Recommendations: Classics

Hi guys, I hope you are all well. I am quite excited as it is my birthday this month and that means there’s an excuse to get more books :). At least in my head. Anyway today I thought I would recommend some more classics. I love sharing my favourite books with you guys. I have already done two recommendation posts on classics which can find here and here.

 

Middlemarch / George Eliot / ★★★★★

I had this on my shelf for quite some time before I finally read it. The size is definitely a little bit intimidating. As you can see from the rating I ended up loving this. It did take me a little while to get into, as there is quite a lot going on, but after a couple of chapters or around the 100 page mark I was completely invested. I think the main strength of this book are the characters. They are so fantastically written and you want to continue reading their stories. The look into society at the time is so in depth and interesting. The writing is relatively easy to get into and is just wonderful. I think I would pick up on many new things if I reread it. It is a pretty slow read but I thought the writing really pulled it through. So even if the pacing is abit slow, the characters and world are interesting enough to keep it engaging. Overall I loved this, but it’s probably not for everyone.

 

The Count of Monte Cristo / Alexandre Dumas / ★★★★

This is another classic that sat on my shelf for quite some before I finally picked it up, again due to it’s size. I knew that I was probably going to like it as I’d heard nothing but good things about it and I had read (and loved) The Three Musketeers also by Dumas. I have to say it did take me sometime to get into this book and it took quite a lot of attention to keep track of all the characters. There were a few times that I was a little confused. Having said that, this is a fantastic book. The characters are fantastic. Dumas creates complex and flawed characters that are a pleasure to read about. The plot is engaging throughout, although perhaps a little slow at times. Overall I loved this one, but it is definitely quite dense and slow moving at times.

 

Wives and Daughters / Elizabeth Gaskell /★★★★

Gaskell is probably one of my favourite authors, so it made sense to include one of her books in this post. I love her writing style and find it so easy to read. Gaskell’s attention to detail is fantastic – it means you become completely invested in the world and the characters. I like that the characters aren’t simply good or bad  – they are all complex and have flaws, so it’s up to you to decide who you think is doing the right or wrong thing. I know I’ve said it a few times already but I think the main strength of this book are the characters. They are such so good. I also love the setting, the plot and the writing. Basically I love this book and author. I highly recommend checking this out. Although I will say this is not my favourite by this author – that definitely goes to North and South, but this is still an amazing book too.

 

Stamboul Train by Graham Greene / ★★★★

This was my second book by this author and I’m excited to try out more. I really enjoyed this book. Again the characters are wonderfully written, the plot is engaging throughout and the mystery is compelling. There is just something about fictional train journeys involving murder, or some other mystery, that just seem to work. It was a little slow to start, but it quickly improves. The atmosphere of this book is great and really adds to the reading experience. There were a few things at the end that seemed a little too neatly wrapped up, but that is only a minor complaint. Overall I thought this was a entertaining read.

 

I enjoyed all of these classics, so it made sense to recommend them all to you guys :). The first two are definitely a bit of a time commitment but they are well worth it. I’m hoping to read more classics this year so one of my goals this year is to read a classic every month. So far I am on track for that challenge. If you have any classic recommendations for me, I would be grateful. I hope you are having a wonderful day and I will see you next time.

 

Pippa