Classics . . . which should I read?

[shivvy]

After years of reading modern literature, I am now setting myself the goal of reading a few classics!
I have 'done' to kill a mockingbird, 1984, of mice and men, animal farm, catcher in the rye.
Of the above, I liked to kill a mockingbird and I just loved of mice and men (read it again straight after finishing it!) although there were none that I disliked.
What I need to know now is what do I read next?
The thought of something like war and peace terrifies me but I am open to any opinions.
I look forward to your suggestions.
Shivvy

[Booldawg]

Scott F Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby

[rhona_j]

What about 'Lord of the Flies' by William Golding (I think!)?

[ketchupkid]

all quiet on the western front by erich maria remarque and the picture of dorian grey by oscar wilde. two of the best books ive ever read

[SaxyJag]

Seconded, Booldawg.

Great Expectations, too. I've read that more times than I remember and I still find stuff in it that I've missed before.

[JamesEverton]

Austen, Brontes, George Elliot, Dickens, Hardy, Conrad.

There should be enough there to keep you busy for a while!

[shivvy]

okey doke - looks like I'm off to ebay/amazon then!
thanks for your ideas.
shivvy

[Big Al1st]

Ketchup, Agree with All quiet on the Western Front. Brilliant

Also found a Town Like Alice and On the Beach very good as well

[File Cutter]

I suggest "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess

I agree AQOTWF is an excellent book if you like that you'd probably also like two non fiction, true accounts of German soldiers in WW2 - The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer and Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger.

[Litchick]

Must read the Illiad and The Odyssey.

[Booldawg]

or if you're wanting to go with litchicks recommendations then John Miltons 'Paradise Lost' and Dantes 'Divine Comedy' owes a nod to Homers classic works

[mariner2]

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

[Kim A]

Les Miserables (Hugo), Therese Raquin (Zola) . I read these at a dark time in my life. With hindsight, perhaps it was reading these that did it! However, if you're going all classical, I think you need a bit of dismal and French to balance out everything else. Oh, and for fun, try Saki short stories, or anything by O. Henry (they are elegant and amusing and everything the French stuff isn't) and for adventure, try the Three Musketeers (Dumas) - one of my favourites!

[babycakes5]

Hi Shivvy

I can recommend the following classics:
Rebecca by Du Maurier
Jane Eyre by Bronte
Great Expectation by Dickens
Dombey and Son by Dickens
Dracula by Stoker

The best book I've ever read however was Pride and Prejudice by Austen. I would start with this. Mrs Bennett will have you laughing for hours with her vexing!!!!
Let me know which classic you try next

[henke]

The Trial by Franz Kafka.

[annavc]

If you like "Of Mice and Men", try Steinbeck's other classic "Grapes of Wrath" - one of my favourite books of all time. "The Great Gatsby" is also fantastic, as is "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac.

[Reenie29]

Lolita by Nabokov and The God of Small things by Arundhati Roy. End of the Affair and Precious Bane also recommended!

[remesses]

you must must must must absolutally must read these three books before you die, in their own right are better than any classic that has come before and after.

A Brave new world- A.huxley
Stardust.- Neil gayman
the stars my destination.- Alfred bester

I rate these books by three factors
1:readability (easy to get into,user friendly.)
2:social/political relevance (if you read it 10 years from now will it still be just as good.)
3: emotional intellagence does the book apeal to all ages and cultures.

[Ken_Adams]

Absolutely definitely F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Also The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks is fabulous.