Where to Start with Classics | Book Recommendations

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  • čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
  • These are my recommendations on where to start with the English speaking world's classic literary canon. In this video, I'm roughly calling classics books that were published pre-World War I, with a few exceptions like Agatha Christie
    If you're looking for Penguin Clothbound Classics, here's my affiliated Penguin Clothbound Classics shop: bookshop.org/lists/penguin-cl...
    Or if you want to go through Amazon, my affiliated link is here: amzn.to/32hC969
    Lipstick: "Wonderland" by Urban Decay
    ~*~*~
    Books Mentioned (all links are affiliated) :
    PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014104...
    (Collected Jane Austen collection in this edition - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014139...)
    JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014104...
    WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Bronte - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014104...
    ROMEO AND JULIET by William Shakespeare - bookshop.org/a/8761/978074347...
    GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Charles Dickens - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014104...
    THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - bookshop.org/a/8761/978024134...
    THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD by Agatha Christie - bookshop.org/a/8761/978006298...
    FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014139...
    DRACULA by Bram Stoker - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014119...
    THE LORD OF THE RINGS by JRR Tolkein - bookshop.org/a/8761/978061864...
    THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Oscar Wilde - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014144...
    THE WOMAN IN WHITE by Wilkie Collins - amzn.to/3bWoeGc
    TIS PITY SHE'S A WHORE by John Ford - bookshop.org/a/8761/978071904...
    THE MERCHANT OF VENICE by William Shakespeare - bookshop.org/a/8761/978074347...
    EMMA by Jane Austen - amzn.to/3hs8FHh
    GULLIVER'S TRAVELS by Jonathan Swift - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014119...
    CRANFORD by Elizabeth Gaskell - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014144...
    HOWARDS END by EM Forester - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014118...
    MIDDLEMARCH by George Eliot - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014119...
    WAR AND PEACE by Leo Tolstoy - bookshop.org/a/8761/978024126...
    THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas - bookshop.org/a/8761/978014139...
    ~*~*~
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    This is a great guide for how to best vote in each US state: slate.com/news-and-politics/2...
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    **Bookshop: bookshop.org/shop/bookslikewhoa (Note: This is an affiliate program & I receive a small commission for every book sold)
    **Amazon shop with Penguin Clothbound Classics: amzn.to/32hC969
    I also review on Read Bliss: / channel
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Komentáře • 746

  • @estrid8616
    @estrid8616 Před 4 lety +613

    where do you find all those beautiful copies?

    • @bookslikewhoa
      @bookslikewhoa  Před 4 lety +151

      Mostly Book Depository, Bookshop.org, & Amazon ☺️If folks are interested in finding the Penguin Clothbound Classics, I have some affiliated links with most of them: Here's my affiliated Penguin Clothbound Classics shop at Bookshop.org: bookshop.org/lists/penguin-clothbound-classics-7ecf8706-5180-477b-9005-660667869a8e
      Or if you want to go through Amazon, my affiliated link is here: amzn.to/32hC969

    • @von20808
      @von20808 Před 4 lety +53

      Barnes and Noble have a lot of beautiful classics also. That's where I got mine.

    • @estrid8616
      @estrid8616 Před 4 lety +1

      bookslikewhoa thank yoy❤️🌸

    • @estrid8616
      @estrid8616 Před 4 lety +3

      Von White thank you so much💕🦋

    • @endermasa9451
      @endermasa9451 Před 4 lety +13

      waterstones in the uk produced the copies like that :)

  • @HettieGrace
    @HettieGrace Před 4 lety +571

    The Picture of Dorian Gray is one of my favourite books. I challenged myself to read more classics this year and its rekindled my love for books!

    • @colleencupido5125
      @colleencupido5125 Před 3 lety +41

      Author Oscar Wilde's last words on his deathbed in a cheap rented room: "Either this wallpaper goes, or I do."

    • @supershmueli
      @supershmueli Před 3 lety +6

      I love Dorian Gray, and when I get into the classroom to teach high school ELAR, I want to teach it

    • @Justme-rw3ws
      @Justme-rw3ws Před 3 lety +2

      Oh I have a book report on the picture of Dorian Gray

    • @archelbar7800
      @archelbar7800 Před 3 lety +3

      Had a long hiatus on reading and tried reading a classic. It was Dorian Gray. I was amazed at Oscar Wilde's style of prose. It's not to complicated and not too simple. It just sits in between making it a good page turner. I loved the premise and the story in general. Too sad that his work was not generally accepted by the society during his time (victorian era) because it's too gay and too unvictorian for them. :(

    • @donikaj7805
      @donikaj7805 Před 3 lety

      its sexist but interesting for sure.

  • @booluther
    @booluther Před 4 lety +555

    I think Frankenstein is a good beginners classic. It’s relatively short and the language isn’t too difficult. Also for doorstoppers, I always recommend Les Mis to people who love the musical. It adds so much depth to the story and the characters.

    • @jolienvandamme2909
      @jolienvandamme2909 Před 4 lety +7

      booluther yes but les mis is a very big book so that’s putting me off but you are right about Frankenstein that was the first classic I read.

    • @kelviannaepperson3677
      @kelviannaepperson3677 Před 4 lety +2

      Yeah I read it in high school

    • @henryanderson6752
      @henryanderson6752 Před 4 lety +1

      Couldn't agree more!

    • @jade728
      @jade728 Před 4 lety +6

      Woah frankenstein has been my first classic! I loved it, moved on to pride and prejudice and now onto little women. I was always intimidated by the thought of the wordiness but so far so good😊

    • @gemmmmeerr
      @gemmmmeerr Před 4 lety +2

      I tried reading Frankenstein recently and I really couldn't get into it. Might give it another go!

  • @nightmarishcompositions4536
    @nightmarishcompositions4536 Před 4 lety +234

    Dracula, Frankenstein, Carmilla, Dorian Grey, the short horror stories of H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe, or the heroic fantasy tales of Robert E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith are usually my recommendations when it comes to the classics!

    • @stephaniedunham4104
      @stephaniedunham4104 Před 3 lety +11

      I just finished Carmilla today and that is one I wish people talked about more. It’s really excellent.

    • @nursemain3174
      @nursemain3174 Před 3 lety +4

      If u like Carmilla, have u read the vampyre. It’s weird that even though they’re the first vampire novels Dracula is more famous

    • @rickytrockclimbing2935
      @rickytrockclimbing2935 Před 3 lety

      SAME!

    • @caseygomes8623
      @caseygomes8623 Před 3 lety +1

      I agree. I got copies of most of those sitting in my shelf

    • @elizabethclark-feinstein3216
      @elizabethclark-feinstein3216 Před 2 lety +1

      Dorian gray is one of my favorite books rn

  • @hannahfaires3989
    @hannahfaires3989 Před 4 lety +238

    I watched Pride and Prejudice before I read the story. The language was easy to follow along with because I already knew the story.

    • @annajo6576
      @annajo6576 Před 4 lety +13

      Hannah Faires yes, I agree. I’ve done this with a few classics.

    • @kelviannaepperson3677
      @kelviannaepperson3677 Před 4 lety +8

      I did too and it made it easier while reading because I could visualize it and know where I was. The same with Emma

    • @Anna-ou7or
      @Anna-ou7or Před 4 lety +6

      I watched Jane Eyre before reading it and I regret it because it ruined the mystery. Still really enjoyed it though. Masterpiece.

    • @TaylorGee
      @TaylorGee Před 4 lety +1

      Yes, if you don't mind spoilers, I *highly* recommend watching the movie versions before reading them, but I am a dyslexic scholar and have a tendency to get swept up in the story when I mean to study XD Following the story is definitely much easier if you've seen the movie before reading it (not to mention how much easier it is to know the characters)

    • @JLar-bb5hl
      @JLar-bb5hl Před 4 lety +1

      Recommended! While there's loads of humour in the book, and top class writing, there's also a lot of ... words.: )

  • @prfctlolitas952
    @prfctlolitas952 Před 3 lety +66

    A tip for reading classics: if there is a movie about the book watch it first and then read it that way you know what’s going on if you get confused with the language and it has helped me so much

  • @annajo6576
    @annajo6576 Před 4 lety +457

    The way I got through Shakespeare: they sell editions that have little footnotes or side notes about confusing parts. Made it so much easier and helped me get used to reading his works. By the end, I didn’t even read the notes. I felt MUCH smarter haha.

    • @valpaz5802
      @valpaz5802 Před 4 lety +11

      Anna Jo I need that because I struggle with fully understanding Shakespeare 😅 if you don’t mind me asking, what books did you purchase to help? 😊

    • @jenw7283
      @jenw7283 Před 4 lety +13

      @@valpaz5802 Personally, I like the Folger editions of Shakespeare, they tend to have a lot of notes and Folger is really well known for their scholarship. Also good are the Norton editions and sometimes the Signet Classic editions.

    • @bookslikewhoa
      @bookslikewhoa  Před 4 lety +17

      I agree! I like the Norton editions

    • @theresac9099
      @theresac9099 Před 4 lety +4

      I read your comment last night and was going to ask you where you purchased yours. Then when I went to the thrift store today, I found a copy of Merchant of Venice exactly as you described! Meant to be!

    • @kalacs32
      @kalacs32 Před 4 lety +1

      Critical editions are always more expensive, but I just ADORE the Arden Shakespeare Editions.

  • @tinytoadstoolcottage8794
    @tinytoadstoolcottage8794 Před 4 lety +254

    If someone is TOTALLY intimidated by classics, I always recommend some childrens' classics first. Such as Lewis Carroll - everyone knows the story of Alice and it just eases them into the language gently. Also E. Nesbit is good. I also think Henry James is a great introduction. The themes in What Maisie Knew could have been written today. The Turn of the Screw is a great horror read. And I agree with you on Wilkie Collins - love him!

    • @bookslikewhoa
      @bookslikewhoa  Před 4 lety +7

      Great advice!

    • @stephaniedunham4104
      @stephaniedunham4104 Před 3 lety +3

      Oh I just read The Turn of the Screw and I couldn’t agree more. It was excellent!

    • @meggy8868
      @meggy8868 Před 2 lety +3

      Henry James is extremely demanding. Points of view, crawl behind the narrator’s eyes and don’t trust the narrator. I recommend Turn of the Screw!! Talk about in our DNA.

  • @user-fk2md9lk5d
    @user-fk2md9lk5d Před 3 lety +135

    I'm reading "murder on the orient express" in search of improving my English skill.🙂
    I'm enjoying myself watching your video with English subtitle!
    thank you from Japan.

    • @bookslikewhoa
      @bookslikewhoa  Před 3 lety +12

      That's awesome- welcome!!

    • @anahitamirzarazi4424
      @anahitamirzarazi4424 Před 3 lety +4

      Hey i did that too with murder on the orient express!
      -supporting you from germany

    • @harikrishnan2713
      @harikrishnan2713 Před 3 lety +3

      Hi,🤗 I really love Japan because I grew up watching animes like Pokemon and all.
      How are things going on in Japan, like How is the pandemic situation there?

    • @user-fk2md9lk5d
      @user-fk2md9lk5d Před 3 lety +2

      @@harikrishnan2713 Viruses have running rampant in Japan I want to go abroad as soon as possible:(

    • @harikrishnan2713
      @harikrishnan2713 Před 3 lety +2

      @@user-fk2md9lk5d Oh🙁. Here in India, the situation is dreadful as hell. Anyways good luck with your ambitions pal.👍

  • @MrRajeshkalia
    @MrRajeshkalia Před 4 lety +93

    My favourite classic is The Great Gatsby. I could read that book for the rest of my life♥︎

    • @parmida4723
      @parmida4723 Před 3 lety +3

      Yes!!! It's a really great book

  • @yawigriffini
    @yawigriffini Před 11 měsíci +2

    “Middlemarch” my favorite book! Yes! Yes! Sooo worth your time! It will also open the door to so many other works.

  • @poiseblemiramoon6992
    @poiseblemiramoon6992 Před 4 lety +107

    I dont know if you classify this as a classic, but John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men will forever hold a special place in my heart. If you haven’t read it, please do!

    • @settembrini3301
      @settembrini3301 Před 4 lety +2

      Oh yes, its incredible sad, but still one of the best books, I've ever read.

    • @paul5324
      @paul5324 Před 3 lety +3

      It’s a modern classic

    • @chloeedmund4350
      @chloeedmund4350 Před 3 lety +2

      I definitely enjoyed reading it in school.

    • @siberiangirl1941
      @siberiangirl1941 Před 3 lety +3

      Steinbeck is my absolute favorite. I love all his books

    • @afreyno1
      @afreyno1 Před 2 lety

      I used to hate reading, but this book changed my mind! I love it so much.

  • @DramaLlama2310
    @DramaLlama2310 Před 4 lety +131

    Looking forward to a 'Where to start with modern classics' video!

  • @debralavoie9095
    @debralavoie9095 Před 4 lety +56

    Frankenstein and Dracula were my favorite classics in school. I love a lot of Paranormal themes. Excellent video!

  • @jwsjourney
    @jwsjourney Před 2 lety +14

    I just retired and am reading classics with my daughter. First:was The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Second: The Scarlett Pimpernel and now we are reading David Copperfield

    • @AshleyZieman
      @AshleyZieman Před 2 lety +2

      This sounds like such a cozy and fun thing to do with your family. I wish my mother would do this with me. 🥰

  • @mookiebluff
    @mookiebluff Před 3 lety +14

    You absolutely won my heart when you mentioned The Count of Monte Cristo ♥️

    • @meggy8868
      @meggy8868 Před 2 lety

      After reading Huckleberry Finn, hard to take it seriously because of Twain’s biting satire. I still love the plot but terribly overwritten.

  • @rickastley885
    @rickastley885 Před 3 lety +17

    Jekyll and Hyde is such an approachable book! It's a novella and the language isn't too hard, it's what I always recommend!

  • @elizabethadejumo712
    @elizabethadejumo712 Před 4 lety +49

    There's me think she meant classics as in The Odyssey, The Illiad, Dante's Inferno (which I think I see at the top right of your bookshelf) or any classical plays like Medea or Oedipus.
    STILL A GOOD VIDEO ❤️❤️

    • @tillyp2666
      @tillyp2666 Před 4 lety

      Elizabeth Adejumo yep same lol, waiting to see what she would say about my bbys

  • @matthewc9624
    @matthewc9624 Před 4 lety +67

    For those wanting to get into Russian literature, I recommend starting with something light that sets the tone for Russian culture. A collection of short stories by Pushkin is good

    • @hunkydory3521
      @hunkydory3521 Před 3 lety +8

      I would reccomend Fathers and Sons, it's very short and easy to read, even if Turgenev is a Westernizer as compared to the much more famous slavophiles Dostoevsky and Tolstoy.
      Also, if someone were into satire I would reccomend Dead Souls by Gogol.

    • @Ariana-vc3df
      @Ariana-vc3df Před 3 lety +1

      I personally started with Anna Karenina, best decision I've ever made 😍

    • @NKanchevful
      @NKanchevful Před 3 lety +1

      hmm notes from the underground might be good to start with

    • @luiza7453
      @luiza7453 Před 2 lety

      @@Ariana-vc3df it’s too long but is it really worth it ?

    • @michaelargenta3856
      @michaelargenta3856 Před 2 lety

      Russia sucks !!!

  • @PODMTHC
    @PODMTHC Před 4 lety +13

    Phantom of the opera, little women, Oliver twist, good earth are must read for beginners

  • @Heather-hv7me
    @Heather-hv7me Před 3 lety +15

    I asked my favorite English teacher a while back. What are some great ways to improve my grammar/sentence structure. He told me reading. At first I was thrown back because I already read books. But I realize I probably wasn’t reading the right books and thought....
    Reading classics seems to be a good place to start.
    🤞🤞🤞

  • @johnbattles1002
    @johnbattles1002 Před 2 lety +1

    Since even before I learned to read, I've loved books! After learning to read, there was no stopping me! I owned several of the little "Golden Books" from the time I was about five. But I began a serious collecting quest about age eight, and now have about 5,000 books (age 67) in my personal library. I won't say they've all been read cover to cover; perhaps 70-75% of them -- many of them are reference & textual type books.
    When our first child finished first grade, we decided to home educate her and our other children. She delighted in our reading to her, even into her mid-teens, but did not have the same "passion" I had for reading on her own, though she didn't mind doing so. One day, she pulled a classic from my bookshelves in the den and began reading it on a whim. And it changed her life and perspective on books / reading forever! From then to now, she has been an insatiable reader of not only fiction but science and history as well. The book she chose that day was Baroness Emma Orczy's classic novel of the French Revolution, "The Scarlet Pimpernel." Wherever you are, thank you, Baroness Orczy!

  • @sweetdreamer5921
    @sweetdreamer5921 Před 4 lety +6

    I admire that you have so many beautifully covered editions. They're so aesthetically pleasing yet practical to carry with you. Many of my classics are well traveled paperbacks with a couple giant ostentatious b&n classics that barely leave the shelf.

  • @bricelynmaes9515
    @bricelynmaes9515 Před 3 lety +21

    I honestly think that little women is great to it’s an easy read, and it just has a great plot. And altogether I loved the book, and when I say I loved the book I mean I lovvved the book

  • @clarenja16
    @clarenja16 Před 3 lety +1

    There are a lot of videos here about book recommendations and they're all good, but there's something about you that convinces me to read all of yours immediately.
    I am really grateful for all these. Keep it up!

  • @justCan94
    @justCan94 Před 3 lety +5

    As a book translator and as a language and literature student this was the third time I come around your channel. Your videos are great. Thanks. :)

  • @victoireranger9998
    @victoireranger9998 Před 3 lety +18

    In 2020, I learned that Alexandre Dumas was a French black man. It blew my mind. I was a French literature major and I never once hear anyone talk about it in the late 2000s.

    • @AyaAndTheOddities
      @AyaAndTheOddities Před 3 lety +2

      he was part black, AND there are many theories that suggest Pushkin is Alexander Dumas. They were both part black. Both spoke fluent Russian and French, AND this is creepily exciting, the person who killed Pushkin in a duel is Georges D'Anthes. Now, the Count of Monte Cristo is called DANTES, and its all about assuming a different character... lol just a super cool theory.

    • @victoireranger9998
      @victoireranger9998 Před 3 lety

      @@AyaAndTheOddities mindblown! Haha! Thanks for sharing this!!

  • @godslittlestidiot2984
    @godslittlestidiot2984 Před 4 lety +34

    my favorite classic of all time and one of my favorite books is the count of monte Cristo. it's easy to read and understand it's just long
    edit- oh hey you mentioned it! I'd love to re re re read it.

  • @h.plovecraftscat2354
    @h.plovecraftscat2354 Před 3 lety +82

    I would recommend 1984 by George Orwell it’s a great classic if you’re into dystopian settings

    • @rickytrockclimbing2935
      @rickytrockclimbing2935 Před 3 lety +3

      Handmaidens tale isn’t classic buts it’s good dystopian

    • @rickytrockclimbing2935
      @rickytrockclimbing2935 Před 2 lety +2

      @@marksuckinbgber yes well let's just chalk it up that we both have different definitions of "classic" lol

    • @luiza7453
      @luiza7453 Před 2 lety

      What is it about

    • @juli3836
      @juli3836 Před 2 lety +2

      @@luiza7453 It is about a dystopian futurist (even though 1984 was long algo) society in which people are constantly controled. It mainly follows the life of Winston Smith, a man who works for the goverment until he starts realizing that something bad is going on, and that obviously produces loads of problems on his life.
      I highly recommend it, it's a great book.

  • @derekdavis5310
    @derekdavis5310 Před 4 lety +29

    My intro to classics was A Christmas Carol in third grade and I recall loving it. Skip to Freshman year when we read A Tale of Two Cities and started to really explore more classics. My school taught them fairly well to the point where I ended up asking what "new" classic we were going to read in English hahaha

    • @colleencupido5125
      @colleencupido5125 Před 3 lety +3

      A Tale of Two Cities has apparently sold 200 million copies, which makes it the best selling novel, ever. All I know is I'm in tears while reading the last 4 pages!

    • @derekdavis5310
      @derekdavis5310 Před 3 lety

      @Cheesy Helmet if I could, I would totally do a trip there!

  • @benparrish6157
    @benparrish6157 Před 4 lety +10

    My favorite door stopper is gone with the wind. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING BOOK.

    • @theresac9099
      @theresac9099 Před 4 lety +1

      Ben Parrish I agree wholeheartedly! One of my absolute favorites!

  • @ShawdiR
    @ShawdiR Před 4 lety +22

    I’m 3 minutes in and already love you haha. I love hearing the way that you frame reassign and these books and also you are stunningly beautiful.

  • @karynkerndl2716
    @karynkerndl2716 Před 3 lety +3

    The Count of Monte Cristo is a favorite along with The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask. Loved Anna Karenina, Moby Dick, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Happiest when I see a young person put down their phone and read.😄

    • @Kiki-reads
      @Kiki-reads Před 3 lety

      Karyn Kerndl young person here, I mostly read by using my phone 😂

  • @mpsensha
    @mpsensha Před 4 lety +7

    This December needs to be a re-reading of the classics, watching this made me nostalgic for most of these titles.

  • @roguebookwomansara9792
    @roguebookwomansara9792 Před 3 lety +1

    I recently started wanting to get back to reading some classics-I own so many that I haven’t read yet! This was so helpful and really kind at helping people get into reading classics. Thank you! 💖

  • @ifihadfriends437
    @ifihadfriends437 Před 4 lety +78

    Oh I started with The Picture of Dorian Gray literally last week and I loved it (and tbh the first couple of chapters especially I was just sitting there going this is so gay this is totally appropriate for pride month)

    • @angelawossname
      @angelawossname Před 3 lety +9

      E. M. Forsters stuff is also really gay. One of his books wasn't published until after his death in the 1970's, but he has a lot of gay characters that are disguised with thinly veiled subtext, just like in Dorian Gray. Maurice, of course, gets rid of all the subtext.

  • @dinah8345
    @dinah8345 Před 4 lety +6

    Pride and Prejudice was one of the first classics I read (I’m a big classic reader) and its my favorite book of all time.

  • @nurjahanblaskar6105
    @nurjahanblaskar6105 Před 3 lety +8

    People will pay you just to visit your home library just to see those covers they are absolutely stunning

    • @marthacanady9441
      @marthacanady9441 Před 2 měsíci

      Unfortunately those penguin cloth covers designs(which are gorgeous) rub off as you read them. So sad to see the designs disappear as you read.

  • @carolbenson6524
    @carolbenson6524 Před 4 lety

    Thanks for sorting these all out...helps a lot! Will try some of these this year.

  • @dreaminginpastels
    @dreaminginpastels Před 4 lety +6

    This is my first time watching one of your videos and I had to stop 3 minutes in to write this comment because I immediately subscribed! You have such an engaging and beautiful way of speaking, and your passion for reading and classics really comes through. Thank you for being amazing 😊

  • @genresandjournals
    @genresandjournals Před 4 lety +4

    This is a great list! You named all of my favorites!

  • @mvsfunhouse
    @mvsfunhouse Před 3 lety +1

    Great content and Channel! I will definitely share this will my daughters who are currently 8 and 10 years old. We started a book reading channel to improve their English reading and comprehension skills. Plus, I wasn't much of a book reader growing up and now having the opportunity to read with them and share it with the world. Thank You and looking forward to your future videos!

  • @gaildoughty6799
    @gaildoughty6799 Před 4 lety +6

    This is a fantastic video! Some spot-on recommendations here. Way back when I was a child/young teen I had the great good fortune to accidentally stumble upon some of the more accessible classics: Oliver Twist, all of Holmes, Dracula, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights among others. First Shakespeare was Macbeth, right up my alley with the fantasy witchy elements and spooky dream scenes.
    And yes, Emma! She doesn’t get enough love.
    These Where to Start videos are both useful and entertaining. Please keep up the good work.

    • @colleencupido5125
      @colleencupido5125 Před 3 lety

      Very, very good books to start with! :) When my nephew was a teenager, these are the books I sent him: To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, The Outsiders, That Was Then, This is now.

  • @jenniferbrooks
    @jenniferbrooks Před 4 lety +7

    I loved this, Mara! I agree with you on Wilkie Collins. He’s completely underrated. The Woman in White might be my favorite classic. I also appreciate your love for Merchant of Venice! It truly has aged well.

  • @SimplyBeautiful516
    @SimplyBeautiful516 Před 3 lety +2

    I’m so happy that you mentioned Middlemarch because I’m actually on Chapter 4 as I’m watching this. So far, very readable and has kept my attention well!

  • @lottiepea5597
    @lottiepea5597 Před 3 lety +1

    Thank you so much for this brilliant video. I am just about to start my journey into the Classics and after a few minutes of watching, I paused, went on-line and reserved a copy of Pride and Prejudice from my local library. Looking forward to getting it and making a start. Have subscribed to your channel.

  • @emmagray6271
    @emmagray6271 Před 3 lety +17

    I love Arthur Conan Doyle’s writing. I’m a slow reader so the short stories are great, and also there aren’t huge sections of the books that just drag on which I find in some other classics (the one exception is a study in scarlet where there is a large section about Mormons? Still a good story though). Also the character of Sherlock Holmes (and Watson too actually) is so much more interesting and enjoyable in the original stories than in many adaptations so don’t be put off by whatever your current understanding of him is

  • @ABookFiendNamedMel
    @ABookFiendNamedMel Před 4 lety +4

    Thank you for this video, I really enjoyed your recommendations. Also, I am super jealous of your classics bookshelf!

  • @mandymagnolia1966
    @mandymagnolia1966 Před 4 lety +10

    While I liked some of the other classics I had read in school, I fell in love with The Count of Monte Cristo 😊 I still adore it to this day

  • @kevinbourdeau1543
    @kevinbourdeau1543 Před 3 lety

    What a great video. I’ve been looking to expand my reading repertoire, this has definitely given me sine great ideas. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos.

  • @stellabella3337
    @stellabella3337 Před 3 lety +5

    I am SO happy to see the copy of Don Quixote. It is so often neglected amongst the classics despite being the father of the modern novel. I love this video!!!!

  • @eire02
    @eire02 Před 3 lety +14

    For those who want cheap versions of classics, I totally recommend the Wordsworth Classic editions. Here in England you can find them on Amazon UK for £2.25 -£2.50 for almost all of the novels they sell in that version. I recommend them for people who aren’t too sure if they’ll enjoy a classic as you can always go and buy a pretty copy (such as the clothbounds) when you know you’re in love with it!

  • @ricardad8682
    @ricardad8682 Před 4 lety +51

    The Great Gatsby is my ultimate favourite of all the times 🎶🎶🎶

  • @storytimewithsam.9048
    @storytimewithsam.9048 Před 4 lety +2

    I have been wanting to get into classics for a while so this video is just perfect. Thank you for making this and these recommendations. ❤

  • @amyvivas9001
    @amyvivas9001 Před 3 lety +3

    omg your books are so aesthetically pleasing to look at

  • @mariebullington4196
    @mariebullington4196 Před 3 lety +4

    Wuthering Heights is my fave and I love to read it around Christmas time. I also love Thomas Hardy.

  • @ahmeat5494
    @ahmeat5494 Před 3 lety +25

    THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY is literally my far favorite book I've ever read...

  • @cat.733
    @cat.733 Před 4 lety +2

    I don’t read very often anymore but I recently read the Count of Monte Cristo and loved it! I really like how the Count is this very intelligent, mysterious figure who’s one step ahead; but he is also flawed, has emotions and makes mistakes. There are characters that are hateful but also ones to root for. The ending was also very satisfying and showed growth.

  • @gabriellegarcia4095
    @gabriellegarcia4095 Před 3 lety +40

    I remembered after reading Frankenstein (it was good tho) I used to get little annoyed that some people think Frankenstein is a monster but actually that's a Doctor

    • @july3817
      @july3817 Před 3 lety +2

      Although I would definitely say doctor Frankenstein was a monster considering how he treated his "child"

    • @gabriellegarcia4095
      @gabriellegarcia4095 Před 3 lety +2

      @@july3817 You know what? I agree.

    • @zhr171
      @zhr171 Před 2 lety +3

      I thought the monsters name was Frankenstein I was surprised while reading that it was the doctors name 😭

    • @juli3836
      @juli3836 Před 2 lety

      Same! And sadly, I related A LOT to the monster the moment I read it. Now I don't.

  • @mw5218
    @mw5218 Před 3 lety

    This video is so helpful, thank you so much. I'm trying to get into classics but didn't know where to start so this video is perfect.

  • @lesliebrophy2810
    @lesliebrophy2810 Před 3 lety +2

    Thank you for recommending Cranford as I had not heard of it before. Such a delightful little book!

  • @sunshinebear999
    @sunshinebear999 Před 3 lety +2

    Was surprised by no mention of a huge reading project which I loved, Les Misérables. Talk about a door stop!! Fantastic

  • @loudotmac
    @loudotmac Před 4 lety +2

    I have recently discovered your channel and I’m loving your content.
    What an incredibly helpful video. I was making notes throughout the whole thing, and can’t wait to make a new bookshelf on Goodreads with your recommendations. Off to binge watch a few more of your videos before bed.

    • @bookslikewhoa
      @bookslikewhoa  Před 4 lety +1

      Oh yay, well, welcome!! Thanks for joining the journey

  • @gauravsinha6060
    @gauravsinha6060 Před 4 lety +16

    I started with Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Dickens's Great Expectations. 😊😊
    Thank you for the great video. 😊😊

  • @nataliadelmoral
    @nataliadelmoral Před 4 lety +68

    Tried out on the first attempt to read the classics “War and Peace”, couldn’t finished. Trying Dickens and Dostoyevsky now, later go back and try Tolstoy with Ana Karenina.
    It was like I tried running a marathon on my first outing.

    • @nabilaelvanya9451
      @nabilaelvanya9451 Před 4 lety +2

      Wow i literally just wanted to start reading classics by War and Peace first, now this makes me afraid haha, let alone when english isn't my first language and i cant find the book version in my language :(

    • @Bookingnirvana
      @Bookingnirvana Před 4 lety +3

      Hi if you didn't have appreciate war dnd peace i would strongly discourage Dostoevsky's nooks...they are more eccentric...would suggest Anna Karenina as its a tragic love story....check out my videos on Russian classics if u want more details elee let me know...oug of Dostoevsky's books if you want to pick take crime and punishment

    • @leezirkle7840
      @leezirkle7840 Před 3 lety +1

      I am currently reading Anna Karenina. Was blown away on the story line.

    • @tarnim2595
      @tarnim2595 Před 3 lety +1

      Just with Tolstoy. The books are actually translated anyway. So if you are starting to read them and English isn't your first language, it's actually quite likely that a translated might be available in your native language.

    • @nataliadelmoral
      @nataliadelmoral Před 3 lety

      Tarni M thanks! English is not my first language but I do have the books in Spanish and English 😁

  • @stephanierobb4486
    @stephanierobb4486 Před 4 lety

    You mentioned so many that are on my tbr and keep meaning to pick up

  • @RandMontauk
    @RandMontauk Před 3 lety +4

    We studied great expectations in school but I only read the first part. Finally, 15 years later, I read it fully over the summer and now I can't get it out of my head now.

  • @carlyy.22
    @carlyy.22 Před 2 lety +1

    I'm literally thirteen years old, but I absolutely love classics. I love Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters. I always think that the teens my age don't usually read these types of books, and people don't know how to tell me where to start, so you really helped me in these. Thank you so much❣

  • @justonemorechapter74
    @justonemorechapter74 Před 3 lety +3

    A great video! If people like Jane austen or the bronte sisters, I would also suggest elizabeth gaskell. Cranford, and north and south are accessible reads with great characters.

  • @violamanges2966
    @violamanges2966 Před 3 lety

    Awesome list of classics - I have read 4 books on this list and have a few others on my to be read list. This list is a great guide.

  • @defundhollywood3259
    @defundhollywood3259 Před 4 lety +9

    I'm so glad you recommended Middlemarch. I'm more a fan of The Mill on the Floss but close enough. 😉👍

  • @christinebihasa6863
    @christinebihasa6863 Před 3 lety +2

    those books are gorgeous and so are you. love the recs

  • @atis9061
    @atis9061 Před 4 lety

    Thank you! These were expected but I fully appreciate the presentation :)

  • @niles9542
    @niles9542 Před 3 lety +1

    Oh man, you did such a great job on this! I've just finished The Canterbury Tales (Thanks a lot Steve Donaghue for plunging me into the Western Canon!) and in prep for that I found Dolores Cullen's, Chaucer's Pilgrims. Wow, now I've got to read Chaucer again! I love the classics! Did Shakespeare last year, but am looking forward to the 19th century.

  • @macareuxmoine
    @macareuxmoine Před 3 lety

    You matching your eyeshadow to the Pride&Prejudice cover is just awwwwweeeesome 😀

  • @annerobinson2288
    @annerobinson2288 Před 4 lety

    Nice selection. Very exciting to get back to the classics.

  • @tododia1ciclonovo.215
    @tododia1ciclonovo.215 Před 4 lety +11

    🇧🇷 I love books, I love literature, and I'm learning to speak English on my own. So I've already subscribed to your channel, success!

  • @Ms13Alla
    @Ms13Alla Před 4 lety +3

    Thank you! Especially for Leo Tolstoy.

  • @magnusbane2177
    @magnusbane2177 Před 4 lety

    I only just discovered your channel and I am amazed by your charisma and passion for classics! So happy to have found you! 😆

  • @dangaines405
    @dangaines405 Před 2 lety

    Great suggestions! Very articulate notes, thanks! I subscribed!

  • @isidorag.k.8022
    @isidorag.k.8022 Před 3 lety +2

    this is the first video I've watched from your channel, and like.... I love you already

  • @annoldham3018
    @annoldham3018 Před 4 lety +19

    Doorstoppers. Love it.😂

  • @alishbaali7223
    @alishbaali7223 Před 4 lety +2

    You have such a beautiful collection of books, makes me sooo jealous. Also, girlll, your make up is so so good

  • @marajade7217
    @marajade7217 Před 3 lety +1

    All the introduction book she mentioned I have read 😂 This for sure makes me want to continue to expand my classical collection!

  • @tayashokkerwrites
    @tayashokkerwrites Před 4 lety

    This video was extremely helpful. Thank you so much!!! 😊

  • @chihabreda6681
    @chihabreda6681 Před 4 lety +4

    Wonderful classics collection

  • @pyromania2280
    @pyromania2280 Před 3 lety +1

    Your bookshelf is so elegant😍

  • @KristinMomentsOfSanctuary

    Reading Willkie Collins “the Frozen Deep” right now- love him! Recommend Women in White often!

  • @Lobxx1
    @Lobxx1 Před 3 lety

    I'm so glad you mentioned A Modest Proposal 💚

  • @jenw7283
    @jenw7283 Před 4 lety +28

    Your list was great, particularly for European/Western culture classics. I would usually start with Frankenstein as the classic I would recommend because it is not too long, the language isn't too difficult, it has some themes that have aged very well, particularly with the sciences and questions on the ethics of certain branches of science, nature vs nurture, etc. Also, so many of the movies are only VERY loosely based on the novel, so it is fun to read the original and see the differences.
    I did like Dracula, but I think it is harder to get into for most people because a lot of it is written as an epistolary, or journal entries, which can be hard to get into and stay absorbed in the story. For short horror classics, I like Edgar Allen Poe, particularly The Cask of Amontillado or The Black Cat, among the other more well-known stories.
    If you are looking for more obscure Western classics that are decent to start with, I really liked Moll Flanders by Danel Defoe and Tom Jones by Henry Fielding, both are some of the very first English novels, and I found them very entertaining.
    If you are looking to get into some more general World Literature, some of the easiest to start with are probably Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe or The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. Somewhat harder to get into, I would also recommend Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and The Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu, which was written in 11th century Japan and may be the first recorded novel in the world. For short horror stories from Japan, I would recommend the works of Rynosuke Akutagawa, particularly Hell Screen or Rashomon.
    Gah, there are too many great classics to recommend! It is hard to know where to start without knowing someone's tastes! And this doesn't even really touch on the more modern classics (though House of the Spirits is fairly modern)...

    • @bookslikewhoa
      @bookslikewhoa  Před 4 lety

      Great recs here!

    • @colleencupido5125
      @colleencupido5125 Před 3 lety

      Two years after marriage, I was reading John Dracula (he's got Dyslexia). I said, "It's1:00 am. Can we stop and get to bed? He said, "You can't stop now!! It's the most exciting part!"

  • @cpagoals
    @cpagoals Před 3 lety +2

    So pleased that Pride and Prejudice was your top choice as it was the first classic I read at 11 years old and to this day, after 5 re-reads, it has not been replaced as my favorite, although Jane Eyre really did come in as a close second

  • @addibaker1209
    @addibaker1209 Před 3 lety

    Really great recommendations. Thank you

  • @shimone5198
    @shimone5198 Před 4 lety

    this channel is so refreshing

  • @francinegodhelp-hazeveld2159

    The first time I read war and peace , I was around 18 years; I left out all the parts about the war: I reread it a few years ago ; now with the war scenes. Another book I really enjoyed was Gone with the wind, great read about American history and nothing like the movie.

  • @EnigmaticPsyche
    @EnigmaticPsyche Před 4 lety +4

    Wow... The knowingness of this video... How could you know how relevant this would be in 2020? Thank you for this.

  • @POlivares23
    @POlivares23 Před 4 lety +2

    You read Count of Monte Cristo as a kid? I'm impressed! I picked up an abridged version as a middle schooler and put it down because it was a bit tedious. I picked up the unabridge version earlier this year, as an adult, and finally read through it-I quite enjoyed it. P & P is something I tried reading multiple times but I just can't follow through and read it. I might try Persuasion soon, though as I'm trying to get more into classics. Great video!

  • @Jimbodisfan
    @Jimbodisfan Před 4 lety +6

    Hi Maura! I think many of the books on your bookshelves have gorgeous bindings. I am currently reading a movie-tie-in paperback edition of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens that I bought from the Barnes and Noble bargain bin for $2.00 USD; and yes: his plots are male ice cream sundae without the ice cream bonkers. I've read Wuthering Heights; while I loved the atmosphere and sense of place, I believe that the characters all deserved to undergo live autopsies.

    • @colleencupido5125
      @colleencupido5125 Před 3 lety

      The poet Gabriel Rossetti said the action of Wuthering Heights takes place in Hell, where all the characters mysteriously have English names... As for Charles Dickens, I agree with John Updike in that the reason academia looks down on him is that Dickens tries to move readers primarily through their emotions rather than intellect.

  • @MyLifeWithKai
    @MyLifeWithKai Před 3 lety +1

    This was a wonderful video! Thank you!!!

  • @ellie5447
    @ellie5447 Před 3 lety +4

    Yes, Emma is my favourite book! I recommend it to everyone 💕

  • @mw5218
    @mw5218 Před 3 lety

    Your make up matching with the pride and prejudice book was so cool