So, I'm going to list the "Classic" books I've read in my life since I was in high school 40 years ago (the ones I remember reading) and would like a suggestion

I want to re-read one or two of these.   From my list, what classic have you read, that was kind of hard grasping that you'd like to revisit as an adult with nothing better to do.

Great expectations
Frankenstein
Catch-22
1984
Lord of the Flies
To Kill a Mockingbird
Gatsby
Moby Dick
Heart of Darkness
Grapes of Wrath
Animal Farm
Fahrenheit 451
Tale of two cities
Mice and Men
Scarlet Letter
Sun also Rises
Huck Finn

These are the ones I remember in the 15 minutes it's taken me to think about them.  Maybe "A light in August" I kind of think I either started or had to read.  Faukner I believe.
I know we all had to read some of these in high school, some in college and some because we were told to by people we trust.  Some of the above I'm pretty sure I could have a basic discussion with people on, some I'd just listen and probably recall.  But if any of you had a chance to take about 4 or 5 nights to just read one of the books listed above and revisit it, which one would you pick and why?

Hey, fuck the MSU athletic department and administration for a while here.  I'm just trying to center myself.

1984 is one of my all time favorites. I think I've read it 3 times and every time I find something new in it that blows me away. I loved his book Down and Out In Paris & London as well.

Doestoevsky is the other one that is always good to return to. If you want something depressing to read in the winter can't go wrong with Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich.

Silas Marner

The Count of Monte Cristo was one of my favorites, though you'll probably want the abridged version. The central message/moral is particularly relevant to Spartans right now, too: wait and hope.

So, thinking back on these authors, I think Steinbeck was the easiest to get what point he was trying to make in his books. I don't know if that makes him the best or the simplest. Some of those authors were really hard to understand.

This is cool and I’m going to steal ideas from your list thank you wags

Read Native Son.

And any James Baldwin novel.

The Grapes of Wrath is my favorite book... I re-read it maybe once a year, usually during winter break.

I hated reading growing up. I read to get by in school.  But grew into after college. Favorite fiction book: Cryptonomicon.  Here is what I remember through HS. Good chance I Cliff Noted through 1 or 2 of these...

To Kill a Mockingbird
Death of a Salesmen
Mice and Men
The Catcher in the Rye
Tom Sawyer

TKM is definitely the most memorable. Was there a part in courthouse where the lawyer talks about evolution, or am I a complete moran?

Catch-22 was entertaining.

I plan to read Flowers for Algernon before winter ends. Never read it in 9th grade like I was supposed to. Could never really get into Tolkien, so I might give some of his work a try again.
Also want to reread the classics you listed, DWags.

tGreenWay wrote:I plan to read Flowers for Algernon before winter ends. Never read it in 9th grade like I was supposed to. Could never really get into Tolkien, so I might give some of his work a try again.
Also want to reread the classics you listed, DWags.

I found Tolkien descriptions of the trees or mountains dragging on and on being tiresome.

Most of those books are pretty depressing frankly.

AvgMSUJoe wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:I plan to read Flowers for Algernon before winter ends. Never read it in 9th grade like I was supposed to. Could never really get into Tolkien, so I might give some of his work a try again.
Also want to reread the classics you listed, DWags.

I found Tolkien descriptions of the trees or mountains dragging on and on being tiresome.

Most of those books are pretty depressing frankly.

Maybe you could try reading something from Oprah’s recommended list. I hear those are often uplifting and inspirational.

Nordic wrote:I hated reading growing up. I read to get by in school.  But grew into after college. Favorite fiction book: Cryptonomicon.  Here is what I remember through HS. Good chance I Cliff Noted through 1 or 2 of these...

To Kill a Mockingbird
Death of a Salesmen
Mice and Men
The Catcher in the Rye
Tom Sawyer

TKM is definitely the most memorable. Was there a part in courthouse where the lawyer talks about evolution, or am I a complete moran?

Are you thinking of Inherit the Wind?

Why not read Elmore Leonard's books from start to finish or something like that?

Meh, I'm not reading anything so who am I to judge. (Currently catching up on John Sanford series on audio... That fucking Flowers...)

tGreenWay wrote:

AvgMSUJoe wrote:

I found Tolkien descriptions of the trees or mountains dragging on and on being tiresome.

Most of those books are pretty depressing frankly.

Maybe you could try reading something from Oprah’s recommended list. I hear those are often uplifting and inspirational.

That crawfish sings one was pretty good.

David Copperfield is a pretty fun read if you like the classics, but it's a long text so you'll need way more than 4 or 5 nights unless you read fast (which I have to do for work but hate doing otherwise). Gatsby impresses me every time I pick it up and you could get through that in just a couple days. The next book I read will be Band of Brothers.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:The Grapes of Wrath is my favorite book... I re-read it maybe once a year, usually during winter break.

<3

NigelUno wrote:

Nordic wrote:I hated reading growing up. I read to get by in school.  But grew into after college. Favorite fiction book: Cryptonomicon.  Here is what I remember through HS. Good chance I Cliff Noted through 1 or 2 of these...

To Kill a Mockingbird
Death of a Salesmen
Mice and Men
The Catcher in the Rye
Tom Sawyer

TKM is definitely the most memorable. Was there a part in courthouse where the lawyer talks about evolution, or am I a complete moran?

Are you thinking of Inherit the Wind?

Yes! Thank you Nigel. I was mixing the two.

Might want to add a few classic SF's in there.

Some HG Wells or Jules Verne.

The Foundation Series by Azimov

Also, the two most often cited SF Series

The Dune Series by Frank Hulbert

The Hainish Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin

DWags wrote:So, thinking back on these authors, I think Steinbeck was the easiest to get what point he was trying to make in his books. I don't know if that makes him the best or the simplest. Some of those authors were really hard to understand.

Nothing simple about Mr. Steinbeck. East Eden is probably the best he wrote in my opinion although Sweet Thursday and Cannery Row are hoot.

Spartytruth wrote:

DWags wrote:So, thinking back on these authors, I think Steinbeck was the easiest to get what point he was trying to make in his books. I don't know if that makes him the best or the simplest. Some of those authors were really hard to understand.

Nothing simple about Mr. Steinbeck. East Eden is probably the best he wrote in my opinion although Sweet Thursday and Cannery Row are hoot.

Was able to tour his house in Salinas back when my grandparents lived out there. Was pretty cool. Probably my favorite author.

Crime & Punisment is darkly okay

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card may not be a Classic but it’s a classic sci-fi and one of the best books I’ve ever read.

Started getting through Vonnegut...

Cat's Cradle wrote:
Anyone unable to understand how a useful religion can be founded on lies will not understand this book either.

So be it.

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:

Robert J Sakimano wrote:The Grapes of Wrath is my favorite book... I re-read it maybe once a year, usually during winter break.

<3

just noticed this.. 3+ years later.

For those of you who have read "Dune" and the 6 book Dune Saga here is a very interesting take on a possible model for the book.

No(w) what the hell does this have to do with Lenin? Well, actually quite a great deal. For as it turns out Lenin followed the same journey as Paul. The same sudden glorious, his family suffered the same fall from grace as Paul’s, leading him on the same quest for revenge, and the same kind of tragic fall. Now what's even more strange about all this is that the same two families that murdered members of both Paul and Lenin’s family were actually from the same family.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/9/19/2182611/-Lenin-is-the-Paul-Atreides-of-World-History