TOP 5
01
The Sound and the Fury (William Faulkner, 1929)
It is impossible to do it justice in words. But this book has taught me so much about Life--love, sorrow, and identity. It reveals the magnificent truth of resurrection, and the ultimate despair of the loss of innocence. It is both heart-wrenching and uplifting and bewildering at times, but always beautiful.
02
The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde, 1890)
Another magnificent novel detailing the terror of apathy. We must endure loss to understand love, and weariness to appreciate youth. There results a deterioration of the moral code without these boundaries of emotion. Making brilliant statements on Art and temptation encapsulated in the message that we must feel pain in order to live, the book is utterly moving and a well-recommended classic for anyone.
03
Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury, 1953)
A riveting dystopian novel about the dangers of a society in which the sense of the individual is completely taken away. All opinions have been replaced by a blatant lack of curiosity and an ignorance that is both heartfelt and thought-provoking when faced with a protagonist who comes to finally realize that he is unhappy.
04
The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger, 1951)
A must-read for teenagers. It shows the cruel truths of adolescence, and gives its readers hope of a new day, even if we still don't know where the ducks go when the pond freezes over. Holden Caulfield is a beautifully constructed character that any reader can relate to.
05
The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck, 1939)
What a revolutionary tale of justice, love, and endurance! I find myself turning to it more and more as the years go on, reflecting on the past and seeing the beauty of the eternity found in mythic cycles. In doing good for the world, we do good for ourselves; and all those whose hearts have been lifted by our light will go and do the same. What a beautiful world!
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