Classic Novel Suggestions. What novels would you read a second time?

Question

I read quickly and have read everything I own twice. I need some suggestions. I would like to read some novels that require some thought to understand and interpret. If you would so kindly suggest some books that you have read and a general idea of plot and theme I would be greatly appreciative.

Well, I've read almost all the books listed here. At least I know I'm reading popular works!

Thanks to all obscure and obvious.

Answer 1

My go to books have always been "To Kill a Mockingbird", "1984", "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy" and interestingly enough "Grimm's Fairy Tales".

But never underestimate the power of roaming the shelves at libraries, book sales and thrift stores.

Answer 2

"Les Miserables" by Victor Hugo - It's a huge story about poverty and revolution, but at its heart is the story of one man - an ex-convict who's gone legit but broken his parole. He can't shake off the legalistic cop whose made it his life's work to recapture him. I read the unabridged version my senior year of high school because I loved the musical so much. The book is able to go into even more depth about characters and situations. It was a very rich read, but I didn't feel like it was too difficult. I would love to read it again, but it took me a month to get through the first time!

My other favorite classics that I could read again and again are: "The Scarlet Letter" by Hawthorne, "Pride and Prejudice" and "Persuasion" by Austen and "A Tale of Two Cities" by Dickens.

Answer 3

I never read anything twice as well. Try Joseph and his Brothers by Thomas Mann. That will take a while. It’s long and hard to read, so good luck! :)

The general idea is to show realsitic the unreal... You’ll see what I mean if you read it. It tells you the Biblical story of Joseph, but not in a religious way. It shows you the Bible as the truth, and how it could happened in reality, and not like a bunch of miracolous short stories in the Bible.

Answer 4

If you are looking for classic book authors I would suggest Charles Dickens. I have read ten of his books and liked them all. Ones I have read multiple times are Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, The Pickwick Papers, David Copperfield and Tale of Two Cities.

Answer 5

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I absolutely love this book and have read it several times.

Answer 6

The Count of Montecristo by Alexander Dumas is quite good.Its about an innocent man who is imprisoned for 14 years and later escapes.It affected me tremendously.The central characters emotions on being arrested vary from disbelief,self-denial,self-pity,apathy,despair and finally hope.

Crime and punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky is also thought provoking.A young man commits a murder and how it haunts him is the plot.

Answer 7

Two you probably already have on your shelf: Bram Stoker's Dracula and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Both were forced reading in high school, but have so many underlying themes you can read them several times and find new meaning each time.

Answer 8

Anything by Charles De Lint, I think his books are very thought provoking.
He writes "Urban Myth" to put a name to it, he mixes old mythology, from Native American, to Celtic lore intertwined in the modern day world.
Have a good read!!

Answer 9

read the series of narnia. there are several books but the lion , the witch, and the wardrobe is the most popular. it has meaning beyond it's story line.

Answer 10

"Persuasion" and "Pride & Prejudice" by Jane Austen (beautiful)!

To Kill a Mockingbird for sure (Harper Lee)

Great Expectations (Dickens)