Top 5 Favorite Classics

Yesterday I posted an article about why I hate The Great Gatsby. I did mention that I have quite a few classics that I do enjoy. If you remember my top ten current favorites listicle I posted a few days ago, then you will remember that I included a short story by Edgar Allan Poe on that list. And as I’ve stated many times previously on this blog, I majored in English Literature and now have an undergraduate degree. So I figured that for today’s post I would post a listicle of my top five favorite classics.

Before I continue, I will say that I'm not going to include any Edgar Allan Poe stories on this list since I already included one of his works on my current faves list already. Anyway, onto the list!

Ravens on their way to attack me for not including our Lord and Savior Edgar Allan Poe

1. Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Is it any surprise that a play full of murder, supernatural beings, and an active female lead is my number one? No, absolutely not. I admit, I am not the biggest fan of Shakespeare, but the Scottish Play is amazing. Also if I could play any Shakespeare lady in a Shakespeare production, I would play Lady Macbeth in a heart beat. Maybe I would even kill for the role…

2. The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pizan

You’re probably thinking, “what is this woman talking about.” Well let me introduce you to my medieval, feminist queen: Christine de Pizan. An icon is what she is. Her husband died leaving her with three to four children to support (history isn’t sure if she was left to take care of her niece or not) and her mother as well. She couldn’t get any money from her husband’s estate; so instead of remarrying, she turned to writing to support herself and her family. What a queen. And this book I’m referring to is about strong women from before the medieval area, and Christine creating a world in which they are safe from being defaced by history. Again, what a queen.

Christine de Pizan, probably:

3. 1984 by George Orwell

1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale are the two dystopian novels that creep me out the most. I’ve read a lot of dystopian literature, but none scare me more than 1984 The idea of room 101 haunts my nightmares, and don’t get me started on the notion of lessening the English language. It just creeps me out way too much.

4. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

I feel that the big three horror stories are Frankenstein, Dracula, and the story in question. Out of the three books, I find Jekyll and Hyde to be the most realistic, and thus the most terrifying. Playing on the light and dark side of humanity is always scary to me as all you have to do is watch the news to see the worst of people. The scariest plots are always rooted in some form of realism, and while the medical side of this story isn’t the realist, the idea of allowing the dark side of a person to run rampant doesn’t sit well with me; hence why I love this story.

5. The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Heartbreaking and heartwarming. I first read this novel during one of my freshman English classes in college, and Celie’s story has always stuck with me. This poor woman has been through so much, yet through her strong beliefs and the few true friends she makes, she is able to stay strong until her life becomes more than what she ever wishes it to be.