indeed a cool character. Another thing that "just reading the first book" doesn't do is give you the character development of the deep friendship between Gimli and Legolas. In fact, that was one of only two (or so) things I hold against Peter Jackson. Their growing friendship, when ALL other dwarves/elves have an inborn enmity is one of the BEST developments of friends from sworn enemies I've read in literature. And it takes TIME (and pages/scenes) to develop. It's not a quick friendship, but it IS a lasting friendship. Legolas offering to be blindfolded when visiting the Lady, and the scorn and complete incomprehension of the other elves at this act is a pivotal moment in character development and relationships between characters!!! (extra exclamation points warranted and on purpose)
"Do you wanna read a book about whale anatomy?"
Yes
"No, me neither"
Well this is off to a good start
Yeah I was like “oh-”😅🤝🥲
There are many benefits to being a marine biologist
I remember my friend saying she enjoyed Moby Dick, but told me it's best to read the first parts rapidly because all it does is talk about whales.
For me, I love science, so I'll try the first part as well.
Everytime someone gives me a reason to not read Moby Dick, it just inspires me more.
got to the part where ishmael goes on a rant about whale classification systems before I stopped reading, maybe I'll go back one day
Bro. I was so into classic literature when I was 16-19 years old, but going into uni ruined it for me because none of my professors wanted their students to have a different opinion than what they had. There was no room to formulate your own perspective on a novel, it was just "listen to what I say and then spit it out". I switched my major from English to Psychology (no regrets, I'm a psychologist assistant now and I love it). But this video makes me want to sit down and read every single one of these books again. It's like I'm back in my youth. Great video
Oh gosh what a terrible professor he is
That's awful. I was an English major too, and only my Victorian literature professor was like this. But she was ancient, I think she actually lived through the Victorian Age herself.
They've moved the age down now, opinion crushing starts in secondary school.
I had to read Things Fall Apart twice. The first time was in high school and I didn't agree Okonkwo was a tragic hero; my teacher made me rewrite the essay against everything I had wrote. I highlighted this point in college when it was part of our required reading and explained this caused me to have a bias against it; the teacher gave me an A in the class overall so I guess I explained my point.
I know why in high school teachers must teach the way they do but the way my teacher brought it up was certainly about her opinion. Our education system is built for factory workers, cogs in a machine. I am sorry going to university wasn't the enlightenment and free-thought forum it should be.
Oh, and I never thought of doing English as a degree; this was news to my parents who seemed to think so until my junior/senior year. I told them I didn't know what I would do with an English degree. I wanted to be a physical therapist.
It's funny, I got my bachelor's degree in psychology but now I'm considering getting an MFA in creative writing so we almost did the opposite. Though I'm more into writing than reading...still.
Jack: " The Picture of Dorian Gray literally invented the plot twist"
The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde: "Am I a joke to you?"
The greeks: "Am I a joke to you?"
@@ryangoh3308 half the shit in the bible: are we a joke to you?
I had to reas both of those books for AP Lit this year, and that was the funniest shit I saw all day
@@Mr.Murphy2802 bible has plot twist??
@@frey8893 yeah every good ghost story has a twist
Can’t trust someone who puts LOTR that low
def a taste thing but as someone who loves it, I was like 😦😡 LOLLL
movies are way better than the books for LOTR
Keep your immaturity to yourself 😆
I don't like LOTR that much, but last position is really low
He said "the quality of the writing wasn't good enough". I really said that.
I've read like 7 books out of all these books and I am feeling like a whole intellectual
Same I read ten and know the plot of like almost everyone, so I guess I have a degree know
I've read 37...
I’ve read three 👍
@@EmiliaLou an absolute intellectual. I think we can all agree everybody who watches Jack is smart now with some bad puns 😂
I feel like the ranking is lacking a "meh" category. Because going from "nice classic" to "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy" seems a bit extreme to me xD
I agree to me the bottom two catagories are the same.. the orange should’ve been a meg category.
Clothbound classic is “meh”
But then it wouldn't be zoomer enough!
this guy knows nothing about literature ahhah
It threw me off till I realized this guy probably does not have serious enemies and perhaps wishes people well as a default
“He should’ve pulled out” literally has me in a chokehold rn 😂😂😂 this is why we love you Jack
"it's just a bunch of creatures walking" is cracking me up rn
Our bestie Jack out here doing the hard work so we can make our obnoxiously long tbr longer
gotta appreciate it😌
mine is so scary looking and i havent even read one
I really felt that
True
@@bhuvitaylorsversion7 heyy swiftie
@@cosmic.elixir Heyyy hiiii
"Daniel Defoe is widely considered the father of the English novel, and you know what I think he should've pulled out" RUTHLESS, I literally chocked hearing this
Idk why people treat every tier list as though it should be objective and factual. Opinions differ, Jack explained his super well and concisely, great video.
Yes, but that's the fun of discussing it. You can disagree and maybe sway somebody to your side, or at the very least have an enjoyable conversation about the books you care about.
Exactly! Habdmaids tale is probably the worst on the list but he put it on the top because he is a feminist lol
He explained super well his limitations as a reader.
I think the thing is that people, for certain classics expect objectivity. Like yes, it's not your favourite, but still doesn't deserve to go in the bottom because how well it is written and the story. In Italy we have an author that I hate with a passion, like literally, I wanted to throw away his book as soon as I finished reading it for school. But if someone asked me to rate Italians romances? His book is going to the top. It is well written and serves the purpose that the author wanted, plus it is important for the modern language. Even if I personally don't like it, I can't bring myself to say it's a bad book.
@@Lola-kh9cs Very well said.
You have no idea how happy it makes me to see EMMA in the 6 out 5 category. It's my favourite Austen book and I think it usually gets overlooked.
Pride and prejudice, while maybe trend breaking for the time, red like a soap opera to me and I didn’t like it.
I never read another Jane Austen book after it.
Maybe I should give Emma a shot
"Oh, here we go... Let's introduce my real enemy: Charles Dickens" is truly a masterpiece of a line
IMO, Charles Dickens stories were made to be adapted, preferably into a normal-length movie. Usually way more watchable than readable.
@@alexanderwill2847 I agree, a 2h 30 min movie would be enough to adapt a book of his
Don't know if it's true or one of those "facts" that gets repeated because everyone wants it to be true but I heard he literally got paid by the word which informed his incredibly dry, unpleasant and verbose writing style.
Mine is Ernest Hemmingway
People hate dickens? I went and devoured Great Expectations!
“You know what, I think he should’ve pulled out”, I genuinely almost choked on my lunch lol
Oh my god same I was SHOOK 😂😂
Brilliant line!
It's not original though....heard it before...probably copied from the same places I've heard it
i love how jack was so traumatized by “jane eyre laid bare” that he can’t go one video without mentioning it 😂😂
😂😂😂
THIS IS SO TRUE AHAH IT COMES UP EVERY TIME
Thank you, Jack, from Ukraine for this tier list🙂 Was surprised by the amount of brilliant books in the list and with some rankings too😮
I've compiled the text version of the tier list with timestamps. No book is missed unlike other timestamp comments.
*6 out of 5 stars:* "Emma"(2:57), "Picture of Dorian Gray"(6:20), "The Bell Jar"(6:45), "To the Lighthouse"(6:55), "In Cold Blood"(7:35), "Wide Sargasso Sea"(9:34), "The Great Gatsby"(11:03), "A Single Man"(11:22), "Animal Farm"/"1984"(11:58), "The Handmaid's Tale"(12:22)
*i think you dropped something... my jaw:* "Of Mice and Men"(1:50), "Little Women"(7:12), "The Book Thief"(7:23), "To Kill a Mockingbird"(8:20), "Jane Eyre"(8:45), "Frankenstein"(10:04), "Dracula"(11:45), "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"(12:55), "The Odyssey"(13:43), "The Iliad"(13:51), "Beloved"(14:08), "Around the World in 80 Days"(14:56), "Rebecca"(15:22), "Lord of the Flies"(15:42), "Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman"(15:46), "Lolita"(16:01), "Crime and Punishment"(16:37), "Things Fall Apart"(16:54)
*clothbound classic:* "The Catcher in the Rye"(2:39), "Pride and Prejudice"(3:14), "Wuthering Heights"(8:36), "Heart of Darkness"(9:54), "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"(10:30), "Fahrenheit 451"(12:37), "Brave New World"(12:41), "The Scarlet Letter"(14:19), "The Alchemist"(15:25), "Charlotte's Web"(16:19), "Middlemarch"(16:43)
*i wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy:* "Moby Dick"(2:15), "Great Expectations"(5:31)(objectively wrong😃), "A Tale of Two Cities"/"Bleak House"(6:13), "Villette"(9:14), "Life of Pi"(13:03), "Ulysses"(13:20), "The Crying of Lot 49"(14:40), "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea"(15:06), "A Farewell to Arms"(15:30)
*shoot it from a literal cannon:* "Moll Flanders"(4:36), "Dune"(10:41), "A Journal of the Plague Year"(11:31), "Treasure Island"(12:44), "The Fellowship of the Ring"(17:07)(how dare you😧)
Wow I came into the comments hoping someone might have done this, and you are truly a lifesaver. I couldn't be bothered to go back and search for each one myself. Thanks friend
During my lit degree we were talking about Lolita in a class and one guy said "I don't get why the narrator likes Lolita so much, she is such a bitch" and the entire class started to agree with him. I thought I had inhaled something and made eye contact with the one guy who wasn't talking and the two of us just stared at each other for a solid 2 minutes in total disbelief as our professor ENCOURAGED them to talk about that point.
WTH 😭 This is surreal
bro???
This is kinda scary 😀
ExCuSe Me?
I bet half of them didn't actually read the story and were just making vapid points piggy backing off of the first guy LMAO
The “he should have pulled out” literally had me dead 💀
SAME
i had to pause the video i couldn't stop laughing 😭
I actually choked from laughter 😭
I want to get a ranking on how difficult they are to read as well 🤣
Lol I second this
This is such a good idea!! Like have a beginners level, intermediate etc etc- jack please do this
Please!!
Jack please read this!!
yes!! Jack please do this!
I wanna be this guy's friend. I know nothing about classic literature, yet this whole video had me engaged and i couldnt stop smiling at his way of talking
'Alice and Dracula is not a duo you can imagine' JACK, HONEY. THOSE TWO WOULD BE ABSOLUTE BESTIES IF THEY MET
I need this crossover
Totally agree. Especially after reading an Alice retelling that got really dark.
Half of me is like “oh no” and the other half wants to write the fanfiction already
@@simplesimply3753 Can you please tell me what is the title of that book? If Dorothy going to the dark side was awesome I bet that one is really good. I would totally read and Alice + Dracula book!
Jack: Do you want to read a book all about whale anatomy?
Me with the whale being my favourite living creature ever: Oooh hell yeah
Jack: Me neither...
Me: oh
LMFAO 😭
You ever been cornered at a party by some guy rambling on about everything? That's Moby Dick. If you're patient enough, drops of wisdom fall through though. Loved it myself.
I adore whales too ^_^ But I've always been intimidated by Moby Dick. I'm worried it'll be too much jargon. And scared of its length too. Is it worth reading?
@@itll_be_owlright I'll probably re-read it at some point. Didn't seem difficult in terms of language. Only in terms of "I wonder when we'll get back to the storyline." In all fairness, it does depict life at sea quite well. If you're an adventurous, yet patient soul, you'll probably love it. Plus the chapters are really short and easy to digest. Having said all that, it did take me 3 shots to get past the first few chapters.
@@AlexHamelMusic Ok thanks 😊
“One does not simply bottom tier LOTR” - J.R.R Tolkien
(probably)
"Authority has not been given to you to deny..." that this one of the best books ever written.
*cries in Elven language*
Indeed.
I was like: " _How dare thee! Imrid amrâd ursul!_ "
(Ok, maybe that last bit was a bit too much)
i have found my people
I know this is for english writers, but I highly recommend, reading Herman Hesse. Every book is a spiritual journey, and the best part is that his novels are really (really) short, you don't even feel they are short because of all the topics he cover in so few pages.
Jack, you took the words right out of my mouth. 1984 is literally THE book that made me fall in love with reading, literature, and understand the impact words have on our human psyche collective. Animal farm soon followed. I went from not caring about reading, almost disliking it because I found it to be boring , to absolutely loving it. 1984 really changed my life.
Literally same here! I love 1984 so much.
literally same i didn’t know it was a common experience
it’s always interesting to hear which books pull people into the lit world. I totally get why it could be 1984 that did it, it definitely sucked me in.
I liked the themes in 1984 but the way Winston descriped Julia just often made me wanna not finish it
This tier-list definitely shows your preferences for a very particular type of literature. Not that it's a bad thing. But putting Dune/LotR and books like them at the bottom is definitely a taste thing I feel, rather than a quality of writing thing. Meanwhile I found 'Emma' remarkably... okay?
I knew Dune and LOTR's ranking would trigger the "I love hard magic systems 🥵" crowd. Like, if they were placed higher would you consider this was an objective, non-"taste thing"?
@@franciscofarias6385 yes? I'm not a fan of romance novels, doesn't mean I don't acknowledge Pride and Prejudice as one of the all-time best books. I get that it's easy to pick on genre fiction because it's not for everyone, but both LotR and Dune are objectively good books, and to say you don't like them is going to boil down to your attitudes toward sci fi and fantasy as a whole.
@@sbel6626 lmaoooo now if I don't like Dune it's because I'm biased against sci-fi... my dude, come back here when you left high school, how about it?
@@franciscofarias6385 Maybe learn what hard magic systems are before talking about them, given neither Dune nor LoTR have one.
@@franciscofarias6385 Saying you're a sci-fi fan and don't like Dune is like saying you're a horror movie fan and not liking the Exorcist, or saying you're a jazz fan and not liking Thelonious Monk. It's not impossible, it's just a little weird.
"Jane Austin put her whole Austussy into this book" I fucking cackled out loud on the train 😂
Stop cuz he’s right
Great Expectations was ROBBED. My first Dickens book; I was so surprised how well his humor and style holds up today. When I expected a sludge to read through, I was shocked to find a book that seemed like it could've been released 20 years ago instead of over 100 (although some of the language definitely is of its time).
Loved the story, the nuanced characters, and what the book says about young love, appreciating what you have, class divide, and finding happiness.
Absolutely couldn’t put it down - I found it the easiest classic to read all round tbh
This guy's a walking cookie cut millennial. Do you seriously think he has the literary maturity to appreciate the actual classics?
@@him050he isn’t even a millennial? Also, not everyone likes classics, and if you do it doesn’t make you better than anyone else
@@him050 yikes
@@him050 I mean I'm a millennial and I LOVED it, so I don't think age has got anything to do with it? It's just personal preference
"there's two things I don't wanna hear about: capitalism and children." mood jack. very much same.
Then immediately puts Animal Farm at the top of the list lmao
😂😂 agreed
@@bendover7841 Wait, is animal farm about capitalism? I haven't read it but I always thought it was about revolution leading to totalitarianism or something.
@@SuperShado101 It was anti-socialism/anti-communism. It has underlying themes about how communism is just a guise for establishing corrupt dictatorships under the false promise of equality. It was essentially a mockery of the Soviet Union. Hence the "All animals are equal but some are more equal than others."
@@bendover7841 So it's basically what I thought it was. I'm not sure if it could be considered anti-socialist specifically though. My impression of Orwell is that he's (rightfully) very critical of the soviet union and other states despite the fact that he disagrees with capitalism. He seems pretty interesting, so his books are definitely on my list.
i am so tired of people putting Jane Austen in the lower tier. So what if it's simple comedy of manners? the simplicity is what makes them so iconic and witty.
THIS! AND THEY’RE FUNNY
Can you imagine that some people uhm actually find it boring?
@@sunrisesilence yeah, but also I feel like some people ignore the fun parts bcs they already have an idea, I know people who said they hated a book of hers bcs it was boring but hadn’t even read it
@@Dustyspeccs well obviously you should never say something like this if you haven't read the book you're talking about. Its just about P&P that I didn't understand the hype at all and no, I couldn't find it funny
@@sunrisesilence yeah that’s fine! I guess I’m defensive because I thought it was really boring before I read it and in the first half but I ended up loving it 😂
1:48 - of mice and men
2:13 - moby dick
2:38 - the catcher in the rye
2:55 - emma
3:12 - pride and prejudice
4:35 - moll flanders
5:30 - great expectations
6:12 - a tale of two cities, bleak house
6:22 - the picture of dorian gray
6:45 - the bell jar
6:55 - to the lighthouse
7:13 - little women
7:23 - the book thief
7:36 - in cold blood
8:24 - to kill a mockingbird
8:36 - wuthering heights
8:51 - jane eyre
9:16 - villette
9:34 - wide sargasso sea
9:54 - heart of darkness
10:04 - frankenstein
10:30 - the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy
10:42 - dune
11:04 - the great gatsby
11:22 - a single man
11:30 - a journal of the plague year
11:44 - dracula
11:58 - animal farm, 1984
12:23 - the handmaid’s tale
12:37 - fahrenheit 451, brave new world
12:44 - treasure island
12:54 - alice’s adventures in wonderland
13:03 - life of pi
13:20 - ulysses
13:44 - the odyssey
13:53 - the iliad
14:08 - beloved
14:19 - the scarlet letter
14:41 - the crying of lot 49
14:47 - around the world in eighty days
15:05 - twenty thousand leagues under the sea
15:21 - rebecca
15:25 - the alchemist
15:42 - lord of the flies, tess of the d’urbervilles
15:50 - a farewell to arms
16:01 - lolita
16:19 - charlotte’s web
16:37 - crime and punishment
16:42 - middlemarch
16:54 - things fall apart
17:09 - lord of the rings (sorry jack)
thank you so much
@@sofiacorreia206 you are very welcome :)
A Life savior right there.
You are God sent 😭
Thank you 🙏🏼
Jack is so adorable, I could literally listen to him read a grocery list for hours and beg for more.
“This is a book for people who are unstable.”
I love how I instantly knew that it was The Bell Jar. It’s definitely not something to read if you’re feeling bummed already, lmao.
weirdly enough, I find myself going back to Plath and Anne Sexton when I’m at my worst moments. I only read the Bell Jar when I’m at rock bottom. That and I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. For me it helps to know I’m not alone but I can for sure see how it would also have the effect of making one feel worse.
@@ashlynw.7291 You caught me
I read this as a bipolar academic who loves poetry, like Plath. It just comforts me when I’m depressed
Yes I read that in yr10 wand found out a lot about the world 😆
"This is a book for people who are unstable." Yes, correct.
I literally cannot fathom your Lord of the Rings rating, everything else fair enough, but I TRUSTED YOU!
So did I :((( my heart aches right now
Imagine if he read Hobbit though
same! like you can't tell me the writting wasn't good? the writing is literally what made this book so popular!
I have to agree with him, I felt like Tolkien was trying to strangle me with his writing. His extremely long descriptions of trees made me so bored I had to stop. Maybe I'll give it another go one day but that day is far far away.
Every single rating is questionable.
16:33 i feel like that was the whole point of the book though? 😭 the pig wasn't special, but his friendship with the spider was
I just remember when reading Pride and Prejudice there wasnt a single character that was introduced that wasnt important. No throwaway characters or plot lines, and I really enjoyed that. I dont know of i would keep it where it is or put it a tier higher, just because not a single line wasted my time
What do you mean “wasted”? you’re talking about a book not the stockmarket
I agree! Austen's writing is beautiful yet succinct and not at all pretentious. I love how accessible it feels.
Pride and Prejudice is in my top 5 fave books of all time. 🫶
I agree! 🙂 It’s one of the reasons it’s my favorite of Jane Austen, it is very satisfying. Especially when learning more about the norms and social rules of that time, the actions of the characters and their interactions make even more sense!
The best of Austen, with Persuasion.
The Book Thief is legitimately one of my favorite books of all time.
The only book I've ever read that had me sobbing by the end. Like, full on ugly crying to the point where I had a hard time reading the words on the page.
I just finished reading The Book Thief for Summer reading, and I can say with total confidence that it is the only piece of media to ever make me cry.
Absolutely amazing book. In my top 5 ever
@@Ashtonyss Only book to make me cry man tears while reading..one of my favs.. went in completely blind.. being a WWII buff made it icing on the cake. I really want to read it again lol
I agree, one of the very few books that has made me proper cry, and I just wish I could read it again for the first time.
“Miss Charlotte just decided to flex her duolingo streak” 😭😭😆😆😆😆
Give Charles Dickens another shot when you’re older. A Tale of Two Cities and A Christmas Carol are wonderful
Moral of the Story: We’re all incorporating ‘Smarticles Particles’ as a part of our collective lexicon.
Absolutely 😂
when he said it i genuinely thought damn i want to start using that too ahaha
@@ros.an. ikr 🤠🤠 also hey army 💜
@@urlocalhuman.ahahah heyyyyy ;))
I won’t tell you to give lotr another shot, but I wouldn’t say it’s overhyped! Tolkien completely defined the fantasy world as we know it today. His rendition of elves, dwarves, wizards and haflings are today accepted as canon. And though I agree that his storytelling was lackluster, his worldbuilding skills are jaw dropping.
I agree, he was literally the father of fantasy!
and the movies too are amazing
This is all well and good, but great worldbuilding alone doesn't make a good book. Hell of a nice dnd campaign though.
100% - the world building is stunning and I love The Hobbit, but for me personally the first LOTR book just wasn’t it, all subjective though
I also dissagree that the storytelling is a weak point. Sure it’s straight forward and you can kinda tell how it’s going to play out at the very end, but that’s pretty standard for myths and legends. Like the Odyssey is obviously going to end with Odysseus coming home. The Aeneid is going to end with Aeneas laying the groundwork for what is to become Rome, So you know the minute he meets Dido that it isn’t going to work out. The fact that Tolkien has a framework like that as well strengthens the mythlike quality of the story. It’s a feature not a bug. Now it’s ok if that’s not your thing obviously you don’t have to like it, but just be aware that it is intentional. Of course it wouldn’t have worked without the prose and poems and other history and culture invented to go along with it which is why it works.
None of us could stop at ‘Austussy’. Our collective reaction was: “I know he did not -“
I thought it was just me! 😂
Calling Lord of the Rings "a lot of walking" is like calling To Kill a Mockingbird "a lot of talking".
Like... Calling it an ignorant take is... well beyond an understatement to be honest. May as well have admitted you never read more than 2 chapters.
Not to mention it's technically a singular written work... It was only the publishers that split it into three parts so the fact he only read the first one and then ranked it is like only reading the first third of a book and then judging it based on that.
Yeah, if he's serious bloke outed himself as a fair moron. The Lord of the Rings is a densely interwoven novel of history, mythology, language, friendship, love, mercy, social class/standing, war, ptsd, faith, morality, the corruption of power, the nature of evil, etc. But his ranking and comments on Ulysses are enough to tell you he's likely just baiting for engagement (as I've fallen for by commenting). Or at least I hope
Seeing people talk about the awful LOTR take, meanwhile he completely misses the themes of Lolita and no one talk about it. Like calling the themes of Lolita terrible is like saying the author is bad because they wrote bad characters. Which is insane to me considering he recognizes the unreliable narrator, yet misses the fact that he's being condemned.
The Tiers are named so brilliantly! I love all of them.
He truly does the lords work 😂
The “I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy” has some of the best books in existence
I am judging this dude harshly for his treatment of Moby Dick.
Same with shoot it with a cannon. Lol
Contentious things are rarely considered mediocre by anybody.
@@vitriolicAmaranth fair, and the tier name implies difficulty, which a lot of those books have
Dune being down there just like invalidated his opinon for me, and I’ve read the other, like book thief, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, being my favorites, but those do not stack up to Dune, how can it be so low like at least in the cloth bound classic section like at least
You should do a tier ranking video of “modern classics” that would be so cool!
Hey if you don't mind can you tell me what is considered to be modern classic?
yes!!
Do you mean 21st century? Some of these books seem modern to me: Beloved, Handmaids Tale, and Hitchhikers Guide are not exactly ancient.
see classics by definition are works that have stood the test of time, so modern classics don't really exist, they're just famous books, who knows what will happen to them in 2222
@@김준희-g9z Maybe they mean 20th or 21st century books alone.
As a massive LOTR fan I get it. The first 100 pages of the hobbit is an incredibly in depth description of Bilbos dinner party. It can be a tough read
sometimes i find myself taking jack's opinions on books as gospel, then i remember that he hates dune and i'm like "oh right youtubers are regular flawed people 😔" still have love for u tho jack!!
The way this person talks about one of the greatest sci-fi books truly hurts my brain, but as he said its his opinion
People who hate Moby Dick are people who shouldn't be trusted
grateful for the other books Dune inspired, but that book is not for me 💀💀💀
And lotr
Why are you booing him? He's right.
I read the classics because... they're the classics. But I'm finally ready to admit that the writing can be so Ye Olde that it just goes over my head. And that makes me appreciate my teacher in school who got us all discussing the meaning of each paragraph, chapter, sentence, so we could see the power and beauty in the writing.
The kindle definition finction definitely got me over the “Ye Olde’” language and even made me appreciate the beauty of it so far
@@jarx7500 true. i’m glad they save the words you look up as flash cards, too. and some of my downloads have little links that’ll explain some of the references of time as well, it makes it much easier to enjoy.
Ive always read the classics ever since i was little and i love them lol i mainly read them like your reason lol cuz their the classics but thered also somethibg beautiful and vintage abt the writting and how timeless they are...i also feel like in todays society that classics r hidden gems as contemporary literature grows..
11:16 “At one point I even wrote a whole essay on the semi-colons in this book.”
I was with you until you mentioned “semi-colons”.
I still don't know how to use them
@@leahdietrich6442 charles dickens uses them artfully.
@@leahdietrich6442 I don't really know how to explain it lol but I'll try using examples.
The letter's contents near made her heart stop, it read: *Look outside- or don't*. (A colon is kind of used to present a list of some sort, in a way)
The letter's contents near made her heart stop; her hands flicked open the page, reading *look outside- or don't*. (Two points slapped together but you don't want to add an "and" or such) (made her heart stop and her hands flicked open the page~)
When those transitions are so smoothly said from book to book 🤣 only Jack, only Jack 😂
My opinion on a book literally changes once Jack rates it so lets hope little women, the great gatsby and the book thief get good ratings or i’ll cry
i agree. but ill love great gatsby regardless of what jack says
The Great Gatsby and Little Women have 5 stars on his Storygraph, so I think he loves them :)
literally!
don’t let anyone influence your opinion on anything…it’s how YOU feel about it not anyone else
Spoiler alert but you're good 😂
🔖 Books in this video-
1:48 - of mice and men
2:13 - moby dick
2:38 - the catcher in the rye
2:55 - emma
3:12 - pride and prejudice
4:35 - moll flanders
5:30 - great expectations
6:12 - a tale of two cities
6: 16- bleak house
6:22 - the picture of dorian gray
6:45 - the bell jar
6:55 - to the lighthouse
7:13 - little women
7:23 - the book thief
7:36 - in cold blood
8:24 - to kill a mockingbird
8:36 - wuthering heights
8:51 - jane eyre
9:16 - villette
9:34 - wide sargasso sea
9:54 - heart of darkness
10:04 - frankenstein
10:30 - the hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy
10:42 - dune
11:04 - the great gatsby
11:22 - a single man
11:30 - a journal of the plague year
11:44 - dracula
15:25 - the alchemist
15:42 - lord of the flies, tess of the d’urbervilles
15:50 - a farewell to arms
16:01 - lolita
16:19 - charlotte’s web
16:37 - crime and punishment
16:42 - middlemarch
16:54 - things fall apart
17:09 - lord of the rings
Hope this helps.❤️
Quick note-
1. Moby dick
2. Emma
3. Pride and Prejudice
4. Great Expectations
5. Bleak house
6. The Picture of Dorian Gray
7. Little women
8. Wuthering heights
9. Jane Eyre
10. Heart of darkness
11. Frankenstein
12. The great Gatsby
13. Dracula
14. Crime and punishment
The Audiobook version of these books are available on my channel. If you are interested, you can check it out. Thanks.❤️
You are a savior!! Thank You!!
Many thanks,cheers.
You missed lots of books, this is like half at best
The fact Dune and LOTR are bottom on this list just makes me know Jack isn't a fan of those types of genre. No hate. I clicked this video since im looking for book ideas.
He put a ton of sci fi higher up on there
No. I exclusively read Sci-fi and fantasy and I also hated LOTR and I felt alright about Dune but definitely think it’s overhyped. Books are subjective. People just feel afraid to have “wrong” opinions about classics because they’ve been established as the pinnacle of English writing by yt men
@@Sired2Klaus Took a break from an 18 straight Stephen King novel binge, so used to great character development and really getting inside the head of a character, to read LOTR, having never seen the movies. The lack of character development and internal dialogue (Save Samwise) really bored me about LOTR, but I respect it as the very origins of high epic fantasy
@@asherscott3151Oh wow comedy sci fi and *checks notes* 1984 ? Tons of sci fi
@@PsilocybeJedi lol fair enough! What Stephen King book would you recommend for beginners to his work?
More fun facts about In Cold Blood: when they took the actors who played the killers to the prison and the guards were genuinely shocked at the resemblance.
ALSO: my great grandpa was sorta involved with their execution. He used to preach up at the prison they were in and was asked to be there for their execution. I forgot why but I think it’d something to do with him being a preacher or one of them being religious. Unfortunately, one of their necks didn’t break on the way down so for 45 minutes he had to watch one of them swing, choking on their own breath, and he couldn’t leave because he needed to witness and confirm the deaths.
When you said Hitchhiker's Guide was one of the only sci-fi books you enjoyed I knew I was ready for a gut punch when you rated Dune
Facts it’s straight up disrespectful he put it that low lol. God the whole series is amazing.
@@njm2699 I fully agree
He put Dickens very low, what can you expect?
To be fair, Hitchhiker’s guide is almost 100% comedy. I read it so fast and it was such a quick read I forgot it even was sci-fi. I don’t think they should be in the same category at all.
HGTTG is more... pastiche of sci-fi than sci-fi itself. So I get why it's a book people who generally don't like sci-fi would warm more to.
I cannot believe The Alchemist got a higher shelf than LoTR! Jack, you're insane at times!
Right 😂
I wish I could like lotr, it was hard for me to even listen to it as an audiobook :( the movies are fantastic though lol
@@frenchrulesall The heart of Lord of the Rings is perfectly encapsulated in the line from the book: "All that is gold does not glitter". After watching this video, I can tell that Jack Edwards enjoys a good Sunday afternoon read with a brilliant book with enchanting characters that won't let you put it down. There is nothing wrong with that, but LOTR books are an entirely different type of novel. First, it's built as an unbiased factual retelling of events similar to a history book . Unlike a history book, we as readers are often up close and personal with the characters, seeing their feelings and intentions, yet the unbiased factual style remains. The reading may feel slow and undramatic scene by scene, but it is only when we connect the parts to the larger quest that the depth of the novel begins to shine. A nearly hopeless quest that will determine the fate of the world in either success or failure. A quest that demands courage, companionship, hope and sacrifice from its "everyday folk", who are the heroes of the story. These virtuous themes are the hidden gold that is in every page of the book. Yet it is only when we connect these themes to the quests in our own lives that we truly arrive to the heart of LOTR. For while the brilliance of the world-building in LOTR, which it can be argued is perhaps the greatest in all of modern literature in terms of scale and detail is truly exceptional, it is in the end only a vessel for Tolkein to share his insight in the human condition and the quests that each of us are on through our lives. In that sense, the reader has compassion on the characters with the depths of compassion for oneself and the lessons taught go far beyond a Sunday reading and can be carried with the reader for the rest of their lives.
Both LOTR and Dune are at his bottom list. Let's not forget that Dune and LOTR are the foundations of modern sci fi and modern fantasy respectively.
@@kushalrijal9453 true but he also ranked Around the World in 80 Days pretty highly and jules Verne is the father of science fiction. I personally didn't care for Dune either, but I love lotr
“The Fellowship of the Ring” is mostly just set up and WorldBuilding for the next two books. “The Lord of the Rings” was intended to be read as one novel. “The Two Towers” is incredible so I would definitely give it a read when you find the time.
Both Two Towers and Return of the King were incredible IMO. The section with the Ents was so much better in the book than in the movies.
The chapter with the Ents is my favorite chapter from the three books.
I didn't know that I could have favorite chapters in books but this one just did something to me. It's a masterpiece.
@@tina9866 I'm reading everything Tolkien just before the Amazon Rings of Power disaster premiers...just to remind myself that we will always have those wonderful books.
@@carlosbranca8080 have you read the unfinished tales? I just did because of rings of power...I wanted to see more of what Tolkien said about the second age. So much interesting stuff happened, but instead amazon is going to show us how warrior galdrahil fights her Orc Chieftain brother.....why spend billions on buying writes to a property if you arent going to tell the story you are buying?
@@mike-mz6yz Yes, but years ago, that's why I am reading everything Tolkien pretty soon. And yes, a sad state of affairs right now. Creative bankruptcy and some people bound to destroy or corrupt everything we hold dear. They cannot create anything of value, and what is worst apparently they don't read either. There are dozens of fantasy, sci fi and horror books and series that are pretty diverse in every sense they want, but no, they have to ruin an established and beloved work of art and pissed off the fans, they do that on purpose.
I’m happy this was overall such a positive video, it’s always a bummer when people devalue classic books, esp those you loved. But I am surprised Tolstoy wasn’t on this list!
the mention of curley’s glove filled with vaseline literally dug up trauma that I didn’t even know was there so thanks Jack 🥲
that's a moisturized dude
@@wetsockfullofhotmeat that is traumatising 😳 I would never recover
The Book Thief continues to be my favorite book ever. It is so beautifully written and each time I read it I appreciate Death’s perspective more and more
This is on my TBR and had no idea it was from Death’s perspective. Interesting! Looking forward to reading it!
I listened to the audiobook. It had me from the first sentence (like A Gentleman in Moscow).
Here in Greece obviously we are been taught these books, the Iliad and the Odyssey but unfortunately these amazing books we have to read them in ancient greek to translate them also as homework and then analyze every sentence or paragraph. The stories then lose the charm which is a shame because these are the most famous pieces of greek literature but in school it's just "read them to get good grades" :/
Uhh, what? We're not taught Ulysses, and neither the Odyssey nor the Iliad are taught in ancient greek. There are places where pieces the original text are presented next to the translation, but we're mostly asked to write long boring essays on why Odysseus farts in line 34 of rhaspody δ.
But I do agree that it kills the interest in those two. For anyone who was forced to read a book in 7th grade and now hate it on principle, it's exactly that. The odyssey, the iliad and antigone are all dead to me for the foreseeable future.
@@kateb1761 by taught i meant what you said with the og translations and then analyze it xd but the main problem is that yes these books are detailed and not for everyone but netherless it's a part of our history and the books only wanted us to learn some parts to get good grades
I'm from the Netherlands and I had Ancient Greek (and Latin) classes for 6 years. In my final year, we read the Odyssey. My personal impression is that I enjoyed the texts we translated a lot more specifically because successfully translating a passage and thereby unlocking its contents added a lot of satisfaction that one doesn't get when reading something in translation.
Here in Italy we have to study them as well (since I did only Latin and not ancient Greek I didn't have to translate them) and we have to analyse and study every single thing, and we couldn't even discuss it much, we just had to memorize it. It makes you interested in the Greek mythology and history, but not in reading the actual books. Now that I'm
In university I decided to read them again, and damn I totally fell in love. It's a shame sometimes school really knows how to kill the passion
@@Lola-kh9cs al liceo classico mi hanno ammazzato la voglia di leggere, punto ahahahaha comunque verissimo
And now that I see you’ve given Great Expectations, Moby Dick and Tale of two cities “I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy”
I can stop watching the video. Good luck, sir.
I thought The Lord of the Rings was a really immersive read. I do admit that it is a slow burn with the first book being a large amount of setup, but the writing in it is like a warm blanket to me. I think this series does worldbuilding a whole lot better than Dune does, so I don't agree with the placement.
I'd still say that the rest of the series is worth your time.
IMO LotR has 9/10 worldbuilding (definitely 10/10 by the standards of its time, but the zeitgeist and artistic progress in time always make mediocrity out of early masterpieces; of course I say that but Mary Shelley's works seem to be timeless) but like 3/10 prose.
@@vitriolicAmaranth Completely agree
I love the lord of the rings and everything about it. It is one of my favorite books and I don't think that it's overrated, it's just not for everyone. I love the lore, I love the conversations, I love the wisdom and I do love the language.
It's very interesting because the first time I read it, I had a pocket book edition. It read very slowly and it often felt stagnant. Now I'm revisiting the books two years later and this time I have a really nice illustrated hard cover edition and it goes by very fast. So the font and all that other stuff does matter a lot regarding how fast you can read and can even make text that isn't stagnant at all feel stagnant.
What's so remarkable about Tolkiens books is how deep you can get with them because with everything he writes there comes so much lore. He has created an incredible detailed world full of history.
It's one of the greats.
You should read more, Tolkien is a mediocre writer, you'll understand. He does nothing new or original with the genre.
@@writingwofl5836 Yeah, it's not reinventing the wheel and it's almost as if it was published in the 50s.
I read plenty; to say someone needs to read more because they dare enjoy something that's mediocre in your eyes is a level of pretentious I have not witnessed in a long time.
Hey Jack, just wanted to say thank you for making these videos. I've rediscovered my love of reading in the last couple of months and your reviews have made me tbr list so long and exciting. At the beginning of the year I deleted or cut down my social media consumption and now I've read 32 books since January and I think I'm a lot happier. Recommending storygraph was amazing as well, it's made me think critically about what I'm reading and I've been a lot more intentional about choosing books that expand my worldview. Anyway, I just really appreciate your videos and thank you for all the book recs!
aww how sweet! i also have the same experience when i first discovered Jack. welcome for us, then!
Your story is the same as mine! I’ve rediscovered my love of reading (thanks to Jack) and I’m up to 22 books. Cheers, friend! Keep reading!
How do you read so many? Any tips
@@wonderwoman5528 Yes I have tips! So 1. Make sure that you are picking books you actually want to read! Reading shouldn't be a task to get through, but something to relieve some stress and substitute Netflix for. Tiktok has started people giving great book recs, and, in general, if something is popular that means a lot of people like it and you might too. I follow Jack on here and have a long list of potential books on my phone. 2. Always give a book a shot, but know when to pick a new one. My rule for myself is that when I first start a book, I read the first 40 pages in one sitting. I dont get up until I finish those first 40 pages. It's enough that I'm either invested in the story or I know I'm not interested.
3. Storygraph is a great app that jack recommended a while back. You can set goals and see what types of books you're reading. It is very helpful for me because it gives me a little dopamine rush when I finish a book and add it to my stats. It also helps me analyze what I'm reading and what I want to read more of, which is great! 4. Pick a variety of books. For black history month I read books by black authors, for womens history month I prioritized feminist lit. It kept things interesting for me and made me feel like I wasn't reading the same things over and over again. I switch up genres a lot too.
1984 to this day is the only 200+ page book I have ever read in one sitting. Outstanding.
I’ve read this book several times and I love it more each time.
I did enjoy it but the writing is so so dry
it is SO good!
Okay i know I’m late to the party but THANK YOU for your comments on Lolita. I’ve been having such a hard time defending my love for the writing while also condemning the subject matter. But it is so well executed and I agree with what you said here.
The juxtaposition of the exquisite writing with the soiled, repugnant protagonist (unreliable narrator) is what elevates the novel.
@@putonghua73 absolutely! I wish people would take the time to see that rather than just judging right away when they hear the title.
@@putonghua73are you a teacher?
@@stellamariefanboy.6768 No, I am not a teacher (except helping my Little Man with his homework)
My older sister read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings to me when I was 9. I’ve read it many times since then. I think it still has the one of the best ending of any story I’ve read. I loved watching the hobbits grow and change even though it’s also very sad. Truly bittersweet to me.
All that said, I very rarely recommend it. I completely get that it has a very slow pace, lots of characters, and the writing is not everyone’s cup of tea. I will say that how long you spend with the naive hobbits wandering around in the beginning of the story does pay off for the ending. That you feel like you really know the Shire and it’s people is important for how the ending lands. It’s just that the ending is a brick of books away from the slow start, so I totally get why that’s not appealing for a lot of people.
Truthfully I don’t know if I could read it for the first time now. But that doesn’t change my history with these books. Or my love for them.
I was able to make it through book 1 just fine, I vividly recall book 2 dragging *real* hard for me though. So yeah, if you're bored during the first book, definitely get out.
You made some fine points sir. I just wrote a comment about how garbage LOTR was :D . I guess we all have different taste and I am glad to hear that you don't recommend it to people even tho you like it
@@adamrybansky8079 I dont recommend any books to anyone. I read LOTRs almost once a year. I love the world and the writing style. Still I have no idea what you will like, books are so personal. I can give you a list of books I enjoyed and why...maybe that will make you want to pick one of them up, but just because we both like book A doesnt mean we will both like book B.
By the way if your looking for a good book, you should really read Jurassic Park its way better then the great movie!
As a lotr lover. This was hard for me to witness 😭 but I loved watching these rankings as a classic books lover.
I think we all know Tolkien's writing style isn't for everyone, you either love it or hate it
@@tatianasalazar4066 can agree. for me it's some sort of magic charm that he puts on me, but. i can understand that it can get repetitive and tiring for others
@@tatianasalazar4066 he probably is one of the most loquacious writers ever , guy was a Oxford teacher and linguistic expert it’s pretty much to beat him in the “write better than him “
Problem with Lord of the Rings is that the Fellowship's first 2-3 books are at their lowest when it comes to density. The plot really picks up later. But the themes and locations are so enchanting I can't fathom why so many people find it boring. I'd read it even if there was 0 plot, just the hobbits traversing Middle-Earth
When the movies first came out, I read The Hobbit, but couldn't make it through Fellowship. Recently I read through the trilogy, couldn't get enough and followed it up with The Silmarillion.
It was like night and day. The narritive and pathos at the climax of Return of the King versus the long, complex summary of thousands of years of events of The Silmarillion.
Yet, I'm in awe at the world building. Tolkien's true legacy is undeniable, fantasy worlds have never been the same.
I'm going to London in May and think you should do a list of best books set in London. I like reading novels set in places I go to.
I SECOND THIS!!
I've been recommended London by Edward Rutherfurd several times. It's on my TBR list.
Not a classic, but if you want crime fiction with a bit of a fantasy twist, then I recommend Rivers of London.
@@jffpviana Oh good! I actually did get that one as one of my reads.
@@randomlyrambling oh do let us know what you thought of it.
Dune and TLOTR were two favorites for me... First time here, I've loved your beautiful layout for classifying the books and your rationale for it. Great tips!
I always love seeing people rate Lolita because it is definitely one of the most beautiful books I've ever read... that is also extremely fucked up 😂 the only book I love that if anyone's ever like "I hate that book" I'm like alright girl, I get it, I ain't defending its honor or nothin
@@seraphim9333 hello emotionally intelligent internet stranger. Thank you for clarifying the way I enjoy this book
meeee i was reading it and loving how it was written and all of a sudden reminded that i was reading the thoughts of a literal pedophile. absolutely disgusting five stars
It's similar to Fight Club in that they're good stories but it depends on whether or not you relate to the main character...
I remember being so immersed in Lolita that I had a nightmare about it after I finished the book. Still loved it and would read it again.
@@berrylly what? Why would relating to the main character matter at all?
The picture of Dorian Gray totally deserved one of the top marks👏Such a well written book, I especially love what happens in the end.
Its pretty good, i've been holding it off for a long time but I am only about 60% done with the book and Let me tell you, I breeeeezed through the first 150 pages in days. I thought that it was going to be one of those books that slog until a climax (To be fair, I wasn't really used to Wilde's style and much of classic literature overall). However, the prose, descriptions of a landscape, objects, and most specifically: emotions are so beautifully written that it is hard to put it down.
I'm not so attached to the characters but the character dynamics are really interested to me. I love the typical "Id, ego, superego" trio going on in the story and I am here for it. Looking back at it now, I enjoy it even more ! Time to catch up on it again, along with the 3 other books im reading haha.
Maybe I do not have culture but man I hated this book, I stopped after reading 60% because it bored me... But hey I did like LOTR
@@Empobaer Different strokes for different folks. It is a well loved book but it isn't for everyone and it' salright if you don't find it exciting. However I can attest to the fact that you are very much cultured. LOTR is a good read but even I have not finished it yet due to the same reason you had with Dorian Gray.
I am just about to read it, seeing as I’ve wanted to read it for some time and I’ve just got back from Dublin.
@@griizzlerhops633 hi,i have a question if you don't mind: english is not my first language and I really want to read the picture of dorian gray but I'm afraid that it's going to be difficult for me
SHOCKED by your rating of Dune. I was absolutely floored when I read that book. I loved it so much
Dune is the second greatest waste of trees. The biggest waste is MEIN KAMPF.
@@HomoErectusSum its the best selling sci fi book of all time and redefined the genre, thats rather harsh
This.
I mean, just the fact that the story takes place almost 10 freaking millenia after the invention of AI (thinking machines, our actual current sci-fi), is an intelectual prowess in itself.
Our hypothetic future is their antiquity.
Now that is the sort of story I want to read.
@@guillaumeraux Do you know Warhammer 40k? :)
@@alenkraunmempan4786 Yes, it’s pretty cool, why?
What makes Dune especially impressive compared to any other story of the sort is that it was published in 1965.
There were many great Dystopia/Sci-Fi (1984, Brave New World, War of Worlds, Jules Vernes, etc) or Epic Fantasy stories (LoTR, Narnia) prior.
But Dune was very innovative and ahead of its time in the genre, and probably inspired most Sci-Fi sagas to some extent (Star Wars included) that came afterwards.
That’s what makes it special in my own subjective opinion.
~Top tier Rankings~
2:55 Emma - Jane Austen
6:20 Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
6:46 The bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
6:57 To the light house - Virginia Wolf
7:35 In cold blood - Truman Capote
9:35 Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys
11:06 The great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
11:10 Animal Farm and 1984 - George Orwell
11:10 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Jack: "Treasure Island: A masterclass in making an adventure really dull."
Me: *clutching to my heart the book I've loved since I was ten, that blew my mind away, that I reread almost every year*: excUSE me!?!
I feel the same way. Also his rating for LoTR? Actually not surprised by his low rating but still crushed. That book is one of my faves. 💔
It is a children’s book so don’t feel bad. Judging it as an adult is rather unfair.
Man broke my heart in that moment.
@@peenweinerstein9968 My class read it in elementary school (I think 5th grade?). Almost everyone was disappointed. We thought it would be exciting going in, but most of us had pretty much the same opinion as Jack that a lot of it was actually a slog. I definitely didn't love it as a kid.
Exactly!!! Thank youu
My English lit teacher actually explained to my class that Curly's wife was misunderstood and that the male characters in the book just had a negative perception of her because she was lonely and wanted companionship.
I think the way a person understands curlys wife says a lot about that person. specifically how they think about perspection, historical gender dynamics, gender stereotypes, marriage, and female sexuality.
I don't think many people in my class had gotten that, so I'm glad to see someone else say it
bro my english teacher said she's an attention-seeking bitch 😭
you put "emma" in the 6 out of 5 stars category, so i'm gonna just agree with everything else you say because YES BITCH give "emma" the love it fucking deserves
okay and now you put oscar wilde and sylvia plath in there too? girl, i literally clapped
so you are emma, and you want some love?
SO TRUE
- A girl partially named after Emma from the novel
Right?? I can’t believe Emma isn’t talked about like P&P is, because seriously, I think it’s really Austen’s best. I fucking love Emma.
You talk like an adolescent who discovered TikTok 2 weeks ago @@pureheartbadass
I can’t tell you how amazing dune is enough. Finish it please.
I was surprised that Slaughterhouse 5, The Master and Margarita and Metamorphosis weren't included in this! Those are definitely some of my favorite classics.
Reading about a man turn into a bug and his family baring the burden was scarring in its own right
@@bleachdrinker69 genuinely. I remember reading it in school and being engrossed but in a disgusted way
@@sophias9686 Honestly I read some Kafka for fun (and, obvs, to sound smart), and some of his stuff just makes you sit back, look to the sky, and question if God has given up.
I think he must have forgotten about some of the books he's read, understandable though since he's read so many :D
Dostoyevsky on there but no Tolstoi is slightly bizarre.
Me being 5 books deep into Dune and loving every freaking page of it : 👀
Just got done with the first and absolutely love it.
Also finished LOTR and thought that was an amazing read. Just goes to show how subjective people's opinions can be I guess...
Wuthering Heights blew my mind and made me feel things I've never felt before, such a raw book. I would've put it at the top
Yeah but it was still based on that one Kate Bush song. Pretty derivative tbh.
Agreed
Same. It’s a 6/5 for me!
YES
so so true!
"Crime and Punishment" is pure bliss. Easily the best book I've ever read, although "The Great Gatsby" comes very close.
P.S. I also think "Sapiens" is definitely an honorable mention. Maybe not a classic, not yet at least, but man, it was incredible.
The Lord of the Rings ranking almost made me cry😭 It's my favorite book of all time, but I do understand it's not for everyone. I agree with all the other rankings (Pride and Prejudice deserved better tho).
You summed up my thoughts exactly
Same, Lord of the rings is literally my comfort read 😭
putting Emma above Pride and Prejudice and not rating LOTR 6out of 5 made me lose all respect for his literary opinion
@@kat91 Pride and Prejudice cannot compete with Emma. Soz :/
It upsets me when people say liking The Catcher in the Rye is a red flag. It's one of my favorite books because of how it describes earlier-20th century NYC and because I feel like J.D. Salinger would have truly understood my pain (especially while I was in college).
You may already know this, but the book unfairly got it's red flag status after a number of murderers (such as John Lennon's) cited this book as their inspiration.
I like the book myself, so it's unfortunate
@@kookiekommenter Yeah, I know. It sucks.
@@sadem1045 Personally, I think that book got me nowhere. But I haven't done any analysis on it. Just felt like a waste of my time. He was going from one place doing nothing to another doing nothing
I was not aware of other red flags. I just took it as being of special interest to self-absorbed jilted-lover types who like to cast themselves as loners. So when someone enjoys a work like that, you wonder a little. Then again, for the life of me I can't understand how any person with any taste whatsoever could possibly find "Dumb and Dumber" comedic genius. I don't ask for much regarding taste. I just think that flick was always objectively cringe-worthy.
But the "Catcher" opinion was kind of the cherry on top for some of us when it came to revealing the sort of person we had putting this vid together, along with preferring to stay at home instead of checking out space, and counting off for period-appropriate language he just didn't like muddling through.
I'm not sure there was much of anything in this vid that helped anyone decide whether to read any of these books, but it seemed to be VERY telling regarding the person doing the reviewing.
@@cobbler88 Professional yapper over here 💀
the fact that I automatically read all the tiers with jack's voice
I am so glad that Dracula and Frankenstein received yet another good review. I am reading Dracula right now for the first time and I am so excited about it! I recently read A Christmas Carol and really enjoyed it. I recently bought Great Expectations...so we will see if I agree with your ranking of it! LOL I do know he is famous for his run-on scentences. LOL
It’s funny how everyone’s taste are so different. I agreed with about half of your rankings. It’s fun to see other people ranks classics. Great video
Agreed! So many different tastes with so many wonderful perspectives, love it! 🙌🔥
I see Charlotte as Wilbur’s hype “man”. It wasn’t about her getting credit but rather saving her friend’s life. She did what she could to help him.
I think I'm secure enough in my love of Tolkien not to mind that much. Also, I have to admit the series is nearly impossible to read straight through lol
I feel the same way about Dune being launched from the cannon 😢 I'm not mad, I put the book down halfway through and didn't pick it up again for months. But I love the series up until it gets insane. Incidentally I felt the same way about LotR as he did, though 😆
It's good to be secure in what you love and not have to get angry and defensive just because someone disagrees.
I couldn’t put lotr down tbh. I almost failed a high school class bc I just went home and read for hours rather than doing homework
same. I even read it during my classes unless my teachers stopped me@@specialknees6798
It’s not really a series - it’s one novel that the publisher insisted on splitting.
I’ll never forget in 5th grade my dad got my the newly released 3in1 version of Lotr since I “liked fantasy” (Percy Jackson) and he’d seen the movies. love my dad but that book genuinely took me a year to read and a dictionary to understand. Still one of my happiest memories with him though.