These three classics worth checking out now

It is commonly accepted that there are certain classic novels that everyone should read in their lifetime. According to Patrick Henry College, reading classic literature will broaden your knowledge and strengthen your emotional intelligence. The following books are three classics that I believe everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.

• Little Women is a 528-page novel published in 1868 by Louisa May Alcott. It follows four sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy—as they grow up and navigate their lives while their father serves as a chaplain in the Civil War and their mother works hard for their low-income family. Little Women is rated 4.1 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I liked this book because although it can take some time to get into, it’s a well-written and timeless novel. The personalities of the sisters are relatable to many different types of people. There are three books that go along with Little Women, Good Wives, Little Men and Jo’s Boys. 

• The Great Gatsby is a 208-page book published in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is set in the Jazz Age and shows the narrator, Nick Carraway’s friendship with Jay Gatsby as Gatsby pines for a long lost love, Daisy Buchanan. The book tells a story of how money affects people, whether they have old money or new money. The Great Gatsby is rated 3.9 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I liked this book because of the strong themes of materialism, greed and justice, as well as the symbolism that occurs toward the end. I enjoyed the message in this book about the American dream being ultimately unattainable.

• To Kill a Mockingbird is a 281-page book published in 1960 by Harper Lee. The story starts by introducing Scout Finch, who is six years old at the beginning of the novel. Scout is living in a predominantly white town and readers see racism through her child eyes. I liked the message of good and evil in this book. I also liked the character development and how easy the plot was to follow. Toward the end of this novel, it was so interesting and practically impossible to put down. This is my most recommended classic and one of my favorite books. It is rated 4.3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. There is one book that follows To Kill a Mockingbird, titled Go Set a Watchman.

Some other classics that did not make it on this list that are heavily recommended are The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens and The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I also love the book Where the Crawdads Sing, which is not technically a classic yet due to it not being very old. It is instead known to be a modern classic, meaning many believe it is on its way to being a classic some day.