And a Few That You Have but Probably Never Read...
Everyone is a Critic...
When it comes to books there is a reason why a few of them are called classics. Part of it has to do with the community of academics that control the narrative surrounding what book is in or out of a particular canon. Another aspect of what might be considered a classic has to do with the criticism it received, both in its day and in modern times. This is often how the lists of "must-read classics" you see everywhere are compiled. Many of us will gloss over these lists and never really read any of the titles though. On the other hand, there are a few of us that might try to get through some of the books on the list because we feel pressured to do so by society. Once we crack open many of these classics though, we are hard-pressed to finish them because the language used or situations presented seem foreign to us because of time and distance. So why do we even try? Because someone told us that the book was a classic! I know that has been the case for me, both as an English major in Grad school and as an English professor. Putting critics and academics aside, here are five books that are often overlooked or end up on DNF piles by everyone, but that really are worth the effort to read.
Number One: Villette by Charlotte Bronte
Published in 1853, Villette is Charlotte Bronte's last novel published before her death in 1855. It is often overlooked in favor of Jane Eyre by many academics and critics though. When the two novels are juxtaposed it is easy to see why. Jane Eyre is simplistic in its structure and use of language compared to Villette. The love story is also a bit more satisfying to many in Jane Eyre. What Jane Eyre lacks is the maturity that comes with aged reflection regarding loss and heartbreak Villette deals with in depth. This is because Charlotte Bronte allows her heroine Lucy to change and grow over the course of about thirty years. Since Villette is Charlotte Bronte's most autobiographical work this makes perfect sense.
In her lifetime, Bronte had fallen deeply in love with a professor but this love was unrequited. Much like Lucy Snowe, Bronte had also suffered a great loss when it came to her family, and she was still mourning the death of her three siblings when she wrote Villette. Because of its subject matter, its complex language use and structure, and its lack of an overtly happy ending, many people avoid Villette. That is a shame since it is the best demonstration of how Charlotte Bronte herself grew as both a writer and a woman. You can read both Jane Eyre and Villette for free online by clicking the links attached to the titles.
Number Two: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurie
Made popular by the recently released Ben Whatley film adaptation on Netflix, this 1938 Gothic novel can be confusing to some because the heroine is never officially given a name. She also makes some questionable decisions towards the end of the book that many people don't agree with. I won't go into great detail about the content of the book since its Gothic nature also makes its plot a bit of a murder mystery. What I will say is that it asks the age-old question about how far we would go for the person we love. It also offers a fascinating love story wrapped around glamourous settings that balance light elements with Gothic dread. All of these things alone could add up to a great read, but Du Maurie takes Rebecca a bit further. In this work, she explores the feelings of nostalgia that often come with memories, the nativity that is lost as the young narrator comes of age, and gender roles. The theme that looms the largest throughout Rebecca though is female jealousy as the interests of the narrator, the housekeeper, and the ghost of the former Lady de Winter all collide.
Like Charlotte Bronte's Lucy Snow, Du Maurie allows her narrator to grow over the course of the years that have passed, and to look back at how it all might have been different even as both of the heroines quietly accept that it could never have gone any other way. Like Charlotte Bronte, Du Maurie also had a rich and complicated private life that often informed her work. She struggled against gender roles, was deeply tied to her sisters, and was homeschooled for the most part. All of these things helped her imagination to grow and expand. You can read Rebecca for free online by clicking here.
Number Three: The Lover by Marguerite Duras
Unless you took a Foreign Lit class in college it is unlikely that you have heard of this little gem. Published in France in 1984, Duras's masterpiece is a relative newcomer to the idea of the classic novel. The Lover is classic nonetheless though because it deals with timeless themes such as appearance versus identity. This is something that many of us today can easily relate to as platforms such as Instagram and Facebook can often feel like we are not living our best life compared to others. Set in prewar Indochina, Duras uses the setting of the novel to explore themes of race and class as well. What makes this novel most controversial though is the significant age gap that exists in the love affair between the French schoolgirl who is the heroine and her Chinese lover. Many who read it today would scorn it just for that which would be a shame since there is so much more to this novel than questions of the age difference between the lovers. After all, when put in context, the age difference wasn't that controversial for the period in which the novel was set.
Duras's work in The Lover makes it blatantly obvious that many people can overlook age gaps and race if money is involved. It also informs the reader about the life experiences of the author who spent much of her youth in the Indochina she is imagining in The Lover. If you can open your mind and keep things in context then you can read The Lover for free online here.
Number Four: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
Given who the author is, there is little wonder as to why this novel is overlooked by academics and people in general. Anne Bronte is often outshined by her sisters Emily and Charlotte which is a shame since her writing is more deeply heartfelt and true to reality. In fact, the first time I read this novel I was angry that no one had ever recommended it to me in high school, college, or grad school. In Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte does not give us the brooding selfishness that is displayed in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights or Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Instead, Anne Bronte offers us a glimpse into the reality of marriage, alcoholism, adultery, domestic abuse, and recovery after the fact. These are all themes that were controversial during Anne Bronte's day but are more relevant than ever in today's world.
Emily Bronte's characters of Cathy and Heathcliff are certainly more akin to how high schoolers act, so it is easy to see why Wuthering Heights is taught in place of Wildfell Hall at that level. Jane Eyre is also more papable for young audiences given the lightness of its themes compared to Wildfell Hall. Once women reach college age though Wildfell Hall is essential reading in my opinion. Anne Bronte gets the real life of women in a way that her sisters never did. You can read it for free online by clicking here.
Number Five: The Awakening by Kate Chopin
The Awakening by Kate Chopin is another masterpiece that I think gets read too late in an academic career (if at all). Published in 1899, this work centers around the struggles of a young mother in the American South. While on vacation in Grand Isle, LA, the protagonist, Edna Pontellier, begins to compare herself to another woman she meets. The charming Madame Ratignolle seems to have it all and to have it all together. This is yet another relatable storyline for any woman who has ever compared herself to a social media influencer who seems to have motherhood, wifehood, and career in the bag all while keeping an INSTA-ready house. What Edna discovers though is that there is a facade that many women put up that becomes exhausting. Edna also discovers along the way that there is supposed to be more to marriage than just serving her husband and children. The rest of the novel then becomes tied to the theme of passion and seeks to answer what options are open to women who find themselves unfulfilled by the roles that society has set out for them.
Like the other female authors on this list, Chopin had her fair share of hardship and often struggled against gender roles. Most of the biographies about her also demonstrate why she must have written The Awakening since they tend to talk about her in the generic form of listing her works and describing her life at a surface level. How trapped she must have felt. The biggest tragedy of Kate Chopin's life though is that her work was mostly forgotten after her death. If you would like to read The Awakening for free online you can do it here.
Too Many Books, Not Enough Time...
This list is not meant to be exhaustive, and I am sure that I missed a few. Let me know if there is a book I should read, or one that you feel hasn't received its due. Grace Slick and I would love to hear from you either here or on Instagram. You can find us on that platform by clicking any of the pictures in this post. Until next time, may these books bring you as much joy as they have brought me. If not, hope that I have at least encouraged you to read. Seek joy, my friends!
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