classics for the year...

There are three classics I want to read this year; Moby Dick, Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre.

***All captions taken from the Wordsworth Classics Editions of the books and do not express my personal opinion (until I've read the books)***

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

'Moby Dick is the story of Captain Ahab's quest to avenge the whale that 'reaped' his leg. The quest is an obsession and the novel is a diabolical study of how a man becomes fanatic.

 

But it is also a hymn to democracy. Bent as the crew is on Ahab's appalling crusade, it is equally the image of a co-operative community at work; all hands dependant on all hands, each individual responsible for the security of each.

 

Among the crew is Ishmael, the novel's narrator, ordinary sailor; and extraordinary reader. Digressive, allusive, vulgar, transcendent, the story Ishmael tells is above all an education: in the practice of whaling, in the art of writing. Expanding to equal its 'mighty theme'- not only the whale but all things sublime- Melville breathes in the worlds great literature.

 

Moby Dick is the greatest novel written by an American.'

 

Wordsworth Classic's know how to make a story sound epic; as a vegetarian and a strong believer against such torturous acts (such as whaling), I wanted to read this because it doesn't sound like a book about a whale but something so much more alluring and divulging. I really cannot wait to sink into this great American Classic.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

'Pride and Prejudice, which opens with one of the most famous sentences in English Literature, is an ironic novel of manners. In it the garrulous and empty-headed Mrs Benner has only one aim- that of finding a good match for each of her five daughters. In this she is mocked by her cynical and indolent husband.

 

With its wit, its social precision and, above all, its irresistible heroine, Pride and Prejudice has proved one of the most enduringly popular novels in the English language.'

This is one of those novels you know you should have read in school; to study how to write beautiful and elegantly, but alas I didn't and now I am almost 21 I have decided to get myself in gear and read this exclaimed novel.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

'Jane Eyre ranks as one of the greatest and most perennially popular works of English Fiction. Although the poor but plucky heroine is outwardly of plain appearance, she possesses an indomitable spirit, a sharp wit and great courage.

She is focused to battle against the exigencies of a cruel guardian, a harsh employer and a rigid social order. All of which circumscribe her life and position when she becomes governess to the daughter of the mysterious, sardonic and attractive Mr Rochester.

However, there is a great kindness and warmth in this epic love story, which is set against the magnificent backdrop of the Yorkshire Moors. Ultimately the grand passion of Jane and Rochester is called upon to survive cruel revelation, loss and reunion, only to be confronted with tragedy.'

Unlike the other classics I plan on reading this year, Jane Eyre I know more about; having watched the movie adaptation of the book. Now I know I'm not a love story kind of girl but this story got me hooked from the moment the movie started and I hope the book does this ten-fold.

Are you planning on reading any classics this year? Got them picked out? I would love to know... leave a comment below.

Happy reading,
Helen x