10 Reviews: Best Classic Books for English Literature Students (Apr 2024)

John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” is well-known. Evoking the hardship of the Great Depression and sympathy for migrant farmworkers of the time, the novel has become an American classic. Tom Joad and his family are pushed off their Oklahoma farm during the Great Depression. The family searched for work, land, and a better future with hundreds in their community. Steinbeck tackles themes of unity, love, and community collaboration in a story packed with suffering, worry, and tenacity.

"Everyone should read this book, now more than ever. Its theme is a reminder of the values of honesty, integrity and the difference between right and wrong."

by Joyce

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote this novel on 1881. Jim Hawkins seeks Captain Flint’s buried riches amid the days of sailing ships and pirate cruises. Jim, who helps his mother and ill father run their family inn, goes on an adventure after pirates assault Bill. First, Jim and his mother flee pirates with coins and a treasure map. Then Jim and his friends sailed for riches. As they approach ‘X,’ mayhem erupts. It’s about greed and seeking. The story is about who gets the prize first.

"This book Was engaging from beginning to end. Very nice to be able to read and or listen to it. Good for all ages. Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of Rum!"

by Nancy Swanson

This tumultuous life narrative in a dismal Yorkshire farmhouse is a popular GCSE and A-level set text. Still, away from the classroom, it’s easier to enjoy its drama and intensity. It spans two generations and families and features characters whose emotions lead to bloodshed and revenge. Heathcliff, a ragamuffin gypsy adopted by the Earnshaws to live at Wuthering Heights, is the story’s protagonist. As he grows up, he falls in love with his adopted sister Cathy, only to be crushed when she marries Edgar Linton from Thrushcross Grange.

"Wonderful book, read it without stop."

by Svetlana

Middlemarch is about a Midlands village in the 1830s. The work weaves multiple plotlines to explore characters’ motivations, delusions, and preoccupations. George Eliot’s description of emotions in Middlemarch is extraordinary. As a result, you may recognize feelings you believed were unique. Middlemarch has been called one of the best English novels by Martin Amis and Julian Barnes; read it, and you’ll agree.

"That’s it. This is the best English novel. Period. If you disagree, you’re wrong. Should be re-read at regular intervals."

by BCL

J. R. R. Tolkien was an initial member of “The Inklings” His works have made him a renowned author. Lord of the Rings is his best-known work. Duplicating, you’ve probably seen the three-part Tolkien movie. However, novels are more popular than movies. In the books, you will follow Frodo, a Hobbit who must go to Mordor to destroy the powerful ‘One Ring.’ The 1137-page trilogy’s unique characters, exciting universes, and complex backstories will captivate you. It’s a must-read for future creative writers.

"Great book! Even for an 11 year old like me, it was an amazing book and had no swear words whatsoever. Great book, you should buy it."

by Ashley S.

Novelist Charlotte Bronte’s older sister Emily wrote this tale about a young governess who lives and works in a forbidding country estate with eccentric master Edward Rochester. She hides a deadly secret in an isolated part of his expansive home. First-person narration tells the story of Jane’s passage from adolescence to adulthood. You will see her morality tested throughout the novel, first during her terrible childhood and later in her response to her powerful sentiments for Mr. Rochester, which she displays throughout the book.

"I enjoy classic novels and I've read Jane Eyre several times already. Charlotte Bronte was an excellent author."

by Jennifer B.

The Kite Runner is a 2003 postcolonial novel. This novella addresses the empire’s destructive legacy. In 1985, 12-year-old Amir tried to win a kite-fighting championship with his friend Hassan. Instead, the Soviet military invades their country, forever changing both lads’ lives. Amir’s family flees to the U.S. After some months in America, Amir resolves to return to Afghanistan under Taliban authority to pursue forgiveness.

"Very good story telling, well worth the read. I cried a lot at the end. "For you a thousand times over"."

by Dave H

Emma is a hilarious, romantic, easy-to-read Jane Austen tale for newcomers. The novel centers on Emma Woodhouse, a clever young woman whose mistaken trust in her matchmaking abilities leads to various romantic disasters. The 2020 blockbuster film Emma revived Jane Austen’s prominence. Emma has been argued as Jane Austen’s best work and is a must-read for literary students. It’s also been adapted into Gwyneth Paltrow’s Emma and the 1995 film Clueless, in which Cher Horowitz plays a matchmaker at her high school.

"Relation about people---expectations---kindness----respect----arrogance. This novel touches on many timeless issues."

by wilke

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is a timeless children’s classic. The tale is nearly 150 years old and a staple of British literature. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland begins on an average summer afternoon when Alice tumbles down a hole. She encounters a rabbit with a pocket watch, attends a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, and plays croquet with the Queen. Alice’s curiosity leads to additional discoveries before she wakes up bewildered and puzzled to see her family happy.

"A story for kids or adults? So many deep layers of meaning in such a beautiful children book from a mathematician."

by Magolon

Evelyn Waugh’s picture of an aristocratic family and their friend, the narrator Charles Ryder, has inspired many Oxford aspirants, who aim to reproduce the book’s Oxfordian scenes, complete with Sebastian’s renowned teddy bear, Aloysius. However, Brideshead Revisited is more than lovely Oxford, Champagne, and quail eggs. At its center is a young man’s conflict with Roman Catholicism and his family. Still, it also explores the fall of the stately English home following the two World Wars and a nostalgia for the English nobility’s bygone age.

"Waugh's novel is a treasure. This book takes the reader back to a world, long gone, but it's insights into one man's search for love and meaning are timeless."

by Amazon Customer