Quick Read Classics to Enjoy

Or, An interesting story to read. Or, being well read

Often, people assume that all English instructors love classic literature. There are a few that really do, but my experience is that we all have particular veins of classic lit into which we have invested ourselves. If you were to ask ten English instructors for a short list of classics they love, you’d get nine different answers for sure.

For me, I’m an Austen—Conan Doyle—Fitzgerald—Shakespeare kind of English teacher (clearly an Anglophile), though I’ve never really gotten into Dickens or Bronte. But much of my criteria for loving a classic novel come down to a simple question: is it an interesting story that draws the reader in?

I spent 13 years teaching secondary English in Wyoming (grades 7 to 12), and many of my favorite classics stem from that time in the classroom—many believe that the real sign of mastery is the ability to teach the content to someone else. In my own life, this has been very true—while I was good at English in school, I wasn’t a grammar whiz. I didn’t really grasp many grammar concepts until I had to teach them to my students. The same goes for classic texts.

Each of these books lands on my favorite classics list because they contain rich prose, an interesting story, or complex characters (sometimes all three!), and none of them are particularly long reads. If you’re looking to add more classic literature to your life, I recommend snagging these as audiobook recordings, which is one of my preferred reading methods (yes, audiobooks are reading. Don’t even come at me about that).¹

Something to consider about classics, however, is that most were written in a time when the style of writing was considerably different than what we see demanded today from novels. The concept of genre fiction has changed significantly, and with it, our expectations as readers. These authors didn’t labor under the same demands for snappy action, quick tension, and prolific dialogue that modern authors do. Not only that, but some weren’t meant to be read on paper (Shakespeare) or were read through serialization in smaller chunks (Austen and Doyle). The language and style will be different, and just like all language, practice is critical in becoming fluent. The more you grapple with classics, the more you practice the antiquated language, the easier it will be to grasp.

You might be wondering why reading classics is important at all, which is a fair question. After all, do I really need to be familiar with Jane Austen or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to get along well in life?

Maybe not, but I wrote this idea of why reading is important in this prior substack, and now I’m coming back to the idea of reading Classic Literature, which in our current pop culture appears to have been banished to the ranks of those trying to be intellectual and esoteric. The idea of being well-read seems to have faded somewhat from our collective conscious—sixty years ago, it was a regularly stated goal in education, to produce well-read people. The term referred, I believe, to the idea of having read broadly in one’s education, which is a foundational belief of the liberal arts model.

But currently, we don’t seem to have the same concept of being “well-read.” We have more information at our fingertips now than ever before. In years gone by, being well-read could be a crucial tool for success, like making a reference to Shakespeare, or being able to pull up information from memory. With smartphones in our pockets, this isn’t as pressing as need. Again, even just sixty years ago, books were accessible but not in the way they are now. If you wanted to read a more obscure text, you had to work for it. Now, most are just a internet search or subscription away. Not only that, now we have such a vast collection of books to choose from that there are so many differing ideas of what readings constitute “well-read.”

Does that mean classical texts like The Iliad and Odyssey, or British texts like Middlemarch and Pride and Prejudice? Or should it mean having read more widely across the world, such as The Joy Luck Club, Things Fall Apart, or Cry, the Beloved Country?

I don’t have the answer. Many critics of reading curriculum not only complain about books with certain difficult themes,² but also about a too narrow focus on literature from the US or Great Britain. It’s easy to throw your hands up and decide that classics aren’t for you and read all the hot new Romantasy instead.³

All that being said regarding reading classics: be nice to yourself if you make the choice to dive into some classic lit. Consider choosing a short one to start and listening via audiobook, or just tackling it a chapter at a time. I also highly recommend reading a synopsis (GASP)⁴ before diving in, because context can really help with decoding and comprehending antiquated style language.

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t think there’s anything right or wrong about choosing to read classics. Reading classic literature can enlighten and enrich your life, as well as bring you into a shared lexicon with others who’ve read it broadly. More than one student has joyfully proclaimed to me that they caught a reference in a film or TV show because they read Romeo and Juliet or The Great Gatsby and are now “in” on the joke.

So if you’re in the market for some classic recommendations, I’ve put together a little list. These are classics that I really love and enjoy, as well ones that my students have really gotten into over the years. Yes, I promise: these are all books or authors that my students have enjoyed as well, and I’m not just saying that.

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“So beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald’s most famous work, a quintessentially American novel, wasn’t a big success when it first published in 1924. It didn’t rise to any particular critical acclaim, and didn’t sell anywhere near so well as his debut novel, This Side of Paradise.

The Great Gatsby, in its time, wasn’t appreciated as the critique of the American Dream that we now recognize it to be—in fact, some scholars point to this as the reason it wasn’t well received in its day. It’s rare for an author to write with such clarity about the present day, and so they didn’t get it. Without the benefit of time and perspective, it fell flat. Fitzgerald, who wanted desperately to be a wild financial success in his life, died in 1940, just a few years before his little book would have a meteoric rise to fame during World War II, when pocket copies were sent overseas with American troops, and the story of Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway, and Tom and Daisy Buchanan would become permanently ensconced in our American cultural ethos.

At just 47k words,⁵ it’s a quite short novel, and the prose is beautiful and mellifluous, even if, in the assessment of John Green,⁶ the characters are unlikable. And while that might be true, many read the story of Jay Gatsby’s incurable optimism as a hopeful story of a tragic hero that we find ourselves wishing we could save.

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“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope…I have loved none but you.”

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Persuasion was the last of Austen’s novels, written just before her death in 1817. Some scholars think the novel wasn’t actually complete, as it’s the second shortest of her novels—just over 86k—and sans a third volume. It is, however, my favorite of the Austen canon.

It’s a rather serious novel, as the story centers around Anne Elliot, a woman past her “bloom,” having lost her love at a young age when she refused the proposal of her beloved, Frederick Wentworth. Eight years later, Anne and Wentworth, now a Captain in the Royal Navy, are reunited through circumstance and a circle of common acquaintances. Persuasion is a novel of second chances, of dignity and maturity, and contains, in my opinion, the most romantic love letter ever written.

Jane Austen’s novels are well known for not only for centering women in a time when women’s voices were not elevated, but also doing so in such a way as to rather scathingly offer social commentary. In Persuasion, there’s a real insight into family dynamics, most particularly the idea of someone coming from a family from which they have nothing in common. In this case, Anne Elliot emerges from her clan as the only sane, level-headed member, beloved by those who know her for her common sense and sensitivity.

As a teacher, I’ve known many such people like her—the young people that leave you wondering what essential quality is required to help a person rise above the circumstances of their birth, family, etc to become a truly good person, when they’ve had almost no modeling for it.

Persuasion is a love story that’s so much more than just a love story—after all, to fall in love the first time is easy. To fall in love again, to forgive and grow, and find love among ruins: this is a far more challenging.

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“I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow, than a man swear he loves me.”

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

If you rolled your eyes at seeing Shakespeare on this list, it’s okay. We can still be friends. But I’m not being pretentious when I say I LOVE this play. I really do. I find it to be endlessly hilarious and witty, easy to read, and even better to watch. I had the opportunity to watch the Montana Shakespeare in the Parks adaptation in 2011 (the playbill is framed in my room!), and it was wonderfully done, set in the Antebellum South, which sounds weird but strangely, worked SO WELL.

I adore Kenneth Branaugh’s film adaptation from the 90s so much that I will even say that if you don’t want to read this classic, go watch that particular version. It does the play justice, but be warned there’s mild nudity at the very start.

Shakespeare’s work, historically, wasn’t meant to be read; it was meant to be watched on stage, which means that the practice of writing it down and having students read it has made Shakespeare feel much more pretentious and esoteric than it really is. After all, his plays are filled with ribald humor and double entendres, as they were written as entertainment for the masses (think SNL rather than the Ballet).

Oops, I sound like a Shakespeare apologist, don’t I?

My point here isn’t to give a lecture on why Shakespeare is great and funny (which he is!), but to say: there’s such value and humor in this work. There’s satire, strong women, a war of wits, and a ridiculous constable that all bring so many laughs to this classic play, which is a short read at just under 23k.

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“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I have a confession to make: I didn’t read this book until I was tasked with teaching it in my first year on the job as an English teacher. One of my preps was 9^th grade English, and To Kill A Mockingbird was on the list, so I started reading it.

Friends. I couldn’t put it down once I started. I’m unsurprised that it’s been a regular on the banned books list for many years, but that doesn’t diminish (or particularly enhance) its value.

The story in Mockingbird is centered on a falsely accused black man in the American South, and is told through the eyes of a six-year-old girl, Scout, watching her lawyer father, Atticus Finch, defend the man in court.

Is the novel a feel-good read? No.

Does it push us to confront some uncomfortable realities of the time regarding racism and other prejudices? Absolutely.

It also spurred on the most amazing conversations among my 9^th graders each time I taught it—they had so many questions, so many intuitive responses to the hard things in the novel, and they understood the great injustice of the rigged court case. They saw the world through Scout’s eyes and believed in her father the way she did.

To Kill A Mockingbird is a longer read at just over 113k words, but it’s well-worth the time. If you read (under duress) in school, I highly recommend revisiting it.

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“Hercule Poirot addressed himself to the task of keeping his moustaches out of the soup.”

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Another confession: I never picked up an Agatha Christie novel until this one, and only after I saw the previews for the 2017 Kenneth Branagh⁷ film adaptation. But I devoured Murder on the Orient Express, and it’s become a favorite. I’ve even teach in my English 2020 Literature, Media, and Culture course.

Christie, famous for so much but not the least of which is outselling both Shakespeare and the Bible, is the queen of mystery, and for good reason. This novel showcases all the ways in which she brilliantly plotted mystery novels. And this novel has become a cultural palimpsest, the idea of a locked room mystery on a train permeating everyone’s concept of a mystery.

The novel is written in a way very different to modern mysteries, in that it unfolds through chapters that focus specifically on the testimony of different character. But it’s clever and interesting and draws you in as the reader. In the words of Craig Johnson, from his own Orient Express-inspired mystery The Western Star, “There are only so many permutations—he did it, she did it, nobody did it, or they all did.”⁸

It’s a quick read—just over 62k words—with a great adaptation to watch, and a fun classic mystery that will influence how you understand the writing of a modern day mystery.

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“One cannot find peace in work or in pleasure, in the world or in a convent, but only in one's soul.”

The Painted Veil by W. Sommerset Maugham

This short novel is one that wedged itself into my heart after watching the 2006 film with Edward Norton and Naomi Watts—it’s a period piece, set in the 1920s—and I went out immediately to get a copy of the book. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve never taught this book in a class, but I did write a paper on it in my own studies.

In the novel, Dr. Walter Fane marries a rather vain and silly young woman named Kitty (whose acceptance of his proposal is surprising, since the reader knows immediately they are a poor match), and sweeps her off to China, where she promptly has an affair. Bookish Walter is quietly enraged by this betrayal, and he takes his vengeance on Kitty by hauling her along with him to a far off province where a cholera outbreak is ravaging villages. Kitty is horrified, understanding that Walter’s intent is that she will likely become ill while there with the deadly disease. He is unapologetic about taking her, but their forced proximity forces them to face their poor compatibility and they ways they’ve hurt one another.

The film is visually beautiful and wonderfully performed by both Watts and Norton, and the book delivers a similar melancholy feel—a love story, but one plagued with misunderstanding, longing, need, and ultimately grief.

The novel is short at just 70k words, and it’s a moving tale—the film wraps in a more predictably “Hollywood” way than the book, which leaves the reader with a far more ambiguous ending, but ultimately, The Painted Veil is a bittersweet and lovely novel.

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“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.”

The Importance of being Ernest by Oscar Wilde

Another play, The Importance of being Ernest is an excellent, funny, bemusing play written by the brilliant Oscar Wilde. It’s best to watch a production or film adaptation as well as reading it, since it’s a script rather than a traditional text. The 2002 film adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon, Colin Firth, and Dame Judi Dench is an excellent rendition that will have you laughing from start to finish.

Importance is fast read at just over 23k words, and it’s a quirky comedy of errors with word play that results in hilarity. There are two women—Gwendolyn and Cecily—and two men—Jack and Algernon—and a fixation on the women’s part of marrying a man named “Ernest.” There are fibs and confabulations and hijinx as everyone agrees that Ernest is the best name for a man—but no one is completely sure who Ernest is.

I’ve loved this play since I was in middle school and watched it for the first time, and my students really enjoyed reading and watching this play as well. It’s light-hearted, funny, and easy to follow.

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You made it to the end! Thanks for reading.

What are your favorite, quick read classics? Tell me in the comments below.

1. There is plenty of research that indicates listening to an audiobook, while a different mode, hits the same areas of the brain. Audiobooks aren’t cheating.

2. I could write an entire other post about the banning of books from reading curriculum because of challenging topics. Maybe I’ll do that some time. But I am a big believer (and I say this as a certified school librarian and English teacher) that there’s a balance between protecting children (of paramount importance) and allowing them access to information. Book banning is a knee-jerk and intellectually lazy practice.

3. Zero shade to the hot new romantasy. If it brings you joy and prompts you to read, awesome. I’m a sucker for a compelling read.

4. This is actual advice I give my students when teaching lit. English Teacher Blasphemy, right? WRONG. It’s only an issue if students ONLY read the synopsis (but we’ve all done, let’s be real). Having an idea about where the story will be headed can make a huge difference in your success with the reading.

5. The lowest word count for a work to be considered a novel is 50k. Most popular novels are 80k to 110k, though some genres run shorter or longer.

6. Check out John’s (now old) video about The Great Gatsby

7. Yes, you are noticing a trend. I’m certainly a fan of Kenneth Brannaugh, who is a brilliant actor and writer and director, even if I still hold a grudge toward him for breaking Emma Thompson’s heart.

8. The Western Star by Craig Johnson, page 13