Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in the early 19th century, a story about a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who achieves his goal of creating life from corpses as a scientific experiment. While Victor was solely focused on the process of creation, he unintentionally ends up creating a monster. Victor’s deep immersion in his scientific endeavors blinded him from considering the ethical implications of his actions, and he spends the rest of his few years alive trying to stop the Creature from creating havoc.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is a classical literature novel written in gothic style. The story involves a woman who marries Maxim de Winter, a wealthy man who she knows nothing about. The woman, at first is excited about her marriage, but soon experiences feelings of regret and guilt. She discovers the strong hold that Maxim’s late wife Rebecca had on the people around her. She works to uncover Maxim and Rebecca’s past to find peace in her own life.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly is a classic that depicts monsters being something more than just the appearance of one person but rather the monster that is inside of you. This book is about a scientist by the name of Victor Frankenstein who creates a monster from pieces of corpses and brings it to life. The message of this story is something that defines the ages, teaching generations to put past the prejudice of everyday life to see within rather than just the appearance of one who is called a monster.
Holden Caulfield, a distraught and confused teen gets expelled from his school and must learn to navigate the world around him. Inside, Holden is alone and scared, believing that everyone is a “phony”. Holden journeys around New York to try and make meaningful connections with someone but fails over and over.
After a plane crash leaves a group of adolescent boys stranded on a deserted island, they must figure out how to survive. Their initial methods are civilized and orderly, but as the struggle for power takes over, a man’s darkest parts are revealed. With the added obstacles of a terrifying monster and lost hope, will the boys survive?
Othello, also known as “The Moor” is a great general married to Desdemona, the prettiest girl in Venice. When a potential war threatens Cyprus, Othello is shipped off to battle with Desdemona following him. Othello’s third in command, Lago, despises him for his position and power and does everything he can to manipulate and ruin Othello’s life.
When a plane evacuating a group of schoolboys from Britain is shot down, Ralph and the rest of the boys take refuge on an abandon island. During the war, a break from everyone seems nice, and the boys quickly build a shelter and thrive on their new island home. Although everything seems right at first, it’s not long until being cut off from civilization leads some of the boys to turn feral and separate into groups, preparing for war of their own.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton will forever remain as one of my favorite novels. Hinton’s exploration of tough themes, including social hierarchies and the emotions involved with growing up and friendship, made the book an emotional, yet important read. The book takes the reader back to the 1960s, and Hinton did a wonderful job displaying that era in contrast to today’s world. Also, it was such an experience learning about each of the Greasers and how unique their personalities were.
The classic and captivating novel by esteemed author F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is no stranger to the limelight of “best novels of all time”. Set in the roaring twenties, we are immediately taken to a place of lux and glamor of New York’s elite, amidst the Great Depression. This story will have you wondering what exactly the “American Dream” is all about? Main protagonist Nick Carraway is a simple man from the midwest, moving to New York to work at a big time company.
The Scarlet Letter was a piece of literature that I was required to read for my junior year English class, and I ended up really enjoying it. The book explored themes of human emotion, guilt, regret, and judgment, and it really forced me to reflect on the differences in society back then and now. Hawthorne did a beautiful job with displaying imperfect characters that he wanted the audience to connect with in some way.
