Photo by David Masters on Flickr

Written by Sylvia Treki

  1. East of Eden- John Steinbeck

Set in California’s Salinas Valley, Steinbeck describes the intertwined fates of two families, who upon generations continuously, and helplessly reenact the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel. The novel outlines themes of good and evil, love, loneliness, and family, making it one of Steinbeck’s most ambitious novels, and his self-proclaimed Magnum opus.

  1. Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen

A mildly satirical English romance that follows the story of various eligible bachelors and women as they are pushed by their elders and peers into class and status-enhancing marriages. Interestingly, Pride and Prejudice omits all mention of the gruesome international events occurring during its time period and instead creates a mosaic of seemingly trivial yet captivating events, supported by personable characters, notably its heroine, Elizabeth Bennet.

  1. To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird presents a facade of calm and serenity through a small town where a family of three, from the point of view of a young girl witness the hypocrisy and racism present in the United States justice system, and the prejudices ingrained in individuals through a trial of a black man.

  1. Crime and Punishment- Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The novel follows the story of Rodion Raskolnikov, as he plans to kill a pawnbroker for her money, and the mental anguish and moral dilemmas to follow. Crime and Punishment quickly examines pride, its main character’s vice, then themes of criminality, morality, and guilt.

  1. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn- Betty Smith

Betty Smith’s semi-autobiographical novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn follows an impoverished but aspirational adolescent girl in Brooklyn, New York through an endearing and heartbreaking set of events. Considered a piece of “literary art,” A Tree Grows in Brooklyn captures universally experienced moments in a unique time and place.

  1. Animal Farm- George Orwell

An allegory for the Russian Revolution (1917) where major figures and places are retold through a rearranged farm animal hierarchy, with farm animals, and set on a farm. Though all major figures and countries are represented by a farm and its animals, the novel still brings forth the chilling realities behind the Russian Revolution.