10 *actually good* classic literature books for *actual* beginners

hello!
here are 10 ~actually good~ classic literature recommendations for beginners. by beginners I mean those dappling in classics, those with a piqued interest, students, or even seasoned readers.
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Good morning, how are you!

It's such a nice day today

I wish I could...

...be in it.

Welcome back to my channel, I suppose.

Uhm, I'm Dakota.

I'm 22.

I'm from Melbourne, Australia

and I talk about books...

that's all there is to it.

I've had like no motivation

to film anything recently because

lockdown blues but then

I suddenly went

perhaps talking to a camera would be nice!

Anyway, here are ten actually good

classic literature recommendations

for actual beginners.

Because I'm so hyperaware

of how beginners don't have those

preconceived notions that

everybody seems to think they do

we've all been beginners.

These are all varying degrees

of genre.

You will definitely see a theme

amongst my favourites.

I'm not going to recommend

an absolute beginner

Dostoevsky... or Shakespeare.

I think when it comes down to

classic literature for beginners,

there's a few aspects that

need to be considered like

the length of the book

because if it's quite wordy and

in older English or more advanced English

it's... a lot to deal with

especially in big chunks.

And captivating...

I think that captivating is

an imperative aspect.

Nobody wants to read a classic

that just draaags on.

That's gonna turn you off on classics forever.

First few classics that

somebody reads in their classic journey...

sets the mark for their

classic taste in life.

New drinking game:

take a shot every time she says classic.

You will also notice

that I source secondhand

whenever I can and

that's very attainable for classics.

So the covers for these books

will be interesting.

I get a lot of messages asking

where I got that edition from

and where the people can find it

and that it was $600 on Amazon and

that's because I got it from Savers for $1.50.

I'm sorry but covers don't matter

is what's on the inside that counts.

And without further ado,

onto the books.

The first book is very dear to me

and that is: Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland

slash Through the Looking Glass slash

whatever you will.

We all know what this book is about and

I don't need to detail it too much but

a young girl falls down a rabbit hole and

is exposed to the world of...

marvel and wonder and awe and

bizarre adventures.

This is written eloquently,

it's wise, it's humorous, it's captivating

from the get-go.

As a 22-year-old, I am still captivated

by this book.

It's also a very fast-paced read and

you can get through it quickly.

A.) because you're captivated and

B.) because it's short.

I also find that it helps reading classics

when you're in an unfamiliar territory...

that you already have an idea of the plot.

Try and look past the fact that it's a

"children's book" and consider it

to be a fantasy book with some

deeper meaning and some hidden themes.

Try to ignore

the constantly changing lighting

the sun is tucking itself beneath a new cloud

every minute. So it's going to be

a journey.

The next recommendation that I have

is more so an author than a book itself

and that is none other than Edgar Allan Poe

one of the most influential writers for me...

in my entire life.

"Father of the Modern Detective Story"

not so much the "Father of the Short Story"

though it definitely helps that gain momentum.

Not so much the "Father of Gothic Horror,"

though it definitely helps that gain momentum.

Just a very influential figure

in literature itself.

I'm in love with his mind.

He's a genius.

His writing is eery, it's creepy,

it's spooky, it's gruesome, it's raw...

but it's not terrifying.

Like it's not the stuff of nightmares

that's going to keep you up awake.

I recommend this book to anyone that

asks me for... recommendations

whether it be classics, gothic lit,

gothic horror, detective stories,

mysteries, anything!

Everyone I've ever recommended

Poe has thanked me with their life

and so I will recommend Poe

to everyone until the day I die.

It's very easy to find his works and collections.

I got this one at a bookstore

and I got this one secondhand.

They have a collection of his short stories

and his poetry

and I think that it's great

because you can power through them,

and you have that sense of accomplishment

and achievement and you're powering through

and you're finishing stories and

so you can tuck all of these books

under your arm at the same time.

My favourite short story of Poe's is

called the "Tell-Tale Heart."

and it is essentially the story of

an unnamed narrator who

is trying to convince you, the reader,

of his sanity.

Whilst he is describing to you, the reader,

of the crimes he committed.

The poetry and prose is magical.

The man is a genius.

The next book, we love some vampire fiction,

haha, just joking!

It's Carmilla.

Sheridan Le Fanu. Carmilla.

Bram Stroke's predecessor and inspiration

when it came to vampire fiction.

I think it came out 26 years before Dracula

We love some gothic romanticism

this is a classic Victorian vampire novela

and I think that is...

such an amazing starting point for classics.

Perhaps my affinity for gothic literature

is showing through,

in these recommendations.

This is a very important book,

in a historic sense.

It's also written very easily.

It's written beautifully

but very easily to follow and

it's a very quick read.

And a great one to say

you've actually read.

Also an absolute... moment

in homoerotecism.

We love some lesbian literature...

Sappho would be both proud

and terrified with this novel.

The next one is

very commonly on the lists

of classics for beginners.

Which is the first book I've seen

that rightfully so earned it's place

on our board.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde is also a genius

for your information.

This is about

a seemingly good-natured young man,

who discovers the power behind...

his exceptional beauty.

It really explores the relationship

between beauty and morality.

Oscar Wilde plays a lot with

the presumption that...

gorgeous people are inherently morally good

and that "ugly" people are,

therefore, bad.

But it's a fascinating book.

It's considerably short

and it's written in a very nice

easy-to-understand way

for a beginner.

The next genre is exciting

because it's a philosophical classic

and that is

Albert Camus' The Stranger slash

The Outsider.

It's the exact same book.

It has two titles.

This was published in '82.

This was published in 2021.

I'm not sure if it depends on translation

or just the year of publication

but it's the same book.

Ahhh... ah books smell so good.

It's about alienation of an individual

from society, entirely self-inlicted

because he refuses to conform to social norms.

The first opening line of this book,

his mother dies

and he refuses to acknowledge his feelings,

let alone show them,

to uphold the expectations

of those around him.

And that sets up the novel...

in a perfect way.

It's written simply enough to grasp

a good understanding of.

But it's very fast-paced too.

And it will leave you feeling,

dare I say, enlightened.

After I read this,

after I read anything by Camus,

I feel more mature,

more intelligent, more philosophical,

more spiritual, more cynical.

I think that it's an amazing way

to cross off philosophy and a classic

in the same book.

It's raw and it's real and it's honest.

And I think it's a super book.

Russian literature is my favorite.

My absolute favorite due to its darkness, really.

But much of it is not for beginners...

except for The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy.

You can see how small and short this is

which is another great fast-paced read.

This book is one of the most

profound books I've ever read...

because of its nature.

As the title suggests,

the book is about death.

A man learns he's dying

and the entire novel is about him

coming to deal with that,

and face the reality of that,

and whatever that means...

to him and the world around him.

It is perhaps one of the greatest tales

of redemption and forgiveness

I've ever read.

I can't give much away,

but the last ten pages of this novella...

you have to read it.

It leaves you feeling sad,

and scared, and pensive.

It's just an all-around great book to read

due to the writing style,

the fast-paced nature,

the context, the substance,

and also the fact that it's from Tolstoy,

who is an incredible writer.

But much of his literature

is really really long.

The next book we have

is a psychological thriller

and that is, John Fowles' The Collector.

This... is a genius book.

It's so unsettling.

It makes your skin crawl.

It's basically about

to, grossly condense,

this man who is considered to be

a reject of society.

He collects butterflies,

he is obsessed with butterflies,

he dedicates everything to butterflies

until he comes across

a beautiful woman,

an art student, and he decides

he's going to collect her

like one of his butterflies,

by any means necessary.

It's been dubbed

as one of the most disturbing books

ever written.

And that's not because

of the way it was written

in a graphic sense.

It's the way that it gets under your skin,

and the way that... it creeps into your mind

and you think about it for a long time

after you finish the book.

And I think that's the make up

of an amazing book.

It's not too long

but it's not short either

but it's so captivating

that you're not going to want to put it down

regardless of the length of the book.

I think if you're looking

into psychological thriller

or just... books that get under your skin

this is an amazing recommendation for classics.

The next novel also pops up

on a lot of the classics for beginners lists

and this one's actually warranted.

George Orwell's 1984.

You would've heard of this

you might not have,

I shouldn't assume.

How to condense this plot,

a lot happens.

Ah, residents of this super state oceana,

are under this constant government surveillance,

this omnipresent, dooming,

government surveillance

called Big Brother.

There's war, manipulation,

and a lot of truth.

Truth to the year it was written– 1949?

Truth to the year it was intended to be written about– 1984.

In truth to the year of now– 2021.

It's a dystopian novel

and it's terrifying

but it's not frightening in the way of it

being gothic horror, psychological horror,

or thriller.

This also discussed a lot amongst literature

it's referenced a lot,

discussed a lot,

studied a lot,

it's in a lot of set texts,

it's really helpful

to just have a grasp on this book.

When I tell you the next recommendation

is Shakespeare,

I don't want you panicking

thinking I'm recommending you

Hamlet or Macbeth

or Antony and Cleopatra.

I want you to panic because

I'm recommending you poetry for kids.

This is Starlight and Moonshine Poetry of the Supernatural

and it is esentially just a compilation

of extracts from plays

that can be gorgeous poetry

and prose.

Maybe I'll read you one.

I'm going to read you Love Song

from a Midsummer Night's Dream Act 4 Scene 1.

"Come, sit thee down upon this flowery bed,

While I thy amiable cheeks do coy,

And stick muskroses in thy sleek smooth head,

And kiss thy fair large ears, my gentle joy."

I just think it's so pretty.

Reading Shakespeare

in Shakespearean language,

in the very particular way that his plays

are constructed, is a lot.

Especially for a beginner.

But when you take extracts,

and put it into nice, neat poetry stanzas,

that have one main focus,

it becomes really easy to grasp.

And it's an amazing gateway

into Shakespeare

and Shakespearian type,

plays, and language.

Hamlet's soliloquy... chef's kiss!

"To be, or not to be, that is the question,"

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer,

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,

Or to take arms against a sea of troubles

And by opposing end them.

To die—to sleep, No more;"

I did thrift this book

and I am unsure

how easy it would be to find

a duplicate copy.

But I did take the liberty of looking up

Shakespeare poetry

and there is an abundance

of various forms of Shakespeare poetry

for "kids."

It doesn't even need to be "for kids"

but I just like "for kids,"

it feels safe and nice.

I must say, whosever idea it was to

create plastic slips...

should not have had that idea.

If anybody ever recommends me

a plastic slip book, they will ruin the day.

The last book, you guessed it,

you were probably wondering

where it was.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

I set this as a text for my book club for August

and it got some mixed reviews.

A lot of people are dappling into classics

for the first time,

and said it was drawn out and lengthy,

and a lot of people said

"This was such an amazing introduction to classics!"

And I think that very much depends

on your patience

because it is a mid-length book,

and there are multiple chapters,

that it's just him rambling on about his journys

and his melancholy.

I talk about this more in-depth

in my first video, I believe,

about books that I'd sell my soul

for to read again.

So that very much says enough

about this book!

But it's such an essential

imperative read in the world of classics.

It's such a common misconception that

Frankenstein is the monster.

Frankenstein is a scientist!

It's also such a common misconception

that Frankenstein kills the monster

or Frankenstein builds the monster a wife!

This really clarifies the plot for you

and most people love it,

if you hate it,

you only have to read it once to say you have

And to recap,

here are the 10 classic literature books

that are actually good

for actual beginners.

And these are for me,

I know I say this a lot,

and dare I say it again,

God-tier.

I suppose now it's time to conclude the video.

Which is kind of sad

because this has been the most social interaction

I've had in two weeks.

Follow my social media,

I'll have all that linked down below.

I talk about books a lot more frequently on them

because YouTube is a drag

in a very lovable way.

Thank you so much to the unmatched

love and support.

It's incredible, it's so gorgeous,

I love every single one of you.

I don't want to be one of those people

that says like and subscribe but-