Oh, what a perfect treat for this cold, rainy Sunday! Tristan, I recently discovered your channel and have been LOVING watching all of your videos! I'm a lifelong book lover who has often felt self-conscious about not being "well-read" enough. You have reminded me of the pure joy of reading and have inspired me to dive into books that might have intimidated me in the past. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm, what a gift to all of us!🧡
Thank you for your channel, Tristan! I find as I’m getting older I more often look for more thoughtful literature to ponder the meaning of being. Your channel is a treasure trove to remind me of great books I forgot about and to discover new classics I either missed completely or had no idea what they were about. So many great recommendations!
The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men were standard high school readings in the United States, at least through the 1980s. As a teen back then, I did not appreciate that we were exposed to the classics. Thank you for the reminder!
They were still standard reading in the 00s. I read both in high school. In fact I was required reading many wonderful classics and I was lucky to have a wonderful English teacher.
We had to read Tale of Two Cities. I didn't understand it back then. As a teenager on my own initiative I read Gone With the Wind, twice, and The Good Earth. Before they were made into movies.
I totally agree re Wuthering Heights. It’s my favourite novel 😊It’s very raw. Charlotte Brontë made an apology for her sister concerning the writing of this book and the character of Heathcliff. A very exciting piece of literature x
Wonderful! I just finished David Copperfield. I definitely fell into that book. On to Hard Times as a reread. You, sir, are an excellent professor of literature. Thank you.
Another source of classics advice is Washington Post columnist Michael Dirda. I'm reading his "Classics for Pleasure" book, which dives into great books ranging from ancient (Cicero, Lao-tzu) to contemporary (Edward Gorey, Agatha Christie). There are lots of great reading out there. Also, since Jane Austen is recommended here, I'll pump for the annotated editions published by Anchor. We're embarking next year on the Jane Austen movie project, so we bought the complete set, and I loved reading Sense and Sensibility with the commentary.
I read several of Steinbeck in high school but since I am in my 50's I did not remember much. I have recently re-read his shorter work and read for the first time, East of Eden. He is now one of my top authors and I want to read all of his work.
You started talking about "Alone in Berlin" and I had never heard of the writer. But then you started describing the story, and I realised that I have seen the film based on this book already. Looking it up, I found that it was based on the true story of a real couple - the wikipedia article about it is fascinating.
22:16 “Of Mice and Men” has always stuck in my head. My Dad used to read to my sister and I right before bed from the time we were little until we were in our early teens… it was his special time with us after work. Along with “Animal Farm” and “The Pearl”, he read us “Of Mice and Men”. I’ve always thought that “Of Mice and Men” was a bold choice, considering that my sister has developmental delays. It’s one of those books that stick with you once you’ve read it (or, in my case, have had it read to you). I should probably read it for myself, but it hurts my heart to think of doing so. If you know, you know. Great story.
Steinbeck is a great author and I’ve read a number and used a few for book clubs eg Cannery Row, it’s follow up and East of Eden but I’ve avoided that one because a few people felt it too much a downer (if I’m remembering correctly)
I've read six out of your list of ten, spread out over sixty years of being an enthusiastic reader. It's great that you mentioned Mansfield Park. Janeites tend to dislike Fanny Price, but I always adored her. I can't agree with you about Wuthering Heights, though. I inherited a boxed set of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. I read Heights once and NEVER want to return to it. But I go back to Jane Eyre every few years. Oh, and I think that the least Dickensian novel in his work is A Christmas Carol. My favorite is Great Expectations. Thanks for the recommendations. I will give them a try, now that I'm retired and can read more than ever.
Your enthusiasm is so inspiring! 2024 has been the year of the classics for me thanks largely to your channel. I keep a journal as per your suggestion and have read 15 works so far. Thanks for another great video.
Finally I found a person who loves and appreciates Fanny Price as much as I do! Almost every list ranking Austen’s novels puts Mansfield Park on the bottom but to me it has the best heroine of all.
I've been reading classics for decades and enjoy them because of the exploration of the human condition. Was introduced to Thomas Hardy in high school (I'm 77) and keep discovering new authors, etc. On my TBR is The Painted Veil. Thank you for your delightful insights.
These are wonderful books! Alone in Berlin is a book worth everyone’s time. Of all the books mentioned this one has stayed with me the most. A close second would be The Painted Veil.
I’m half way through The Woman in White from your suggestion in another video, and I’m loving it! I’ve read Of Mice and Men and I enjoy Steinbeck’s writing. Thank you for all you put into your videos, they are just outstanding!!❤
Some great recommendations in your video. I read Perfume nearly 30 years ago and it has stayed with me ever since - it’s extraordinary. I’ve put off reading Dickens, apart from A Christmas Carol, so I need to bite the bullet and just do it! Love your channel!
I've read all of these apart from The Painted Veil and Mansfield Park. I'll be getting them as soon as possible to add to the already massive to be read pile.
As usual, another awesome video from Tristan! 😊 I'd also love to see a future video about where to start with "less serious classics" or more light hearted classics or something along those lines! Mostly I just love hearing Tristan's thoughts and opinions about books! 😊
I used to wonder how I would react or act about certain past events, but events, big and small, are happening around us every day and how I feel and what I do now shows me my answers to my wondering.
An intriguing list, and my own favorites are Wuthering Heights, Of Mice and Men, The Mayor of Casterbridge, and A Tale of Two Cities. Almost half of your list! The others are books I haven't read, with the exception of The Great Gatsby, but they are mostly on my TBR and I hope to get to them some day. It is interesting to think about how an inexperienced reader might approach getting into the Capital C Classics, I suppose everyone is different in this regard. Here are a few alternatives to the other entries of your list, but which might serve the same purpose or brush on the same themes. In any event, they came to mind as I listened to your video. Starting with Gatsby, not a bad selection but not one of my favorites. I recommend Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, another Jazz Age classic and a perfect entree into Hemingway's fiction, which everyone who has an interest in literature must eventually read. Alone in Berlin sounds interesting, an alternative might be Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler, which I read ages ago, or perhaps The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. The Painted Veil makes me think of The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. I highly recommend Greene's work for people just beginning to read the classics, and while some may not hold Greene at the same lofty level of some of the other authors on this list, I disagree! Try him, you'll like him. I read Maugham's Of Human Bondage and frankly it did not inspire me to read more, but I do think The Painted Veil is worth checking out. Perfume is a book that I have wanted to read for some time and the movie also seems worth viewing. I recommend The Collector by John Fowles as an alternative that also touches on the topic of the dark side of obsession. Nabokov's Lolita is also worth mentioning in this regard. Goodbye to All That is a book I imagine I would enjoy, I recently re-read All Quiet on the Western Front and was blown away (no pun intended). An alternative might be Siegfried Sassoon's trilogy, of which I have only read the middle volume, Memoirs of an Infantry Officer. Finally, as for Jane Austen, Mansfield Park is a bit down on my list as I have only read Pride and Prejudice, and Persuasion, but I certainly want to go further into her works. Another alternative is The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, a fascinating treatment of class society and superficiality in Old New York.
Have just found your channel l am now elderly and have always loved to read. I reread wuthering heights the great catsby and The age of innocence every year.
Really enjoying your discussions of classic literature, I've read around half of the books mentioned here and and of the others, 'The Painted Veil' and 'Perfume' have been on my TR list forever, you've inspired me to get on them. 🙂 Thanks also for introducing 'Alone in Berlin', I hadn't even heard of this book Love that you included 'Mansfield Park' - I know Fanny Price is a character not everyone understands or likes, but to me she is possibly the most admirable of Austen's heroines. Over the course of a long life I've come to feel that 'morals' are standards that people try to impose on others in an attempt to control them, whilst often spectacularly failing in the job of controlling themselves; whereas principles are standards that you set for yourself, regardless of circumstance or the influence of others. I feel Fanny Price is principled, rather than 'moral', and like many principled people who believe in conducting themselves with authenticity and integrity, she is overlooked, diminished, misunderstood, criticised and judged by the many around her who have no principles themselves. Her light shows them their own darkness, and they blame her for that. The contrast between her natural deep faith and conscience, and the religious hypocrisy of other characters, is one of the striking features of this story, and it's only when this is finally and clearly understood by the person she loves that she is vindicated in her choices. It's a wonderful, wise and undervalued book, I think. I've been re-reading 'Wuthering Heights' since I was a child, and each time I come back to it the sheer spiritual force of it shocks me all over again. I still think it's one of the most shocking books I've ever read, lord alone knows how it must have hit people at the time. No wonder the violence of some of the reactions. There is a natural spiritual understanding in it that seems to have simply welled from the soul of the author herself, straight onto the page. How else could she write about the working out of spiritual (karmic) justice through generational patterns with such conviction and authority? There's a line from a song I love, that feels like the essence of this book: 'Primal truth is pure as ice'. It's not for the faint-hearted.
Love The Mayor of Casterbridge, I mean who hasn't thought about selling their wife, because you think you will be better off 😁Hardy's exploration of the wheel of fortune and the various characters rising and falling fortunes and how decisions and actions affect your own and others is splendid
As interesting as always :-) Loved the openings of Alone in Berlin and the Painted Veil so happily snapped up two very nice copies from a second hand bookstore. Alone in Berlin fits nicely into my current reading list of books that seem to inform our current times - unfortunately. I read Ashenden after one of your earlier recommendations and loved it - got strong Len Deighton vibes from both the settings and the characters. Bernard from Berlin (hello) pulling a gun and waving it around in a threatening manner because he wants more funds but only receiving the sardonic "Are you planning to porn that?" from Ashenden is pure Palmer. BTW the roaring twenties was correct :-) The roaring forties refers to the strong westerlies you encounter when sailing a fever ridden convict ship to Australia, which anyone who's had the pleasure of reading O'Brian's Desolation Island would recognise :-)
I know this is totally off topic but I was just reminded of an old teacher of mine who suggested that in Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff and Kathy were actually half-siblings and Heathcliff was the illegitimate child of the father and that when Heathcliff's mother died, the father had to bring him to live with his "main" family and concoct a story about finding him on the streets. I've never heard this mentioned anywhere else and just wondered if anyone has and if it is an actual known/discussed theory or not?
Great vlog. A delight. I have only read The Great Gatsby and A Tale of Two Cities and loved them. I don’t like Dickens’s style much but studied history which may explain why I liked his A Tale of Two Cities. I once found a damaged (O level syllabus) copy of Goodbye to All That knocking around at school and should have read it then but will try to now. (I did however read and love at that time Graves’s Claudius books and his poems later at university). Loved Pride and Prejudice so will try and give Mansfield Park a whirl (my wife’s favourite). I generally find nineteenth century literature hard work and have given it a wide berth but may try Wuthering Heights,
I'm in a bit of a classics slump as of late, although I do still enjoy hearing people talk about them. I'm hoping over the winter my attention span becomes better able to soak in some classics again. I'm glad you included The Painted Veil. It is one of my all time favorite books.
I just discovered your channel and am enjoying your content. One thing that I would really like to see is a list of books with time stamps in the description so we could skip to or go back to specific books of interest. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Recently discovered your channel and loved the accessible deep dive into classic literature here. I would include 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley and 'A Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde as well for books that make us reflect on life, self image, ambition, identity, the nature of good vs evil etc.
Great list, and as usual I'm getting anxiety because I don't have enough time to get through all the books you mention, haha! From the list, I must say that I absolutely, ABSOLUTELY love 'A Tale of Two Cities'. I read it last year, not expecting to enjoy it much because for me Dickens = Victorian London, and the fact that it's set in the French Revolution slightly put me off. But it was so gripping, so moving, so terrifying at times... I can only recommend anyone hesitant to pick it up, and thank me (and Tristan) later.
Amazing list and another amazing video! I have read several of these but am intrigued with Perfume. I’ve been wanting to reread Wuthering Heights for awhile so maybe that will be my winter read this year.
Thanks Tristan for some more books for me to explore. I have already read Perfume, just by chance I saw it in the bookshop and thought it sounded bizarre. It was and I loved it. 😘
Steinbeck’s East of Eden. I initially was interested in reading it after seeing Jane Seymour play Catherine Trask in some old TV miniseries. She was so perfectly evil and I wanted to know more about her character. Such a great story, and turned me on to other classics. I also love classic ghost stories, esp those written in the Victorian era. The Turn of the Screw is a great one.
@ I did see that film, and loved it, but the miniseries spent more time on Catherine/Kate, and her being my favorite character made that one just a little more interesting to me…though nothing compares to the novel.
When you said Perfume was a bit grim in places...that's one way to put it!! I have seen the film of it, I'd really like to read the book too!! This was a perfect autumn afternoon on a Sunday video!! Just what I needed!!
Thank you for this eye-opening look at some of the serious classics. Hardy is one of my all-time favorites, and now I can delve into some of these other unknown-to-me authors. You should consider doing voice-overs for audio books. I could listen to you read all day. As a fairly new subscriber, I want to thank you for recommending The Lady in White in one of your previous videos. Just finished it and loved it!
I’ve read 3 of these classics. My favorite out of those 3 is “The Painted Veil.” That stayed with me for quite awhile. I just finished “A Tail of Two Cities.” This was more of a struggle to get through - lots of words to look up and getting use to his sentence structure and the speaking of the times, but overall It was an enjoyable read. I also read “Goodbye to All That.” I found it very cerebral and had a hard time getting into it, but it did impact me on a subtle level.
Thank you for this video! Of the 10 books you listed that I haven't read, "Alone in Berlin" is the most intriguing to me. I just finished "Of Human Bondage" by Somerset Maugham, a great book on the choices we make in life and their consequences. I'm off to start "Bleak House"!
I love what you say about "the modern, canting way" (as contrasted with the expression of social injustices in "Of Mice and Men"). Such an important distinction and so plainly indicative of today's cultural myopia. For that and many other reasons, "Of Mice and Men" is one of the greatest works ever written. I'm so glad it made your list. Eager to read others you have mentioned and introduced so beautifully, thank you.
I simply love your selection, and own several copies of your choice. I will certainly read them all. I am intrigued about Perfume by Suskind and will order it today.
After hearing your previous review of "Alone in Berlin," I bought the book. It was truly amazing. I appreciate your recommendations of books I would not normally consider reading.
I've read several of these, and want to read most of the others. Right now I'm most excited for The Great Gatsby. A book I've never wanted to read. I've tried watching the film adaptation with DiCaprio. But I will receive a beautiful edition in the post in December, freshly translated into nynorsk for the first time (the lesser used form of writing Norwegian. It's been translated into Norwegian before, but not into nynorsk). I'm going to read it then. Oh, The Painted Veil. One of my favourite reads of this year.
I love your video's Tristan. So motivating to keep on reading. I just (finally) finished Pride and Prejudice. Next one will be one of the books of this video.
At your recommendation I just finished reading The Mayor of Casterbridge. It kept me up way past my bedtime a couple of nights. I needed to know what happened next. Next up is The Painted Veil. I read a ton but have avoided a lot of the classics figuring they wouldn’t keep me interested but then I feel guilty that I don’t read them. Thanks for guiding me back.
Wuthering Heights has been one of my favorite books since I first read it, aged 14 or so. She could never have surpassed it, no matter how long she lived. It’s a novel whose characters don’t try to charm you or beg you to sympathize with their problems, as sentimental characters in novels tend to do. Cathy and Heathcliff don’t give a damn what you think. They only care about each other. He doesn’t care a rap about his son. She died so we don’t find out if she cares a rap about her daughter. Just as well; it might kill what slight sympathy we have for her. My other favorite character is Isabella, after she grows up. H tries to kill her and god knows what happens in their bridal chamber; anyway it knocks the silliness out of her.
I’m a lifelong reader who majored in Literature but I’ve never been able to make it through Withering Heights. I trie yet again in the past year and I still simply cannot stand spending that much time with those dismal people. I have however read and appreciated most of the other books on your list. I’m in a book club that does at least one “serious” classic a year and I’m thinking of suggesting one of these for next year.
Another great video Tristan! Here in the US “Alone in Berlin” is published with the title “Everyman Dies Alone”. I have my copy and can’t wait to start it.
Not that anyone cares or, indeed, should care, but just to get it out of my system, here are my thoughts on the list. By all means feel free to skip it. I'm typing it more for my own contemplation than for anyone else's. 1. The Mayor of Casterbridge - I haven't gotten to this one yet but I love Thomas Hardy so I have no doubt that it's great and I definitely will read it eventually. 2. Alone in Berlin - Haven't read it but it sounds great. I most likely will read it at some point. 3. The Great Gatsby - I've read this one something like four times (a couple times for school, a couple times for book clubs, if I remember correctly) and, while I personally find all* of Fitzgerald's work stifling and depressing, there is no doubt that it is objectively a great book. I highly recommend it if you haven't read it. (*Disclaimer: I've only read The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby, and Tender Is the Night, but that's enough of a pattern for me.) 4. The Painted Veil - Haven't read it but it sounds like something I'd enjoy. I haven't yet read any Maugham but I hope to get to it. So many good books, so little time. 5. Of Mice and Men - Absolutely wonderful. I'm a huge Steinbeck fan and this is a deeply moving story. You'll think about it for a long time. 6. Perfume - Saw the movie and it scared me off the book, plus now even Tristan says it has disturbing parts, so this one might not be for me. I doubt I'll read it, but I'm sure it's great for the right reader. 7. A Tale of Two Cities - In my youth I read The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, The Cricket on the Hearth, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations, and for the most part they just... didn't do it for me. I liked the novellas pretty well and tried hard with the novels but couldn't get into them. So that put me off Dickens for a long time and I haven't read any more, but Tristan has me just about convinced to try him again. He says this is one of the least typically Dickensian, so maybe this is my re-entry point. Time will tell. 8. Goodbye to All That - I haven't read it. I'm not generally a big fan of autobiographies, or of stories that focus on war, but there are exceptions to both of those points and I do trust Tristan's taste, so we'll see what the future brings. 9. Mansfield Park - This isn't my top Austen novel, but it's pretty good. I mean, is there any such thing as a BAD Austen novel? I think not. 10. Wuthering Heights - Another one that's objectively a truly great book, but isn't at all to my taste. Way too twisted for me, but I do think everyone who's into classic literature should read it at least once. Plenty of people love it; you might too!
Excellent video, Tristan, as usual. I would say that there are four moden classics that you can add to this list,which are very accessible. They are: Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee , Wild Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, A Month in the Country by JL Carr, and The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley.
Hello Tristan, thank you very much for this list. I should finally prioritise "Of Mice and Men", I have been putting of reading this short book for some reason. Also you made me consider re-reading a couple of books in that list. :)
A Tale of Two Cities - I loved the opening. I loved the closing. For the life if me I could not follow anything in between! But I do want to try again someday.
TH-cam‘s algorithm brought you a new subscriber from Germany. You‘ve chosen great books, even two German ones. Hans Fallada isn‘t as popular in Germany as Süskind. He had a difficult life. I read most of his books many years ago. From the authors you recommended I love Dickens the most, closely followed by Emily Brontë. I will visit your older videos and look forward to your recommendations.
Love your channel! I am currently reading Anna Karenina and i think that it is going to be by favourite book of all times. Could you recommend another like this?
I am a Thomas Hardy Girl and have read The Mayor of Casterbridge but didn't really understand it so will definitely read again. I am reading Tess of The D'Urbervilles at the moment and loving it. I am sorry but me and Charles Dickens don't get on and Bleak House finished me off.
I've read 7 of the 10 books on your list, and seen their adaptations to the screen as well (movie or TV); Edith Wharton and/or Henry James could be included in an expanded list. For Mansfield Park, the character Maria may have been pronounced Mariah (in context). For example, colonial British names like St. John was pronounced Sin Jin. British English is not necessarily straightforward (with pronunciation). My favorite Thomas Hardy novel is Tess of the d'Urbervilles, my favorite Steinbeck novel is East of Eden, my favorite Dickens novel is Our Mutual Friend. Maugham's short stories are wonderful as well.
Thanks for another excellent video. You discussed two of my favorites . I was introduced to A Tale of Two Cities when I was taking part in a summer reading program. I think I was about 12 years old. I have reread it several times since. It was my first Dickens read and how right you are when you say it is the least Dickensian novel. I have often thought this to be so. Wuthering Heights is my favorite book of time and I reread it once a year. I have read just about all of the Bronte sisters works and have enjoyed them all but based upon Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte is my favorite sister. How I wish she had lived longer and like you I just wonder what other marvelous novels she could have given us. I also enjoy reading her poetry. 55:12 😮
There are 3 modern versions of Gatsby on video: DiCaprio 2013, Redford 1974, Toby Stephens 2000. The 2000 version isn't a movie and has lower production values but resonates the true culture of the '20s and is faithful to the book. The DiCaprio version features devil may care cars spreeing wildly along the highways and an almost hip hop gyrating dancing. The feel and tone is not that of a hundred years ago. Stephens 2000 is free with Amazon Prime.
As much as I love Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park is probably my favorite from Jane Austen. I just adore Fanny Price; in some ways she reminds me of Jane Eyre. 🤷🏼♀️ Wuthering Heights *is* hard to put into words! There's not a likeable character in the bunch and yet, it's the kind of book that you have a hard time putting down and will still think about 6 months after you've read it! 📚 Thanks for sharing!
"I just adore Fanny Price; in some ways she reminds me of Jane Eyre." I have not read Mansfield Park, but listening to his description, I had that same sense. And I adore Jane Eyre. I read it for the first time just a few years ago and fell forever in love with it. I thought it was some sappy romance. That's why I avoided it my whole life. But it was not that at all! I have not yet read any Austen. Again, because I am allergic to "romance" stories. I'm alone, so I can't relate to any of that stuff. If MP has any depth like JE, I might have to give it a try.
@@Yesica1993 I SO get what you’re saying! I am also “allergic” to romance and read Jane Eyre for the first time in 2019 (I had only read Pride and Prejudice in 2018, for the first time). I, too, fell in love with Jane Eyre; even though she had an awful childhood, she knows who she is and has such strong convictions. I mean, what’s not to love?! I always assumed Jane Austen was straight-up romance, and avoided it at all costs. But her stories are so much more than that! I mean, is there a love story element? Yes, but the writing is wonderful and the characters, even the “bad ones”, are so good! I hope you decide to give Mansfield Park a try! 📚
@@Lu.G. Ha ha, we must be brain twins. I have been looking for an Austen book to read because I know I am missing out. This may be the one. Thanks! Right now I am toying with reading Wuthering Heights. I read the first chapter last night. It was in one of those Kindle classics bundles that they have for cheap. I just finished watching the 1939 movie adaptation as well. YEGADS, what horrible people they all were! If I do end up continuing to read, it will be a "hate read" for sure, LOL! We'll see how it goes.
@@Lu.G. Addendum: I just learned the 1939 Wuthering Heights adaptation only covers the first half of the novel. YEGADS, THERE'S MORE?! I'm not sure I can get through this book, LOL! But I did read the first chapter. Let's see how far I can get! The fact that it's on my Kindle will stop me from throwing it down in a rage like I probably would with a physical book. One chapter and half a movie adaptation and I already hate all these people with a passion!
@@Yesica1993 Too funny....we *are* brain twins! 😆 Oh my gosh, yes - Wuthering Heights was kind of a "hate read" for me, but I thought about that book for months after I read it! Talk about toxic people - wow! Definitely worth the read, though...IMO! 🤓
I’ve read six of these. I am not sure that I would call the others classics, but that’s a quibble, and you have piqued my interest in Goodbye to all That. As an aside, have you read Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried? I think you would like. A few random comments: Sidney Carton’s nobility is a product of his depression (maybe the best description of depression before Infinite Jest), and thus his sacrifice is also a wish-fulfillment - the best of times and the worst of times. Great Gatsby, I think, is a much trickier book than most people give it credit for. It appears to be a first person observer narrative, but at bottom I think it’s at least as much Nick’s story as it is Gatsby’s. It’s one of the few older books where I think the proponents of queer literature have it right. Finally, the last time I read Of Mice and Men, I was struck with how the text itself is basically all third act in a three act narrative structure. Much like the Greek tragedies. And thus, it may be an even better example than Casterbridge of character equaling fate. (Also, I think this observation also helps explain why the novel reads almost entirely like a play, with the only descriptions being at the scene settings in the beginnings of each chapter. Fun video, I enjoyed it, even though I’m uncomfortable with the distinction between “serious” classics and other classics.
I read " Of Mice and Men" in 1990. Wrote an essay on the story. My high school English teacher at the time never gave a perfect grade. It was frustrating because I made a 99 and she refused to explain why she marked it down by one point. Anyhow, I remember being profoundly moved by the story. May revisit it at some point.
The only one I've read recently is Mansfield Park and I found it absorbing actually - long time ago I read Wuthering Heights, too young to appreciate it but only picked it up because of Kate Bush... I'm also familiar with the Painted Veil and A Tale of Two Cities (I too love Dickens - since childhood) - of the others I think I'm drawn most to trying The Mayor of Casterbridge - I'm a Wessex woman and have been meaning to read Hardy for years. Thank you Tristan, my classics knowledge is being broadened and I enjoy the Patreon meet ups... even if I'm tired. See you next month.
I would love a book where the "literature snobs" of each country create two lists, one of the best books or authors of their country and one of the most important works for their country. (The second not limited to their own works.) An entire book with possibly thousands of excellent recommendations.
Fantastic list. I love to see what classics people really connect with. I agree with several of your choices. I wrote my own review about The Painted Veil, earlier this year. I believe it was cholera epidemic. My link is below. Like you said, any Hardy novel would be a great choice except for Jude, the Obscure. My personal favorite is Tess of the D'Urbervilles, but Mayor is more amusing. I'm currently reading Colette and I'd say her writing is also about the the human condition, especially the female human condition. I would choose Jane Eyre amongst the Bronte novels. While the scenes and drama in Wuthering Heights are good, I don't feel its ambiguity is an asset. I found the story becomes murky. Her character names are downright vexing which I don't think is kind to readers. But Jane Eyre has it all but simplified and more succinct and without as much cruelty. The best classic for the human condition is Les Miserables but definitely not a good suggestion for someone just starting out. For that new-to-classics reader, try Vanity Fair. Its a romp, funny, believable, touching, and all the while your thinking, I know so-and-so who's just like that character! Edith Wharton needs a spot on the list, probably Age of Innocence, as does George Eliot, Mill on the Floss. Mrs Dalloway (V Woolf-also not the best choice for a first exploration), For American classics, we need a Hemingway, A Fairwell to Arms? and Salinger, Catcher in the Rye, and Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's. What about Madame Bovary? So many. marjorieapple.substack.com/p/book-review-the-painted-veil?r=18i1u9
I so like this list. I read Razor's Edge and Of Human Bondage, but The Painted Veil was my favorite Somerset Maugham. What does it take for one to earn redemption? And Wuthering Heights is my favorite Bronte novel. It's about all-consuming Passion... and a very Disturbed mind. There isn't a Dickens that I don't like. Madam Defarge -great character.
Just wondering, because I can’t see anywhere on Patreon to contact Tristan, if the Zoom discussions on Patreon are recorded and if members have full access to them?
For those who wish to add the More Serious Classics to their shopping trolley: 1. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy. 2. Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada. 3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. 4. The Painted Veil by William Somerset Maugham. 5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. 6. Perfume by Patrick Süskind. 7. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. 8. Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves. 9. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. 10. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Good day.
I’ve just found you and subbed. I agree with your choice of book reading, a great selection. Can I throw into the mix my favourite book, an essay in autobiography, “Over the Bridge” by Richard Church. I will check out your back videos with interest.
Can you help me with Wuthering Heights? I started once but couldn't understand the dialog. I don't know what the accent is supposed to sound like. Can you give me an example of what the West Country accent sounds like? Is there an actor or movie character who sounds like that? I need a model to work off of. Thanks, regards, etc
Hi! A bit of a random question, but I know you love Thomas Hardy so I thought I'd ask anyway. Do you think comparing "fate and pessimism" in "The Mayor of Casterbridge" and "Tess" would be a feasible comparison for an academic essay around 2,500 words? I love both these books and would love to delve into them even more!
I don't see Amy reason why that wouldn't be a good topic to treat, though I am not an academic. If you are writing at university I would recommend speaking with your professor of your ideas.😀❤️
@@tristanandtheclassics6538Ok, thank you. I think there is enough to compare, especially when analysing to what extent Tess and Henchard are responsible for their fates. Out of interest, are you sympathetic with Henchard yourself? Or do you see him as an aggressive, impulsive individual who is deserving of his fate. I'm currently finding a lot of division on this debate, although I am a bit of a sympathiser myself!
It's a dark, cold, rainy Sunday morning in October, and this is just perfect with a cup of hot coffee! Thank you!
Don't you just love mornings like that?
Oh, what a perfect treat for this cold, rainy Sunday! Tristan, I recently discovered your channel and have been LOVING watching all of your videos! I'm a lifelong book lover who has often felt self-conscious about not being "well-read" enough. You have reminded me of the pure joy of reading and have inspired me to dive into books that might have intimidated me in the past. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm, what a gift to all of us!🧡
Brilliant work! Thank you for your enthusiasm & skill. You are a jewel of TH-cam
Thank you for your channel, Tristan! I find as I’m getting older I more often look for more thoughtful literature to ponder the meaning of being. Your channel is a treasure trove to remind me of great books I forgot about and to discover new classics I either missed completely or had no idea what they were about. So many great recommendations!
This guy is really well spoken. Well done sir.
What a Sunday morning treat!
Aw that's so kind of you. It should have been sooner but the upload failed yesterday. Better late than never, I suppose.😊❤️
The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men were standard high school readings in the United States, at least through the 1980s. As a teen back then, I did not appreciate that we were exposed to the classics. Thank you for the reminder!
They were still standard reading in the 00s. I read both in high school. In fact I was required reading many wonderful classics and I was lucky to have a wonderful English teacher.
Hope the book Great Gatsby was better than the movie. One of the worst movies I have ever seen!
@@manfrommeeteetse3880 I didn’t enjoy the book enough to want to see the movie!
@@manfrommeeteetse3880 I recently read the book and loved it.
We had to read Tale of Two Cities. I didn't understand it back then. As a teenager on my own initiative I read Gone With the Wind, twice, and The Good Earth. Before they were made into movies.
I totally agree re Wuthering Heights. It’s my favourite novel 😊It’s very raw. Charlotte Brontë made an apology for her sister concerning the writing of this book and the character of Heathcliff. A very exciting piece of literature x
Could the British government employ Tristan as a super-teacher - the English Literature teacher every schoolchild deserves?
Wonderful! I just finished David Copperfield. I definitely fell into that book. On to Hard Times as a reread. You, sir, are an excellent professor of literature. Thank you.
Another source of classics advice is Washington Post columnist Michael Dirda. I'm reading his "Classics for Pleasure" book, which dives into great books ranging from ancient (Cicero, Lao-tzu) to contemporary (Edward Gorey, Agatha Christie). There are lots of great reading out there.
Also, since Jane Austen is recommended here, I'll pump for the annotated editions published by Anchor. We're embarking next year on the Jane Austen movie project, so we bought the complete set, and I loved reading Sense and Sensibility with the commentary.
I read several of Steinbeck in high school but since I am in my 50's I did not remember much. I have recently re-read his shorter work and read for the first time, East of Eden. He is now one of my top authors and I want to read all of his work.
Yes, I agree that East of Eden is a tremendous work!
Alone in Berlin sounds fascinating. I'll add it to my TBR. Thanks!
You started talking about "Alone in Berlin" and I had never heard of the writer. But then you started describing the story, and I realised that I have seen the film based on this book already. Looking it up, I found that it was based on the true story of a real couple - the wikipedia article about it is fascinating.
22:16 “Of Mice and Men” has always stuck in my head. My Dad used to read to my sister and I right before bed from the time we were little until we were in our early teens… it was his special time with us after work. Along with “Animal Farm” and “The Pearl”, he read us “Of Mice and Men”. I’ve always thought that “Of Mice and Men” was a bold choice, considering that my sister has developmental delays. It’s one of those books that stick with you once you’ve read it (or, in my case, have had it read to you). I should probably read it for myself, but it hurts my heart to think of doing so. If you know, you know. Great story.
Of Mice and Men is a great way to start reading classic books. I have read it multiple times wonderful writing!
Steinbeck is a great author and I’ve read a number and used a few for book clubs eg Cannery Row, it’s follow up and East of Eden but I’ve avoided that one because a few people felt it too much a downer (if I’m remembering correctly)
I've read six out of your list of ten, spread out over sixty years of being an enthusiastic reader. It's great that you mentioned Mansfield Park. Janeites tend to dislike Fanny Price, but I always adored her. I can't agree with you about Wuthering Heights, though. I inherited a boxed set of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. I read Heights once and NEVER want to return to it. But I go back to Jane Eyre every few years. Oh, and I think that the least Dickensian novel in his work is A Christmas Carol. My favorite is Great Expectations.
Thanks for the recommendations. I will give them a try, now that I'm retired and can read more than ever.
Your enthusiasm is so inspiring! 2024 has been the year of the classics for me thanks largely to your channel. I keep a journal as per your suggestion and have read 15 works so far. Thanks for another great video.
Finally I found a person who loves and appreciates Fanny Price as much as I do! Almost every list ranking Austen’s novels puts Mansfield Park on the bottom but to me it has the best heroine of all.
I've been reading classics for decades and enjoy them because of the exploration of the human condition. Was introduced to Thomas Hardy in high school (I'm 77) and keep discovering new authors, etc. On my TBR is The Painted Veil. Thank you for your delightful insights.
The Mayor of Castorbridge was the first Hardy I read. Completely fell in love with his writing. I actually enjoy his works over Dickens.
Mayor of Casterbridge always feels to me like the most Dickens-like of Hardy's books. A real saga.
I LOVE Hardy, cannot stand Dickens.
These are wonderful books!
Alone in Berlin is a book worth everyone’s time. Of all the books mentioned this one has stayed with me the most. A close second would be The Painted Veil.
Thanks for reminding me of The Painted Veil. I read it long ago but it’s worth a reread.
I’m half way through The Woman in White from your suggestion in another video, and I’m loving it! I’ve read Of Mice and Men and I enjoy Steinbeck’s writing. Thank you for all you put into your videos, they are just outstanding!!❤
Some great recommendations in your video. I read Perfume nearly 30 years ago and it has stayed with me ever since - it’s extraordinary.
I’ve put off reading Dickens, apart from A Christmas Carol, so I need to bite the bullet and just do it! Love your channel!
I've read all of these apart from The Painted Veil and Mansfield Park. I'll be getting them as soon as possible to add to the already massive to be read pile.
As usual, another awesome video from Tristan! 😊 I'd also love to see a future video about where to start with "less serious classics" or more light hearted classics or something along those lines! Mostly I just love hearing Tristan's thoughts and opinions about books! 😊
Wow another fantastic TH-cam channel! A great discovery.
The best part of this Sunday morning is Tristan and the coffees.
I used to wonder how I would react or act about certain past events, but events, big and small, are happening around us every day and how I feel and what I do now shows me my answers to my wondering.
Love, love, love Wuthering Heights
An intriguing list, and my own favorites are Wuthering Heights, Of Mice and Men, The Mayor of Casterbridge, and A Tale of Two Cities. Almost half of your list! The others are books I haven't read, with the exception of The Great Gatsby, but they are mostly on my TBR and I hope to get to them some day. It is interesting to think about how an inexperienced reader might approach getting into the Capital C Classics, I suppose everyone is different in this regard. Here are a few alternatives to the other entries of your list, but which might serve the same purpose or brush on the same themes. In any event, they came to mind as I listened to your video.
Starting with Gatsby, not a bad selection but not one of my favorites. I recommend Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, another Jazz Age classic and a perfect entree into Hemingway's fiction, which everyone who has an interest in literature must eventually read.
Alone in Berlin sounds interesting, an alternative might be Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler, which I read ages ago, or perhaps The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.
The Painted Veil makes me think of The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. I highly recommend Greene's work for people just beginning to read the classics, and while some may not hold Greene at the same lofty level of some of the other authors on this list, I disagree! Try him, you'll like him. I read Maugham's Of Human Bondage and frankly it did not inspire me to read more, but I do think The Painted Veil is worth checking out.
Perfume is a book that I have wanted to read for some time and the movie also seems worth viewing. I recommend The Collector by John Fowles as an alternative that also touches on the topic of the dark side of obsession. Nabokov's Lolita is also worth mentioning in this regard.
Goodbye to All That is a book I imagine I would enjoy, I recently re-read All Quiet on the Western Front and was blown away (no pun intended). An alternative might be Siegfried Sassoon's trilogy, of which I have only read the middle volume, Memoirs of an Infantry Officer.
Finally, as for Jane Austen, Mansfield Park is a bit down on my list as I have only read Pride and Prejudice, and Persuasion, but I certainly want to go further into her works. Another alternative is The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, a fascinating treatment of class society and superficiality in Old New York.
Agree so much with everything except Of Human Bondage 😮 I loved loved it , unforgettable
Wuthering Heights, magnificent 🖤
Have just found your channel l am now elderly and have always loved to read. I reread wuthering heights the great catsby and The age of innocence every year.
Really enjoying your discussions of classic literature, I've read around half of the books mentioned here and and of the others, 'The Painted Veil' and 'Perfume' have been on my TR list forever, you've inspired me to get on them. 🙂 Thanks also for introducing 'Alone in Berlin', I hadn't even heard of this book
Love that you included 'Mansfield Park' - I know Fanny Price is a character not everyone understands or likes, but to me she is possibly the most admirable of Austen's heroines. Over the course of a long life I've come to feel that 'morals' are standards that people try to impose on others in an attempt to control them, whilst often spectacularly failing in the job of controlling themselves; whereas principles are standards that you set for yourself, regardless of circumstance or the influence of others. I feel Fanny Price is principled, rather than 'moral', and like many principled people who believe in conducting themselves with authenticity and integrity, she is overlooked, diminished, misunderstood, criticised and judged by the many around her who have no principles themselves. Her light shows them their own darkness, and they blame her for that. The contrast between her natural deep faith and conscience, and the religious hypocrisy of other characters, is one of the striking features of this story, and it's only when this is finally and clearly understood by the person she loves that she is vindicated in her choices. It's a wonderful, wise and undervalued book, I think.
I've been re-reading 'Wuthering Heights' since I was a child, and each time I come back to it the sheer spiritual force of it shocks me all over again. I still think it's one of the most shocking books I've ever read, lord alone knows how it must have hit people at the time. No wonder the violence of some of the reactions. There is a natural spiritual understanding in it that seems to have simply welled from the soul of the author herself, straight onto the page. How else could she write about the working out of spiritual (karmic) justice through generational patterns with such conviction and authority? There's a line from a song I love, that feels like the essence of this book: 'Primal truth is pure as ice'. It's not for the faint-hearted.
Love The Mayor of Casterbridge, I mean who hasn't thought about selling their wife, because you think you will be better off 😁Hardy's exploration of the wheel of fortune and the various characters rising and falling fortunes and how decisions and actions affect your own and others is splendid
As interesting as always :-)
Loved the openings of Alone in Berlin and the Painted Veil so happily snapped up two very nice copies from a second hand bookstore.
Alone in Berlin fits nicely into my current reading list of books that seem to inform our current times - unfortunately.
I read Ashenden after one of your earlier recommendations and loved it - got strong Len Deighton vibes from both the settings and the characters. Bernard from Berlin (hello) pulling a gun and waving it around in a threatening manner because he wants more funds but only receiving the sardonic "Are you planning to porn that?" from Ashenden is pure Palmer.
BTW the roaring twenties was correct :-) The roaring forties refers to the strong westerlies you encounter when sailing a fever ridden convict ship to Australia, which anyone who's had the pleasure of reading O'Brian's Desolation Island would recognise :-)
I know this is totally off topic but I was just reminded of an old teacher of mine who suggested that in Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff and Kathy were actually half-siblings and Heathcliff was the illegitimate child of the father and that when Heathcliff's mother died, the father had to bring him to live with his "main" family and concoct a story about finding him on the streets. I've never heard this mentioned anywhere else and just wondered if anyone has and if it is an actual known/discussed theory or not?
Great vlog. A delight. I have only read The Great Gatsby and A Tale of Two Cities and loved them. I don’t like Dickens’s style much but studied history which may explain why I liked his A Tale of Two Cities. I once found a damaged (O level syllabus) copy of Goodbye to All That knocking around at school and should have read it then but will try to now. (I did however read and love at that time Graves’s Claudius books and his poems later at university). Loved Pride and Prejudice so will try and give Mansfield Park a whirl (my wife’s favourite). I generally find nineteenth century literature hard work and have given it a wide berth but may try Wuthering Heights,
I'm in a bit of a classics slump as of late, although I do still enjoy hearing people talk about them. I'm hoping over the winter my attention span becomes better able to soak in some classics again. I'm glad you included The Painted Veil. It is one of my all time favorite books.
I just discovered your channel and am enjoying your content. One thing that I would really like to see is a list of books with time stamps in the description so we could skip to or go back to specific books of interest. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Recently discovered your channel and loved the accessible deep dive into classic literature here. I would include 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley and 'A Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde as well for books that make us reflect on life, self image, ambition, identity, the nature of good vs evil etc.
Completely agree!
Dorian Gray is one of my favorites. Also love Mary Shelley.
I have only read The Last Man but want to read more❤
Can always count on your videos to be entertaining and inspiring! Wonderful- thank you Tristan 🙏🏻
10:38 You were right first time, it's the roaring twenties! ;)
Great list, and as usual I'm getting anxiety because I don't have enough time to get through all the books you mention, haha!
From the list, I must say that I absolutely, ABSOLUTELY love 'A Tale of Two Cities'. I read it last year, not expecting to enjoy it much because for me Dickens = Victorian London, and the fact that it's set in the French Revolution slightly put me off. But it was so gripping, so moving, so terrifying at times... I can only recommend anyone hesitant to pick it up, and thank me (and Tristan) later.
Amazing list and another amazing video! I have read several of these but am intrigued with Perfume. I’ve been wanting to reread Wuthering Heights for awhile so maybe that will be my winter read this year.
Thanks Tristan for some more books for me to explore. I have already read Perfume, just by chance I saw it in the bookshop and thought it sounded bizarre. It was and I loved it. 😘
Steinbeck’s East of Eden. I initially was interested in reading it after seeing Jane Seymour play Catherine Trask in some old TV miniseries. She was so perfectly evil and I wanted to know more about her character. Such a great story, and turned me on to other classics. I also love classic ghost stories, esp those written in the Victorian era. The Turn of the Screw is a great one.
You should try to see Jo van Fleet in the version of East of Eden with James Dean and Julie Harris. She was marvelous.
@ I did see that film, and loved it, but the miniseries spent more time on Catherine/Kate, and her being my favorite character made that one just a little more interesting to me…though nothing compares to the novel.
When you said Perfume was a bit grim in places...that's one way to put it!! I have seen the film of it, I'd really like to read the book too!! This was a perfect autumn afternoon on a Sunday video!! Just what I needed!!
Thank you for this eye-opening look at some of the serious classics. Hardy is one of my all-time favorites, and now I can delve into some of these other unknown-to-me authors. You should consider doing voice-overs for audio books. I could listen to you read all day. As a fairly new subscriber, I want to thank you for recommending The Lady in White in one of your previous videos. Just finished it and loved it!
I’ve read 3 of these classics. My favorite out of those 3 is “The Painted Veil.” That stayed with me for quite awhile. I just finished “A Tail of Two Cities.” This was more of a struggle to get through - lots of words to look up and getting use to his sentence structure and the speaking of the times, but overall It was an enjoyable read. I also read “Goodbye to All That.” I found it very cerebral and had a hard time getting into it, but it did impact me on a subtle level.
Thank you for this video! Of the 10 books you listed that I haven't read, "Alone in Berlin" is the most intriguing to me.
I just finished "Of Human Bondage" by Somerset Maugham, a great book on the choices we make in life and their consequences. I'm off to start "Bleak House"!
My trio of favorites: Steinbeck, Dickens and Fitzgerald. 😊
I love what you say about "the modern, canting way" (as contrasted with the expression of social injustices in "Of Mice and Men"). Such an important distinction and so plainly indicative of today's cultural myopia. For that and many other reasons, "Of Mice and Men" is one of the greatest works ever written. I'm so glad it made your list. Eager to read others you have mentioned and introduced so beautifully, thank you.
I simply love your selection, and own several copies of your choice. I will certainly read them all. I am intrigued about Perfume by Suskind and will order it today.
After hearing your previous review of "Alone in Berlin," I bought the book. It was truly amazing. I appreciate your recommendations of books I would not normally consider reading.
It does sound fascinating. I am buried in books right now, but will keep this one on my radar.
I've read several of these, and want to read most of the others. Right now I'm most excited for The Great Gatsby. A book I've never wanted to read. I've tried watching the film adaptation with DiCaprio. But I will receive a beautiful edition in the post in December, freshly translated into nynorsk for the first time (the lesser used form of writing Norwegian. It's been translated into Norwegian before, but not into nynorsk). I'm going to read it then.
Oh, The Painted Veil. One of my favourite reads of this year.
I love your video's Tristan. So motivating to keep on reading. I just (finally) finished Pride and Prejudice. Next one will be one of the books of this video.
At your recommendation I just finished reading The Mayor of Casterbridge. It kept me up way past my bedtime a couple of nights. I needed to know what happened next. Next up is The Painted Veil. I read a ton but have avoided a lot of the classics figuring they wouldn’t keep me interested but then I feel guilty that I don’t read them. Thanks for guiding me back.
Another wonderful list! I read The Painted Veil during the covid lockdown, which really added to the atmosphere. 😊
Wuthering Heights has been one of my favorite books since I first read it, aged 14 or so. She could never have surpassed it, no matter how long she lived. It’s a novel whose characters don’t try to charm you or beg you to sympathize with their problems, as sentimental characters in novels tend to do. Cathy and Heathcliff don’t give a damn what you think. They only care about each other. He doesn’t care a rap about his son. She died so we don’t find out if she cares a rap about her daughter. Just as well; it might kill what slight sympathy we have for her. My other favorite character is Isabella, after she grows up. H tries to kill her and god knows what happens in their bridal chamber; anyway it knocks the silliness out of her.
You are so amazing at interesting me in any book you review
I’m a lifelong reader who majored in Literature but I’ve never been able to make it through Withering Heights. I trie yet again in the past year and I still simply cannot stand spending that much time with those dismal people. I have however read and appreciated most of the other books on your list. I’m in a book club that does at least one “serious” classic a year and I’m thinking of suggesting one of these for next year.
Looking forward to reading some of these!
Great video. Thank you
Another great video Tristan! Here in the US “Alone in Berlin” is published with the title “Everyman Dies Alone”. I have my copy and can’t wait to start it.
Thank you this post. I was looking for Alone In Berlin and couldn’t find it. I found Everyman dies alone. Just downloaded it.
Oh, thanks! No wonder I was having a hard time.
Not that anyone cares or, indeed, should care, but just to get it out of my system, here are my thoughts on the list. By all means feel free to skip it. I'm typing it more for my own contemplation than for anyone else's.
1. The Mayor of Casterbridge - I haven't gotten to this one yet but I love Thomas Hardy so I have no doubt that it's great and I definitely will read it eventually.
2. Alone in Berlin - Haven't read it but it sounds great. I most likely will read it at some point.
3. The Great Gatsby - I've read this one something like four times (a couple times for school, a couple times for book clubs, if I remember correctly) and, while I personally find all* of Fitzgerald's work stifling and depressing, there is no doubt that it is objectively a great book. I highly recommend it if you haven't read it. (*Disclaimer: I've only read The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby, and Tender Is the Night, but that's enough of a pattern for me.)
4. The Painted Veil - Haven't read it but it sounds like something I'd enjoy. I haven't yet read any Maugham but I hope to get to it. So many good books, so little time.
5. Of Mice and Men - Absolutely wonderful. I'm a huge Steinbeck fan and this is a deeply moving story. You'll think about it for a long time.
6. Perfume - Saw the movie and it scared me off the book, plus now even Tristan says it has disturbing parts, so this one might not be for me. I doubt I'll read it, but I'm sure it's great for the right reader.
7. A Tale of Two Cities - In my youth I read The Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, The Cricket on the Hearth, David Copperfield, and Great Expectations, and for the most part they just... didn't do it for me. I liked the novellas pretty well and tried hard with the novels but couldn't get into them. So that put me off Dickens for a long time and I haven't read any more, but Tristan has me just about convinced to try him again. He says this is one of the least typically Dickensian, so maybe this is my re-entry point. Time will tell.
8. Goodbye to All That - I haven't read it. I'm not generally a big fan of autobiographies, or of stories that focus on war, but there are exceptions to both of those points and I do trust Tristan's taste, so we'll see what the future brings.
9. Mansfield Park - This isn't my top Austen novel, but it's pretty good. I mean, is there any such thing as a BAD Austen novel? I think not.
10. Wuthering Heights - Another one that's objectively a truly great book, but isn't at all to my taste. Way too twisted for me, but I do think everyone who's into classic literature should read it at least once. Plenty of people love it; you might too!
Excellent video, Tristan, as usual. I would say that there are four moden classics that you can add to this list,which are very accessible. They are: Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee , Wild Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, A Month in the Country by JL Carr, and The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley.
Thanks for another great video! And another five or six books to add to my TBR. 😂
Hello Tristan, thank you very much for this list. I should finally prioritise "Of Mice and Men", I have been putting of reading this short book for some reason. Also you made me consider re-reading a couple of books in that list. :)
A Tale of Two Cities - I loved the opening. I loved the closing. For the life if me I could not follow anything in between! But I do want to try again someday.
TH-cam‘s algorithm brought you a new subscriber from Germany. You‘ve chosen great books, even two German ones. Hans Fallada isn‘t as popular in Germany as Süskind. He had a difficult life. I read most of his books many years ago.
From the authors you recommended I love Dickens the most, closely followed by Emily Brontë.
I will visit your older videos and look forward to your recommendations.
Love your channel! I am currently reading Anna Karenina and i think that it is going to be by favourite book of all times. Could you recommend another like this?
I would suggest The lady of the camellias, by Dumas (Alexandre Dumas's son), or The ass's skin, by Balzac.❤
What a wonderful video, I enjoy your content very much.
I am a Thomas Hardy Girl and have read The Mayor of Casterbridge but didn't really understand it so will definitely read again. I am reading Tess of The D'Urbervilles at the moment and loving it. I am sorry but me and Charles Dickens don't get on and Bleak House finished me off.
I've read 7 of the 10 books on your list, and seen their adaptations to the screen as well (movie or TV); Edith Wharton and/or Henry James could be included in an expanded list. For Mansfield Park, the character Maria may have been pronounced Mariah (in context). For example, colonial British names like St. John was pronounced Sin Jin. British English is not necessarily straightforward (with pronunciation). My favorite Thomas Hardy novel is Tess of the d'Urbervilles, my favorite Steinbeck novel is East of Eden, my favorite Dickens novel is Our Mutual Friend. Maugham's short stories are wonderful as well.
I absolutely loved Tess of the Durbervilles. My heart broke for Tess. Hardy was ahead of his time in his understanding of female virtue.
Thanks for another excellent video. You discussed two of my favorites . I was introduced to A Tale of Two Cities when I was taking part in a summer reading program. I think I was about 12 years old. I have reread it several times since. It was my first Dickens read and how right you are when you say it is the least Dickensian novel. I have often thought this to be so. Wuthering Heights is my favorite book of time and I reread it once a year. I have read just about all of the Bronte sisters works and have enjoyed them all but based upon Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte is my favorite sister. How I wish she had lived longer and like you I just wonder what other marvelous novels she could have given us. I also enjoy reading her poetry.
55:12 😮
There are 3 modern versions of Gatsby on video: DiCaprio 2013, Redford 1974, Toby Stephens 2000. The 2000 version isn't a movie and has lower production values but resonates the true culture of the '20s and is faithful to the book. The DiCaprio version features devil may care cars spreeing wildly along the highways and an almost hip hop gyrating dancing. The feel and tone is not that of a hundred years ago. Stephens 2000 is free with Amazon Prime.
As much as I love Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park is probably my favorite from Jane Austen. I just adore Fanny Price; in some ways she reminds me of Jane Eyre. 🤷🏼♀️ Wuthering Heights *is* hard to put into words! There's not a likeable character in the bunch and yet, it's the kind of book that you have a hard time putting down and will still think about 6 months after you've read it! 📚 Thanks for sharing!
"I just adore Fanny Price; in some ways she reminds me of Jane Eyre."
I have not read Mansfield Park, but listening to his description, I had that same sense. And I adore Jane Eyre. I read it for the first time just a few years ago and fell forever in love with it. I thought it was some sappy romance. That's why I avoided it my whole life. But it was not that at all! I have not yet read any Austen. Again, because I am allergic to "romance" stories. I'm alone, so I can't relate to any of that stuff. If MP has any depth like JE, I might have to give it a try.
@@Yesica1993 I SO get what you’re saying! I am also “allergic” to romance and read Jane Eyre for the first time in 2019 (I had only read Pride and Prejudice in 2018, for the first time). I, too, fell in love with Jane Eyre; even though she had an awful childhood, she knows who she is and has such strong convictions. I mean, what’s not to love?! I always assumed Jane Austen was straight-up romance, and avoided it at all costs. But her stories are so much more than that! I mean, is there a love story element? Yes, but the writing is wonderful and the characters, even the “bad ones”, are so good! I hope you decide to give Mansfield Park a try! 📚
@@Lu.G. Ha ha, we must be brain twins. I have been looking for an Austen book to read because I know I am missing out. This may be the one. Thanks! Right now I am toying with reading Wuthering Heights. I read the first chapter last night. It was in one of those Kindle classics bundles that they have for cheap. I just finished watching the 1939 movie adaptation as well. YEGADS, what horrible people they all were! If I do end up continuing to read, it will be a "hate read" for sure, LOL! We'll see how it goes.
@@Lu.G. Addendum: I just learned the 1939 Wuthering Heights adaptation only covers the first half of the novel. YEGADS, THERE'S MORE?! I'm not sure I can get through this book, LOL! But I did read the first chapter. Let's see how far I can get! The fact that it's on my Kindle will stop me from throwing it down in a rage like I probably would with a physical book. One chapter and half a movie adaptation and I already hate all these people with a passion!
@@Yesica1993 Too funny....we *are* brain twins! 😆 Oh my gosh, yes - Wuthering Heights was kind of a "hate read" for me, but I thought about that book for months after I read it! Talk about toxic people - wow! Definitely worth the read, though...IMO! 🤓
Like your videos, you talk about all the books in a sympathetic way :)
I’ve read six of these. I am not sure that I would call the others classics, but that’s a quibble, and you have piqued my interest in Goodbye to all That. As an aside, have you read Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried? I think you would like.
A few random comments: Sidney Carton’s nobility is a product of his depression (maybe the best description of depression before Infinite Jest), and thus his sacrifice is also a wish-fulfillment - the best of times and the worst of times.
Great Gatsby, I think, is a much trickier book than most people give it credit for. It appears to be a first person observer narrative, but at bottom I think it’s at least as much Nick’s story as it is Gatsby’s. It’s one of the few older books where I think the proponents of queer literature have it right.
Finally, the last time I read Of Mice and Men, I was struck with how the text itself is basically all third act in a three act narrative structure. Much like the Greek tragedies. And thus, it may be an even better example than Casterbridge of character equaling fate. (Also, I think this observation also helps explain why the novel reads almost entirely like a play, with the only descriptions being at the scene settings in the beginnings of each chapter.
Fun video, I enjoyed it, even though I’m uncomfortable with the distinction between “serious” classics and other classics.
I read " Of Mice and Men" in 1990. Wrote an essay on the story. My high school English teacher at the time never gave a perfect grade. It was frustrating because I made a 99 and she refused to explain why she marked it down by one point. Anyhow, I remember being profoundly moved by the story. May revisit it at some point.
I loved a tale of two cities. Brilliant book
The only one I've read recently is Mansfield Park and I found it absorbing actually - long time ago I read Wuthering Heights, too young to appreciate it but only picked it up because of Kate Bush... I'm also familiar with the Painted Veil and A Tale of Two Cities (I too love Dickens - since childhood) - of the others I think I'm drawn most to trying The Mayor of Casterbridge - I'm a Wessex woman and have been meaning to read Hardy for years. Thank you Tristan, my classics knowledge is being broadened and I enjoy the Patreon meet ups... even if I'm tired. See you next month.
I loved. ❤
I am eager to get Alone in Berlin. Although I don't feel old.. I did turn 60 a couple of months ago...and am drawn to books with older characters😊
I would love a book where the "literature snobs" of each country create two lists, one of the best books or authors of their country and one of the most important works for their country. (The second not limited to their own works.) An entire book with possibly thousands of excellent recommendations.
Fantastic list. I love to see what classics people really connect with. I agree with several of your choices. I wrote my own review about The Painted Veil, earlier this year. I believe it was cholera epidemic. My link is below. Like you said, any Hardy novel would be a great choice except for Jude, the Obscure. My personal favorite is Tess of the D'Urbervilles, but Mayor is more amusing. I'm currently reading Colette and I'd say her writing is also about the the human condition, especially the female human condition. I would choose Jane Eyre amongst the Bronte novels. While the scenes and drama in Wuthering Heights are good, I don't feel its ambiguity is an asset. I found the story becomes murky. Her character names are downright vexing which I don't think is kind to readers. But Jane Eyre has it all but simplified and more succinct and without as much cruelty. The best classic for the human condition is Les Miserables but definitely not a good suggestion for someone just starting out. For that new-to-classics reader, try Vanity Fair. Its a romp, funny, believable, touching, and all the while your thinking, I know so-and-so who's just like that character! Edith Wharton needs a spot on the list, probably Age of Innocence, as does George Eliot, Mill on the Floss. Mrs Dalloway (V Woolf-also not the best choice for a first exploration), For American classics, we need a Hemingway, A Fairwell to Arms? and Salinger, Catcher in the Rye, and Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's. What about Madame Bovary? So many.
marjorieapple.substack.com/p/book-review-the-painted-veil?r=18i1u9
I so like this list. I read Razor's Edge and Of Human Bondage, but The Painted Veil was my favorite Somerset Maugham. What does it take for one to earn redemption? And Wuthering Heights is my favorite Bronte novel. It's about all-consuming Passion... and a very Disturbed mind. There isn't a Dickens that I don't like. Madam Defarge -great character.
I read Withering Heights this year and it made me so angry and emotional, which i think makes it a great book.
Barnaby Rudge is Dickens' other historical novel, set during the Gordon Riots of 1780.
Thank you. 😀
Just wondering, because I can’t see anywhere on Patreon to contact Tristan, if the Zoom discussions on Patreon are recorded and if members have full access to them?
For those who wish to add the More Serious Classics to their shopping trolley:
1. The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy.
2. Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada.
3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
4. The Painted Veil by William Somerset Maugham.
5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.
6. Perfume by Patrick Süskind.
7. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
8. Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves.
9. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen.
10. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.
Good day.
Thank you🦋
I’ve just found you and subbed. I agree with your choice of book reading, a great selection. Can I throw into the mix my favourite book, an essay in autobiography, “Over the Bridge” by Richard Church. I will check out your back videos with interest.
Very interesting list. I should really read A Tale of Two cities, but I think I'll read Mansfield Park first.
Can you help me with Wuthering Heights? I started once but couldn't understand the dialog. I don't know what the accent is supposed to sound like. Can you give me an example of what the West Country accent sounds like? Is there an actor or movie character who sounds like that? I need a model to work off of. Thanks, regards, etc
It's set in Yorkshire. West Yorkshire I believe. This might help th-cam.com/video/L_jnku8bwXY/w-d-xo.html
If talking about the human condition " Of Human Bondage " must be mentioned !
Hi! A bit of a random question, but I know you love Thomas Hardy so I thought I'd ask anyway. Do you think comparing "fate and pessimism" in "The Mayor of Casterbridge" and "Tess" would be a feasible comparison for an academic essay around 2,500 words? I love both these books and would love to delve into them even more!
I don't see Amy reason why that wouldn't be a good topic to treat, though I am not an academic. If you are writing at university I would recommend speaking with your professor of your ideas.😀❤️
@@tristanandtheclassics6538Ok, thank you. I think there is enough to compare, especially when analysing to what extent Tess and Henchard are responsible for their fates. Out of interest, are you sympathetic with Henchard yourself? Or do you see him as an aggressive, impulsive individual who is deserving of his fate. I'm currently finding a lot of division on this debate, although I am a bit of a sympathiser myself!
❤ Tristan 🎉