Slaughterhouse-Five

My favorite classic of all time, Slaughterhouse-Five is a hilarious story with themes of trauma, war, depersonalization, and modernity. The magic of the novel is its ability to mix horrible events with comedy, something that Vonnegut mastered. I love this novel because of its portrayal of war, Vonnegut fought in world war two and it shows through his honest representation of the horrors of war.

Jane Eyre

Out of all the Bronte books I’ve read, Jane Eyre is my absolute favorite. Jane Eyre is amazing because of its mix of gothic elements and romance, but not in a cheesy modern way. Jane Eyre really has a little bit of everything, so I would recommend it to anyone looking into getting into classics. I would warn though, there are some controversial and potentially offensive parts that are unfortunately a relic of its time.

Dubliners

James Joyce’s Dubliners is a more niche pick for this list, but I stand by it. I love love love a short story collection and so Dubliners is up my alley. I loved its different themes explored and the overall structure of exploring what different people are all up to in a town through short stories. Dubliners really made me want to read more Joyce and more Irish literature as a whole. A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man is next!