Enid Blyton was almost most of my childhood reading. From The Magical Faraway Tree (which I was introduced to at primary school, as our teacher used to read a chapter at the end of every day and it was wonderful) to The Secret Seven and Famous Five. It’s so weird to think she wasn’t part of every child’s reading. Hope you enjoy them!
More Underrated Classic I've read and enjoyed: - Silas Marner by Mary Anne Evans (aka George Elliot) is a hidden gem ! - A Clergyman's Daughter by George Orwell -The Horla by Guy de Maupassant -The Yellow Wall-Paper By Cltarlotte Perkins Stetson -The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft -Beowulf - Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
I just read The Horla just last night - No kidding! I actually woke up at 3 AM and couldn't sleep and read it. I agree with both The Yellow Wall-Paper By Charlotte Perkins Stetson and The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft; I also like The Rats in the Walls. I will now try to find that Orwell. Thanks
@@bujobyfilo, Silas Marner is a top 50 book to me. 41) "Silas Marner" by George Eliot 69) "Middlemarch" by George Eliot FAVORITE AUTHORS 1) Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons) 2) Leo Tolstoy (Resurrection) 3) Fyodor Dostoevsky (The Idiot) 4) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich) 5) C. S. Lewis (The Magician's Nephew) 6) Charlotte Brontë (Vilette) 7) J. R. R. Tolkien (The Hobbit) 8) Isaac Asimov (Foundation and Empire) 9) Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice) 10) Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) 11) George Eliot (Silas Marner) 12) Anthony Trollope (The Warden)
Nothing by Alexandre Dumas aside from "The Black Tulip" is worth reading to me, but then George Eliot is almost in my top ten favorite authors. 43) "The Black Tulip" by Alexandre Dumas So if their best is so close on the list how did one author do so much better? 69 dude! 41) "Silas Marner" by George Eliot 69) "Middlemarch" by George Eliot
If you want to read more italian literature, I highly highly highly recommend Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels !! Not classics, but will most definitely one day be categorized as such !
For more Enid Blyton, I would recommend ‘The Faraway Tree Stories’. They were some of my favourite stories when I was a child, as the world she created was so magical and just honestly incredible to read about and get lost in!
Enid Blyton was my childhood! I devoured those stories about pixies and gnomes and fairies and about children misbehaving, and of course, animals. They come as short story collections. I used to finish off one book a day and I credit Enid Blyton when it comes to my love for reading :-)
20) Old Mother West Wind series - wildlife series by Thornton Burgess All these books were me (Tommy) in bed with mom reading them to me. All the titles with big animals in them were my absolute favorite animal stories I've ever heard. Thorton Burgess is older stories and so even more classic to my way of thinking. Even now they are in my top 20 books ever. 20) Old Mother West Wind series - wildlife series by Thornton Burgess 1913 The Adventures of Reddy Fox 1913 The Adventures of Johnny Chuck 1914 The Adventures of Peter Cottontail 1914 Danny Meadow Mouse Learns Something 1914 Jerry Muskrat Begins to Build 1914 Jerry Muskrat Is Laughed At 1914 Jerry Muskrat Wins Respect 1914 Peter Rabbit Puts on Airs 1914 The Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum 1914 Unc' Billy Possum Has a Fright 1914 The Adventures of Jerry Muskrat 1915 The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse 1915 Peter Rabbit's Get Acquainted Party 1915 The Adventures of Grandfather Frog 1915 The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel 1915 The Adventures of Sammy Jay 1915 Tommy and the Wishing Stone 1915 Tommy's Wishes Come True 1916 The Adventures of Buster Bear 1916 The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad 1916 The Adventures of Prickly Porky 1916 The Adventures of Old Man Coyote 1917 Johnny Chuck Loses His Temper 1917 Peter Rabbit Introduces His Big Cousin 1917 Peter Rabbit Learns from Striped Chipmunk 1918 The Adventures of Bobby Coon 1918 The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk 1919 The Adventures of Ol' Mistah Buzzard 1920 Bowser the Hound 1920 Old Granny Fox 1921 Tommy's Change of Heart 1924 Billy Mink 1925 Little Joe Otter 1927 What Farmer Brown's Boy Did 1928 Bobby Coon Has a Good Time 1928 Bowser the Hound Meets His Match 1928 Grandfather Frog Fools Farmer Brown's Boy 1953 Everybody Lends Jerry Muskrat a Hand 1953 Peter Rabbit's Prank 1953 Reddy Fox Takes a Bath
My favourite underrated classic is My cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. Rachel is italian by the way! ;) I read all Eva Ibbotson, they're really cute but very YA. I feel like when you've already lived a little they can be a bit too much.
Hi, I'm an italian girl and I love you and your work so so so much I was shocked when you said that you didn't know the Epic of Gilgamesh... We study it at school! I read The Leopard, but I didn't enjoy it very much... I would've quit reading it if not for a single character... NAME SPOILER: Tancredi
Hi Carolyn, my children’s favourite Enid Blyton was always The Magic Faraway Tree, there are many characters in it and my eldest daughter read it over and over to her younger brother and sister. She was always very talented at giving the different characters different voices, which the younger ones loved. Claire Bott
I think that ‘Testament of Youth’ by Vera Brittain (it is spelt correctly) published in 1933 is a vastly underrated classic. It is based on the true memoir of the author. It is set just before the 1st world war and continues to about 1925. For myself at 64 years of age that period was in the ‘living memory’ of my grandma, who talked to me of many things during that period. The book reads like pure fiction and covers many things that would change forever following that war and some sadly which would endure. It explores issues such as class and society, the aristocratic society of ‘know thy place’ would never be quite the same again. It explores life, death, fate, I don’t want to give spoilers… There has been a quite recent film, and many years ago a tv series. In my opinion neither did the book anything like justice. The book gives a deep and very specific, personal insight into an age now gone by and a county forever changed on almost every level. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in history, in society, in education, or in life and how we choose or don’t choose to live it. Claire B
I recommend The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas. If you're afraid of the thickness of Count of Monte Cristo but want to see if you would like Dumas. Try this one. Similar themes but much shorter.
"The Black Tulip" to me is the only worthwhile book by Alexander Dumas to read. I believe it to be one of the top 50 books ever written. Anything else from him wouldn't even be in the top 250 books. 43) "The Black Tulip" by Alexandre Dumas
@@ReligionOfSacrifice c'est mon auteur préféré donc je ne suis pas tellement d'accord, Les Trois Mousquetaires, Le Comte de Monte Cristo, La Reine Margot, sont supérieurs à mes yeux, mais chacun a un avis différent bien sûr et c'est normal 😊
@@Sandrine_Damfino, he can be your favorite. I love some different sort of French. I will check out "Queen Margot." Thank you for that suggestion. 7) "Vilette" by Charlotte Brontë 35) "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo 39) "Papillon" by Henri Charrière 43) "The Black Tulip" by Alexandre Dumas 46) "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos 57) "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë 73) "Turnley reading system based on Sonsils: A system of sound instruction by which a child can learn to read well in one year or less" by Francis R. Turnley 88) "Madeline" by Ludwig Bemelmans FAVORITE AUTHORS 1) Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons) 2) Leo Tolstoy (Resurrection) 3) Fyodor Dostoevsky (The Idiot) 4) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich) 5) C. S. Lewis (The Magician's Nephew) 6) Charlotte Brontë (Vilette) 7) J. R. R. Tolkien (The Hobbit) 8) Isaac Asimov (Foundation and Empire) 9) Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice) 10) Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) 11) George Eliot (Silas Marner) 12) Anthony Trollope (The Warden)
I have two underrated middle grade recs for you! First of all Momo by Michael Ende - or anything by him but I loooved Momo. And also the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander. They are a perfect coming of age fantasy. (These aren’t 60 years old but I still think they’re classics 😉)
Michael Ende is my all time favorite Children's book author. I grew up with his works and discovered my love of books through The Neverending Story which continues to be one be one of my favourite books of all time. And imo Momo and The Neverending Story are deep and thoughtful books that are worth giving a try even as an adult.
Oh my god Enid Blyton is right up your alley!!! When my mum was young in the 70’s she read essentially every book of hers and then when I was little she passed them all on to me, these super ugly hardback editions and I read them all too🤣 I’d say the ones that stand out to me the most are her Magic Faraway Tree series and the Famous Five Series, at some point I got a more modern edition of the three magic faraway tree books all in one and it was my prized possession growing up:)
pls make more videos on underrated classics ... or maybe a video on popular classic authors - and their lesser known books? or classics that come from parts of the world beyond western society?💟 thank you for all the reccommodations. I added so many books to my list
Another classic I think is underrated is Heart by Edmondo de Amicis (Italian author!) I think you're gonna enjoy it a lot, it was one of my favs growing up Wikipedia says: The novel is written in a diary form as told by Enrico Bottini, an 11-year-old primary school student in Turin with an upper class background who is surrounded by classmates of working class origin. The entire chronological setting corresponds to the third-grade season of 1881-82 (Enrico says it has been four years since death of Victor Emmanuel II, king of Italy, and the succession by Umberto I, and also tells about the death of Giuseppe Garibaldi, which happened in 1882).
Franz Kafka's The Trial is a must must must read! It's not that it doesn't get talked about a lot, but I've never really heard you or Emma talk about Kafka (probably because you haven't read any of his books, correct me, if I'm wrong). I mean, because of Kafka and his unique writing we have an adjective that describes something, which couldn't be captured in just one word before. I also wanna recommend a classic by a German writer: The Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. One of the books we had to read in school in German class and one that highly impressed me. So atmospheric, so much beyond the surface.
I really enjoyed the Norwegian classic The Fisher Girl (Fiskerjenten) by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. I was not expecting the modern views and the humour in a book from 1868 😊
Eva Ibbotson!! She’s such a cozy wondrous delight-my favorite is The Secret Countess, but they’re all oh so magical! Can’t wait to hear what you think! ❤ And they’re definitely more than romance-Ibbotson’s a wonder at making all of the characters so charming and memorable, and a historical moment feel so real!
If you want to try another Norwegian (modern) classic, I also recommend 'The Ice Palace' by Tarjej Vesaas. It's poetic, profound, it sweeps you in. Also, I recommend anything by Knut Hamsun ('Hunger' is his best-known novel I think; he also wrote "Growth of the Soil", which got him the Nobel Prize in Literature). I don't see many people talking about his work outside of Scandinavia, which is a pity.
'The Scarlet Pimpernel' - great heroic tale- based on true story? Maybe? Saving souls from the French guillotine. 'A tale of two cities' - Charles Dickens (O too well known and you've done like series...). 'Notre-dame du Paris' - Victor Hugo. Any Thomas Hardy. And Honore Du Balzac's 'Cousin Bette'- beautiful realism of France in 19th century about a beautiful woman's secret affairs - possibly not your cup of tea, but brilliant.
Better movie than book. BOOK 143) "The Scarlet Pimpernel" by Emmuska Orczy MOVIES, my favorite. 1) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) 14) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)
Oh please read This above all by Eric Knight. It's everything I hoped A farewell to arms would be, but wasn't. And I think since you love A farewell to arms, you would love this book as well. Also, I have never heard anyone talk about this classic, nor have I met anyone who has read it. 😅
I think an underrated classic that I don't hear many lovers of classic literature talk about is "The robe " by Lloyd C Douglas. It is an amazing book. I really recomand it. This year I would like to read "The big fisherman" by the same author.
I loved the Famous Five and Secret Seven by Enid Blyton growing up. Other classics that dont get talked about that much are those by Elizabeth Gaskell and not all Thomas Hardy books either. The Classics are great and I am always drawn to them.
I'm looking forward to reading The Leopard whenever I get to it,and I'm sure I saw the movie once upon a time.The Epic Of Gilgamesh is often cited in classic studies and crops up in documentaries about the ancient world.
A single man by Christopher Isherwood is a brilliant book. I read it nine years ago and I want to reread it soon. Great video as usual, Carolyn! Edit: Also when people talk about their favorite Austen, they always mention Emma and Pride and Prejudice but I have always had a soft spot for Persuasion. It’s my favorite!
Hi Carolyn I grew up reading Enid Blyton. As long as you know that her nature stories were written for children, she actually has a number of these ss books. There is summer short stories, bedtime stories etc . . . but she's famous for her Famous Five Adventure series, The Naughtiest Girl series, Secret Series and many other Middle Grade chapter novels. I loved The Famous Five when I was a girl so if you find you want to try Enid Blyton books read some individual books from her series. They don't necessarily need to be read in order but to begin the series with the first book in best as she introduces you to her mc's of each series. After that you can read in any order, really! I hope you enjoy her, I feel over time she has been rudely and unkindly treated.
I grew up with Enid Blyton. Her famous five stories were my favourite and completely wonderful. I read them obsessively until my mum insisted I try other authors as well.
Oh I looooved „Fünf Freunde“ (The Famous Five) by Enid Blyton!😍 Also started to read Blindness by Saramago a while ago but was a little bored like 100 pages in😮💨
I recommend The Timeless Land (by Eleanor Dark). It's an Australian classic, published in 1941. Two books follow on from there, exploring the lives of the same characters, and more. The next two books in the trilogy are Storm of Time (1948) and No Barrier (1954).
Absolutely adore Enid Blyton! Her children’s stories are lovely as well. I love her Famous Five series. Also her stories of magical woodland folk are just delightful! If you are interested in more nature stories, I really enjoy the writing of William J. Long (d.1952). His books can be found on Project Gutenberg. Are they classics? I don’t know, but they are exceptionally enjoyable!! Also Thornton W. Burgess was a big part of my childhood reading, and the first books I remember my mom reading aloud to us as kids. Great video! Thanks for the recommendations!
The Master and Margarita by Milkhail Bulgakov. A classic of Russian literature. I read a lot of Russian literature in college and this is my favorite. Political satire at its best. It’s a wild ride. Even has a talking cat…
So loved this video! I have a couple of Sigrid Undset's books, hardcovers, dated from the 1920's. I haven't read them either but as I sit here reading the first page of "In the Wilderness" I wonder what I'm waiting for? 🤔 Another fabulous book that I think often gets forgotten is "Watership Down" by Richard Adams. As we all know, too many books, so little time. Happy reading everyone!!!
The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric! It's a Nobel prize winning novel but nobody has ever heard of it. It was released during the height of the Bosnian war, and it's centers around a little town's relationship to it's bridge, how that bridge symbolizes the relationship between two divided cultures within the town, and how the hardships of the town push together the people of the town as a community and pull the people of the town apart as enemies, beginning with the bridge's construction during the Ottoman occupation of the Balkans.
I grew up with Enid Blyton's Noddy books. They are more for young children. Her Famous Five books are iconic so I would suggest starting with those. I just read The Leopard this past summer. Don't miss out on the opportunity to read it, also because it is considered one of the definitive classics of Italian literature. The ending in particular, I found incredibly affecting.
Hey Carolyn, since I know you love Russian literature, just in case you haven’t seen the Vintage Classic Russian series (6 books)I think you’d love them. I just placed an order of all 6 just because of the cover 😊. Happy reading❤
Carolyn, you'd enjoy Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra, a superlative novel of Italians fleeing Mussolini ending up in Hollywood, and the exigencies of exile in both places. Brilliantly written with humor, humanity, and insight. Full of eyebrow-raising stories and vivid characters.
i love reading classics and i know there is so many of them that i dont know becouse they are so underrated. during my studies, when i was doimg english lit, we read many amazing books but this video was something i for sure needed
One of my favourite neglected classics is "Old St. Paul's: A Tale Of The Plague And The Fire" by Victorian novelist William Harrison Ainsworth which is a "ripping yarn" detailing the disastrous years of 1665/1666 in Restoration London. Hugely popular in his day Harrison Ainsworth is largely forgotten now but is still thoroughly readable and accessible.
I hate "The Brothers Karamazov" but like his other works. 3) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 15) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 96) "Poor Folk" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 128) "White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoevsky FAVORITE AUTHORS 1) Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons) 2) Leo Tolstoy (Resurrection) 3) Fyodor Dostoevsky (The Idiot) 4) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich) 5) C. S. Lewis (The Magician's Nephew) 6) Charlotte Brontë (Vilette) 7) J. R. R. Tolkien (The Hobbit) 8) Isaac Asimov (Foundation and Empire) 9) Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice) 10) Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) 11) George Eliot (Silas Marner) 12) Anthony Trollope (The Warden)
@@ReligionOfSacrifice Hey. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I am about 300 hundred pages into The Brothers Karamazov. The idiot and crime and punishment and Fathers and son are also on my tbr.
The Penquin Classics Book & The Modern Penquin Classics, both by Henry Eliot Both of these volumes are encyclopedia of all Penquin Classics from different countries. I absolutely love both books. You will not be disappointed!
I'm Italian and I suggest reading the Leopard because it's a masterpiece of our literature! You will enjoy it very much because there are history, romance and a picture of an ancient society represented by the main character who is old and noble and sees the new world coming; the new world is represented by the young people of his family who are different from him. I suggest you watching the movie by Luchino Visconti with Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale. I live near Venice but my father was from Sicily! Thank you for your very interesting videos!
I would highly recommend a wonderful hidden gem called ‘On heroes and tombs’ by Ernesto Sabato. It is a dark and brooding book that is one of my all time favourites!
I know I've mentioned this book before (and even sent one to you!) but Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me by Richard Farina will always be the underrated classic I vouch for. a fascinating and beautifully written portrait of youth and the late 1950s, it's a shame it's so rare because it's amazing. the author had an interesting life too - he died in a motorbike crash two days after publication. highly recommend to everyone! also note on your pronunciation of Bath: over here a lot of people say "Barth" due to southern, posher accents, but as a northerner I've always said it like you did and it was a little bit of validation you said it like that haha!. final note: Enid Blyton was awesome! The Magic Faraway Tree is an amazing kids book!
Enid Blyton was really popular among my parents generation in India. Thus me and my brother also grew up reading Enid Blyton. There's so many wonderful story's associated with her books. She has a gorgeous collection of books called the 'o clock' stories which have a collection of short stories that are very cute. I would recommend those to get a de-stresser to read about a wholesome group of stories Also Eva Ibbotson is an absolute gem. I love the Journey of a River Sea and The Dragonfly pool were both books that I grew up reading as a kid.
For me it's The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz. A saga of three generations set in Egypt in the 20th century. It sounds like my kind of book but I haven't heard many people talking about it so I'm still hesitant. 🙈🙈
oo gilgamesh!!! it would be really cool if you read it and then did a video breaking down the references to it in johnny flynn and robert macfarlane's album
Enid Blyton's come close to being retroactively "cancelled" here in the UK, same for Roald Dahl. I'd love to have had a long dinner with those two and Patricia Highsmith, particularly if all four of us were overserved. They sounded like very, er, difficult, people. Which is choosing the kindest most vague word I can, ahem.
I recently read Enid's Blyton The Secret Seven first book as an adult and loved it! Wish I had discovered as a child. Interestingly it is translated into Spanish!
I noticed, that a lot of German classics go unnoticed outside the German speaking countries. Poetic German doesn't always translate all that well. Thomas Manns "Magic mountain" is on the same level as Tolstoy and Dostojevsky. Highly recommended.
That’s true. As a person who is German and can speak Turkish, I prefer reading German classics in Turkish because the German language can sometimes be too cold to enjoy. I really love reading Stefan Zweig and tried to read them in German but they didn’t gave me the same poetical and emotional writing/feeling like the Turkish or English translations.
@@kurtfox4944 I loved reading it! It's definitely not plot driven and a lot of the book takes place through conversations and arguments between characters. But it's an omniscient narrator and a linear narrative, and the themes are super universal so I think it is accessible. It's about a young person who doesn't know what to do with his life so he gets sucked into a weird decadent illness cult! And bonus there is a wryness and humor to it that's not as present in Tolstoy/Dostoevsky. Also if you're reading Mann in English, John Woods is the best translator (not Lowe-Porter)
@@민지-m8e I also speak Turkish. Some can be dry, you are right . But great ones like Mann, Goethe, Rilke, Hesse and Nietzsche prove how incredibly rich and deep the German language can be.
what a random nostalgia hit, marghanita laski, not heard that name in 30 years, mum always use to say it, not sure if her mum called her it, her name being Margaret; doubt either read her books but now I know it's a real person.
I watched the movie "The leopard" for my Film history class and I can now clearly see that it was a book first. The director is the famous Luchino Visconti so I recommend it but I suppose the book is going to be excellent too!!
I think Vanity Fair has slipped in popularity over the past 10 years and that is s shame bc it is incredible. In the well-known author but under-rated titled category: Silas Marner, The Woodlanders. Return of the Native. The Mill on the Floss. All in a Summer's Day (R Bradbury, short story)
My favorite classic book that I own is "The Story of a Thousand Year Pine" by Enos A Mills. I originally bought it from a used bookstore because it's beautiful 😍. It is an illustrated and autographed 1914 edition. It's a very short book about 38 pages but it packs a punch. Especially if you love trees like me. It makes me cry every time I read it. I looked and on Goodreads there are only 22 ratings and 8 reviews.
So many good suggestions, thank you! Since you love reading about nature and animals, I’d suggest checking out the Norwegian author Mikkjel Fønhus (Fonhus in English), and especially his book «The Trail of the Elk». I think you would really like it! 😊
Have you ever read Gabriele D'Annunzio? Given your taste in literature I think you would enjoy The Child of Pleasure. Just make sure you get the modern translation. The old Victorian era version censored some parts of the novel
This will be no shock to you Carolyn but I really do not hear enough people speaking about Giovanni’s room I will continue to sing it’s praises till I am no longer here
I often wonder if the appeal of stories about humans becoming animals is humanity's desire to be more humane through the comparatively different considerations that animals inately display vs. the rational decisions made by people when dealing with all living things.
I don’t hear enough people talking about the incredible novel by O.E. Rolvaag, Giants in the Earth, about the Norwegian pioneers. It is one of the rare classics of American Literature that was originally written in Norwegian and not English. Regardless, the English translation is beautiful, as is the story.
for underrated classics i want to recommend "la femme de gilles" by madeleine bourdouxhe (belgian, 1937) and "history" by elsa morante (italian, 1974). :)
Hi, just wanted to point something out regarding what makes a book a classic (8 years of studying literature, I can't help it sorry): a book can be a classic because the book and its author helped shape a literary identity, popularise a literary movement and/or an aesthetic, or enable the emergence of a writing technique. A classic book had an impact on literature and on society during the era it was written and published. For instance, in contemporary literature, we now deem the Harry Potter series as a classic in contemporary children’s literature. A book being written 50 years ago or before whatever year is not what makes it a classic. As for an underrated classic I'd recommend, I'd say the French author Colette who wrote a lot, her Claudine series (for which she fought her husband for the writing credits to go to her) was hugely popular in early 20th century, she also wrote nice short stories about nature and her cat and dog.
Well, that is one definition of a classic book, and one I have not heard expressed as succinctly. By that definition, the Twilight series would be a classic, too. I think each of us has their own definition of a "classic". When talking about a "classic", I think everyone should be precise by what constitutes their own definition of "classic". (some people, it is 100 years, some it is 50 years, some include books that peaked in the top 10 in NY Times bestseller list--- just look at all those goodreads lists). To me, your definition is an "impactful" book, but not necessarily a classic. To me, a "classic" is one that is still frequently read after two generations (parents/grandparents), implying that it still is meaningful - it touches the emotions and hearts. The Clan of the Cave Bear series was really big long ago, perhaps fitting your description of a classic, but who reads it nowadays? I am not trying to 'bash' your definition of a classic (I appreciate the insight), but am offering my thoughts on your definition.
@@kurtfox4944 Actually, yes the Twilight series is also now seen as a classic mainly in Young Adult! I based my definition on research and on what I learned and studied during my BA and MA. And you're right, a classic is something that can still be as relevant nowadays as it was back in its days! I actually wrote an essay on classic books written by historically marginalised authors and it made me reflect a bit on how do I see them as classic when they didn't get as much recognition at the time of their publication, did it have an impact? If not really, is it a classic? For instance with Renée Vivien's work, she was kind of forgotten by literary historians and she didn't exactly have a huge impact in her time compared to her contemporaries but I'm pretty sure today most people would see some of her books as classics. Thank you for offering your thoughts, your comment actually challenged a bit my definition which is perhaps a bit too academic or at least perhaps it doesn't take into account how it's more subjective than what I was taught at uni..
Using the word 'classic' is like issuing invitations to a persnickety party, and altho I'm becoming a bit of a wallflower I'm inclined to accept this one. A classic is something that tends to unite a class of people, and yes that would make any best-seller a classic, but that's okay. More significantly, it expresses something a class of people share, especially when the expression of it is difficult. Thus, a classic will often transcend time and place, but that isn't a pre-requisite. In other words, typically there's a universality to classics.
@@noniesrose 'Not getting recognition at the time of their publication' .... who would now ignore The Great Gatsby as a classic? I would consider it a flop on release. From Brittanica: "While Fitzgerald considered The Great Gatsby to be his greatest achievement at the time it was published, the book was neither a critical nor commercial success upon publication. Reviews were mixed, and the 20,000 copies of its first printing sold slowly. It was printed one more time during Fitzgerald’s life, and there were still copies unsold from this second printing when he died in 1940." It certainly has since had an impact. I have also heard that The Mysteries of Udolpho is considered a classic because it is old, and may have sold well when released. But by literary standards, it is poorly written. I have not read it, so cannot comment personally. My point is: different people have different standards and definitions on what is a "classic." It is good to level set on what YOUR definition is to ensure we are all on the same page before we can further discuss. I will now have to check out Renée Vivien. Thanks - it is always good to add a new author to the TBR.
The Egyptian by Mika Waltari -- the story of Sinuhe, the royal doctor of Pharoah Akhenaten. Historical fiction at its best. The Debacle by Emil Zola -- the story of infantrymen in the flailing French army as they lose the Franco-Prussian war; the plight of ordinary men when their leaders let them down. Little Big Man by Thomas Berger -- Jack Crabb, a centenarian, recounts his youth, claiming to be the sole survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn on the U.S. side. As a child he was adopted by the Cheyenne. Over time he moves back and forth between Cheyenne and white culture, concluding that the Cheyenne are who they say they are and the whites are ... not.
I remember a Italian professer in engineering doing role call named Dr. Seraphini, who upon getting to Michael DiFranco had trouble pronouncing the last name and so the kid said it loud and clearly for him. He happened to be sitting next to him and so I turned to him and said, "Isn't he Italian?" The kid said, "Yes!" So then I said, "It would seem to me his name would be the hard to pronounce and not yours, but especialy not for him, if he's Italian."
The Leopard is sooo beautifully written - but you'll need to know your Italian history to understand anything thats going on. I think i read equal parts book to history articles when I tackled it! A good read but not for when your brain is tired 😂
Ooh! I would also recommend 'Reunion' by Fred Uhlman. It's a war story but more so about friendship and prejudice, the ending is the best of any book i have read in years.
Too funny... you want to read the book "going in blind" and the book is called Blindness. LOL Someone mentioned A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943) by Betty Smith, an all-time top 10 book for me. I recommend it to you. Someone mentioned Beloved. I think Song of Solomon (1977, so not 50 years old yet) is MUCH better than Beloved (1987), and does not get the love it deserves. Same with The Bluest Eye; better than Beloved. Song of Solomon is also an all-time top 10 book for me. I recommend it to you. One book that I think is underrated is Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse. Most people read Siddhartha. Both are good, but I think of Siddhartha is like YA hence more approachable, whereas Steppenwolf is adult and deep thinking and difficult (but good). I believe most people get lost and don't comprehend it. Knowing what you like, maybe it is not for you? From a nature standpoint, Walden is not underrated, but I do not think I have ever heard you mention it. That is one I think you'd like. The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck is underrated. I have yet to see any other book reproduce the 'biblical' style of this book (which probably turns a lot of people away). I do not think I have ever heard another book tuber mention it. It won the Pulitzer back in 1931, but don't let that deter you. The Collector by John Fowles (1963) is spine-chilling and disturbing, but not a slasher or supernatural horror book. One of my top 3 from 2022. I have plenty of other classics I like more than these, but these are the more underrated ones.
Enid Blyton was almost most of my childhood reading. From The Magical Faraway Tree (which I was introduced to at primary school, as our teacher used to read a chapter at the end of every day and it was wonderful) to The Secret Seven and Famous Five. It’s so weird to think she wasn’t part of every child’s reading. Hope you enjoy them!
More Underrated Classic I've read and enjoyed:
- Silas Marner by Mary Anne Evans (aka George Elliot) is a hidden gem !
- A Clergyman's Daughter by George Orwell
-The Horla by Guy de Maupassant
-The Yellow Wall-Paper By Cltarlotte Perkins Stetson
-The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft
-Beowulf
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Omg yes, Silas Marner is awesome! And I loved Le Horla but now I don't remember much of it, it was a long time ago...
I just read The Horla just last night - No kidding! I actually woke up at 3 AM and couldn't sleep and read it.
I agree with both The Yellow Wall-Paper By Charlotte Perkins Stetson and The Colour Out of Space by H.P. Lovecraft; I also like The Rats in the Walls.
I will now try to find that Orwell. Thanks
The Horla is so strange and wonderful! I only listened to a french reading of it though, yet to read it in english but thank you for reminding me :D
@@bujobyfilo, Silas Marner is a top 50 book to me.
41) "Silas Marner" by George Eliot
69) "Middlemarch" by George Eliot
FAVORITE AUTHORS
1) Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons)
2) Leo Tolstoy (Resurrection)
3) Fyodor Dostoevsky (The Idiot)
4) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich)
5) C. S. Lewis (The Magician's Nephew)
6) Charlotte Brontë (Vilette)
7) J. R. R. Tolkien (The Hobbit)
8) Isaac Asimov (Foundation and Empire)
9) Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice)
10) Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)
11) George Eliot (Silas Marner)
12) Anthony Trollope (The Warden)
Nothing by Alexandre Dumas aside from "The Black Tulip" is worth reading to me, but then George Eliot is almost in my top ten favorite authors.
43) "The Black Tulip" by Alexandre Dumas
So if their best is so close on the list how did one author do so much better?
69 dude!
41) "Silas Marner" by George Eliot
69) "Middlemarch" by George Eliot
The Leopard!!!!!!!! So beautiful and wry and melancholy. And there is an amazing Visconti film adaptation (with a killer score) too :)
If you want to read more italian literature, I highly highly highly recommend Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Novels !! Not classics, but will most definitely one day be categorized as such !
I grew up with Enid Blyton and just loved The Famous Five.
The Peregrine is a masterpiece. I never thought that a book about a bird would enrapture me like it did
I'm so happy seeing our Saramago in your bookshelf 🧡🇵🇹
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. Absolute phenomenal read! I rarely meet people who have read it.
I've read it. I found it really immersive.
In my top 10 (in my top 1%).... awesome book!
It is truly a classic.
I second this! I love this book.
One of my favorite books of all time. Changed my perspective on life when I read it as a kid
thank you carolyn ♡ i love classic literature so much >
For more Enid Blyton, I would recommend ‘The Faraway Tree Stories’. They were some of my favourite stories when I was a child, as the world she created was so magical and just honestly incredible to read about and get lost in!
Same! I really loved the Faraway tree series
I completely agree! I adored the the faraway tree ❤️ my mum loved Malory towers when she was young as well x
Enid Blyton was my childhood! I devoured those stories about pixies and gnomes and fairies and about children misbehaving, and of course, animals. They come as short story collections. I used to finish off one book a day and I credit Enid Blyton when it comes to my love for reading :-)
20) Old Mother West Wind series - wildlife series by Thornton Burgess
All these books were me (Tommy) in bed with mom reading them to me. All the titles with big animals in them were my absolute favorite animal stories I've ever heard. Thorton Burgess is older stories and so even more classic to my way of thinking.
Even now they are in my top 20 books ever.
20) Old Mother West Wind series - wildlife series by Thornton Burgess
1913 The Adventures of Reddy Fox
1913 The Adventures of Johnny Chuck
1914 The Adventures of Peter Cottontail
1914 Danny Meadow Mouse Learns Something
1914 Jerry Muskrat Begins to Build
1914 Jerry Muskrat Is Laughed At
1914 Jerry Muskrat Wins Respect
1914 Peter Rabbit Puts on Airs
1914 The Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum
1914 Unc' Billy Possum Has a Fright
1914 The Adventures of Jerry Muskrat
1915 The Adventures of Danny Meadow Mouse
1915 Peter Rabbit's Get Acquainted Party
1915 The Adventures of Grandfather Frog
1915 The Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel
1915 The Adventures of Sammy Jay
1915 Tommy and the Wishing Stone
1915 Tommy's Wishes Come True
1916 The Adventures of Buster Bear
1916 The Adventures of Old Mr. Toad
1916 The Adventures of Prickly Porky
1916 The Adventures of Old Man Coyote
1917 Johnny Chuck Loses His Temper
1917 Peter Rabbit Introduces His Big Cousin
1917 Peter Rabbit Learns from Striped Chipmunk
1918 The Adventures of Bobby Coon
1918 The Adventures of Jimmy Skunk
1919 The Adventures of Ol' Mistah Buzzard
1920 Bowser the Hound
1920 Old Granny Fox
1921 Tommy's Change of Heart
1924 Billy Mink
1925 Little Joe Otter
1927 What Farmer Brown's Boy Did
1928 Bobby Coon Has a Good Time
1928 Bowser the Hound Meets His Match
1928 Grandfather Frog Fools Farmer Brown's Boy
1953 Everybody Lends Jerry Muskrat a Hand
1953 Peter Rabbit's Prank
1953 Reddy Fox Takes a Bath
My favourite underrated classic is My cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier. Rachel is italian by the way! ;) I read all Eva Ibbotson, they're really cute but very YA. I feel like when you've already lived a little they can be a bit too much.
We wish you all the best, Carolyn. God bless you.
All I read as a child were Enid Blyton's books. The Secret Seven series was my favorite. And also Malory Towers.
Hi, I'm an italian girl and I love you and your work so so so much
I was shocked when you said that you didn't know the Epic of Gilgamesh... We study it at school! I read The Leopard, but I didn't enjoy it very much... I would've quit reading it if not for a single character...
NAME SPOILER:
Tancredi
Hi Carolyn, my children’s favourite Enid Blyton was always The Magic Faraway Tree, there are many characters in it and my eldest daughter read it over and over to her younger brother and sister. She was always very talented at giving the different characters different voices, which the younger ones loved. Claire Bott
I think that ‘Testament of Youth’ by Vera Brittain (it is spelt correctly) published in 1933 is a vastly underrated classic. It is based on the true memoir of the author.
It is set just before the 1st world war and continues to about 1925. For myself at 64 years of age that period was in the ‘living memory’ of my grandma, who talked to me of many things during that period.
The book reads like pure fiction and covers many things that would change forever following that war and some sadly which would endure.
It explores issues such as class and society, the aristocratic society of ‘know thy place’ would never be quite the same again. It explores life, death, fate, I don’t want to give spoilers…
There has been a quite recent film, and many years ago a tv series. In my opinion neither did the book anything like justice. The book gives a deep and very specific, personal insight into an age now gone by and a county forever changed on almost every level.
I would heartily recommend this book to anyone interested in history, in society, in education, or in life and how we choose or don’t choose to live it. Claire B
I recommend The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas. If you're afraid of the thickness of Count of Monte Cristo but want to see if you would like Dumas. Try this one. Similar themes but much shorter.
The Black Tulip is so good ! I LOVE Alexandre Dumas ❤
"The Black Tulip" to me is the only worthwhile book by Alexander Dumas to read. I believe it to be one of the top 50 books ever written. Anything else from him wouldn't even be in the top 250 books.
43) "The Black Tulip" by Alexandre Dumas
@@ReligionOfSacrifice c'est mon auteur préféré donc je ne suis pas tellement d'accord, Les Trois Mousquetaires, Le Comte de Monte Cristo, La Reine Margot, sont supérieurs à mes yeux, mais chacun a un avis différent bien sûr et c'est normal 😊
@@Sandrine_Damfino, he can be your favorite. I love some different sort of French. I will check out "Queen Margot." Thank you for that suggestion.
7) "Vilette" by Charlotte Brontë
35) "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo
39) "Papillon" by Henri Charrière
43) "The Black Tulip" by Alexandre Dumas
46) "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
57) "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
73) "Turnley reading system based on Sonsils: A system of sound instruction by which a child can learn to read well in one year or less" by Francis R. Turnley
88) "Madeline" by Ludwig Bemelmans
FAVORITE AUTHORS
1) Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons)
2) Leo Tolstoy (Resurrection)
3) Fyodor Dostoevsky (The Idiot)
4) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich)
5) C. S. Lewis (The Magician's Nephew)
6) Charlotte Brontë (Vilette)
7) J. R. R. Tolkien (The Hobbit)
8) Isaac Asimov (Foundation and Empire)
9) Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice)
10) Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)
11) George Eliot (Silas Marner)
12) Anthony Trollope (The Warden)
I have two underrated middle grade recs for you! First of all Momo by Michael Ende - or anything by him but I loooved Momo. And also the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander. They are a perfect coming of age fantasy. (These aren’t 60 years old but I still think they’re classics 😉)
Michael Ende is my all time favorite Children's book author. I grew up with his works and discovered my love of books through The Neverending Story which continues to be one be one of my favourite books of all time. And imo Momo and The Neverending Story are deep and thoughtful books that are worth giving a try even as an adult.
Yeah, Momo is great!
Carolyn, you are such a gem. Your videos are so comforting. You really have the best energy 💛
Oh my god Enid Blyton is right up your alley!!! When my mum was young in the 70’s she read essentially every book of hers and then when I was little she passed them all on to me, these super ugly hardback editions and I read them all too🤣 I’d say the ones that stand out to me the most are her Magic Faraway Tree series and the Famous Five Series, at some point I got a more modern edition of the three magic faraway tree books all in one and it was my prized possession growing up:)
Oh and I can’t forget the Malory Towers series!
Oh yes. Malory Towers was my favorite of hers! I also love The Secret Island!
pls make more videos on underrated classics ... or maybe a video on popular classic authors - and their lesser known books? or classics that come from parts of the world beyond western society?💟 thank you for all the reccommodations. I added so many books to my list
Another classic I think is underrated is Heart by Edmondo de Amicis (Italian author!) I think you're gonna enjoy it a lot, it was one of my favs growing up
Wikipedia says:
The novel is written in a diary form as told by Enrico Bottini, an 11-year-old primary school student in Turin with an upper class background who is surrounded by classmates of working class origin. The entire chronological setting corresponds to the third-grade season of 1881-82 (Enrico says it has been four years since death of Victor Emmanuel II, king of Italy, and the succession by Umberto I, and also tells about the death of Giuseppe Garibaldi, which happened in 1882).
Franz Kafka's The Trial is a must must must read! It's not that it doesn't get talked about a lot, but I've never really heard you or Emma talk about Kafka (probably because you haven't read any of his books, correct me, if I'm wrong). I mean, because of Kafka and his unique writing we have an adjective that describes something, which couldn't be captured in just one word before.
I also wanna recommend a classic by a German writer: The Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. One of the books we had to read in school in German class and one that highly impressed me. So atmospheric, so much beyond the surface.
In the top 100 books, but only just barely.
99) "The Trial" by Franz Kafka
I really enjoyed the Norwegian classic The Fisher Girl (Fiskerjenten) by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. I was not expecting the modern views and the humour in a book from 1868 😊
The Magic Faraway Tree stories captured my heart and imagination when I was little 🌳🌝🧚
Eva Ibbotson!! She’s such a cozy wondrous delight-my favorite is The Secret Countess, but they’re all oh so magical! Can’t wait to hear what you think! ❤ And they’re definitely more than romance-Ibbotson’s a wonder at making all of the characters so charming and memorable, and a historical moment feel so real!
If you want to try another Norwegian (modern) classic, I also recommend 'The Ice Palace' by Tarjej Vesaas. It's poetic, profound, it sweeps you in. Also, I recommend anything by Knut Hamsun ('Hunger' is his best-known novel I think; he also wrote "Growth of the Soil", which got him the Nobel Prize in Literature). I don't see many people talking about his work outside of Scandinavia, which is a pity.
'The Scarlet Pimpernel' - great heroic tale- based on true story? Maybe? Saving souls from the French guillotine. 'A tale of two cities' - Charles Dickens (O too well known and you've done like series...). 'Notre-dame du Paris' - Victor Hugo. Any Thomas Hardy. And Honore Du Balzac's 'Cousin Bette'- beautiful realism of France in 19th century about a beautiful woman's secret affairs - possibly not your cup of tea, but brilliant.
Better movie than book.
BOOK
143) "The Scarlet Pimpernel" by Emmuska Orczy
MOVIES, my favorite.
1) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
14) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)
Carolyn, Eniid Blyton and her Faraway Tree collection. These were my favourite when I was a child. Simply magical books.
Oh please read This above all by Eric Knight. It's everything I hoped A farewell to arms would be, but wasn't. And I think since you love A farewell to arms, you would love this book as well. Also, I have never heard anyone talk about this classic, nor have I met anyone who has read it. 😅
Such a great video! I love discovering new incredible books
I think an underrated classic that I don't hear many lovers of classic literature talk about is "The robe " by Lloyd C Douglas. It is an amazing book. I really recomand it.
This year I would like to read "The big fisherman" by the same author.
I loved the Famous Five and Secret Seven by Enid Blyton growing up. Other classics that dont get talked about that much are those by Elizabeth Gaskell and not all Thomas Hardy books either. The Classics are great and I am always drawn to them.
I'm looking forward to reading The Leopard whenever I get to it,and I'm sure I saw the movie once upon a time.The Epic Of Gilgamesh is often cited in classic studies and crops up in documentaries about the ancient world.
A single man by Christopher Isherwood is a brilliant book. I read it nine years ago and I want to reread it soon. Great video as usual, Carolyn!
Edit: Also when people talk about their favorite Austen, they always mention Emma and Pride and Prejudice but I have always had a soft spot for Persuasion. It’s my favorite!
you were a flying book angel--not nonsense at all 🤍😇🤍
Hi Carolyn I grew up reading Enid Blyton. As long as you know that her nature stories were written for children, she actually has a number of these ss books. There is summer short stories, bedtime stories etc . . . but she's famous for her Famous Five Adventure series, The Naughtiest Girl series, Secret Series and many other Middle Grade chapter novels. I loved The Famous Five when I was a girl so if you find you want to try Enid Blyton books read some individual books from her series. They don't necessarily need to be read in order but to begin the series with the first book in best as she introduces you to her mc's of each series. After that you can read in any order, really! I hope you enjoy her, I feel over time she has been rudely and unkindly treated.
I absolutely love Eva Ibbotson - together with GeorgetteHeyer a classic in the historical romance genre!
I grew up with Enid Blyton. Her famous five stories were my favourite and completely wonderful. I read them obsessively until my mum insisted I try other authors as well.
Oh I looooved „Fünf Freunde“ (The Famous Five) by Enid Blyton!😍
Also started to read Blindness by Saramago a while ago but was a little bored like 100 pages in😮💨
@The Paradox Destroyer im sure they're quite aware? but the english / original title is the famous five.
I recommend The Timeless Land (by Eleanor Dark). It's an Australian classic, published in 1941. Two books follow on from there, exploring the lives of the same characters, and more. The next two books in the trilogy are Storm of Time (1948) and No Barrier (1954).
Please read The Magic Faraway Series! I feel like my childhood was brought back to me just by you mentioning Enid Blyton!
Absolutely adore Enid Blyton! Her children’s stories are lovely as well. I love her Famous Five series. Also her stories of magical woodland folk are just delightful! If you are interested in more nature stories, I really enjoy the writing of William J. Long (d.1952). His books can be found on Project Gutenberg. Are they classics? I don’t know, but they are exceptionally enjoyable!! Also Thornton W. Burgess was a big part of my childhood reading, and the first books I remember my mom reading aloud to us as kids. Great video! Thanks for the recommendations!
Enid Blyton's Naughtiest Girl series are the greatest children's (girls) series!
Hi Carolyn, I have just read "The Transit of Venus" by Shirley Hazzard. What a fantastic writer! Highly recommend!
Fanny/Frances Burney's novels are wonderful and sadly underrated today, she was a favourite of Austen's.
The Master and Margarita by Milkhail Bulgakov. A classic of Russian literature. I read a lot of Russian literature in college and this is my favorite. Political satire at its best. It’s a wild ride. Even has a talking cat…
Please make a video about your Everymans library editions 😊
So loved this video! I have a couple of Sigrid Undset's books, hardcovers, dated from the 1920's. I haven't read them either but as I sit here reading the first page of "In the Wilderness" I wonder what I'm waiting for? 🤔 Another fabulous book that I think often gets forgotten is "Watership Down" by Richard Adams. As we all know, too many books, so little time. Happy reading everyone!!!
The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric! It's a Nobel prize winning novel but nobody has ever heard of it. It was released during the height of the Bosnian war, and it's centers around a little town's relationship to it's bridge, how that bridge symbolizes the relationship between two divided cultures within the town, and how the hardships of the town push together the people of the town as a community and pull the people of the town apart as enemies, beginning with the bridge's construction during the Ottoman occupation of the Balkans.
Truly the oddest, most wonderful thing I ever read was the multi-volume 18th century Chinese novel "Dream of the Red Chamber" by Cao Xueqin.
I grew up with Enid Blyton's Noddy books. They are more for young children. Her Famous Five books are iconic so I would suggest starting with those. I just read The Leopard this past summer. Don't miss out on the opportunity to read it, also because it is considered one of the definitive classics of Italian literature. The ending in particular, I found incredibly affecting.
You should read Blindness, by Saramago! It's amazing! I'd like to know Enid Blyton too.
Blindness is one of the best books i have ever read. The Leopard is very good to learn about that period of italian history.
Hey Carolyn, since I know you love Russian literature, just in case you haven’t seen the Vintage Classic Russian series (6 books)I think you’d love them. I just placed an order of all 6 just because of the cover 😊. Happy reading❤
“Winesburg, Ohio,” by Sherwood Anderson. Absolutely brilliant book.
Carolyn, you'd enjoy Mercury Pictures Presents by Anthony Marra, a superlative novel of Italians fleeing Mussolini ending up in Hollywood, and the exigencies of exile in both places. Brilliantly written with humor, humanity, and insight. Full of eyebrow-raising stories and vivid characters.
7:07 Enid Blyton’s The Family at Red-Roofs will always feels nostalgic for me! So I’m here to recommend it ❤
Kristin Lavransdatter is amazingly good.
i love reading classics and i know there is so many of them that i dont know becouse they are so underrated. during my studies, when i was doimg english lit, we read many amazing books but this video was something i for sure needed
One of my favourite neglected classics is "Old St. Paul's: A Tale Of The Plague And The Fire" by Victorian novelist William Harrison Ainsworth which is a "ripping yarn" detailing the disastrous years of 1665/1666 in Restoration London. Hugely popular in his day Harrison Ainsworth is largely forgotten now but is still thoroughly readable and accessible.
I loved Enid Blytons Boarding school books when I was young, I read all the St Clairs and Malory Towers books
I have started reading The Brothers Karamazov. Hope you have started that since it was on your tbr for this year.
Omid Fazeli ♥️ my favorite book is Brothers Karamasov. Dostoyevsky is wild, for sure.
I hate "The Brothers Karamazov" but like his other works.
3) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
15) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
96) "Poor Folk" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
128) "White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
FAVORITE AUTHORS
1) Ivan Turgenev (Fathers and Sons)
2) Leo Tolstoy (Resurrection)
3) Fyodor Dostoevsky (The Idiot)
4) Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich)
5) C. S. Lewis (The Magician's Nephew)
6) Charlotte Brontë (Vilette)
7) J. R. R. Tolkien (The Hobbit)
8) Isaac Asimov (Foundation and Empire)
9) Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice)
10) Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)
11) George Eliot (Silas Marner)
12) Anthony Trollope (The Warden)
@@ReligionOfSacrifice Hey. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I am about 300 hundred pages into The Brothers Karamazov. The idiot and crime and punishment and Fathers and son are also on my tbr.
@@ReligionOfSacrificeAsimov so based
@@lautaro868, the foundation series is Behaviorism science applied to fantasy and universe empire as opposed to society in a company or organization.
The Penquin Classics Book & The Modern Penquin Classics, both by Henry Eliot
Both of these volumes are encyclopedia of all Penquin Classics from different countries.
I absolutely love both books. You will not be disappointed!
TWO Recommendations: The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen (exactly 50 years ago) AND Desert Solitaire BY Edward Abbey
I'm Italian and I suggest reading the Leopard because it's a masterpiece of our literature! You will enjoy it very much because there are history, romance and a picture of an ancient society represented by the main character who is old and noble and sees the new world coming; the new world is represented by the young people of his family who are different from him. I suggest you watching the movie by Luchino Visconti with Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale. I live near Venice but my father was from Sicily! Thank you for your very interesting videos!
I would highly recommend a wonderful hidden gem called ‘On heroes and tombs’ by Ernesto Sabato. It is a dark and brooding book that is one of my all time favourites!
I know I've mentioned this book before (and even sent one to you!) but Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me by Richard Farina will always be the underrated classic I vouch for. a fascinating and beautifully written portrait of youth and the late 1950s, it's a shame it's so rare because it's amazing. the author had an interesting life too - he died in a motorbike crash two days after publication. highly recommend to everyone!
also note on your pronunciation of Bath: over here a lot of people say "Barth" due to southern, posher accents, but as a northerner I've always said it like you did and it was a little bit of validation you said it like that haha!.
final note: Enid Blyton was awesome! The Magic Faraway Tree is an amazing kids book!
I LOVE the Song of Roland.
I’ve never come across anyone who’s even heard of it. It’s a a beautiful medieval poem of Christian’s at war with pagans.
Enid Blyton was really popular among my parents generation in India. Thus me and my brother also grew up reading Enid Blyton. There's so many wonderful story's associated with her books. She has a gorgeous collection of books called the 'o clock' stories which have a collection of short stories that are very cute. I would recommend those to get a de-stresser to read about a wholesome group of stories
Also Eva Ibbotson is an absolute gem. I love the Journey of a River Sea and The Dragonfly pool were both books that I grew up reading as a kid.
For me it's The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz. A saga of three generations set in Egypt in the 20th century. It sounds like my kind of book but I haven't heard many people talking about it so I'm still hesitant. 🙈🙈
I love Morning Gift and Eva Ibbotson in general ❤
This video + comment section is a gold mine 😍
George Gissing is an underappreciated Victorian/Edwardian novelist for sure 👍
oo gilgamesh!!! it would be really cool if you read it and then did a video breaking down the references to it in johnny flynn and robert macfarlane's album
Enid Blyton's come close to being retroactively "cancelled" here in the UK, same for Roald Dahl. I'd love to have had a long dinner with those two and Patricia Highsmith, particularly if all four of us were overserved. They sounded like very, er, difficult, people. Which is choosing the kindest most vague word I can, ahem.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a very favorite of mine.
I recently read Enid's Blyton The Secret Seven first book as an adult and loved it! Wish I had discovered as a child. Interestingly it is translated into Spanish!
I really want to read The Leopard too!!!! Il Gatopardo!
I noticed, that a lot of German classics go unnoticed outside the German speaking countries. Poetic German doesn't always translate all that well.
Thomas Manns "Magic mountain" is on the same level as Tolstoy and Dostojevsky. Highly recommended.
I was told Magic Mountain is incredibly tough to read. As opposed to Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, this is inaccessible. Is this true?
That’s true. As a person who is German and can speak Turkish, I prefer reading German classics in Turkish because the German language can sometimes be too cold to enjoy. I really love reading Stefan Zweig and tried to read them in German but they didn’t gave me the same poetical and emotional writing/feeling like the Turkish or English translations.
@@kurtfox4944 I loved reading it! It's definitely not plot driven and a lot of the book takes place through conversations and arguments between characters. But it's an omniscient narrator and a linear narrative, and the themes are super universal so I think it is accessible. It's about a young person who doesn't know what to do with his life so he gets sucked into a weird decadent illness cult! And bonus there is a wryness and humor to it that's not as present in Tolstoy/Dostoevsky. Also if you're reading Mann in English, John Woods is the best translator (not Lowe-Porter)
@@민지-m8e I also speak Turkish. Some can be dry, you are right . But great ones like Mann, Goethe, Rilke, Hesse and Nietzsche prove how incredibly rich and deep the German language can be.
@@lizap5018 thanks for the tip on John Woods translation. I appreciate it!
Hello Carolyn, the Adventure series by Enid Blyton, Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L’engle, also books by Thornton W. Burgess .
Bonjour tristesse - Françoise Saigon ❤ still can’t believe she was a teenager when she wrote it!
Robertson Davies - classic Canadian author - and I would start with the Salterton trilogy.
what a random nostalgia hit, marghanita laski, not heard that name in 30 years, mum always use to say it, not sure if her mum called her it, her name being Margaret; doubt either read her books but now I know it's a real person.
I watched the movie "The leopard" for my Film history class and I can now clearly see that it was a book first. The director is the famous Luchino Visconti so I recommend it but I suppose the book is going to be excellent too!!
I think Vanity Fair has slipped in popularity over the past 10 years and that is s shame bc it is incredible. In the well-known author but under-rated titled category: Silas Marner, The Woodlanders. Return of the Native. The Mill on the Floss. All in a Summer's Day (R Bradbury, short story)
My favorite classic book that I own is "The Story of a Thousand Year Pine" by Enos A Mills. I originally bought it from a used bookstore because it's beautiful 😍. It is an illustrated and autographed 1914 edition. It's a very short book about 38 pages but it packs a punch. Especially if you love trees like me. It makes me cry every time I read it. I looked and on Goodreads there are only 22 ratings and 8 reviews.
I would say Lanark by Alasdair Gray as a scottish classic, i just read it and there are some questionable parts but it was so interesting and MENTAL
So many good suggestions, thank you!
Since you love reading about nature and animals, I’d suggest checking out the Norwegian author Mikkjel Fønhus (Fonhus in English), and especially his book «The Trail of the Elk». I think you would really like it! 😊
Have you ever read Gabriele D'Annunzio? Given your taste in literature I think you would enjoy The Child of Pleasure. Just make sure you get the modern translation. The old Victorian era version censored some parts of the novel
Blindness has now been made into a film
Yeah, in the 2000s . Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo were the protagonist.
Directed by Fernando Meirelles, with Gael Garcia Bernal. :)
This will be no shock to you Carolyn but I really do not hear enough people speaking about Giovanni’s room I will continue to sing it’s praises till I am no longer here
I often wonder if the appeal of stories about humans becoming animals is humanity's desire to be more humane through the comparatively different considerations that animals inately display vs. the rational decisions made by people when dealing with all living things.
I don’t hear enough people talking about the incredible novel by O.E. Rolvaag, Giants in the Earth, about the Norwegian pioneers. It is one of the rare classics of American Literature that was originally written in Norwegian and not English. Regardless, the English translation is beautiful, as is the story.
for underrated classics i want to recommend "la femme de gilles" by madeleine bourdouxhe (belgian, 1937) and "history" by elsa morante (italian, 1974). :)
Hi, just wanted to point something out regarding what makes a book a classic (8 years of studying literature, I can't help it sorry): a book can be a classic because the book and its author helped shape a literary identity, popularise a literary movement and/or an aesthetic, or enable the emergence of a writing technique. A classic book had an impact on literature and on society during the era it was written and published. For instance, in contemporary literature, we now deem the Harry Potter series as a classic in contemporary children’s literature. A book being written 50 years ago or before whatever year is not what makes it a classic.
As for an underrated classic I'd recommend, I'd say the French author Colette who wrote a lot, her Claudine series (for which she fought her husband for the writing credits to go to her) was hugely popular in early 20th century, she also wrote nice short stories about nature and her cat and dog.
Well, that is one definition of a classic book, and one I have not heard expressed as succinctly. By that definition, the Twilight series would be a classic, too.
I think each of us has their own definition of a "classic". When talking about a "classic", I think everyone should be precise by what constitutes their own definition of "classic". (some people, it is 100 years, some it is 50 years, some include books that peaked in the top 10 in NY Times bestseller list--- just look at all those goodreads lists).
To me, your definition is an "impactful" book, but not necessarily a classic. To me, a "classic" is one that is still frequently read after two generations (parents/grandparents), implying that it still is meaningful - it touches the emotions and hearts. The Clan of the Cave Bear series was really big long ago, perhaps fitting your description of a classic, but who reads it nowadays?
I am not trying to 'bash' your definition of a classic (I appreciate the insight), but am offering my thoughts on your definition.
@@kurtfox4944 Actually, yes the Twilight series is also now seen as a classic mainly in Young Adult!
I based my definition on research and on what I learned and studied during my BA and MA. And you're right, a classic is something that can still be as relevant nowadays as it was back in its days!
I actually wrote an essay on classic books written by historically marginalised authors and it made me reflect a bit on how do I see them as classic when they didn't get as much recognition at the time of their publication, did it have an impact? If not really, is it a classic? For instance with Renée Vivien's work, she was kind of forgotten by literary historians and she didn't exactly have a huge impact in her time compared to her contemporaries but I'm pretty sure today most people would see some of her books as classics.
Thank you for offering your thoughts, your comment actually challenged a bit my definition which is perhaps a bit too academic or at least perhaps it doesn't take into account how it's more subjective than what I was taught at uni..
Using the word 'classic' is like issuing invitations to a persnickety party, and altho I'm becoming a bit of a wallflower I'm inclined to accept this one. A classic is something that tends to unite a class of people, and yes that would make any best-seller a classic, but that's okay. More significantly, it expresses something a class of people share, especially when the expression of it is difficult. Thus, a classic will often transcend time and place, but that isn't a pre-requisite. In other words, typically there's a universality to classics.
@@noniesrose 'Not getting recognition at the time of their publication' .... who would now ignore The Great Gatsby as a classic? I would consider it a flop on release. From Brittanica: "While Fitzgerald considered The Great Gatsby to be his greatest achievement at the time it was published, the book was neither a critical nor commercial success upon publication. Reviews were mixed, and the 20,000 copies of its first printing sold slowly. It was printed one more time during Fitzgerald’s life, and there were still copies unsold from this second printing when he died in 1940." It certainly has since had an impact.
I have also heard that The Mysteries of Udolpho is considered a classic because it is old, and may have sold well when released. But by literary standards, it is poorly written. I have not read it, so cannot comment personally.
My point is: different people have different standards and definitions on what is a "classic." It is good to level set on what YOUR definition is to ensure we are all on the same page before we can further discuss.
I will now have to check out Renée Vivien. Thanks - it is always good to add a new author to the TBR.
The Egyptian by Mika Waltari -- the story of Sinuhe, the royal doctor of Pharoah Akhenaten. Historical fiction at its best.
The Debacle by Emil Zola -- the story of infantrymen in the flailing French army as they lose the Franco-Prussian war; the plight of ordinary men when their leaders let them down.
Little Big Man by Thomas Berger -- Jack Crabb, a centenarian, recounts his youth, claiming to be the sole survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn on the U.S. side. As a child he was adopted by the Cheyenne. Over time he moves back and forth between Cheyenne and white culture, concluding that the Cheyenne are who they say they are and the whites are ... not.
I remember a Italian professer in engineering doing role call named Dr. Seraphini, who upon getting to Michael DiFranco had trouble pronouncing the last name and so the kid said it loud and clearly for him. He happened to be sitting next to him and so I turned to him and said, "Isn't he Italian?" The kid said, "Yes!" So then I said, "It would seem to me his name would be the hard to pronounce and not yours, but especialy not for him, if he's Italian."
The Leopard is sooo beautifully written - but you'll need to know your Italian history to understand anything thats going on. I think i read equal parts book to history articles when I tackled it! A good read but not for when your brain is tired 😂
Ooh! I would also recommend 'Reunion' by Fred Uhlman. It's a war story but more so about friendship and prejudice, the ending is the best of any book i have read in years.
Too funny... you want to read the book "going in blind" and the book is called Blindness. LOL
Someone mentioned A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1943) by Betty Smith, an all-time top 10 book for me. I recommend it to you.
Someone mentioned Beloved. I think Song of Solomon (1977, so not 50 years old yet) is MUCH better than Beloved (1987), and does not get the love it deserves. Same with The Bluest Eye; better than Beloved. Song of Solomon is also an all-time top 10 book for me. I recommend it to you.
One book that I think is underrated is Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse. Most people read Siddhartha. Both are good, but I think of Siddhartha is like YA hence more approachable, whereas Steppenwolf is adult and deep thinking and difficult (but good). I believe most people get lost and don't comprehend it. Knowing what you like, maybe it is not for you?
From a nature standpoint, Walden is not underrated, but I do not think I have ever heard you mention it. That is one I think you'd like.
The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck is underrated. I have yet to see any other book reproduce the 'biblical' style of this book (which probably turns a lot of people away). I do not think I have ever heard another book tuber mention it. It won the Pulitzer back in 1931, but don't let that deter you.
The Collector by John Fowles (1963) is spine-chilling and disturbing, but not a slasher or supernatural horror book. One of my top 3 from 2022.
I have plenty of other classics I like more than these, but these are the more underrated ones.