Students will enjoy having detailed discussions and learning more about the decline of the 1920s, prohibition, and other social issues of the time, while dissecting how Fitzgerald cleverly uses recurring symbols to best reflect the characters’ thoughts and feelings around these contexts.Ģ. During his quest for love, Gatsby – unsurprisingly – faces many peaks and lows, including a journey from poverty to wealth from love to heartache, and ultimately, to tragedy.Ĭapturing a cross-section of American society at the time, Fitzgerald’s novel explores themes around class, gender, and unsurprisingly, of triumph and tragedy. The tale follows Jay Gatsby, a man who lives his life in chasing for his one desire: to be reunited with his one true love, Daisy Buchanan – a love he lost five years before we meet him at the start of the novel. Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby has long been considered a classic novel to read, and often ranks among the top pieces of fiction of all time. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’” “ In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. You never know, perhaps you may just find yourself a new favourite novel!ġ. The list is by no means exhaustive, but it should just give you the inspiration you need to start exploring some new authors. Whether you’re planning to study English Literature or just want to reminisce about your days back at school, be inspired with our list of 20 classic books to read. While it’s good to discuss books you may have studied in your A-Level class, it’s more important to demonstrate your initiative to have read further afield and explored some of the other prominent texts of Literature’s history. It comes as no surprise that English Literature students need to be well-read, and if you wish to study this subject at university, this is something that will be looked at during university interview questions.
One of the most difficult decisions can be to decide which ones to read!įor students, especially those studying creative subjects, it can be hard to find the time or inspiration to read novels other than those on their syllabus. Filled with everything from classic love stories and tales of heroism to contemporary criticisms on changes in society and dystopian tales – there are a wealth of exciting and nail-biting stories to read out there. Literature has depicted, commented on, and helped shape the world as we know it today.